Page 45 of Welcome to Pennycress Inn

Laura squirmed on the sofa. ‘The banister broke.’

Vivienne took a deep breath and sighed. ‘As much as I absolutely adored looking after Pennycress, I relied on Mr Yates as the landlord to do any of the big repair works. I was only renting, you see, and it was in the agreement that he was to take care of any structural repairs that needed attending to. The banister was one of the things I raised with him and he assured me he’d get round to fixing it one day. Of course, weeks turned into months and months turned into years and, still, he didn’t visit or send anyone over to repair anything.’ She picked up a spoon and stirred her tea, a look of disappointment clouding her face.

‘That’s terrible.’

‘It is. I did my best, of course, but I was giving him a fair share of the profits and the little I had left I reinvested. I learned quite a lot over the years about how to fix this and that. It wasjust the big works I didn’t like to carry out myself. Scared, I suppose, in case I did something wrong and made it worse.’

Unsure of how to answer, Laura took a sip of her tea.

‘I complain, but he wasn’t so bad, not as landlords go. He kept himself to himself and let me get on with it without any interference from his part. And I so enjoyed my time there. I really did.’ Vivienne leaned forward and placed her cup and saucer down. ‘I’m so glad she’s now been passed on to you. You talk about her like I do.’

‘I do?’ Did she? She’d felt an almost instant connection to Pennycress from the very first viewing, but she didn’t think she spoke as passionately as Vivienne. Maybe Vivienne could tell she meant well.

Vivienne nodded, her tight curls dancing on top of her head as she did so.

Laura sniffed. She’d been so worried about coming, but Vivienne had been nothing but kind to her since she’d arrived, which actually thinking about it didn’t make sense at all.

‘Are you all right, dear?’ Vivienne frowned.

‘Yes, sorry, I just don’t understand. You’re being so lovely to me and yet…’ Should she say anything? If she did, she’d be badmouthing Vivienne’s friends, her neighbours.

‘And yet?’

‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.’ Why had she? She should have just accepted Vivienne’s kindness and left out the real reason she’d come here.

‘Don’t give me that, dear. Tell me if something is bothering you. We might just be able to figure out a solution together. Is there something wrong besides the banister in the inn?’

‘It’s not that, it’s just… I’ve struggled to fit in with the local community, I guess.’

‘Ah.’ Vivienne sank back against the sofa cushions. ‘In other words, people are being quite rude, but you’re too polite to tell it how it is.’

Laura shrugged. ‘A little.’

‘Hmm. I was afraid this would happen. Leave it with me. I’ll sort the lot of them out.’

‘You will?’ Laura could feel the tension which had been building since she’d arrived in Meadowfield begin to dissolve. ‘I don’t understand. Why haven’t they given me the opportunity to show them who I am? I’ve hardly spoken to anyone since I moved here.’

‘I think what’s going on is a little displaced rebellion. You see, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience when Mr Yates decided to evict me. People get used to things. They like their stability and so it was a big adjustment for them. Remember, they used to come to the inn for all sorts of reasons. It wasn’t just the guests from outside our area Pennycress provided a haven for, it was those clubs, those meet-ups, those family events just as I mentioned. Well, people lost all of that when I was forced out.’

‘I understand. But no one mentioned any of that to me. I’m more than happy to start offering some of those things again.’ And she was. It sounded as though Pennycress had been a big part of the village, possibly as much as Vivienne herself. Yes, it would take a little more effort and planning on her part, but on the plus side, she’d also bring in more money too.

‘Yes, but I’m wondering: if Evie told me that Mr Yates rented Pennycress out again despite sending me packing, then she may well have said the exact same thing to others – or at least suggested it or omitted the truth.’

‘And therefore people wouldn’t like the fact that I was seemingly renting it and you’d been evicted for no apparent reason?’

‘That’s it. Plus, of course, they’d think that if you were to leave, then that would mean Mr Yates wouldn’t receive his rent. So, you see, it really has nothing to do with you, it’s between the people of the village and Mr Yates. Unfortunately you’re caught in the crossfire.’

‘I’ve done nothing wrong, then?’

‘You’ve done a wonderful thing taking on Pennycress, a wonderful thing, and I for one am very glad it’s you who has taken the reins.’

‘Oh, thank you.’ Laura could feel herself welling up.

‘You seem like a kind person who has the best interests of the old girl close to your heart. I’m the one who should be thanking you, not the other way around.’

Laura finished her tea. She had so much to think about that her mind was whirring. After replacing her cup and saucer on the tray, she stood up. ‘Thank you again for the tea and cake and a huge thank you for clearing everything up for me. I was so worried I’d done something wrong.’

‘You’re very welcome, dear.’ Vivienne stood up and led her to the front door.

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