EXTRACT: Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Really excited to bring you today's blog post, an extract from Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi, a war-time romance! A big thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Francesca for having me as part of this blog tour!

This post will start out with a bit about Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel as well as Francesca, and then I have an exciting extract of the book! Make sure to check out the other amazing blog posts on this tour to find exclusive content and reviews...

Extract from Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Hetty is serving champagne at Victor Perryman’s sister Sophia’s birthday party. She is trying to avoid him, as she saw him on the beach with a woman she believes to be his sweetheart.

Hetty admired the gleaming glasses on the tray as she did the rounds with the champagne in the ballroom. She and Tilly had done a good job, even if she did think so herself. So far, she’d managed to avoid going anywhere near Victor Perryman, as Lili had been serving on his side of the room. Not far away, Dennis was also carrying a tray. Despite giving herself a good talking to, her heart was still thumping.

Ebony approached her and lifted a glass from the tray. ‘Are you having an evening off from the stillroom again?’ she asked, smiling.

‘That’s right, Miss Girard.’

‘All hands on deck, as they say. It must be nice to have a change.’

‘It is, madam.’

While she appreciated a guest taking the time to talk to her, she was also embarrassed, knowing she couldn’t carry on a conversation, but feeling awkward about her brief replies.

‘Oh look, the orchestra is about to strike up. I do usually prefer something a little more modern, but these ladies were rather splendid when I heard them at the bandstand a couple of weeks back.’

Ebony walked away as the twelve young and middle-aged ladies took their seats by the instruments.

There were about a hundred guests in a room that could have taken a lot more, and the lack of young men present stood out. The chatter dimmed only a little as the orchestra struck up with the ‘Blue Danube Waltz’. Hetty recognised it as her parents had it on a gramophone record. A few older couples started dancing, and the rest of the guests moved to the edges of the room to continue their conversations.

Hetty carried on down one side of the elegant room, with its arched mirrors, pillars and crystal chandeliers. By the time she’d reached the door to the corridor, her tray was clear of glasses, so she slipped out to return to the staff area for more.

In the corridor, she was detained by Helen. ‘When your next tray has been emptied, would you come back and help carry the buffet food to the lounge please, Hetty?’

‘Of course, Mrs Bygrove.’

Back in the ballroom, a few more couples had taken to the floor, doing the polka. There were a few younger women dancing together, presumably because of the lack of young men. Sophia was dancing, but with an older man, the sort that looked like a jolly old uncle.

As Hetty started off on her rounds of the room, she spotted Victor a few feet away, looking at her. Many of the older men were sporting tailcoats, but he looked very handsome in his modern black dinner jacket and bow tie. He smiled briefly, but her attention was soon taken by a couple wanting to swap their empty champagne glasses for full ones. By the time they’d done that, Victor had his back to her, speaking with a man in uniform, a captain by the looks of the three stars on his epaulettes.

She gazed around at the guests. Never having had a hankering to be part of the upper classes, she did wish now that she could join the party, be one of the bright young women who were either dancing or chatting and laughing. She imagined herself taking to the floor with Victor for a few moments, before berating herself because of Lorcan. But, as she kept telling herself, she and Lorcan were not really a couple, not at the moment. And if he’d been that interested in her, wouldn’t he have at least spent one leave in Littlehampton? She tried to imagine her and Lorcan dancing in here. Perhaps, if he did come home, they could sneak in here late one evening for a dance to an imaginary band. He could hum the tune, having a good singing voice.

She was enjoying this reverie, when a young, red-headed woman approached her. Hetty stopped herself from gasping, and instead smiled. It was the woman she’d seen Victor with on the beach, his sweetheart, fiancée, whatever she was.

‘I’ll have a glass of what I’m told is most excellent champagne,’ said the woman, picking one up. ‘Oh, and one for my husband,’ she said, picking another.

Husband? Hetty was confused. Hadn’t someone mentioned that Victor Perryman was single?

A young man in a lieutenant’s uniform approached them. ‘There you are my darling Maria.’

‘And here’s a glass of champagne for you, my darling Ben.’

He took it and they clinked glasses before turning away.

Was Victor… carrying on with this woman while her husband was at war? On the beach, in front of everyone? That being the case, it was as good a reason to put Victor Perryman out of her mind as any she could think of. Men! Was Lorcan perhaps not visiting her because he’d found love in France? After all, Lili’s previous sweetheart, Norman, had done just that.

Forget it, she told herself, as the last glass was removed from her tray. She could now leave and help with the food.