All Change at the Beach Hotel, page 1
All Change at the Beach Hotel
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A letter from Francesca
Acknowledgements
The Beach Hotel Series
About the Author
Also by Francesca Capaldi
Copyright
Cover
Table of Contents
Start of Content
Dedicated to Mum and Dad, Maureen and Giuseppe (Joe) Capaldi.
Wishing so much that they were here to see the publication of this series.
Prologue
Dorcalon, the Rhymney Valley, April 1911
‘I’m a grown-up now, for pity’s sake. You can’t tell me what to do, Carys.’
Liliwen Probert tugged the last piece of clothing from the washing line and dropped it in the straw basket. She looked past the back garden, up the slope of the steep hill that overlooked Dorcalon, to the terrace further up.
‘I’m the oldest in the family, look you, and I know better than you do what’s good for you, see. And since when has nineteen been grown up?’
Lili picked up the basket and started walking down the long garden, calling behind, ‘You’re not the oldest. Mam’s the oldest and she approves of me going, so there.’
Carys followed on, shuffling sideways to talk to her sister. ‘Listen to yourself. You even sound like a child. And we all know Mam’s not been herself since Da passed.’
‘No, you say she’s not herself.’ She stopped suddenly. ‘She seems perfectly fine to me.’
Carys grabbed her arm. ‘Morys, Wyn and Dilys agree with me, and they’re all older than you. And who’ll look after Mam if you go away?’
So that was it, was it? She had to forever be her mother’s carer, while the rest of them got to be married and have homes of their own?
Moving on once more, Lili shrugged her sister’s arm away. ‘If I married, I might move away, so what would be the difference? And you’re all nearby.’
‘But you wouldn’t if you married a nice boy from the village. A nice Welsh boy. Like Aneirin Pendry. Or Bryn Lloyd. I’m sure he likes you.’
Lili emitted a groan. Bryn was the farmer’s son and the last thing she could imagine was being a farmer’s wife. There were so many things she wanted to do, to see. Marrying a boy from the village was the best way she could think of to guarantee that she never got to do anything exciting with her life. ‘They’re all right, I suppose, but not very interesting.’
‘Interesting? They’re not supposed to be interesting! You’re too fussy, that’s your problem. What about Henry Austin? He’s a nice-looking lad.’
That was true enough, but he still wasn’t the one for her.
‘And how is working as a chambermaid in a hotel any different to working as a maid up at the Big House? It’s still drudgery. And living in, you’ll be at their beck and call.’
‘Because… because… it just is different!’ She looked into the distance, imagining what it would be like. ‘The hotel is in a town, not a village, with lots more shops. And there’s the beach, right there, behind it, and lots of fancy people to serve, constantly changing, instead of just the mine manager and his family, who aren’t really that posh.’
‘Of course they are!’
‘There’s a big staff, not just a cook and a washer woman, so lots of people to make friends with, probably from different places theirselves. And the food will be much fancier than what we get for tea breaks and dinner, or lunch as they call it, up at the Big House.’
‘But you won’t get the fancy food. And why do you have to go so far? I mean, Sussex, on the English south coast. If it’s by the sea you want to be, why not go to Barry, or even Swansea? They’re not so far on the train.’
Yes, why so far? She looked around at the gardens, the long terraces of houses, then sideways to the green slopes of the mountains beyond. They’d moved here when she was nine, and she’d had a good late childhood in this house and a happy youth. They’d never had much money and their house was plain and practical, not like the Big House, where she’d worked the last year as a maid. But she’d been lucky in other ways. Until Da had died of emphysema last year.
She poked her fingers through her black curls to scratch her head, willing herself not to cry. No, that wouldn’t do, not in front of her bossy big sister.
Now she simply needed a… change. A chance to see somewhere else.
She dropped the basket and leant against the wall of the outside lavatory.
‘I dunno, Carys. It’ll only be for a few years, then I’ll be back. Who knows, I might bring a nice English husband with me.’
‘Well, I won’t be speaking in English all the time just so he can understand.’
Lili shook her head, gazing into her sister’s dark brown eyes, which reflected her own.
There was a click. She looked towards the back gate as it opened. ‘Oh no, what are they doing here?’ She pointed to her older brothers, Morys and Wyn, and her older sister, Dilys. ‘Did you send for the cavalry?’
‘No. Well. Maybe. If I can’t talk some sense into you, maybe they can.’
Lili groaned once more. She’d been planning on doing some gardening for Mam while she was out with Auntie Megan, especially on such a warm day, but it looked like she’d be putting on the kettle and listening to the evidence for the prosecution.
She let them go in ahead of her, stopping briefly in the yard to pull a hand-tinted postcard from her pocket. It was the one that Mrs Bygrove had sent her when she’d been informed that she had the job. The picture was of a large hotel. It looked almost gothic, with its selection of smaller and larger gables with pointed roofs, long chimneys and numerous windows.
Let her siblings have their say. She was going to her new job at the splendid Beach Hotel in Littlehampton, whatever they said.
Chapter One
Littlehampton, Sussex; 25 August 1915
Liliwen Probert stood at the dark oak desk in the foyer of the Beach Hotel, peeking through the double doors to the sunny exterior. She could have sat on the stool provided, since there was no one around, but she chose not to, feeling important in her latest, temporary role as desk clerk. She looked around the elegant room, with its cream walls, marble floor and crystal chandelier, sighing with satisfaction.
Normally, she served meals in the dining room or drinks in the conservatory for morning coffee and afternoon tea. Even that had only been a recent development, since so many men at the hotel had enlisted in the army. Originally, she’d been a chambermaid and had expected to be so for the rest of her days. Or, at least, until she got married.
Norman. She sighed long and noisily. The possibility of marriage seemed much closer now than when she’d lived in Wales, or when she’d first arrived at the hotel. Or had done. He had enlisted in the army back in February and had been sent to the Western Front a month ago. That nagging worry overwhelmed her once more.
‘Whassup with you?’ Gertie Green stopped in front of her at the desk, her fingers lodged down the raised collar of the portress’s jacket that frequently made her neck itch. She, likewise, was replacing the enlisted men. ‘Got a face on you.’
Not wanting to admit she was thinking about her sweetheart, she said, ‘Just getting a bit bored, standing doing nothing,’ even though she’d been enjoying it. ‘It’s so quiet this morning.’
Gertie lifted her circular portress’s hat by its peak and rearranged it, tucking some of her wayward auburn hair inside. ‘Not even many in for morning coffee today, considering it’s still August and a sunny day. I’d make the most of it if I was you. We’ve got quite a few guests coming tomorrow and Saturday, so I’ll no doubt be lugging cases up to the rooms.’ She blew air out through pouting lips and looked heavenward.
‘That’s your job, it is. You won’t be on your own anyways; either Stanley or Leslie will be on a shift too. And it’s better than being a chambermaid, surely. I certainly prefer waiting to cleaning.’
‘But you’re not doing neither now, are you? You’re standing still behind a desk and chattin’ to folk.’
‘Only for this morning, isn’t it, while Mrs Bygrove and Edie are visiting a supplier in town and the other desk clerks have time off.’
‘So, where’s Mr Bygrove?’
Lili hadn’t seen the manager all morning. ‘No idea. Probably chatting to the morning coffee guests.’
‘Hm. Don’t s’pose he’s doing anything more useful, that’s for sure.’
It wasn’t unusual for Gertie to be in such a dour mood, espe
Gertie leant in. ‘Oh gawd, here’s Major Disaster.’
‘Gertie, Major Thomas is a nice old stick. Don’t be so mean.’
‘Morning, ladies.’
The major, a permanent resident at the hotel, strolled over, twiddling his gingery-grey handlebar moustache, a newspaper under his arm, as was so often the case. As he neared, he pulled the newspaper out and held it aloft. ‘Says in here that Italy has declared war on Turkey.’
‘At least there’ll be someone else to fight the Ottomans,’ said Lili.
‘The war could go on forever at this rate, every country declaring war against half the other countries.’
Lili didn’t want to think like this; she wanted to believe that Norman would come home in one piece, and soon.
‘I’m off for my daily constitutional. See you later, ladies.’ He raised his hand with the newspaper as he made his way to the door.
Lili pointed her finger towards his retreating back and widened her eyes at Gertie. The portress looked confused to begin with, then realised what Lili was getting at. She ran ahead of the major and opened the door for him.
‘Much obliged, Gertrude, though it’s not necessary.’
When she returned, she leant on the desk. ‘See what I mean? More talk of the war. Major Disaster.’
Lili’s reply was stalled by the manager, Douglas Bygrove, entering the foyer from the staff corridor in a check suit and cap. He was struggling to get a bag of golf clubs onto his shoulder.
‘There he is,’ Gertie whispered, creasing her brow. ‘He’s not going out too, is he?’
‘I’m off to the club,’ he called over.
Then the answer was yes. Lili shouldn’t have been surprised, but something occurred to her.
‘Mr Bygrove,’ she called. ‘Who’s in charge?’
‘My wife, of course, you silly girl.’
Lili bit back the resentment his insult caused. ‘But she’s gone to visit some suppliers.’
‘She’s what?’
Lili and Gertie exchanged brief glances.
‘Oh, hm, yes. I vaguely remember her mentioning it. But she knows Wednesday is my morning off.’
She resisted retorting that every other morning seemed to be his morning off. ‘Either way, she isn’t here.’
‘She’ll be back soon, no doubt. How long can it take?’
Getting ready to head off once again, he was halted by Lili: ‘But who’s in charge while neither of you is here?’
He thought for a moment. ‘It’s not busy and everything is running smoothly, so there’s no need to have anyone in charge.’ He lifted the clubs once more and carried on, calling, ‘Cheery bye’.
‘Cheery bye?’ Gertie mocked when he’d left. ‘I don’t care that he’s gone, but there should be someone in charge. Since you’re standing at the desk, I guess it’s you.’
With that, and on spotting a guest leaving, Gertie headed off.
Lili supposed she had sort of been left in charge. She felt important in that moment, deciding to tell her mother about it when she wrote to her next. Even if it wasn’t strictly true and she was only sort of in charge.
In charge.
Yes, she liked that idea.
The telephone on the desk rang, and Lili lifted the receiver and spoke the words she’d been taught. ‘The Beach Hotel. How may I help you?’
Gertie headed back towards the desk and was about to speak, so Lili pointed to the telephone receiver, saying: ‘Hello Mrs Bygrove… Oh I see… I’m afraid Mr Bygrove has… yes, that’s right.’ She pulled a face, hearing the impatience in the manager’s wife’s voice at guessing her husband had gone out. ‘I could, yes… All right.’ She wrote down the telephone number of the greengrocer on Beach Road. ‘We’ll be as quick as we can.’ She placed the receiver back down.
‘What was all that about?’
‘Mrs Bygrove left an important list behind. She did a tour of downstairs this morning, before breakfast, and reckons she left it in one of the rooms. I wonder if you could have a… oh, here’s Colonel and Mrs Bradley. Edie did say they’d already paid and had a motor taxi arriving at ten thirty this morning. You’ll need to fetch their cases.’
‘I’ll look for the list when I get back.’
‘No, Mrs Bygrove needs it as soon as possible. I’ll just have to go myself and hope no one needs attention.’
Gertie pulled her usual face, before turning and striding off to inform the couple she was fetching their luggage.
Lili came out from behind the desk, deciding to check the unoccupied rooms first.
She headed across to the private dining room, its door not far from the entrance. She walked around the six tables in there, envious of the pastel-green walls and wooden panels that stopped halfway up. She wished her room here, up in the staff quarters on the second floor, was decorated in this elegant way. As she headed towards the long windows, she admired the dining chairs, with their inlaid mahogany and rosewood frames and green brocade padded seats. There were heavy curtains in this room, a dark green, tied back with gold tasselled ropes. The room looked out on to the righthand side of the hotel, over the kitchen garden. There was no sign of a list in here.
Back in the foyer once more, she was relieved to see that nobody was awaiting her attention. She moved on to the dining room, turning right into the ballroom. This overlooked the side and back gardens, with their lawns, shrubs and flower beds awash with colour. She walked a little faster, scanning the parquet flooring, with its oak hexagons and walnut stars. She looked under the chairs that sat in lines by various parts of the walls. No, not there either.
She checked the desk in the foyer once more before heading back to the dining room. It had a view of the back lawns, the part nearest the garden being under a glass roof. There were no guests in here currently, only Simon Lane, one of the young waiters, laying the tables ready for luncheon.
‘Are you looking for something?’ he said.
‘A list that Mrs Bygrove left behind this morning.’
‘I haven’t seen nothing like that.’
She checked underneath the tables anyway, before heading for the conservatory, which was only about a third full. The outside doors weren’t open today, like they had been the past few days. Despite being south facing, it was gloomy in here. Phoebe, who’d been commandeered from the stillroom when the men had started enlisting, came over to her.
‘I thought you were on the desk this morning.’
‘I am.’ She explained about the list again.
‘Ah, I found it earlier.’ She went over to the chest of drawers where they kept cutlery, crockery and glassware, and retrieved it.
‘There you go.’
‘Thank you so much. Better go and telephone her.’
Returning to the front desk, she was relieved to see that no one was waiting. She felt even more important as she sat on her stool and picked up the telephone receiver to ring Mrs Bygrove.
* * *
The front entrance opened and Lili looked over to see Gertie struggling in with two cases, in a plume of smoke. She was trying not to cough, judging by the expression on her face.
Behind her was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, dressed in a burgundy high-waisted linen dress with elbow-length sleeves and turnback cuffs. The skirt had a long, loose hanging tunic, divided in front, which was embroidered. How Lili would love such a dress. The woman’s dark-brown wavy hair was gathered in a coil at the back and around her head was a silk band with pink flowers. A cigarette, in a holder, was held elegantly between her fore and middle fingers.
Mrs Lolita Carmichael, if she wasn’t mistaken. She’d stayed for a month a couple of years back with her parents, though she’d been Miss Foster then. Mrs Bygrove had mentioned that she’d booked a stay, though Lili hadn’t realised she’d be turning up while she was on the desk.
‘Come along, girl. Either move more quickly or get out of the way.’ She knocked into Gertie as she passed her, causing the portress to stumble a little.
At the desk, the woman stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and placed the end in it. She took another from her handbag to replace it in the holder.
