The Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa – A Shoulder to Cry on

 

The beautiful Downshire village of Clerembeax St Giles was situated to the west of Abbeyvale located between Grace Hill and Bushy Down and on the outskirts was the Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa which was the location of The Funeral Directors of Downshire Awards and William Hemmings and Sons of Abbottsford were represented by Brother and Sister, Will and Melanie Hemmings, Alexandra Norris and Elise Szczypek. 

Will was the first to arrive and had booked in early, so he could enjoy some of the facilities and was on his way down to the bar to have a drink before going into find their table, when he heard a commotion at the Awards Organisers check in desk, and he recognized one of the voices as one of his party, Elise.

He paused on the stairs and drank in the scene, though his eyes were focused on her, and he thought she looked gorgeous in her evening dress.

 

“What do you mean I’m not on the list?” she shouted

“My name is Elise Szczypek”

“I can’t see it” he said as he perused his list “Can you spell it?” 

“S.Z.C.Z.Y.P.E.K” she said slowly and deliberately

“No that hasn’t helped” he said, “Can you write it down?”

Reluctantly she printed her surname on a piece of paper and handed it to him

“No that hasn’t helped either” he said and then laughed

“Wow that would score big on scrabble, perhaps that’s what we should call you Miss Scrabble”

“My name is Elise Szczypek” she repeated slowly “S.Z.C.Z.Y.P.E.K”

“Yes, I understand” he said “but I must just ask, do you lot have something against vowels”

“My lot, my lot, what do you mean, my lot?” she said angrily, which was when Will arrived, and stepped between them before Elise brained him.

But it quickly became apparent that she was not calming down, so he steered her away from the fray and she left the hotel like a marauding bull with him right behind her carrying her pashmina and clutch bag.

Once outside Will caught up her and walked Elise around the grounds and calmed her down and soothed her temper with his comforting words and a reassuring hug.

 

After an hour her mood had lightened sufficiently for him to propose they make another attempt to gain entry to the function and she concurred, so they walked back to the Hotel arm in arm and he stayed by her side all night, and she had never in her life been happier, so at the end of the evening on the terrace in the moonlight she kissed him.

They often joked over their long life together that the entire night had been something of a cliché, but they didn’t care.