Chapter 9
Present
Siggy had given it a lot of thought – the idea of a unique selling point for the Hope Square Hotel.
‘I’m so sorry, I haven’t come up with anything new, but…’ She really wanted to help. The idea that Rae would confide in her, ask for her advice, well, it made her feel suddenly important. Her mother never asked for her opinion. To Siggy’s mind, her mother had all the answers.
‘Stop making excuses before you even start.’ Rae pulled across two of the dining chairs against the table, so they could sit next to each other, shoulders touching, equals.
The hotel wasn’t open yet. Siggy’s mother said there was a time when it seemed as if it never closed.
These days, Rae had changed her opening time to ten o’clock most mornings.
It meant she still catered to the few regulars who filed out of mass and liked to come and gossip or read the daily paper with their morning cup of coffee.
‘So, start again, big smile, what have we got…’ Rae prompted her.
‘Okay, well,’ Siggy cleared her throat and sat just a little straighter, ‘the Hope Square Hotel is a charming, family owned and run, boutique hotel. The location is a big plus; it’s bang smack in the middle of one of the most picturesque villages on the wild Atlantic way.
And we have the sea, just a short walk away.
’ Siggy was warming up. ‘Of course that means, it’s the perfect destination for families, for couples’ getaways, for fishermen and for surfers. ’
‘Are we spreading our net too far?’ Rae said lightly. Full rooms meant full staff and while that would be great for revenue, it meant that Rae could never manage the place single-handed.
‘Okay, well, how’s this… instead of going for the holiday makers, can we revisit the idea of small quirky weddings?
’ Siggy knew Rae had cancelled as many as she could redirect elsewhere after Marcus died.
Now, her expression darkened. ‘Please, hear me out, it’s the perfect location, the hotel is beautiful and original and it’s homely.
It can accommodate a good-sized wedding party, but it still feels like a very intimate place – so say, give it a maximum capacity.
We market to out-of-town couples wanting a relaxed elegance about their wedding.
We can do up new photographs, put together a full package.
Price it reasonably, but not too reasonably, so they know they are getting quality and… ’
‘I’m sorry, Siggy,’ Rae held up her hands. ‘I don’t think I have another wedding in me, not now.’
‘No, you’re right. I’m sorry. I should have seen that for myself.’
‘I think you’re onto something with the whole “boutique” thing though, I mean, I really liked that.’
‘Yeah, I liked it too and you know, I think with a bit of embellishment we could definitely market the hotel as boutique.’ The problem was, when she said embellishment, what she meant was a Michelin-starred restaurant or a world-renowned piano player in the lobby, or at the very least a cocktail bar that some influencer had made famous for having a drink named after them.
‘Okay, so we’ve narrowed it down,’ Rae said in her brightest voice. ‘We know what we don’t want?’
‘So, no to weddings?’
‘Emphatically,’ Rae said.
‘Okay, let’s start again from what we have, shall we?’
‘Right. We have location.’
‘Agreed,’ Rae said except she knew, location was not enough to save them.
All the old streams of business that had always kept the place afloat were being dried up.
The lunch time trade had moved across to garage delis or the small artisan coffee shop on the main street.
As to the bar, well, that market was on its knees now thanks to crippling taxes, a shifting social scene and much more fiercely enforced drink driving laws.
‘Coffee?’ Siggy said finally to break the silence.
‘Sure, why not?’ Rae looked at her watch.
It was time to open the doors. Their regular crowd would be arriving soon.
She gathered up the bits and pieces they had scattered on the table.
Siggy set about grinding beans and heating up the machine.
Behind her, she heard Rae open the front doors, felt a light breeze of fresh air waft around the reception behind her.
Then voices, unfamiliar voices in the doorway and moving through the reception area that she had not expected.
‘Come in, come in, of course, you’re very welcome.
’ Siggy looked around to see Rae leading in Ros Stokes with another woman – a striking out-of-towner, tall, thin, skin the colour of hazel wood, her hair piled high in a turban, made of fabric that looked as soft as water, wrapped around her narrow pretty face.
‘Siggy, any chance you could magic up another two cups of coffee for Ros and Melissa?’ Siggy knew immediately, this had to be Danial’s grandmother – she was as beautiful as he was handsome, the same eyes, warm and friendly, even with complete strangers.
‘Of course, just give me a minute.’ Siggy smiled at the two women and set about making four coffees in the fine bone china cups that had been here probably since before her own mother had been born.
She grabbed a plate and scattered some ginger nut biscuits on it.
She carried three coffees over on one of the old silver trays, set prettily with the dainty cups, saucers, milk jug and sugar bowl.
‘Siggy, join us, won’t you?’ Rae said as she put down the tray. Siggy didn’t wait to be asked a second time, she was intrigued by Melissa Val.
‘So, it’s just you and your grandson?’ Ros asked.
‘Yes, Danial will stay here with me, too. There are only both of us left now.’ And she told them about her family, back in Nouakchott.
A city in the desert of Mauritania. ‘My son was a professor in the university, his wife a lecturer in women’s studies.
They spoke out, said things that powerful people do not like to hear. ’
‘What sort of things?’ Siggy couldn’t help it.
‘Oh, it might take only two flights to get to Muffeen Mòr, but Mauritania is a lifetime away. It is very beautiful, but life there can be cruel if you are poor and uneducated. There is a rampant slave trade and anyone speaking up against it… well, they either end up in prison or…’ she stopped.
Her voice had begun to shake, she took a deep breath and Siggy noticed that her hands folded together gently in her lap before, tightened now. ‘Worse.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Rae placed her hand on Melissa’s arm for a moment. ‘And your son and his wife?’
‘My daughter-in-law disappeared, he went to look for her. They swore they had not taken her, but witnesses said she was arrested as she flew back from a fundraising lecture in London. My son couldn’t rest until he knew what had become of her and—’ she stopped, looked out towards the village green, closed her eyes then for a moment, as if remembering a terrible nightmare.
‘Well, they came and arrested him at the university. They told me he died in prison, they tried to make out it was appendicitis, but of course it couldn’t have been that.
He’d had his appendix out years earlier.
The police – they are not very bright, but they are very dangerous.
I feared for Danial, if we stayed there so… ’
‘You will be safe here,’ Ros said softly. ‘Danial will be safe here too, if he can settle, I mean, it must be very different from Nouakchott.’
‘It is certainly colder.’ Melissa smiled and she pulled her cape up closer around her shoulders.
‘Wait until the winter comes,’ Siggy said then, pushing the plate of biscuits towards Ros and Melissa.
‘Will your grandson go to school here?’ Rae asked.
‘Oh, dear, Danial? No. Danial had just finished his final exams before we left, he’s going to be eighteen in a few weeks’ time.
He was hoping to go to university until…
well, after his mother. He took it all very badly.
And then, when his father was arrested… I knew we had to leave.
Already, it felt as if the police were watching our house, you never know what they’ll lay at your door once they feel that you might be some sort of threat to them and Danial, he’s a good boy, he’d never get into trouble.
He just… well, he needed to start again. ’
‘He could attend university here, I mean, next year, if…’ Ros said.
‘Maybe, but for now, I think we both need to catch our breath.’
‘Of course,’ Rae said softly. ‘It’s a good place for a fresh beginning…’
‘The thing is, he needs work, I’m not sure there are any jobs here for a young man.’
‘Yes, of course, he’ll need to be busy, get to know people, make friends his own age, quite aside from making some money…’ Ros said then.
‘The island isn’t exactly teeming with opportunities,’ Siggy said. ‘Most kids leave for college as soon as they finish school, then they either travel or settle into jobs on the mainland.’
‘It’s all farming, fishing and tiny family businesses here, I’m afraid.’ Ros looked from Rae to Siggy. ‘I know that well enough. A year ago, I was in a similar situation.’
‘It’s not easy,’ Rae agreed.
‘The thing is, even if he could help out without pay, somewhere, anywhere, I think if he had a reference, someone to vouch for him if an opportunity arose, then…’ She looked at Rae again.
‘And you hoped he might work here?’ Rae said softly.
She looked across at Siggy only briefly catching her eye.
‘Let me think about it,’ she said then, because of course, Rae, just like her mother but in very different ways, always wanted to do the right thing.
She would try her best to make a place to help Danial, except they both knew, there was no place to make for him at the hotel.
‘What did you say he was going to study at university?’ Siggy asked then.
‘Computer Science, but he is very bright, very…’ Melissa stopped for a second. ‘Very sharp, he picks things up quickly and he’s always had part-time jobs. He’s a hard worker, if you give him a chance.’
‘I would love to give him a chance,’ Rae said, then she held up her hand. ‘But you see, we’re not busy. Actually, we are trying to figure out ways of making more business in the hotel, because this last year has been—’ She stopped and smiled sadly. ‘Well, it hasn’t been easy.’
‘Of course, I understand.’ Melissa Val looked at Rae and nodded as if she understood absolutely everything in that moment. ‘Maybe, until he finds a proper job, he can come here and help you make your plans?’
‘Oh, I couldn’t let him do that, not without offering some sort of payment.’ Rae shook her head.
‘I’m sure Danial will pick up a proper job in no time, but coming here, it would give him a purpose. He’d meet some of the locals, make some friends and maybe it would be good for other people in the village to see that newcomers are welcome here,’ Ros said softly.
‘I’d be very grateful. A young man in a strange country with no friends and only his memories to keep him company – apart from his grandmother, he needs something more.’
‘Of course, of course,’ Rae said then and it felt as if they all exhaled a sigh of relief.
‘I’d love to have him here, but only for as long as he wants to come, and I will see if there is any work going, so he can get a proper job as quickly as he can.
’ She smiled and Siggy thought, Danial Val might be just what this place needs – a breath of fresh air, she for one was really looking forward to seeing more of him.