The Women Who Ran Away - Sheila O'Flanagan Page 0,110

tiles were dark green marble, as was the reception desk.

‘Hello, and welcome.’ A woman in her thirties with a mop of curly red hair came to greet them. ‘Deira and Grace?’

‘Yes,’ said Deira. ‘You must be Muireann.’

The woman smiled. ‘That’s me. It’s nice to hear another Irish accent.’

‘It’s the last thing I would’ve expected here,’ said Grace. ‘How on earth did you discover this place?’

‘My dad is from Aljaha. It’s a small town nearby,’ said Muireann. ‘I was brought up in Cork, but I always loved coming to Spain. And then the opportunity to open this place came up, and I jumped at it.’

‘That was brave,’ said Grace.

‘Ah, not as brave as you think,’ Muireann told her. ‘I know the area.’

‘But there’s so little around,’ Grace said. ‘And it’s hard to get to.’

‘Hard if you’re coming from the north,’ agreed Muireann. ‘But easier from the south. Anyhow, let’s get you ladies sorted.’

She registered them and then handed them two large key fobs.

‘We’re as back-to-nature as we can be,’ she said. ‘There are no TVs and no Wi-Fi, except in the designated Wi-Fi room, which is only open for an hour a day. We want people to disconnect as much as possible, which is why we encourage you to have your phones locked away while you’re here.’

Deira had read all this on the website and had had no intention of handing over her phone. Yet here, in the quiet serenity of El Pozo de la Señora, she was beginning to think that there was a certain merit in doing so.

‘The signal is a bit patchy anyhow,’ said Muireann.

‘How do you manage?’ asked Grace. ‘I mean, you need technology to get bookings and call people and so on.’

‘We have a satellite system,’ explained Muireann. ‘We need to be connected, but guests don’t.’

‘I suppose . . .’ Grace hesitated.

‘What we usually suggest is that you hang on to your phone until you’re settled in, take some photos – the views from the back of the house are amazing – book a treatment, and then give it to us,’ said Muireann. ‘You can have it back if you’re walking any of the trails, though. Can I also say that as you’re a bit last-minute, it would be good to know if you want a therapy treatment. Our time slots are limited. I hate to pressure you, because we’re all about no pressure, but I wouldn’t like you to want to have a massage or something and be disappointed.’

She handed them brochures. Deira elected to have a body scrub and Grace chose a head massage.

‘Excellent,’ said Muireann. ‘You’ll be at three thirty, Deira. And you’re at four, Grace. Now, I’ll show you to your rooms. As you’ll see,’ she added as she led them along a dimly lit corridor, ‘there’s water available everywhere. We encourage you to drink as much of it as you can. It’s from our own well and flavoured with our oranges and lemons. And here we are. This room is yours, Deira. Grace, you’re a little further on. Settle in, relax, and if there’s anything you need, just let me know.’

Deira let herself into the room. It was simply furnished, but, despite not having a TV, there was a digital music system with a selection of restful playlists. Long drapes covered what turned out to be floor-to-ceiling windows that opened out to a Zen garden and spectacular views of the valley.

Even if it doesn’t work out the way I hope, it’ll have been worth it, she thought as she stepped out into the garden.

But her heart was beating faster as she thought of Charlie Mulholland.

As she lay on the treatment table and lost herself in the bliss of having someone massage her temples, Grace was also thinking that it had been a good decision to stop off at the wellness centre. She’d never been a great one for pampering, but she’d been seduced by the serenity of El Pozo de la Señora, and it seemed wrong not to take advantage of it.

While the therapist gently rubbed her neck, Grace’s thoughts drifted to the treasure hunt. She wondered if Ken had truly expected her to be able to solve all the clues. She’d managed with Deira’s help, but the answers weren’t immediately obvious, and she was pretty sure that on her own, it might have taken longer, and that she’d have used up every single password guess that each clue allowed. By booking the hotels in advance, he had also added unnecessary