Chapter 17
‘So, have you heard from him yet?’ asked Jess, over coffee at the Cosy Cat the next morning. ‘I still can’t believe he didn’t show up!’
‘Yeah, he sent a message late last night after I got back from the pub. He got caught up with work stuff in London. He couldn’t get out of it, apparently,’ Bea said, nonchalantly.
‘He should have let you know, though.’
‘He said he was in meetings all day.’
‘On a bank holiday weekend?’ said Jess, eyes narrowed.
‘Uh-huh.’
‘And you believe him?’
‘It’s not a big deal.’
‘Hmmmmm… if you say so. Not quite Mr Perfect after all, though.’
‘Oh, it’s fine, Jess. Seriously, I’ve already forgotten it,’ said Bea. ‘He couldn’t make it, he’s apologized, we’re fine,’ she said, arms folded.
‘If a guy I was dating missed something that was as important to me as yesterday was to you, I’m not sure I’d feel the same way…’
‘Well, thankfully you’re not dating him, so we’re good. By the way, did I tell you I got a few more bookings out of yesterday?’ said Bea, keen to change the subject.
‘No! That’s great news.’
‘I know. I’m visiting the primary school in a few weeks, and the WI have invited me to go to their next meeting to give a talk about the renovation and people can buy books afterwards.’
‘Fantastic, how exciting!’
‘I’ve reserved a pitch at a few other summer fairs as well, one in Cherrydown in July and another in Appleton in August. If I can get at least one booking a month over the summer, that gives me some financial security, then I can work out what to do longer term once the holidays are over.’
‘Sounds like a good plan,’ Jess agreed, equally glad to be off the subject of Lochlan.
‘Arthur!’ said Bea, leaping up from her chair as he pulled open the door.
‘Hello there, my dear,’ he said warmly.
‘Arthur, this is my friend Jess. Would you like to join us?’ Bea offered.
‘Only if I’m not interrupting?’ he said, taking off his hat.
‘No, of course not,’ said Bea. ‘I’m not working today, but grab a seat and I’ll get you a coffee. Cream, two sugars, right?’
‘You remembered!’ said Arthur.
‘Isn’t this supposed to be your day off?’ asked Joyce, who was busy at the coffee machine as Bea approached the counter.
‘Yeah, but is it okay if I get Arthur a coffee?’ asked Bea.
‘I’ll get it, love. What’s he having?’ asked Joyce.
‘Flat white, cream and two sugars,’ said Bea.
‘You sit down, I’ll bring it over,’ said Joyce.
‘Thanks,’ replied Bea.
‘And the next thing I knew, I’d signed up to join the Merchant Navy,’ Arthur was saying, as Bea returned to the table.
‘Coffee’s on its way. What’s that about the Navy?’ asked Bea.
‘He’s been telling me all about how he got conscripted by accident,’ said Jess, wiping tears of laughter from her cheek. ‘Arthur’s a hoot!’
‘You’re too kind,’ said Arthur, handing her a handkerchief from his top pocket. ‘I’m sorry I missed your big day yesterday, Beatrice,’ he apologized. ‘I had planned on coming to see the book wagon on opening day, but my arthritis had other ideas, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Bea, her voice edged with concern.
‘All part of getting old, I’m afraid, not something you young ones need to worry about yet,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I do want to hear all about it, though.’
‘Here we are. Coffee with cream and two sugars,’ said Joyce, setting a mug down on the table.
‘Thank you,’ said Arthur, with a look of gratitude.
‘Well, it was a total triumph,’ Jess gushed.
‘I knew it!’ said Arthur, snapping his fingers.
‘Bea’s already got more bookings; she’ll be busy all summer at this rate,’ said Jess.
‘I don’t know about that,’ said Bea, ‘but yesterday went well, so it’s a start.’
‘And a start is all you need,’ said Arthur, blowing on his coffee to cool it down a little.
‘I meant to ask you, how’s the search for a book club going? I’ve been asking around, but I’ve not found one yet,’ said Bea.
‘Me neither, I’m afraid. I’m on the waiting list for one in Rye called Books she’s featured you as her bookshop of the month!’
‘What? As in A Murder at Midnight? That K. L. Fletcher?’
‘Yes! That K. L. Fletcher.’
‘The Sunday Times-bestselling, Nibbie-award-winning K. L. Fletcher?’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Bea. Yes! Mum signed up to her newsletter after you recommended her latest book. You subscribe too, right? Just check your email, would you?’ said Jess, exasperated.
‘Hang on,’ said Bea, swiping through her phone to pull up her email.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Lochlan, puzzled.
‘K. L. Fletcher has mentioned the wagon in her author newsletter—’
‘Wow! That’s amazing! A Murder at Midnight is brilliant,’ said Lochlan, sitting up.
‘You’ve read it?’ asked Bea.
‘Everyone’s read it!’ said Lochlan, leaning across to look at Bea’s phone. ‘Aren’t they making it into a movie?’
‘Bloody hell,’ said Bea, her hand shaking.
‘Jess is right! Look,’ she said, tilting the screen towards him.
There it was. Under the heading ‘Bookshop of the Month’, a photo of the wagon with text that read, ‘First visit to Bea’s Book Wagon and I loved it!
How cute is this little mobile bookshop?
! Every town should have one! And that’s exactly why it’s my bookshop of the month! ’
Bea scrolled through the rest of the email, which she knew went out to thousands of readers. There were more photos of the inside of the bookshop, as well as a link to Bea’s Instagram.
‘You should get on Instagram and check your notifications,’ said Lochlan, jabbing a finger at the screen.
‘Wow,’ said Bea, blowing out a long breath as she scrolled through to her account, which already had over a hundred new followers. ‘I can’t believe it. Bea’s Book Wagon’s Insta famous!’
‘Hello?’ said a voice at the other end of the line. ‘Bea? Are you still there?’ asked Jess.
‘God, sorry, I forgot you were there,’ said Bea, lifting the phone back up to her ear.
‘I can’t believe it! K. L. Fletcher visited my bookshop, and I didn’t even know it,’ said Bea.
‘Well, no one knows what she looks like, do they?’ said Jess. ‘That’s kind of her thing, isn’t it? She’s not on social media and doesn’t do interviews or public events.’
‘Oh. My. God. There was a woman,’ said Bea, the cogs in her brain whirring.
‘She was wearing dark glasses and didn’t take them off, not even when she came inside.
She asked if she could take some photos…
what was her name…’ she said, shaking her head, willing herself to remember. ‘Katerina! Yes, that was it!’
‘That’s got to be her. The K must stand for Katerina. God, Bea, I can’t believe you were stood right next to her, that’s mad!’ said Jess. ‘She’s mega famous.’
‘I know! I’ve read all her books!’ said Bea.
‘You surprise me,’ Jess laughed.
‘Listen, Jess, I’m going to have to go, Lochlan’s here…’ said Bea.
‘Ah, I see,’ said Jess.
Bea could hear the disapproval in Jess’s tone.
‘I’ll give you a call tomorrow though, okay?’ Bea promised.
‘If you’re working tomorrow, I can pop into the Cosy Cat,’ said Jess.
‘Great, I’ll see you then. I start at 1pm,’ said Bea, hanging up.
‘I bet you’re glad you took that call,’ said Lochlan, smiling at her.
‘I still can’t believe it,’ said Bea, breathlessly, ‘K. L. Fletcher in my shop!’
‘It’s fantastic, Bea. You can’t buy publicity like that and, believe me, I’ve tried.’
‘Maybe she’ll come back? Although she did buy loads of books, so maybe not…’
‘Perhaps she lives near here and will become a regular customer?’
‘No, she said she was just here on holiday, trying to write her next book.’
‘You know, I heard Jennifer Lawrence has already been signed for the lead role in the film…’
‘No way!’
‘And Timothée Chalamet too…’
‘How do you know all this?’
‘Oh, I’ve just got good contacts,’ said Lochlan, uncrossing his legs. ‘I had dinner with Cate Blanchett the other night and she’s got all the inside goss,’ he teased, his eyes sparkling mischievously.