CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When I did my usual morning walk at the hotel’s beach, I saw Philippa emerge from the guesthouse with her mother.
Surprised, I hesitated and then moved ahead to greet them. I hoped Philippa’s mother would be understanding about the situation that had unfolded between Luciano and her daughter.
Philippa hurried ahead. “Morning, Ann. Heads up. My parents don’t know anything about Chet and me and Luc and Harper. Please don’t say anything. I haven’t had a chance to talk to my mother.”
“I understand,” I said, smiling as I approached Catarina Ferrera. “Lovely day. When did you get back?”
“Late last night. I wanted to return as soon as possible because I was unaware my husband had sent for Luciano to come to Florida.”
“I’ve met him. He’s a very pleasant young man.
” Observing Philippa’s worried look, I quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, while you were gone, Philippa did some consulting work in the kitchen for our chef, Chet. It helped us out of a difficult position when our master chef hurt his ankle and couldn’t come in.
And now she’s agreed to work in our hospitality department. ”
Catarina smiled. “Philippa mentioned that to me. She says she loves it here in Florida working at the hotel. It’s satisfying to see her so enthusiastic about something.”
“Any luck with the housing hunt? I asked her.
“My real estate agent says he’s found the perfect house for us. I’m to take a look at it sometime this morning. I’m delighted to be able to spend part of the year in Sabal, and with Philippa so happy here, having a house is important to me.”
“I wish you luck with it,” I said. “I’m going to head back, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to see you. As always, if you need anything during your stay, please let us know.”
I turned and headed toward the hotel for another busy day.
###
When I told Rhonda that Catarina was back at the hotel, she agreed with me that it was best for us to stay out of the way and carry on with our business.
Over the next days, we met with the hospitality department and made sure all knew what their roles were. A meeting with our daughters and Harper went well, and aside from listening to their ideas, Rhonda and I left it in their hands.
“Wow! Having our girls and now, Harper and Philippa, working on projects makes me realize how lovely it would be if we could semi-retire,” said Rhonda one afternoon.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but I like the idea myself,” I said. “While it’s quiet, why don’t you and Will take that short getaway you wanted?”
“Really? I’d love it. Just a three-day weekend will be great,” Rhonda said, lifting her cellphone. “I’m going to call Will right now.”
I got up and left her to her discussion with Will. I wanted to see how Jean-Luc was doing directing his staff. He was wearing a soft cast and though he couldn’t walk on his foot yet, he was able to move around using a freedom leg brace, which took the weight off his injured ankle.
As happy as he was to be back at work, he was able to work for only a few hours in the afternoon and a few more in the evening. Rhonda and I had noticed that the more time Jean-Luc was able to spend with his staff, the happier they and he were.
“Hi,” I said, walking into his office. “How are things going?”
“Okay,” he said. “Chet and Ricardo are a great team for me.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I just wanted to warn you that with another wedding this weekend, we’ll be busy. And Rhonda might not be here, so I need to make sure you’re able to handle the wedding dinner and post-wedding breakfast along with everything else.”
“Oui,” he said so quickly I decided not to press the issue. Like all chefs, Jean-Luc had an ego, and I didn’t want to bruise it.
“Okay, thanks. That’s all I needed,” I said.
I returned to the office to find Rhonda on the phone with Angie. “Yes, we’ll be gone for three nights, four days,” she told her. “Thanks. Just wanted you to know.” She looked up at me and winked. “Ann will hold down the fort for us.”
After ending the call, Rhonda rose and did a little dance behind her chair. “This is exactly what I need. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. When Vaughn finishes an assignment, he likes to spend time at home. He says it grounds him. I’m just happy it’s working out for you and Will to get away. It’s been a while since you’ve been able to do it.”
“You’re telling me,” Rhonda joked. “Time for me to wear a sexy nightgown and get some action.”
I laughed. Theirs was a happy marriage, but I knew from experience that with kids in the house, there wasn’t always the opportunity for what she called ”action”.
“I just spoke to Jean-Luc. I’m comfortable that the kitchen is ready to handle the wedding. Now, I want to make sure Lorraine’s crew is ready, too.”
“I’ll go with you. I need to know there will be no trouble while I’m gone,” said Rhonda. She wrapped her arm around me for a quick hug. “You’re such a sweetheart to let me go.”
###
In Lorraine’s office, her assistant, Lauren, was going over protocol for wedding arrivals with Philippa.
They looked up when we entered.
“I’m glad to see you working together for the upcoming wedding,” I said. “It’s a small one, so should be easier than some. But no matter the size, we want to give our wedding parties the best experience we can.”
“Who knows? You might be planning your own wedding here one day,” Rhonda said to them.
I rolled my eyes, and everyone laughed.
“Seriously,” said Rhonda. “We do an excellent wedding business because we show that we care. Every detail is important.”
“True,” said Lauren. “That’s why we’ve developed all these tracking sheets.”
“Where’s Lorraine?” I asked.
“She went to a meeting, but she’ll be back a little later,” said Lauren. “She’s booked herself to handle the wedding this weekend.”
“That means you, Philippa, will work with an assortment of people.” I glanced at Rhonda. “See? Everything is all set in this department.”
“Will and I are going away for a few days, and I wanted to be sure I wasn’t leaving at a bad time,” explained Rhonda. “Thanks so much for your help.”
“See you later,” I said.
Walking back to our office, Rhonda said, “I’m going to go home to make sure things are settled there. I’ll check in with you in the morning before we take off.”
“Okay, but you don’t need to. Just relax and enjoy some time off. Vaughn and I will get our chance later.”
Rhonda gave me a long hug. “I knew you and I would be the best partners ever.”
Laughing, I said, “Go. Have a delightful time. We’ll be fine.”
###
The next day, I stood alone at the top of the stairs waiting to greet the bride and her family. The space beside me felt empty but I was delighted that Rhonda had called with the news that the small resort where they were staying was beautiful and relaxing.
A white limousine pulled up to the front of the hotel and I drew a deep breath, hoping this weekend would go well.
Lorraine had told me that Virginia “Ginny” Collington was very refined and expected the best for her daughter.
Her husband, a CEO of a tech company, was well-traveled and had heard of The Beach House Hotel through a senator friend.
The limo pulled to a stop and the driver raced around the car to open the back passenger door.
A striking woman wearing her blonde hair in a sleek bun stepped out of the car in a pale blue linen suit. A string of pearls sat atop a white silk blouse. Matching pearl earrings sat in her ear lobes.
A gray-haired man dressed in a tan summer suit followed her.
They stood aside while their daughter exited the limo. Trim like her mother, she had an angelic, pink-cheeked face framed by honey-colored hair. Sparkling blue eyes met mine as I said, “Welcome to The Beach House Hotel.”
“We’re very pleased to be here,” said Virginia. “This is my husband Clark Collington and my daughter, Audrey.”
“We’ve heard great things about the hotel,” said Clark, shaking my hand. “Nothing’s too good for my little girl.”
“Daddy,” groaned Audrey, smiling at him and then turning to me. “This wedding is really hard on him.”
“I do gain a son,” he said grinning.
“Nate and his family are arriving a little later,” said Virginia. “We were able to fly in a private jet thanks to one of Clark’s friends who was doing business in Florida.”
“Let me walk you inside,” I said. “The bags will be taken care of for you.”
I held my head high as I led them up the stairs and into the lobby of the hotel. I remembered my first sight of the living room that had been turned into a lobby and how impressed I’d been. I still thought it was beautiful and welcoming.
“Oh,” said Virginia. “It’s as lovely as its photographs.”
Bernie walked across the lobby to greet them.
I said goodbye to the family and left it to the staff to take care of them. I loved small, upscale weddings like this one with only forty guests to pamper.
An hour or so later, I was called to greet the groom’s family.
As their limousine pulled up to the front of the hotel, I went down the stairs to greet them.
The driver helped an older woman wearing slacks and a knit top out of the car. Smiling, the woman brushed back gray curls and waited for her son to climb out of the back seat.
Tall and broad-shouldered, a young man with straight, brown hair emerged wearing jeans and a Boston Red Sox T-shirt.
His father came around the car and I saw how closely the two men resembled one another.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” I said. “We’re so happy you’re here.”
“I’m Bud Bradbury and this is my wife, Abby, and my son, the groom, Nate.”
“I think you’ve got a perfect weekend for the wedding. No storms,” I said as I led them up the front steps and into the lobby.
“Nate!” Audrey cried, running across the lobby to greet him.
He swept her off her feet and into his arms as if she weighed nothing, and I realized he must have been active in sports.
His parents laughed as Nate swung Audrey around before setting her down in front of them.
Nate’s mother hugged Audrey, and they stood aside while his father registered them at the front desk.
“Where are you having the Rehearsal Dinner?” I asked. “I know it’s not here at the hotel.”
“We thought we’d decided to go to a French restaurant in town but then we got a special invitation from Osteria Arno to have our dinner there,” said Abby.
“Really?” I asked, wondering how Osteria Arno had gotten the names of our wedding group.
“They gave us an excellent price and said since they were new in the area we’d get special service,” said Abby. “They even offered a post-wedding brunch. I told them they’d have to contact the bride’s parents for that.”
“I see.” I worked hard not to give away my frustration at Osteria Arno’s attempt to poach my guests.
Bernie arrived to greet the family and I said quietly, “We need to talk.”
I went to my office to consider what, if anything, we should do about the situation. I called the wedding planning office to see if the wedding breakfast was still on.
“Yes,” said Lauren. “Everything is in place.”
“Let me know right away if there are any problems.”
Bernie knocked on my door and opened it. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yes,” I said, waving him inside.
He took a seat, and I filled him in on the conversation I’d had with the groom’s mother.
Bernie shook his head. “It undermines the way we in the state restaurant association have agreed to cooperate. I’ll try to get to the bottom of this and get back to you.”
“How do you think they got the information about the groom’s family?” I asked. “Do you think someone here at the hotel is cooperating with them at Osteria Arno?”
“There are ways for them to find out, but we’ll want to check on that too,” said Bernie. “It happens.”