“It’s a lovely place to chill out,” Saffron said.
A noise from the hallway made Lilyturn.
“Hi, Martha!” Saffron called. “I’m giving guided tours now. Do you think Gideon will pay me a commission?”
“I very much doubt it,” the smiley, stout lady said. She was probably in her fifties, and the soft glow on her cheeks gave her a warm presence. “I’d say you give a better tour than Gideon, though.”
Lily thrust her hand out to introduce herself and repeated her story about having a friend interested in the retreat.
“I’m enjoying it,” Martha said, leaning against a chair. “But I suppose it very much depends on the group. Gideon isn’t actually that great at bringing people together.”
“He doesn’t sound very friendly,” Lily said.
“He’s quite serious,” Martha said. “But he’s a good teacher. I really think my techniques have come on in the last week.”
“And you’re happy with the accommodation?” Lily asked.
“Yes. It’s actually nicer than the photos online.”
“Are the rooms all the same?” Lily asked, desperate to get a look in all the rooms.
“I’d imagine so,” Martha replied. “I don’t actually know.”
Lily smiled gently. “Saffron was kind enough to let me have a look at hers…”
“You’re welcome to stick your head in mine, too.” Martha shrugged. “You’ve got me wondering now… about whether the rooms are the same.”
“I’d imagine they’re identical,” Saffron said, following Martha along the hall. “We can check the empty one too – where Silas should be staying. That one would be a good one for you to take photos for your friend.”
Dutifully, Lily took photos. At least she knew no one was using the spare room to stash stolen goods. They moved from there to Martha’s room.
As soon as the door was open, Lily’s eyes roamed the space. Presumably, any stolen goods would be well hidden, and not just sitting out on display. The space wasn’t huge though - not too many places to hide a backpack.
“Exactly the same as mine,” Saffron was saying. “Except yours is much neater.”
“I’m a bit of a neat freak,” Martha said. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t. It doesn’t seem to fit with the whole artist spirit, does it?”
Saffron leaned against the doorframe. “Maybe having a clean room leaves your mind free to be creative.”
“Maybe,” Martha said, chuckling. Her eyes went to Lily. “I was a primary school teacher for thirty years. Now that I’ve retired, I’ve decided to follow my passion for art. I’m not very good, but it soothes my soul to do something just because I want to.”
Lily nodded while her gaze darted around the room.
“Anyway, I was just going to make a cup of tea. Would anyone else like one?”
“I’ll have one,” Saffron said, then looked to Lily. “Want to join us for a cuppa?”
What she wanted was to find her backpack. Fighting the urge to ransack the building, she smiled wanly. “Yes, please.” She followed Saffron back into the hallway, then turned back to Martha. “I’m sorry,” she said with a grimace. “Would you mind if I used the bathroom quickly?”
“Oh.” Martha paused and glanced back into the room. “I suppose so.”
“We’ll get the tea going,” Saffron called to Lily.
In the bathroom, her heart thumped wildly as she pressed her ear to the door, listening for signs that the coast was clear.
Chapter Eight
As soon asshe heard Martha and Saffron’s footsteps receding, Lily hurried back into the bedroom. First she checked the wardrobe, then the drawers. Her heart hammered so violently that after a moment she had to pause and force herself to breathe evenly.
