Chapter 34
Hannah looked at her curiously. ‘This isn’t your working day. I thought you were meeting up with … what was his name?’
‘Jack.’
‘Yes. Isn’t he that local property developer? You mentioned he was going to invest in the theatre.’
Bridie nodded. She was busy stacking some shelves.
Hannah was right: she wasn’t meant to be working in the shop that day.
But she had to put her mind to something, so when she’d arrived back at the shop after showing Layla and Charlie around her theatre she’d insisted on helping Hannah out even though she wouldn’t be paid.
‘I thought you were meeting Jack to go over the plans for the roof and electrics.’
‘We did.’
‘You weren’t gone long,’ Hannah commented.
Bridie glanced over her shoulder and sighed. ‘Let’s just say it didn’t exactly go to plan.’
‘What happened?’
Oliver happened. Bridie kept that thought to herself. ‘Jack and I, we’ve … got a history.’
‘Ah, I see. Can’t you put that history to one side for the sake of the theatre? We all saw the state of the property. Despite our best efforts to get it spruced up, I’ve got to be honest, Bridie, it’s going to take a lot more than elbow grease.’
‘I know,’ Bridie said. But she knew it was easier said than done to put that history to one side, especially with Oliver complicating things too.
Hannah was stacking shelves on the other side of the shop. She stopped what she was doing and turned around, a packet of paintbrushes in her hand. ‘You’re not thinking of backing out of the plan to restore the theatre, are you?’
Bridie put the last of the sketchbooks on the shelves and looked at the empty box by her feet, smiling at Barney.
When she’d lifted the pile of sketchbooks out of the box, Barney had run over and climbed inside to lie there chewing the cardboard flap.
He’d fallen asleep, curled up in the box. She said, ‘You’re not a cat, you know.’
‘What was that?’ Hannah asked.
‘I was just talking to Barney. He’s fallen asleep in the box.’
Hannah walked over and looked down at him.
‘He’s so cute. You know, I’m sure I have more customers because of Barney.
I’ve noticed the same faces, children dragging their parents in here, visiting repeatedly for that extra set of pencils, or some more paints.
But talking of customers, it’s quiet at the moment. How about a coffee break?’
‘All right.’
‘Good. Then you can tell me your plans for the theatre.’
Bridie didn’t think Hannah would let it go. After all, she’d invested her time into helping her clean up the theatre. Everyone in Cobblers Yard was excited about the prospect of the little theatre reopening and staging the first performance there in years.
A few minutes later, they were sitting together on the sofa in the cosy corner with the lamp on.
Outside, the January weather had really taken hold.
It was sleeting, flurries of white ice collecting on the little windowpanes, the freezing temperatures explaining why there wasn’t much footfall in Cobblers Yard on a Saturday.
Bridie held her warm mug between her hands. ‘I bumped into my sister this morning when I left the theatre.’ She chose not to mention how silly she’d been, imagining she’d seen somebody on stage, giving herself a fright. She felt foolish just thinking about it.
‘Oh, dear. Did she find out your secret?’ Hannah asked.
Bridie shook her head. ‘But Layla did – my fifteen-year-old niece. She spotted me locking up the theatre. I couldn’t lie to her, so I told her … everything.’
By everything, Bridie meant she’d had to tell Layla about her dad, Layla’s grandpa too. She hadn’t had time to remove the poster before Layla and Charlie ran into the theatre as soon as she’d unlocked the door.
Layla’s reaction had been the same as Bridie’s own when she had found out. ‘Grandpa was on the stage – what the hell?’ She was just as cross too. And she couldn’t wait to confront him.
Bridie had explained to Layla her reasoning for keeping the theatre a secret from the rest of the family, especially Layla’s grandparents – for the time being, anyway.
Of course, Layla had understood. ‘Yeah, you’re not the only one keeping secrets. But why do they hate the theatre so much when Grandpa clearly loved it once like you and I do?’
‘That is the big question,’ Bridie had said miserably, keeping her thoughts about her dad and Isobel Raine to herself.
When she’d first discovered that her dad had kept his past a secret, she’d assumed it was because although he had loved being on the stage, he’d had to leave and get a better-paid job to bring in more money for his growing family.
But now she had that shoebox, and those letters – neither of which she was going to show her niece – Bridie knew there was more to her dad’s secret than that. She wasn’t about to tell Layla that he might have had an affair with Isobel Raine. Nor was she going to tell Hannah.
Bridie had simply told Layla what she’d first assumed – that he’d had to leave and find better-paid work because he was raising a family. Unfortunately, Layla, always on the ball, had said, ‘But Grandma was in a well-paid job as a GP. Surely, Grandpa didn’t have to leave.’
‘Grandma worked part-time, so …’
‘Okay, I get that, so he had to get a better-paid job, but what I don’t understand is why Grandpa didn’t join an amateur dramatics society, and do plays in other local theatres in Suffolk in his spare time?
And they never took you or Mum or Uncle Jeremy to the theatre like Great-Grandad did.
They didn’t want you to go into theatre – nor me.
And I still don’t get why he didn’t tell any of us he used to work in theatre. ’
Fortunately, Charlie had rescued her from those searching questions, taking Layla’s hand and pulling her towards the stage. ‘Come on, let’s rehearse the play on a proper stage.’
Bridie had enjoyed taking a seat in one of the few unbroken velvet chairs, and being their audience, watching them both on stage as Charlie helped Layla rehearse her part in the play for Oliver’s after-school drama club.
Despite her mum ripping up the permission slip, Layla had obviously been determined she was still going to attend, and must have asked for another one.
Layla spent a few minutes beforehand explaining Charlie’s part to him.
As Bridie had watched them, she’d remembered the day she’d stood on that stage when she, Jack and Oliver had explored the old, shut-up theatre. She remembered knowing it was where she belonged.
Watching Layla, so confident and self-assured, had brought a tear to her eyes. It was where she belonged too.
Bridie had been surprised that Layla was still in the drama club.
She was even more surprised that her niece was still talking to her after her awful behaviour on the stage during her last performance.
She knew that Kate would have shown Layla the social media posts, even if she hadn’t seen them already.
She would have taken great pleasure in putting Bridie down in front of her niece.
Of course, Bridie had brought the subject up.
Layla’s response had surprised her. ‘I’m so sorry about how your fiancé treated you.
I’m not surprised about what happened. I’m just so sorry you lost your job over it. ’
Bridie had almost cried when she’d heard that.
Hannah said, ‘That’s lovely, hearing that your niece is following in your footsteps.’
Bridie had told Hannah a truncated version of Layla’s first visit inside the theatre, leaving out all the personal stuff to do with her dad and Isobel Raine. ‘She wants to come and help get the theatre up and running.’
‘That’s so lovely of her.’
‘Yes, it was lovely of her to offer to help out. She really wants to be a part of restoring the theatre back to its former glory and especially putting on a show.’ Layla had made Bridie promise she could have a part in the first performance.
But there was more to Layla’s eagerness than that.
Layla couldn’t wait to expose her grandad’s secret and see his face when he was invited to the first show by the new owner.
Bridie felt the same, but she was now concerned about what else might come to light once her dad’s past was revealed. But now that Layla knew about the theatre, there was no going back.
Bridie frowned into her coffee mug.
Hannah said, ‘You’re not having second thoughts, are you, about carrying out your benefactor’s wishes – putting on a play?
’ She looked at Bridie and added, ‘It’s the state of it, isn’t it?
I think it took us all by surprise, how bad it was, and the repairs needed to the leaky roof and the dodgy electrics.
Goodness knows what else will come to light.
Maybe you should ask Jack to meet you again at the theatre, get those plans drawn up.
Doesn’t sound as though you got much done this morning. ’
Bridie still didn’t want to talk about Oliver turning up and the shenanigans that had followed. She said nothing.
‘At least let Jack do a survey, cost it up, find out how long it’s going to take. Have all the information before you throw in the towel. You might be surprised – it might not be as bad as all that after all.’
Bridie could see her point. But there was something else giving her pause, making her have second thoughts. ‘I told you that I bumped into my sister, Kate, this morning.’
‘Yes.’
‘Turns out she’s lost her job.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.’ Hannah put her mug down. ‘I don’t want to be forward, but if she’s anything like you, I’d hire her on the spot. I’m going to need help with the bridal shop next door when it’s up and running.’
Bridie smiled. It was just as she’d thought. ‘I did mention there might be an opening. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all.’
Bridie sighed. ‘The thing is, my sister isn’t like me.’
‘Oh.’