Chapter Seven
“Y ou’re cheerful for a Wednesday morning,” Gio grumbled as he took a seat at the breakfast table.
“There’s nothing wrong with facing the world with a smile,” his father said.
Sophie stuck a tongue out at him. “I’m in a good mood, that’s all.”
“Oh yeah? Anything to do with that choir meeting last night?”
“How did you know about that?” she asked.
Gio shrugged. “Stu told me.”
“You joined a choir?” her father asked. He grinned at her. “That’s nice. Your mum liked to sing.”
“Did she?” Sophie said. Her father didn’t mention her mother often. When he did, she tried to wring every last drop of information that she could out of him. “What did she like to sing then?”
Her father screwed up his face in thought. “She liked Duran Duran,” he said. “And ABBA, and anything Italian. She sang you and Gio to sleep with Italian lullabies, which was all very well until she offed out on a girl’s night and I couldn’t get the two of you to sleep.”
Sophie smiled. “That sounds really sweet.” But when she looked over, Gio was bent over his cereal, not saying anything.
It was harder for him. She knew that. He was older. He remembered better than she did. Best to change the subject.
“Better be getting into work,” she said. “I’ve got those invoices to clear up. I’ll go through them again this morning.”
“I’ll do it,” her father said.
She stopped chewing her toast. “Sorry?”
“I did used to do all the accounting before you took over,” he said. “It might do some good to have a fresh pair of eyes on things. Besides, you’ve probably got enough to do, don’t you? There’s a stack of tax forms that need to be posted. You’ll need to get some shopping in ‘cos there’s no biscuits in the garage and we’re almost out of milk. Oh, and I need a new prescription for my meds. You can pop into the surgery and get that for me, too.”
For a second, Sophie considered this, then she shrugged and nodded. “Fair enough.” Like she wasn’t eager to go. Like she wasn’t thinking about going right this second.
Ordinarily, going back and forth through town and running errands wouldn’t have made her particularly happy. Today was different, though. Today she was practically bolting her breakfast in order to go out.
Because the longer she was out and about, the more chance there was that she might bump into Tilly.
Tilly with her blonde curls and long eyelashes, with her crooked smile and her peachy skin. Just the thought of her made Sophie’s pulse start to race.
She finished up her breakfast. “I’ll be getting on with things then,” she said, getting up from the table.
Not that she was about to mention Tilly to anyone at home. Definitely not. It was very early days, but there was something there and she knew it. Something sparkly and lovely, so it was like standing on the bank of a cool lake on a hot summer day.
And if she could somehow run into Tilly without making a fuss about things, and without having to wait for another choir rehearsal, well, that was all for the better, wasn’t it?
THE VILLAGE SHOP was quiet at this time in the morning. Sylv was sweeping up by the door when Sophie came in.
“What you looking for, then?” Sylv asked as Sophie craned her neck down the small aisles.
“Nothing,” said Sophie. “Just, um, wondering who else might be in, that’s all.”
“Not a soul in here,” Sylv said cheerfully. “Have a good time last night?”
Sophie felt herself blush, then she coughed as she figured out what Sylv was talking about. “Oh, at choir? Yes. It was better than expected, actually, you?”
“I like a good sing,” Sylv said, taking the milk that Sophie was holding. “Nice to see so many people come out as well. Especially after the orchestra debacle. And that new policewoman as well.”
“Police officer,” said Sophie, leaning on the counter. This was her chance. Sylv was the biggest gossip in town. “She seems alright.”
“Bit of an ‘abide by the letter of the law’ type, from what I’ve heard. Gave Adelaide Park a ticket for parking in front of the bookshop to unload her car.”
“Well, Ad does insist on driving those big American SUVs,” Sophie said. “Her car does sort of block the street.”
“What about her telling Josh at the pub that those tables outside have to be exactly a meter from the curb, then?” asked Sylv.
Sophie sniffed. “I wouldn’t know about that,” she said. “But, I mean, I suppose the law’s the law, isn’t it?”
Sylv raised an eyebrow. “You’re in that girl’s corner, aren’t you? Any chance that you’d be sweet on our new policewoman?”
“Police officer,” Sophie said. She drew herself upright. “And no, obviously not. I mean, she’s police, isn’t she?”
Sylv took a look at Sophie, then obviously remembered who she was, who her father and her brother were, and nodded. “Yeah, fair point. Shall I put this on your tab?”
“Please,” Sophie said, scooping the shopping into her bag. She left the shop.
Okay, so there was a small hiccup in all of this. Tilly was pretty and funny and in the choir, meaning Gio wouldn’t be around to interfere. Sophie liked her, and she was pretty sure that Tilly liked her, too.
But yes, Tilly was a police officer. Not exactly ideal. But then, it wasn’t like her dad had told her not to date police officers. Mostly because he’d probably never imagine that she would, but still, it wasn’t forbidden.
And it wasn’t like her dad and her brother were career criminals or anything. They weren’t. Both had had their issues, mostly after a few beers in the pub, but they weren’t the Kray Twins. They just… didn’t always keep to the letter of the law. The spirit of the law, yes. But Sophie knew that there were always shortcuts and corners that got cut, and that being a hundred percent respectable wasn’t really a priority.
Nobody had killed anyone and nobody had got hurt. That was the important thing. But if some rich corporation or whatever lost a few pounds, well, that wasn’t so bad, was it? At least it wasn’t to her dad and Gio. Sophie herself stayed well out of it. Her books were clean. Which was probably why her dad had insisted on taking over this morning.
She sighed.
This wasn’t a deal breaker, she told herself. Her family might not have a fondness for the police, but they hadn’t been in trouble for a long time. They were relatively clean now, and it wasn’t like she was inviting Tilly over for tea.
She went into the post office, posted her letters, then made her way out and over to the doctor’s surgery.
Not that she was inviting Tilly to anything, given that she couldn’t find the damn woman. She’d walked all the main streets in town and there was no sign of her. Sophie sighed as she walked up to the surgery. Maybe Tilly was at the station, which was one place she probably shouldn’t be seen going into.
“Morning,” said Cordelia, the surgery receptionist. “What can I do you for?”
“Just a repeat prescription for dad,” said Sophie.
Cordelia typed something into her computer. “Give it a minute. I’ve sent it through to Lydia. She’ll need to sign it. She’ll bring it out when she’s done. Everything alright with you?”
“Not bad,” Sophie said because she wasn’t about to admit to being half in love with someone she couldn’t find and had only met once for a couple of hours. And most of those hours had been spent singing and not even talking.
Was that it? Was she really half in love with Tilly?
Lust maybe, but love? Was that what those tingly feelings were?
“Can you fall in love at first sight?” she asked Cordelia.
“You’re asking the wrong person,” Cord said. “I hated Lyd at first sight though, if that’s any help?”
“Not really.”
“Thinking about falling in love, are you?”
Sophie blew out her cheeks. “Depends. Do I get patient-doctor confidentiality?”
“I’m only the receptionist. You’ll have to talk to Lyd for that.” Cordelia grinned. “Wouldn’t blame you if you are, though. I thought for ages that I was happy alone. Turned out that I was lonely and grumpy and rapidly turning into one of those strange old ladies that has too many cats.”
“I don’t have any cats,” Sophie pointed out.
“Wouldn’t do you any harm to get a love interest, though,” Cord said. “There’s a lot to be said for having someone to cook dinner for you every now and again.”
Jesus, she wasn’t going that far. She’d barely met the woman. But now that she thought about it, having dinner with Tilly wouldn’t be so bad.
“Here you are,” Lydia said, coming out of the consulting room. “Oh, it’s you Sophie. I thought it was your dad. He really should come and pick up his prescription himself, you know.”
“Yeah, you know what the chances are of that happening,” Sophie said, pulling a face. “He’s only got the thing in the first place because you came out to him when he collapsed.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Alright, I think,” Sophie said. “He’s not had any more attacks, and I keep his diet as healthy as I can. He won’t eat a salad, though. I end up having to hide vegetables under baked beans and hope he doesn’t notice.”
“Whatever works,” Lydia laughed.
Sophie took her shopping and the prescription and walked back toward the garage. Half way there on the opposite side of the street she passed the police station. She hesitated for a second, then continued on her way.
She liked Tilly. But it all had to be a secret. She wasn’t going to let her family ruin another possibility for her. And she could wait until Friday to see her again. She started whistling as she walked the rest of the way.