Always and Forever (56 page)

Now Caroline laughed and said: ‘Graham is not the sort of guy to walk into a woman’s clothes shop and buy any sort of lingerie, believe me. Is Adrian?’

Mel thought with affection about her husband. He’d walk through fire for her, and was enough of a new man not to blush at the notion of buying lingerie. He knew what she liked and he knew what size she was: the problem was money. Even though she was now working part time, they stil couldn’t afford luxuries.

They were saving to convert their hopeless oil central heating to gas, so bow-tied bras were low on their list of priorities. And Carrie’s Christmas list for Santa was now nearly as long as her sister’s. Santa would need several sleighs and extra nuts for the reindeers to bring everything Sarah wanted from the North Pole.

Mel had final y tracked down al the Santa presents and everyone else would have to make do with lesser gifts as a result. Wel , it was a time for children, wasn’t it?

‘Adrian wouldn’t mind going into a shop to buy underwear, but between paying for Santa, and saving for the new heating system, we’re trying to economise,’ she said truthful y. If Leah hadn’t insisted on Mel coming to Cloud’s Hil for a free day of pampering with Caroline, she wouldn’t be here either. Working three mornings a week audio typing in Carrickwel Secretarial Services wasn’t a big money-spinner, although Mel felt a thril of excitement at the wonderful plan Leah had come up with for the New Year.

In Leah’s usual gentle way, she’d taken Mel into her study earlier that day and explained how she was going to need more staff in January when Cleo left. First, Cleo was going off for her month in Australia with her friend Trish.

‘Tyler stil can’t quite believe she’s going away without him,’

Leah reflected with amusement. ‘He’s used to getting his own way. Cleo is good for him.’

Mel grinned at the idea of the handsome Tyler, whom she stil hadn’t met, up against the iron determination of Cleo Malin.

After her holiday, Cleo was going to the Manhattan Roth to enter their trainee hotel manager programme.

‘Tyler convinced her to apply for it, but she insisted that he didn’t do one thing to help and she used the name Mal ey on her application form,’ Leah said. ‘She said she wanted to get the trainee position fair and square, and she did.

Which brings me to my staffing problems. I know you only want to work part time, and I know you’ve no experience of reception, but I think you’re just what we want here. Would you consider doing a few hours here every week? You’d be such a welcome addition to Cloud’s Hil , Mel. Do think about it.’

Mel had said she’d think about it, but she merely wanted to tel Adrian. Working in Cloud’s Hil was a no-brainer. Mel would love it.

‘It’s a pity Daisy’s not here,’ Cyn said, finishing her cafe mocha. ‘I do miss her. I hate going to the gym on my own.

But she and her mum got a fabulous deal for two weeks in Morocco.’ ‘Her aunt’s gone with them, hasn’t she?’ asked Mel.

Cyn nodded. ‘They’ve never gone away together - can you believe that? Her mother wants to go on a painting holiday in Italy this summer, and she’s trying to convince Daisy to go. She says there are lots of nice unattached men on painting trips.’ ‘I thought Daisy wanted to go to Peru on an adventure holiday,’ Mel said, surprised. ‘That’s what she told me last time we met.’

Daisy had entered into singledom with gusto, and she astonished Mel with her energy for new pursuits. In the past few months, Daisy had tried scuba diving (‘not for me. I should have realised I don’t like putting my head under the shower,’ she’d said rueful y), salsa dancing (‘fantastic!’) and hiking. Salsa dancing appealed to her sense of rhythm and fashion, while hiking was so wonderful y physical that Daisy adored it. ‘You ache in places where you didn’t know you had places,’ she said, ‘but it’s so satisfying. I love it.

Actual y, I’ve got some brochures for adventure holidays where you can walk along the

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu,’ she told Mel. ‘I’d love it and people of al ages do it. You’ve got to be careful - it’s so high, you can develop altitude sickness, but there’s no tel ing who’l get it, so an old dear like myself can do the trail.’

‘If you’re an old dear at thirty-five, I’m in need of a Zimmer frame,’ Mel had teased her.

‘Perhaps she’s going to do both,’ Leah said, ‘Peru and the painting holiday. It’s wonderful to see her so happy.’ The others nodded. Despite her successful career, there was stil something vulnerable about Daisy, and the people who loved her wanted to protect her.

Mel looked at the time. Nearly six. She had to go soon because her mum was taking care of the girls and Mel had promised to be back by six thirty.

There was just one more thing she wanted to mention to Leah. Now that she was going to work in Cloud’s Hil , she could come up with plans. ‘Leah, I had this great idea,’ Mel said slowly. ‘You know when you told us about the Cloud’s Hil in America and the charity work they do? Wel , we could do that here. I read about this woman with two autistic children and how she gets some respite care during the year so she can have a holiday, but she says she’s too shattered to actual y go anywhere. I thought ‘

‘Mel, now you’re scaring me!’ Leah interrupted. ‘I read that article. It’s in one of the new magazines Cleo got for the chil room. I only saw it yesterday and I had just the same thought.’ ‘Those parents could come here,’ Mel said.

‘Exactly,’ Leah said. ‘Is that a yes for you joining the team, then?’

Mel laughed. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘But I’ve got to stop making decisions without tel ing Adrian first.’

They talked enthusiastical y about the new idea, then lapsed into silence again. Leah stared out at the landscape and thought how much joy the Carrickwel Cloud’s Hil had given her. She touched the crystal necklace around her neck. It was her talisman, another reminder of her beloved Jesse. He’d have loved this place, she thought: loved Carrickwel ’s sense of peace and healing. Christmas was a bittersweet time for her. She loved the festivities, but ached inside at the thought of al she’d lost. She missed her son so much.

Yet Jesse was with her, in her heart always and for ever.

She hoped that if he could see her now, he was proud of his mother.