Foxden Hotel (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 5) by Madalyn Morgan (ebook reader ink txt) 📕

the party descended the stairs, Frank closed the nursery door. ‘We’ll clear up tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I need a rest before the guests start coming down for dinner.’ Bess yawned. ‘Are you tired?’

She shook her head. ‘Not tired exactly, but I’d like an hour to myself. I mean the two of us,’ she clarified, ‘before we start work again. Everything all right, Jack?’ she called, passing reception.

‘Fine, Mrs Donnelly.’ He glanced over his shoulder at the pigeonholes where the room keys were kept. ‘Everyone’s in.’

Bess acknowledged Jack with a smile. He was getting to be as efficient as Maeve. Well, almost. ‘We’ll be in the office if you need us,’ she said, pushing open the door. ‘Hello, sweetheart.’ Aimee was kneeling against the window seat with a blue crayon in her hand, colouring in the sky, and doing her best to stay within the lines of the colouring book that Nancy had given her.

‘Tonight’s float needs to go to the bar,’ Frank said, taking the petty cash box from the safe and removing several material bags of coins from it. ‘I’ll check Simon has everything he needs and come back. Put the kettle on, love, I won’t be long.’ As he passed Aimee, Frank ruffled her hair.

Bess flicked the electric kettle switch, before sitting down at her desk. ‘Is Mummy packing?’

Concentrating on filling in yellow stars in the sky, Aimee nodded.

Bess was wondering about her brother-in-law’s sudden arrival and the family’s imminent departure, when her thoughts were interrupted by loud voices in reception. Aimee turned to the door at the same time as Bess. It was her father who was raising his voice. Aimee left her colouring, ran to the door, and looked back at Bess.

‘You stay here, sweetheart, I’ll see what Daddy wants.’ Aimee ran back to the window seat, but, instead of continuing to colour, she swiped the book to the floor, climbed onto the seat, folded her arms and set her face in a frown. Bess couldn’t decide whether her niece was frightened or angry.

Annoyed with her sister and brother-in-law, Bess left the office. ‘Aimee can hear you two arguing and it’s upsetting her. Why don’t you come in and discuss your differences without shouting? Let your daughter see there’s nothing for her to worry about.’ Claire went into the office ahead of Bess. Mitch, like a petulant child, sauntered up to her and waved her in first. Bess felt like slapping him. Instead she clenched her fists and kept her arms down by her side.

Bess returned to her desk and Mitch closed the door. Claire was kneeling with her arms around Aimee who pulled free of her mother when she saw her father and ran to him crying.

‘Hey honey, why the tears?’ A stupid question Bess thought. She got up remembering she had earlier put the kettle on, and with one ear on the conversation between her sister and brother-in-law, busied herself making tea.

‘Claire, I don’t want Aimee missing school. It’s the one place we know she’ll be safe.’

‘What? You mean she isn’t safe here, with me and my family?’

‘That’s not what I meant and you know it!’

‘Then what did you mean?’ Claire asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of her voice. ‘Mitch - look at me?’

Bess poured tea for Claire and coffee for Mitch and set them down on the small table next to the hearth. ‘I’m going to see to the kitchen; it’s almost time for dinner, the guests will be coming down soon. Are you two staying tonight or not?’ Claire shook her head. ‘But you’ll stay for dinner?’

‘I’m afraid not,’ Mitch said. ‘Thanks anyway, but we need to leave for Oxford soon. Aimee will be late going to bed as it is.’

‘We’d better find Uncle Frank, then,’ Bess said. ‘He’d be ever so upset if you left without saying goodbye to him.’ Aimee took Bess’s hand without speaking. Bess looked down at her niece and smiled. She looked very small. Aimee looked up at Bess with sad eyes. The usual bounce had gone out of her step as she walked with Bess to the kitchen.

‘Hello, you two,’ Frank called from the dining room. ‘Have you come to help me check the menus?’

‘Not tonight. Aimee’s come to say goodbye, haven’t you sweetheart?’

Aimee stretched out her arms for Frank to pick her up, which he did. Hugging his niece, Frank looked over her shoulder. ‘They’re staying for dinner, surely?’

Bess rolled her eyes. ‘Mitch wants to get off.’

‘Do you want me to have a word?’

‘No. I think it’s best we leave it for today. They’ve got a fairly long drive ahead. Margot will be having the baby soon. They’re bound to come up then.’

‘Right, young lady, we had better see if Mummy and Daddy are ready to leave.’ Frank carried Aimee to the office and set her down. Claire had tidied her toys away and was holding Aimee’s cardigan. Aimee put her arms down the sleeves and Claire buttoned it up. ‘Have you got your case?’ Frank asked.

‘It’s already in the car.’

The two men shook hands in what Bess could only describe as an uncomfortable atmosphere, one that she had never experienced before between any of her brothers-in-law. ‘Come on honey,’ Mitch said, picking Aimee up. ‘Time we left or we’ll be real late getting home.’

Bess had driven down to Oxford to visit Claire several times and the Sunday evening traffic could be bad. But, Bess thought, it was unnecessary and unfair to her sister and niece to leave this early.

Walking out to the car, Claire looked downcast. But Aimee, in her daddy’s arms, had forgotten her tears and was chattering away. Scrambling onto the back seat of the car next to her mother, Aimee waved out of the rear window her normal boisterous self.

Bess and Frank stood