and Brooke was a paying guest. Pippa knew she’d have to remember that. Friendly but professional. Of course, if she was going to see a lot of her, a bit like with Hector, then surely it wouldn’t be like the other guests, would it? Pippa knew she’d have to try to find the right balance.
‘Hey.’ Gemma walked in and found Pippa in the office.
‘Gosh, it’s like a revolving door around here. Freddie’s just left, you’ve just arrived.’
‘Oh, I missed him?’ Gemma sounded anxious. ‘I’m going to college in a bit. I was hoping to catch him before I left.’
‘You guys literally must have just passed each other.’
Pippa’s brows knotted. She knew Gemma well. When Gemma had come to work at Meadowbrook as their hotel consultant, Pippa and she had become close. Even though Gemma had tried to keep her and the rest of the family at arm’s-length, they soon broke down her barriers. It wasn’t easy and her situation turned out to be complicated. Gemma was serious and hardworking but anxious and almost secretive. They later found out that was because she wasn’t actually qualified to do the job they hired her for – although she was certainly capable – and she’d stolen her old boss’s CV. It had sent Pippa into a rage; she couldn’t believe her friend had lied to her. But then Gemma had explained that her boss was horrible, her nan was in an expensive nursing home and she had nowhere to live, so she’d taken the first risk that she’d ever taken in her life… And she hadn’t expected to get close to the people she worked with.
In the end, Pippa understood. Gemma had had a terrible time, had hardly any family and then her only relative, her nan, had died just before the hotel opened. Pippa had recognised that Gemma wasn’t a bad person and she’d done an amazing job with the hotel. Eventually, she’d thawed and they’d reaffirmed their friendship, and when Gemma and Freddie got together, it had made Gemma more part of the family. And their relationship had seemed wonderful for the past year. Gemma was definitely a positive influence in Freddie’s life and he helped bring out her lighter side. Everyone agreed they were made for each other; they were certainly very good for each other.
‘Freddie and I kind of had a fight,’ Gemma blurted out. Then she burst into tears.
Pippa led her to the sofa, sat her down and passed her some tissues.
‘About what, Gem?’ she asked.
‘Oh God, I’m such a fool. I knew it was too good to be true. This life. Meadowbrook, the hotel, us then Freddie and the beautiful house…’ Her words were interrupted by her sobs.
‘Hey, it’s not too good to be true. You deserve it all.’
Pippa put an arm around Gemma. This was the old Gemma, riddled with insecurity, never feeling good enough. Pippa felt her heart breaking for her. It had taken Freddie a while to get Gemma to agree to move into the barn conversion with him. At first she’d lived at the hotel, sharing Pippa’s apartment – the living room had been a bedroom for a while – then she’d tried to rent somewhere nearer her college. But Freddie had begged her to live with him and eventually she’d relented. They lived with Albert, the cat that Freddie had adopted for her from the sanctuary to persuade her to move in with him. Albert had been Gemma’s favourite. Pippa never knew her brother could be so romantic, especially as Albert loved Gemma but didn’t like Freddie. Although when he first lived with them he’d hiss at Freddie, now he largely ignored him. But Freddie loved Gemma and Pippa thought her being there, with her boyfriend and her cat, and the rest of the Singers not far away, had given Gemma a new family and made her feel secure. But now, it seems she might have been wrong about that.
‘You know I’ve been struggling. When the anniversary of nan’s death came up I felt as if I went right back to when she died. I miss her, you know, and I still feel so lost sometimes. But I’m also lucky. I’ve got you and I’ve got Freddie and the family. But you know how insecure I was and still am sometimes. I try to fight it but it never goes away. Not properly.’
‘I know, but my annoying brother loves you, Gemma.’
Pippa was stern, although sometimes Gemma did need a bit of a talking to. Mind you, Pippa did, too. That was how their friendship worked. Gemma would tell Pippa she worked too hard and Pippa would tell Gemma she was too hard on herself.
‘I do know that, deep down, but Freddie’s so confident, as you know. I’m not and I think I’m trying to push him into something he might not be ready for.’
‘What do you mean?’ Pippa asked, feeling herself go cold.
Maybe her suspicions were right. Her brother had never been a fan of commitment but with Gemma that was changing. However, Pippa knew that he had to make the changes in his own time.
‘I mentioned marriage and babies. Seeing Harriet with Connor and Toby, well, it kind of makes me want that. I want my own family.’ She dissolved in tears again.
‘Oh, Gem. Freddie loves you and perhaps he should be thinking along those lines at his age. In fact, he might well be. But you know, he’s not the kind of guy you push into doing things,’ Pippa said gently.
‘I know. He said he didn’t like children and he really didn’t want a baby. He said he preferred chickens.’
Pippa couldn’t help but laugh.
‘That’s such a Freddie thing to say. And you know he doesn’t mean it. But, Gemma, he does love you, I can see that. Anyone can see that. But you need to give him some time.’
‘I know, and there’s no rush.’ Gemma was only thirty, after all. ‘I just can’t help myself. You know, everything’s going so well, so why am I trying to sabotage it?’
‘Million-pound question. Listen, we need to spend a bit of girly time together, give Fred some space. Let him stew with his chickens. Once he gets back from picking up our new guest, that is.’
Gemma laughed. ‘I could certainly do with that.’
‘Let me settle in the new arrival and then perhaps we can have a trip into Bath for some shopping and lunch.’
‘Sounds lovely. Thanks, Pippa, I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘You don’t have to know.’ Pippa hugged her. ‘That’s what friends are for.’
She just prayed Freddie and Gemma would work this out, because she didn’t want to lose her friend and she also knew how much Gemma didn’t want to lose Freddie. Not only that, but Pippa knew how much Freddie needed Gemma. She just hoped that Freddie knew it, too. She thought he did but equally, she knew that he was probably panicking about Gemma’s grown-up demands. Just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, problems were mounting once more.
What with Harriet and the baby, Gus and Fleur, and now this, Pippa was worried. Was there yet another storm about to break? She sincerely hoped not.
Pippa had run out of things to straighten. She had even straightened up Hector, who was working in the bar. He’d chosen a table by the window and was typing away. Pippa had taken him coffee after coffee, trying to keep busy. She didn’t know why she was nervous, but it was probably because the hotel was quiet, so their new guest, Brooke, would notice everything. She wanted her to arrive and think how perfect, how wonderfully British it was, that was important to Pippa.
She had a group of women arriving the following day, best
