Shallowfield sat on the southern edge of
the Finchbottom Vale and was bordered on the other side by the Dancingdean
forest and the town’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and
agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a
shortage of work a lot of people moved away from the area and it only just
survived and the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake
were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t
were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more
than ruins.
But by the 70s however things were
beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism as a result of an increase in
leisure time.
This trend was reflected by the fact that
the previously derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young
couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a Hotel.
From then on Shallowfield went from
strength to strength which was echoed by the fortunes of the Claremont Hotel.
It was once the home of a wealthy Downshire
family but like so many similar great houses in the county it fell into disuse
as the fortunes of the owners suffered after the Great War.
It had had many reincarnations since then,
particularly in the years between the wars and had been used for many things
over the post war years but it wasn’t until the 60s that it became The Claremont Hotel.
However things had got tough in the Hotel
trade with the success of Travelodge, Premier Inn and Holiday Inn Express and so places like the
Claremont needed to offer something extra to attract the guests.
In the early summer a new manager was
appointed, Matthew Millward, and he was an instant hit with the locals
because
he was young, tall, dark and handsome, physically fit, well-toned and had a
reputation as a fair minded guy, which had very much preceded him.
He was 28 years old and his father owned the Millward Manor chain of
hotels and he was grooming him to one day take over the reins of his worldwide
hotel empire, the problem was that Matt had no head for business and he felt
that he was more of an artistic soul.
Which could possibly have been ignored but for the fact that he had
broken off his engagement with the granddaughter of his father’s oldest friend.
However that in itself wasn’t what had him exiled, it was Elaine’s
attempted suicide, not that his action had caused her mental meltdown, it was
rather more her mental instability being the deciding factor that forced him to
end the engagement.
So it was decided to send Matt to the Claremont Hotel where he could do
no real harm until the dust settled.
When he first found out he was being sent
to Shallowfield Matt was very unhappy, he was a city boy, born and bred, and he
viewed being sent to the country as purgatory, but no one was more surprised
than he was when he found that he actually loved it, it was a beautiful place,
it was quiet and the air was clean and he felt immediately at home.
After the broken engagement and the
resulting fall out Matthew Millward decided that he would not under any
circumstances get himself romantically entangled while he was on punishment
duty.
But there is a very apt saying which goes “never on your
own doorstep” which he had clearly never heard because on his first day he fell
head over heels for the Hospitality Manager, Sarah Poole, although in his
defence the feeling was mutual.
Although apart from two very passionate
kisses, the first initiated by her and the second by him, and the fact they
were hopelessly in love with each other nothing else happened.
She was five foot eight with short red
hair, in a pixie cut, mesmerizing green eyes and a cute figure with curves in
all the right places and long slender legs.
Sarah was 26 years old and wasn’t looking
for a relationship either because she was married, albeit to an alcoholic who
hadn’t had shown her any marital attention for two years but she was still
married to him nonetheless.
Sarah had worked at the hotel for since she
left school, five years in housekeeping,
five more in hospitality, and for two of those as Manager and she loved her
job.
Despite the fact that Matthew was sent to the
Claremont as a punishment and possessed no head for business he surprised his
father as well as himself by doing a very acceptable job of managing the hotel
and had grown the corporate side of the business and it was becoming a very
popular venue for functions.
This was as a result in no small measure to his decision to promote the
former Hospitality Manager Sarah Poole.
This was after Martin Tyrer tendered his resignation, he had been a
loyal employee of the Millward Manor group for ten years and had been the
Assistant Manager at the Claremont for 5 of those and when the Manager’s
vacancy came up he believed he was a shoe in for the job.
So when Matthew Millward was parachuted in over his head it was just too
much for him to take.
It left Matthew in a very difficult position as he needed someone who
knew the place inside out and Sarah Poole was the only person that really
fitted the bill so he offered her the job.
Matthews father was particularly pleased with him, there had been no
reported mishaps and he had turned around the fortunes of the hotel, and so he
invited him up to Abbottsford for the weekend for a celebratory meal but as he
was conscious that his success was due more to Sarah Poole’s efforts than his
own he dragged her along as well.
Matthew Millward’s arrival at the hotel had
a massive impact on Sarah Poole, and not just the fact that she fell in love
with him at first sight and the relationship that had developed between them
after she had stolen a kiss on his first day.
She had been promoted from Hospitality Manager
into the assistant manager’s position and she had been able to leave her
alcoholic husband because she was living in the Gate Lodge.
Matthew had decided that because she had
done such a wonderful job to such an extent that she was making him look good,
coupled with the fact that he was in love with her, he decided she deserved a
reward, and he knew just the thing.
In November Sarah had a week off to move
the remainder of her possessions from her former marital home in the village to
her new home at the Gate Lodge.
Her alcoholic,
soon to be ex-husband Ken was still living there but had been arrested for
being drunk and disorderly a few days earlier so she took her opportunity to
strike while the iron was hot and remove every trace of herself from that
unhappy place and then she was done with him for good and all.
While she was
away Matthew took the opportunity to reward her for her hard work and so when
she returned after her week off he intercepted her before she had a chance to
go in his office.
“Good morning
Miss Poole, how are you?” he asked pompously
“I’m very well Mr
Millward” she replied in kind
“Did you have a
good week off?” he said less formerly
“Brilliant” she
respond and tried to go into the office
“No not in there,
let’s go in here” he suggested indicating an adjacent door.
“I’m not going in
the stationary cupboard with you just because you missed me” she whispered in
case she was overheard by the unusually large number of people milling around.
“I’m not
suggesting we go in there for my personal gratification” he whispered back
“So this is
business?” she asked
“Very much so” he
replied
So reluctantly,
and still harbouring suspicions, she opened the door and the room was in total
darkness and she was even more suspicious.
“It’s dark” she
said stating the obvious
“Then switch the
light on” Matthew said
“I don’t trust
you” she said and reached her hand in and found the switch and when the lights
came on her jaw dropped.
It was no longer
a stationary cupboard, full of clutter, it was an office, a smaller one than
Matthew’s but it was an office nonetheless.
“Welcome to the
Assistant Managers Office” he said
“This is for me?”
she asked in total disbelief
“Only until such
time as I can find a better Assistant Manager” he replied and she punched his
arm.
“Go in and make
yourself at home” he said “I have a meeting in Abbottsford so I’ll see you
later”
“Thank you” she
said and touched his hand, she wanted to kiss him but there were too many
people around, she would have to do it later in the day.
It was after nine
when Matthew’s car returned to the Hotel and Sarah got up from her desk, she
liked the way that sounded, her desk, in her office, and went out to intercept
him.
“Ah Mr Millward,
may I see you in my office?” she said
“Of course you
may” he replied
“Is it entirely
to your liking?”
“Oh yes I love
it” she replied as she closed the door.
“What can I do
for you?” he asked
“I need
something” she replied
“What?” he asked
“This” she
replied and kissed him and after she had taken the kiss
He asked
“Was that what
you had in mind?”
But Sarah didn’t
answer however the smile on her face spoke a thousand words.
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