Chaos At Christmas – Episode 12
Chaos At Christmas by Ewan Smith
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In a way, Ferelith agreed with him. The snow had seemed rather magical, initially, but it was already getting dirty as people walked about all over it. And it hardly fitted in with the Manor’s reputation as a luxury hotel. “It’s only temporary,” she assured him. “It will soon be gone.”
“And did I see penguins in the grounds?” he added in puzzlement. His eyes suddenly narrowed. “You haven’t rented the Manor out to make a film, have you?”
Ferelith’s eyes widened in shock. “Certainly not, Mr Hussain. We wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing. But like the snow, the penguins are there to add a bit of Christmas spirit…”
What have penguins got to do with Christmas?
It was something that Ferelith had wondered herself. “Well…”
“Idris, stop harassing the poor girl,” Mrs Hussain said with reproof. “She’s done a very kind thing to come round with these chocolates. She deserves thanks not endless questions.”
Mr Hussain didn’t seem completely convinced but Ferelith welcomed the opportunity to take her leave. “I won’t bother you any longer. I’ll see if Geraint needs any help and then the two of us will get out of your way. Again, my apologies on behalf of the Manor and please do let us know if any other issues cause you concern.”
Out in the garden, Geraint was vacuuming up the last of the artificial snow. “You’ve done a great job,” Ferelith looking about in admiration.
He put down the vacuum and pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket. “I’ll do a quick walk round to see if there are any last bits of paper that I missed.”
“I’ll give you a hand.”
“Thanks,” he smiled. They checked through the flowerbeds, picking up the odd piece of artificial snow here and there. “How are they inside?” he asked.
“They’re alright, I think. The chocolates went down well with Mrs Hussain.”
“Shazia is a peace-maker; it was Idris who was upset. He’s very proud of his garden and rightly too. But hopefully the fencing I put up will make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
It only took them a minute or two to make their way round the garden. Idris and Shazia were watching through their sitting room window and, as Ferelith and Geraint indicated that they were leaving, Shazia lifted the chocolate box and waved cheerfully. Geraint picked up the garden vacuum and Ferelith opened the garden gate to let them through. “Thanks for your help,” Geraint smiled.
“It’s you who deserves the thanks,” Ferelith retorted. “I think it’s been unfair on you and your staff to have had the grounds messed about with. I’m sure that if Dad had known what was going to happen beforehand then he would have done something about it. But Lyle Cranford seems to be the sort of person who acts first and worries about the consequences later.”
Geraint just shrugged. “When you’re as rich as he is then you can have an attitude like that; covering everything with artificial snow because it takes your fancy…”
“And inviting a bunch of penguins to your Christmas party.”
As they laughed together, an odd thing happened. They looked at each other just for a moment but then their eyes held. It felt so natural, as if it was something that the two of them had been doing all their lives. A silence stretched between them. Ferelith thought that Geraint was about to say something. She felt a strange rushing sensation. But then his expression became uncertain and he seemed to change his mind. Though as he turned away, her heart continued to race.
The coffee lounge was filled with noise. It was a very pleasant and comfortable room. The French windows all along one wall opened out onto a patio area and, beyond that, there were the gardens at the rear of the hotel. Most mornings, it was a peaceful place with people quietly reading their newspapers or talking together in twos and threes. However, Lyle Cranford had asked for everyone to gather there for a special announcement. The lounge was chock-a-block and there was a buzz of curiosity in the air.
Ferelith stood quietly by the door. Her father had asked her to keep an eye on things in case the announcement involved anything that he needed to know. Already, they had learnt that the unexpected was usually just round the corner where Lyle was concerned. She winced slightly as she caught sight of group of children over in one corner. They were involved in an energetic game, chasing each other over and round some sofas and armchairs.
It wasn’t the sort of behaviour that was normally seen at the Manor, but the current group of guests had introduced their own standards and no one seemed the slightest bothered by the racket that the children were making. Some other youngsters, teenagers mostly, were sitting round the tables out on the patio area. Ferelith could see Holly and Bree among them. They all had their phones out and were busy with them as they chattered and laughed together.
The lounge staff made their way discreetly round the room, delivering coffees and pastries and collecting empty cups and plates. As Ferelith was watching, a cushion flew past the face of one of the waitresses and she almost dropped the tray in her hands.
Quentin, behave!
“Soz,” came the cheerful reply, though it sounded wholly unapologetic.
There was a sudden clamour. Ferelith turned. Lyle Cranford, with Franklyn Boscoby at his side, was arriving. His face lit up with a smile and he waved in amusement with both hands at the jokey cheer which rose up. Ferelith looked at him curiously as he walked past. Just the day before, one of the kitchen staff had been talking about how much he was worth. Ferelith couldn’t remember the exact amount but the figure was ridiculously huge. Yet he seemed like a completely normal person. He was in his mid-thirties, a ready grin on his face, clothes which could have come from a discount store.
There was nothing about him which suggested that he was a billionaire many times over, except perhaps the close presence of Franklyn Boscoby whose eyes always seemed to have a suspicious and disapproving expression. The two men were followed by three members of the hotel staff. They were pushing laundry trolleys filled with colourful cardboard boxes stamped with the FastChat logo.
Lyle made his way over to the far end of the lounge and, without a moment’s thought, he climbed up onto a table so that he could be seen by everyone. He smiled broadly. “Sorry to keep you waiting, folks. Firstly, a very warm welcome to you all, particularly to anyone I haven’t had a chance to speak to yet. I hope you’re having a great time here at Fosbury Manor. Isn’t this a wonderful place?”
Applause rose up around the room along with some whistles and cheers. Ferelith felt herself smiling. The hotel’s routines had been thrown out the window since the arrival of Lyle and his guests and there had been the occasional complaint about the penguins. But it was clear that most people were having a fine time and that was the important thing.
