Chapter 27
On Friday afternoon, after returning from her appointment with the solicitor in Ipswich, Bridie went straight back to Cobblers Yard to finish working in the shop, even though Hannah had told her she could take the whole day off.
Walking back into the yard, she spied Mabel watching her from the charity shop window.
Mabel had watched her leaving the yard in the morning, eyebrows arched, probably wondering where she was off to.
And now there she was again, in the shop window as though she hadn’t moved from her spot all morning.
Her eyebrows were arched again on Bridie’s return.
She was clearly now wondering where Bridie had been.
Bridie had glanced her way and then avoided her gaze as she returned to the shop.
Hannah was excited to see her and wanted to know how the appointment had gone.
They sat for coffee in the cosy corner of the art and craft shop, and Bridie recounted what the solicitor had told her, or rather hadn’t told her – he had strict instructions that his client, her benefactor who had gifted her the theatre, was to remain anonymous.
‘Benefactor,’ Hannah had mused. ‘How mysterious.’
‘I know, right?’ Bridie replied. She opened her bag and showed Hannah the keys to the theatre. ‘There’s something else …’ Bridie also told Hannah about her benefactor’s wishes – they wanted her to stage a play at the theatre.
‘Stage a play at the theatre? How would that even be possible? I imagine the place would need a lot of work to get it up to scratch to stage a play.’
Hannah had read her mind. Bridie agreed.
She admitted, ‘I had thought of just selling the place. Oliver reckoned it would fetch a decent price on the market because of where it is, even though it’s run down.
’ Bridie didn’t mention the other conversation she’d had with Oliver about Jack – that he’d jump at the chance of buying the theatre and had been trying to get his hands on the property for years.
‘The property is yours now, Bridie. You can do with it what you want, surely.’
‘Yes, that’s what the solicitor said. But …’
‘It’s your benefactor’s wish to see a play put on at the theatre, so you feel obligated to do that.’
‘Yes, I do. For some reason, whoever they are, they’ve given me the theatre. I guess it’s the least I can do. The solicitor said I can do with it what I want afterwards.’
‘But you can do what you want now,’ Hannah reminded her.
‘I know. I just think I should at least try.’
‘Who knows, perhaps your secret benefactor will turn up at the opening night, and you’ll find out who he or she is.’
Bridie smiled. The thought had crossed her mind.
‘Well, if anyone can pull it off, it’s you, Bridie. You’ve got so much experience in theatre.’
‘Yeah – acting on the stage. I don’t know much about running a theatre and staging a play. Where will I find all the actors, to start with?’ Her thoughts turned to Julian. He was a producer. He knew how to go about staging a play. And he was the last person she’d ask.
‘Why don’t you cross that bridge when you come to it?’ Hannah said.
Bridie turned the keys over in her hand. ‘I don’t know where to start.’
Hannah looked at the keys. ‘How about visiting the theatre after work? I bet the place could do with a sort out and a good spring clean.’
Bridie had a feeling it could do with a lot more than a spring clean. She dreaded to think what the state of it was inside. She said as much to Hannah.
‘At least take a look. Get the measure of what we’re up against.’
‘We?’
‘I’d like to pop along with you, if you don’t mind.’
‘I’m going to text Oliver. He wanted to know how the meeting went with the solicitor. I’ll expect he’ll want to come too.’
‘So, I can come?’
‘Of course, Hannah. The more the merrier.’
After work, Bridie left Barney upstairs sleeping in his crate with the radio on low. She wouldn’t be long.
She popped on her coat, a scarf and a woolly bobble hat, and stepped outside into the bracing cold January air. She turned around and locked the shop door, then smiled at Maisie, who was standing beside her. Maisie loved going to the art and craft shop after school.
Hannah was standing with Maisie too. ‘I thought you wanted to help me in the bridal shop before we go home?’ she said to her daughter, smiling knowingly.
Maisie didn’t spend her time helping out in either shop now.
She was always upstairs in Bridie’s flat, playing with Barney, bringing back fond memories of when Marlowe was a pup.
She’d even asked Hannah, ‘Can we have another puppy?’ Hannah had replied, ‘Absolutely not!’
Bridie had told Maisie that she could visit Barney whenever she liked, which had led to regular visits after school.
It worked surprisingly well; Barney and Maisie were occupied while Hannah worked on setting up her bridal shop and Bridie looked after the art and craft shop until closing time, when Maisie and Hannah went home for tea.
Hannah and Maisie stood outside the art and craft shop while Bridie checked she’d locked the door.
Hannah said, ‘Where’s Barney?’
‘He’s upstairs in his crate.’
‘Can’t he come too?’ Maisie asked. ‘He’s going to be so lonely up there all on his own. Pleeeease, Mummy.’
‘No, sweetheart,’ Hannah replied. ‘We don’t know what state the theatre is in.’
Bridie had thought of the potential hazards – debris, broken chairs, and a lot else besides. The last thing she needed was an impromptu visit to see Emily – Joss’s fiancée – who was a vet.
‘Then again,’ said Hannah. ‘We have no idea how long we’ll be.’
They all looked up at the sound of a puppy dog howl coming from the flat upstairs.
Maisie said, ‘See? He’s lonely already.’
Bridie sighed. ‘What am I going to do with him?’
At that moment, Henry’s carers walked into the yard, heading for the bookshop.
Hannah looked at Bridie. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
Bridie had no clue what Hannah was thinking.
Hannah suddenly shouted out, ‘Hey, you guys!’
The two carers had just reached the bookshop.
‘Any chance you could mind a cute puppy for a couple of hours this evening?’
Bridie said, ‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask them to—’
‘Yeah, why not?’ one of them called out.
‘I’ll go fetch him,’ said Maisie, holding out her hand for the key.
A few minutes later, after Hannah had popped her head into the shop and shouted out, ‘Maisie – stop playing with Barney and bring him down this instant!’ Maisie reluctantly handed over Barney to the carers at the door of the bookshop.
He ran inside the bookshop, tail wagging furiously, ready to explore.
A moment later, Thea stepped out of the bookshop, wearing her coat and carrying a mini Hetty hoover.
Bridie looked at her curiously. She was just about to ask what Thea was doing with the hoover, when Joss stepped out of his office wearing paint-splattered overalls. Across the yard, Reggie was outside, locking up his shop. He lived upstairs. She wondered if he was meeting friends again.
As Bridie set off with Hannah and Maise, Mabel and Marjorie hurried out of the charity shop, barring the way of a customer who was about to walk in. She heard the sisters say. ‘Sorry, we’re closed.’
‘Oh, I won’t be a moment. I was interested in that item in the window.’
Mabel said, ‘I’m afraid we’ve got somewhere to be. Please come back tomorrow.’
Bridie raised her eyebrows. They weren’t ones to turn down a bit of custom. Curiouser and curiouser, she thought.
She walked out of the yard with the sound of footsteps behind her. When she glanced over her shoulder, Thea, Joss, Reggie, Mabel and Marjorie were following them. Bridie raised her eyebrows at Hannah.
‘Word got out, I’m afraid.’
Bridie guessed exactly how word had got out. ‘You told the gossip girls, didn’t you? About the theatre.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘I might have mentioned it,’ Hannah said innocently, avoiding eye contact.
Bridie recalled catching Mabel marching across the cobbled yard earlier.
Bridie had been putting some paintbrushes in the window display when she’d spotted her.
She’d quickly ducked her head, hoping Mabel hadn’t seen her, even though she anticipated she was on the way over to the art and craft shop to find out where Bridie had been that morning.
But there had been no tinkle of the bell above the shop door.
When Bridie did raise her eyes above the windowsill, she saw Mabel marching past the shop, aiming for Hannah’s soon-to-be bridal shop next door.
How odd, Bridie had thought at the time – there was no coffee machine or comfy sofa in there, just packing boxes and one dressed mannequin in the window.
She hadn’t thought anything much of it – until now.
Now it made sense. Mabel had gone to see Hannah to find out what her new shop assistant was up to – leaving Friday morning soon after she’d arrived for work.
Nosey parker, thought Bridie. But her nosey neighbour, who had spread the word to the other shopkeepers in the yard, was wearing an apron and carrying a broom. They were all going to help.
‘You did say the more the merrier!’ Hannah laughed, falling in step with her.
‘It was just a figure of speech, Hannah.’
‘I know,’ she said brightly, ‘but many hands make light work.’
‘Is that what Mabel said?’
‘How did you guess?’
Bridie sighed.
‘Hey – wait up!’
They’d all just walked out of Cobblers Yard when Bridie heard his voice.
She turned around, along with everyone else behind her, and saw Oliver locking his car, which was parked further along the high street.
He came running down the street with a rucksack slung over his shoulders.
Bridie guessed he’d just returned from work at the secondary school in Leiston, a ten-minute drive away.
They waited for him to catch up. Bridie spent a moment introducing him, although he already knew everyone in the yard.
Oliver said, ‘Right, everyone ready? I’ve brought some cleaning stuff.’