Chapter 12
‘So, how’s the to-do list looking?’ Tori asked the following morning, setting a flat white and a slice of carrot cake down on the table, snapping Bea back to reality.
Things had got pretty heated pretty quickly when Bea and Lochlan had arrived back at her place last night.
They’d practically ripped each other’s clothes off as soon as they’d made it through the front door.
By the time they’d reached the bedroom, a trail of clothes left scattered in their wake, she was groaning in pleasure as he covered her collarbone in tiny kisses.
The sex had been mind-blowingly hot. Lochlan had known exactly what she wanted, his hands caressing her body in all the right places as waves of ecstasy coursed through her. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.
‘Sorry?’ said Bea, looking up.
‘You okay?’ asked Tori.
‘Yeah,’ said Bea. ‘Just a bit tired.’ She really hoped Tori couldn’t tell what she’d just been daydreaming about. Her cheeks reddened at the thought.
‘I was asking how the to-do list was coming along?’ Tori repeated, gesturing at the notepad on the table.
‘Good,’ replied Bea, reaching for her drink. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind me working on this while I’m here?’
‘It’s dead this afternoon, we should make the most of it. Anything I can help with?’ said Tori, pulling up a chair,
‘Erm… I don’t think so. I’ve placed my first order with the wholesalers, I’ve bought a card reader, all my social media is up and running—’
‘What about the boring stuff? Tax? Insurance?’
‘I’ve registered for self-assessment and I’ve got quotes for public liability insurance. I think I’m all set.’
‘Sounds like it. I reckon you’ll be ready in time for the fair; there’s still a fortnight to go.’
‘I really hope so. Nate’s been building the bookcases, they look amazing. I never knew he was such a good carpenter.’
‘Ah, he’s full of hidden talents is Nate. Can you keep a secret?’
‘Me? Absolutely,’ Bea nodded.
‘I know you’re close to Nate, but you have to promise me you won’t say anything to him.’
‘My lips are sealed,’ said Bea, while gesturing zipping her mouth shut.
‘Well, I’ve nominated his cheese line for a local business award.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Yes! They’re announcing the shortlist in a few weeks, I’m hoping he’ll be on it.’
‘Wow, Tori, that’s amazing, that would be great publicity for him.’
‘That’s what I thought. It’s a quality product, so he deserves the recognition.’
‘Fingers crossed, then,’ said Bea.
‘And remember, don’t say a word. Until the shortlist’s announced anyway. If he’s on it, I’ll have to tell him,’ Tori laughed.
‘Oh, yeah,’ Bea sniggered, ‘good point.’
‘Anyway, you carry on,’ said Tori, pointing towards Bea’s to-do list. ‘I might close up early if things don’t pick up, I’ve got to take Ellie to the vets in a bit anyway, she’s got a checkup booked in with Grace—’
‘You were saying,’ said Bea, looking up at the sound of the doorbell. ‘Arthur, hello!’ Bea called, as Tori let him inside.
‘Bea!’ said Arthur, warmly.
‘I didn’t know you lived in Blossom Heath?’ said Bea. ‘Tori, this is Arthur, we met at the library.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Tori,’ said Arthur. ‘My daughter-in-law has been telling me about the cat café, so I thought I’d come and have a look for myself.’
‘How lovely! Does she live in the village?’ Tori asked.
‘Yes, just on the outskirts,’ Arthur explained. ‘I’m in Rye, myself.’
‘Why don’t you join me for a cuppa?’ said Bea. ‘I was just about to take a break – if that’s still okay, Tori?’
Tori nodded, enthusiastically.
‘If you’re sure I’m not imposing? You look like you’re in the middle of something important,’ said Arthur, gesturing towards the papers strewn all over the tabletop.
‘Bea’s working on plans for her new business,’ said Tori. ‘I’m sure she’d love to tell you all about it. What can I get you? Tea? Coffee?’
‘A pot of tea would be just the ticket,’ said Arthur, slipping off his jacket.
‘And you have to try some of the carrot cake, Arthur. Tori’s mum makes it, and it’s just delicious,’ said Bea.
‘I do have a sweet tooth,’ said Arthur. ‘My doctor said I should be watching my cholesterol, but that does look good. I’ll take a slice.’
‘Coming right up,’ said Tori, from behind the counter.
‘Sit down, Arthur, I’ll clear some room,’ said Bea, gathering her paperwork up into a neat pile.
‘So, what is it you’re working on?’ asked Arthur, easing himself gently into the seat opposite Bea.
‘I’m just about to launch my own business,’ said Bea. ‘But I’ve never done anything like this before, so I’ve got a lot to learn.’
‘What kind of business is it?’
‘Well, I’ve bought a second-hand horsebox and I’m turning it into a mobile bookshop.’
‘A mobile bookshop!’ said Arthur. ‘What a novel idea!’
‘Thank you. It’s all happened quite quickly, so it’s been a bit overwhelming to be honest.’
‘Well, that’s the thing with running your own business, you have to be a jack of all trades: retailer, accountant, marketer, designer… you get the idea.’
‘You’re not wrong,’ said Bea, leaning back in her chair. ‘It’s a big learning curve and I still don’t understand half this stuff.’
‘You’ll get there. If I can do it, anyone can.’
‘What was it you did exactly, Arthur? Did you have your own business, too?’
‘I did, yes. I used to have a little antique shop by the quay in Rye.’
‘Wow, did you? I love it down there, I bet you had some incredible finds!’
‘Oh, I did well enough over the years. I learnt on the job, really, but you start to develop an eye. There was one item that stands out though…’ he chuckled. ‘I’ll never forget it.’
‘What was it?’
‘I was doing a house clearance for a widow whose husband was a big stamp collector. He had a vast collection, so I catalogued them all, gave the lady a fair price…’
‘And what happened?’ Bea asked, her curiosity piqued.
‘Well, when I was listing them ready for auction, a sealed envelope fell out of one of the albums, and when I opened it there was a Penny Red inside!’
‘And that’s good? Valuable, I mean?’
‘Not necessarily,’ said Arthur, shaking a finger, ‘they’re old, but most are fairly common.’
‘Oh,’ said Bea, feeling slightly disappointed.
‘Ah, I said most Penny Reds are fairly common,’ said Arthur, his eyes glinting excitedly.
‘And this one wasn’t?’
‘No, it wasn’t. It was a Plate 77, which is incredibly rare. You can count the ones left in existence on one hand.’
‘Wow! So, it was worth a lot then?’
‘If you call ￡250,000 a lot?’ Arthur shrugged.
‘Sorry, a quarter of a million pounds?’ said Bea, her mouth hanging open. ‘For a stamp?’
‘For a stamp,’ Arthur nodded.
‘But that’s crazy.’
‘That’s antiques for you, Beatrice.’
‘It must have set you up for life?’
‘Oh, I didn’t keep the money,’ said Arthur, shaking his head.
‘Why not?’
‘It would have felt dishonest. I gave that widow what I thought was a fair price for her husband’s collection; neither of us knew the Penny Red was there. I wasn’t going to fiddle her out of what was rightfully hers. It would have been wrong.’
‘Oh, Arthur,’ said Bea, blowing out through her lips. ‘That was so kind of you, I’m not sure other dealers would have done the same.’
‘That may be true, but I wouldn’t have slept a wink if I’d kept that stamp for myself.’
‘You’re a good person, Arthur,’ said Bea, her heart swelling with admiration for the elderly gentleman sat with her.
‘The widow did give me twenty-five thousand as a thank you, so I still did well out of the deal.’
‘Here we go, Arthur, tea and cake,’ said Tori, setting down a tray. ‘I couldn’t help overhearing your story and, well, wow.’
‘I know, it was so exciting to find it,’ said Arthur, beaming. ‘Now, how much do I owe you?’ he asked, pulling out his wallet.
‘These are on the house,’ said Tori, ‘on one condition.’
‘Oh?’ replied Arthur.
‘You have to come back again. I’d love to hear about the other treasures you’ve discovered,’ said Tori.
‘Of course!’ laughed Arthur. ‘It would be my pleasure.’
‘I’m serious, Nate, I can’t believe how amazing these look!’ said Bea, running a hand along the handmade shelves he was carefully screwing to the internal walls of the wagon.
‘They’ll look even better when they’re painted and full of books,’ said Nathan.
‘It’s unrecognizable,’ said Bea, ‘I still can’t believe we’ve finished it.’
‘We haven’t,’ said Nathan, ‘there’s still a bit to do—’
‘I got a few days free before my next shift at the Cosy Cat and I plan to spend it painting and shopping for soft furnishings and accessories.’
‘You’re on your own, there. Cushions are not my thing, I’m afraid,’ said Nathan.
‘I thought I might take Mum along,’ said Bea. ‘She’s been really supportive with this whole crazy idea,’ she said, gesturing towards the horsebox.
‘She might foot the bill, too, if you take her?’ said Nathan, wiggling his eyebrows.
‘You never know,’ Bea laughed.
‘It’s looking bloody good though, Bea,’ he continued. ‘I love the logo Jess designed, it’s actually starting to look like… well, a—’
‘Bookshop?’
‘Exactly. You’ve done a great job.’
‘No, we’ve done a great job, Nate,’ she said, taking a step towards him. ‘None of this would have happened without you, you know that, right?’
‘Ah, don’t be silly,’ he replied, waving a hand dismissively.
‘Seriously, if you hadn’t been there that day at Charlotte’s encouraging me, I don’t think I’d have gone through with buying it.’
‘You had Jess, too; she’d have talked you round.’
‘It was you, Nate. Once you told me I could do it, I just… believed you, I guess,’ she shrugged. ‘Does that sound weird?’
‘A little bit…’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Maybe?’
‘I guess it’s always been like that though, ever since school, I—’
‘Nate!’ called his mum, Sue, poking her head around the barn doors. ‘I’m ready now if you want to go and get those deliveries done?’
‘It’s fine, you go, I need to crack on with the painting anyway,’ said Bea, prising opening a tin of paint with a screwdriver.
‘Okay, I’ll see you later, though?’ asked Nathan.
‘Sure, I’m going to be here for the next few hours at least.’ Bea laughed.
‘Yeah, course,’ said Nathan, heading towards the door.
‘Right then,’ said Bea, taking a deep breath, ‘these bookcases aren’t going to paint themselves,’ she whispered, picking up a wide brush and dipping it into the thick, white paint. It was time to get started.
Nathan was struggling to concentrate on the road as he drove towards the Cosy Cat. Sue was chatting away animatedly, but he wasn’t taking in a single word she was saying. He couldn’t get his mind off Bea.
She’d said he was the reason she’d had the confidence to take on the bookshop project.
He was confused as to why his opinion mattered so much to her.
Why was it any different to Jess’s, or Archie’s, or Carol’s? What had she been about to say to him before his mum had walked into the barn.
‘It’s always been like that though, ever since school, I—’
What was she going to say? Was she talking about their friendship? Or something else?
He shook his head. Whatever Bea had been about to tell him, she didn’t get the chance to say it, and perhaps now he’d never know.