Chapter 40
40
The Market Place, Stoneybridge
Winding roads and signature dishes
Friday
‘S o what do you think?’
It’s two hours later, I’m standing at the edge of the marketplace in Stoneybridge, a town forty minutes down the coast from St Aidan, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to be reacting to.
Our first stop on today’s excursion was at the garden-gate jam shop featured on my postcard, where Miles had arranged for us to meet the maker, Maddie, in her own country cottage kitchen. Then we sat in the garden in the shade of her apple tree and while the humans tucked into fat, light, homemade scones and strawberry conserve Fudge sniffed in the hedge for invisible rabbits. By the time we left an hour later Maddie had agreed to supply her jams to the shop at a very fair price.
With that in the bag Miles carried on driving along the coast until he finally wound his way down from the hills and along the side of an estuary dotted with sailing boats towards the town of Stoneybridge which spreads up across the hills either side of the river. We parked then made our way through some municipal gardens, past some tall harbourside houses, and ended up in a bustling market square surrounded by buildings on three sides and the estuary road on the other, which is where we are now.
I hitch up my shoulder bag, look across at the hillside beyond the river and try to give Miles a proper answer. ‘I love the houses nestled among the trees and the lines of pink and yellow cottages. It’s exciting that there’s a car ferry to cross the river but the queue looks quite long.’
Miles blinks. ‘All very true, but I meant what’s in front of us not behind us.’
I turn towards the buildings. ‘Which bit am I looking at?’
‘All of it.’ He’s looking at me not the buildings. ‘The excellent central position, the town with thousands of visitors every week, the idyllic location.’
I might as well tell it how it is. ‘It’s funny. When we look at the same thing, I react like a tourist and you sound like you’re addressing the directors.’
‘I often have been.’ He pulls a face. ‘Our different backgrounds mean we bring different things to the table. That’s why we make a great team.’
I choke into my hand. ‘And probably why we argue non-stop.’
He gives a shamefaced shrug. ‘Putting my business hat back on again…’
I grin at him and fake a yawn. ‘Yes?’
‘The shop in front of us has been vacant since last year. It’s ours for the rest of the season if we want to take it.’
It comes out so fast I’m still trying to catch up. ‘Why would we want it?’
‘As you were the one who came up with the “pop-up” idea to begin with, I assumed you’d tell me .’ Miles’s voice is light and airy. ‘It might be fun to see if Betsy we’d be in and out by October.’
I’m staring at him. ‘You’re making this up as you go along again?’
He laughs. ‘You’re the one who said to wing it. We’re just flying a little further here.’ He’s pulled a key from his jacket pocket, and he’s unlocking the door. ‘If you’d like to take a look, it’s open?’
My feet are walking with no input from me, and the space I’m looking around is less scary than it could be. ‘It’s a lot smaller than the Net Loft, there’s no kitchen, but the shelves are already there, and there are even some for cards. If we brought in hat stands and simple tables, we’d get the same feel.’ My surge of enthusiasm dips. ‘We can’t be in two places at once, who would serve?’
‘Zofia has friends here. We’ve already checked– they’d be willing to share the hours between them for the summer.’ The way he’s standing, he’s looking like he already owns the place. ‘A quick coat of paint, some of Edie’s best Betsy & Milo signs, a few carefully selected items and a postcard order– it’ll be ready to go in no time.’
I’m not just out of my depth here, I feel like I’m being carried out to sea. Miles has no idea about my limitations. People like him never do. I’m not ashamed of being different, but I need to remind him before it’s too late.
I look him straight in the eye. ‘Miles. I’m not like you. I don’t have money to spare or financial backers. When I barely know where my next coffee is coming from, I can’t take on another shop. I simply can’t afford this.’
He tilts his head on one side. ‘I’d put up the money. Your input would be entirely limited to styling and deciding what we sold.’ He’s watching my reaction. ‘And wherever it goes, we’d be equal partners at the end.’
I shake my head. ‘I’m still looking for the catch.’
He shrugs. ‘There isn’t one. You’re the one who created Betsy & Milo. I’ve done enough start-ups to sense it has lift. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it makes sense to push it as far as you can as fast as you can.’
‘You’re happy to do that?’
He smiles. ‘I’m ready to give it a go. Ready enough to have lined up two more empty places further around the coast too.’
My mouth drops open. ‘ Four shops – all temporary, all with nothing in?’
He laughs. ‘That’s the bit that makes them special. It’s very quirky but very now.’
I’m closing my eyes. ‘Okay, still talking hypothetically– tell me how it’s going to work.’
He’s still smiling. ‘Much as it is now, except we have reliable people to look after the Net Loft while we source the stock, deliver it and set it out in the new premises. We’d make sure you still did your beach sales with Pumpkin.’ He’s watching me closely. ‘It would mean a couple of months of hard work and long hours, but we get to do the fun bits. And if that’s not enough of an incentive, you’d be sure to find opportunities for new pieces for Fenna along the way.’
I’m being as grounded as I can be in the face of something that feels improbable. ‘It’s only for a few weeks, but…’
Miles’s hand drops onto my shoulder. ‘You don’t have to decide now. Wait until you’ve seen more.’
I stare around and my heart is faltering. ‘There’s an awful lot of shelving to fill.’ Last time the shop was a series of accidents. This time I’m walking into it with my eyes wide open.
Miles laughs. ‘That’s the beauty of Betsy & Milo, a lot of those shelves will be bare.’ His arm is guiding me towards the door. ‘Let’s go and see what we can find on the market.’
It’s not lost on me. I walked into here as myself, and even though it’s still hanging, I’m walking out as someone else entirely. Not only that. The first shop began with me trying to get some distance from Miles and ended up with me spending more time with him than ever. What he’s suggesting here would take that to another level.
And I’m not sure I can handle that.