Chapter 29
29
Frankie
Frankie knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help but watch William while he worked. And while it was true that she did need to keep an eye on what he was doing, there were plenty of occasions when her gaze lingered even though she knew he was quite capable of performing the task in hand. For a big man, he was surprisingly agile, and had an economy of movement that fascinated her. It was no surprise that he lifted the huge tubs of dough with ease, likewise the sacks of flour, but he could also handle pastry with an unexpectedly light touch. He caught her looking once or twice, fixated by the way the tendons rippled in his arms as he kneaded dough, but he didn’t say a thing, simply smiled.
Just as he promised, William had called by the flat a few minutes before she was due to leave. It had felt odd after being on her own. Odd, but oddly nice, too, even if she did feel a little awkward. Her confession to Beth about wanting William to kiss her was still far too fresh in her mind and she was sure it would show in her face as she greeted him. But, if it had, William gave no sign that he noticed.
Her awkwardness aside, however, she was still incredibly grateful for William’s help. For all she knew, Robert might be watching her, but he would never show himself if William were around. Despite Beth’s offer to be at their meeting, the thought of seeing Robert again still terrified her, but she had an even more pressing problem now. She had no idea what she would do when the bakery sold, and the possibility of losing her job and her home was a reality she couldn’t ignore.
‘Penny for them?’ said William, as she stared vacantly out of the window.
‘You’re good at this,’ she said. ‘I was just wondering if you’d like a job, which is a bit of a bugger really given that Vivienne thinks she might have found a buyer for the business.’
William paused mid-knead, up to his knuckles in as yet sticky dough. ‘What?’ he said. ‘How soon?’
Frankie pulled a face. ‘I don’t know, she didn’t say.’ She quickly relayed the contents of the conversation.
Dismay tugged the corners of William’s mouth downward. ‘So, you still don’t know what that means for you?’
‘Nope. But I get it. Who wouldn’t want to go and live by the sea given half the chance? I know she’s been poorly, but I like it here, William. And just when it looked as if things might be getting better, too. Great timing.’ She paused. ‘Sorry, that makes me sound horrible…’ William’s impression of her was suddenly very important. ‘And I’m not, honestly. I understand perfectly how she must be feeling, but?—’
A knock on the door interrupted her. It was Tam, peering at them through the window. Frankie hurried to let him in.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ she said. ‘William’s such a hard taskmaster, he won’t let me stop for a second, and I’m dying for a cup of tea.’
William snorted. ‘As if.’
Tam eyed her wrist. ‘Is it feeling any better?’
‘Much better…as long as I don’t move it.’
Tam winced. ‘Well, if you need any more help…I’m not sure how much use I’ll be, but the spirit’s willing.’
‘Thanks, Tam. I’ll see how the new apprentice goes and let you know.’
‘Oi,’ muttered William, pretending to be offended. ‘The new apprentice is doing just fine, thank you.’
Frankie held her hand up to her mouth as if to shield her words from William, and stage-whispered, ‘I’ll be in touch.’
‘Anyway, he already has a job,’ said William. ‘He’s not having this one.’
‘ You already have a job,’ replied Frankie, grinning.
‘Oh yeah… good point.’
‘Actually, I don’t have a job,’ said Tam quietly. ‘They’ve let me go.’
The room became suddenly hushed.
‘What?’ Frankie looked between the two men. ‘How have you lost your job? That can’t be right.’
Tam took a deep breath. ‘It came as a surprise to me as well. But I had my review meeting earlier – my probationary period has come to an end – and, as far as I was aware, everything had been going well. I was expecting to be offered a permanent position, not have it taken away from me.’
‘Well, I hope they had the decency to say why.’ She frowned. ‘It’s not more cutbacks, is it?’
Tam shook his head. ‘No. It’s because some kind soul let them know I don’t have a permanent address and am sleeping in my car. Apparently, that doesn’t fit with their expectations of a model employee.’
‘But can’t you complain about it? Take it further?’ Frankie ushered him to the table to sit down. ‘That’s disgusting.’
‘It is, but there’s nothing I can do,’ he said, laying down the flask and hot-water bottle he’d been carrying. ‘That’s exactly what a probationary period is for – so they can get rid of you if they need to. My manager’s a bit officious, but even she had the decency to look embarrassed. Said she has a duty of care and had to act upon the information she’d been given. Not that she took the decision lightly – she wanted me to know that. She’d gone to head office and consulted with HR, but their advice was clear. She was sorry, but they wouldn’t be offering me a permanent contract.’
‘That’s bullshit,’ retorted Frankie. ‘Sorry, but it is.’ She looked at William for agreement.
He nodded, joining them at the table. ‘Of the worst kind,’ he replied. ‘But legally, I expect they are in the clear. Morally, I hope they find it hard sleeping at night. That doesn’t change the situation though.’
‘No, besides, it’s too late for that. The deputy manager’s a decent sort, and she’s made a complaint, saying the company should reconsider their decision. She reckons I stand a good chance of being reinstated. But I wouldn’t go back, not now. I walked out, actually – I couldn’t bear to be there knowing what they thought of me.’
Frankie studied him for a moment, such a kind and gentle man, and began to feel angrier than ever. Tam was exactly the sort of person they should be employing, and yet they had tried to disguise their spineless action as being in the best interests of their residents. They should be standing up for people like Tam, not grinding them further into the mire. ‘This is just the kind of shallow-minded behaviour that infuriates me,’ she said. ‘That good, honest people get treated so appallingly because they don’t fit perfectly into the little boxes we’re all supposed to occupy. It’s short-sighted. And cowardly, too. Plus, you should have a choice, not have to be so snivellingly grateful for a job that you put up with working for people like that,’ she added. ‘And if you have the audacity to have any principles, well, you need to forget those pretty sharpish. It’s very easy to have morals and principles when you’re wealthy, and virtually impossible if you’re not. It’s just plain wrong, on every level.’ She shook her head in disgust, catching William’s eye as she did so. He looked astonished by her outburst. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m ranting. Things like this make me so angry.’
‘Oh, I agree with you,’ replied William, giving Frankie a curious look which, unaccountably, made her blush.
‘I agree with you too,’ added Tam. ‘It’s an impossible situation.’
Frankie smiled. ‘And me ranting doesn’t help you either. I wish I could think of something which would. What will you do?’
Tam shrugged. ‘Look for another job. And keep myself busy in the meantime. I’ve been over to Beth’s today, giving Jack some help with the farm. There probably aren’t enough hours in the day for everything he wants to do there, but at least now I might be able to give him a few more.’
‘Beth mentioned you’d been over,’ said Frankie. ‘In fact, mentioned isn’t quite the right word. Talked about you in very glowing terms would be more appropriate. You’ve made a big difference to Jack’s life, you know. I’m not sure if you’re aware quite how much it means to him, and Beth.’
‘It’s made a big difference to me too,’ replied Tam. ‘Losing my business was like losing the most important part of myself, the part which sustained everything else. And the fact that it was ripped out from under me…’ He broke off, and Frankie could see the rigid tension in his jaw. ‘So, getting back out on the land has been a joy. Despite what’s happened today, I’m really looking forward to going back there. I’ve missed that sense of optimism, of excitement.’ His face suddenly fell. ‘Don’t mention the job thing to Beth though, will you?’
‘I won’t if you don’t want me to,’ replied Frankie. ‘But why ever not?’
‘Because I know she feels she ought to pay me for the work I do, and I don’t want her to feel awkward about it. They can’t afford it and they’re going to need every spare penny if they want to make the farm a going concern again. But I know Beth – if she finds out I’ve lost my job, she’ll feel even worse, and I don’t want to put her in a difficult situation. I don’t spend much, and I still have some of this month’s salary left. I’ll be okay.’
‘But what will you do for food? I know you used to have at least one meal while you were at work.’ She watched as Tam tried to formulate an answer, knowing that he would want to spare their feelings by insisting he’d get by. She frowned. ‘Wait a minute…you said you walked out. What time was this? Tam, have you actually had anything to eat today?’
He looked up, mouth open, but then glanced away, too embarrassed to reply.
‘ Tam …’ Frankie felt terrible. ‘Why didn’t you say something? You’re among friends here, and in case you hadn’t noticed, countless loaves of bread and an abundance of pastries too. What would you like?’
‘You honestly don’t have to do this, Frankie. It’s very kind of you, but?—’
Tam didn’t get any further as his stomach suddenly let out a loud growl. Frankie’s hand went to her mouth and for a moment she wasn’t sure what to say. She glanced at William, only to see that he was trying desperately hard not to laugh.
‘Well, that’s your argument right out the window,’ he said, grinning. ‘Betrayed by your own stomach…’
Tam groaned. ‘I don’t believe that just happened,’ he said. He shook his head in amusement. ‘Talk about timing…’
‘Your stomach obviously knows what’s good for it,’ said Frankie.
‘Aye, I reckon it does…’ He pursed his lips. ‘I’m not very good at asking for help,’ he said. ‘But I think I need to start practising.’
Frankie nodded. ‘You do…so, being serious for a minute, will you have something to eat with us? Not only now, but whenever you’re hungry. Obviously, I’m only here at night, but you’re very welcome to come up to the flat and have something with me. I have to eat too.’
The tips of Tam’s ears were pink but he smiled, a little shy but also, she could see, touched beyond measure. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Really, that means a great deal.’
William, who had been sitting with two fingers placed across his lips, clearly thinking about something, leaned forward. ‘Listen, I made out before that staying at my place would be a problem. It might be, but I should stand up for what I believe in. I’m quite happy to take on my landlord if it comes to it, and although it’s not a huge place, you’re welcome to stay there. I appreciate you might like your own space, even if it is only your car, but I want you to know it’s not your only option here.’ He held up a hand. ‘And don’t dismiss it outright because you don’t want to impose on me. Think about it, please.’
Tam nodded. ‘I will. I promise I will. And thank you, that’s?—’
‘No thanks required. I should have offered it ages ago. And even if the answer’s no, then going forward, you can use my address as your own. At least that might help you with your job hunting. You mentioned before your mate didn’t like you using his.’
‘Yeah, well, he’s definitely no mate, and after what I said to him earlier, I very much doubt I could use his address even if I wanted to.’
Frankie frowned. ‘How so?’
‘Because he was the person who ratted on me to my employers.’
‘But why on earth would he do that?’ she said, horrified on Tam’s behalf.
‘Because he’s a nasty piece of work, by the sounds of it,’ said William.
Tam nodded. ‘Yes, that, and because he wants me to work for him. He said he hadn’t meant to tell them and then, in the next breath, told me he’d done me a favour and I should jump at the chance of his job.’
‘Of all the slimy…Are some people really that stupid?’ asked Frankie. ‘How on earth did he think you’d work for him after he’s betrayed you not once, but twice now?’
‘I reckon he was banking on you being desperate,’ said William. ‘Which is the worst kind of blackmail if you think about it.’
Frankie shook her head. ‘No one should ever be that desperate. Don’t do it, Tam. Something else will turn up, I’m sure of it.’ William gave her a pointed look. ‘Yes, I know I’m a fine one to talk but…’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not about to,’ replied Tam. ‘Nothing would—’ His forehead suddenly furrowed. ‘Why are you a fine one to talk?’ he asked.
Frankie shook her head as if to bat away his question. ‘I’ve just found out the owner of this place might have found a buyer. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that?—’
‘Of course it matters,’ interrupted Tam. ‘I’m banging on about my job when a potential bombshell of your own is about to explode. How long will you have?’
‘I have no idea yet,’ replied Frankie. ‘Vivienne will ask them to keep me on, but I’ll have to wait and see.’
‘And what about your flat? Will they let you stay there too?’
‘Possibly, but the chap who’s interested is a developer. I expect he’ll want to do the place up and then rent it out for a price I haven’t a hope of affording. No doubt the bakery will get a makeover too, become “artisanal”.’ She put quotes around her last word with her fingers. ‘Although I suppose it could do with a bit of something…I mean, it’s fine, but it’s never going to win any awards, is it?’
‘I guess not…’ Tam’s gaze travelled around the room. ‘I hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe it could do with a little sprucing up.’
‘I’m not sure Vivienne’s heart is in it any more. Even before she got sick she didn’t bother much with the place, and she’s had it for years. There’s actually some beautiful display stuff she no longer uses in the storeroom – she just sits the bread straight on the shelves. I hadn’t thought much about it either until now, but it’s not exactly inviting. A bit utilitarian, maybe. And the use of the space here doesn’t work all that well, I’ve thought that for a while. There’s all this room out the back and yet the front is so cramped you can hardly get anyone in there. Three people and the shop’s crowded out.’
William gave Tam a knowing smile. ‘I think someone else might like to own it,’ he said.
‘Who?’ Frankie frowned at his expression. ‘What, me? God no, I wouldn’t know the first thing about running a business. Baking the bread I love, but I wouldn’t want the responsibility.’
‘Not even if it meant you’d be sitting in the driving seat instead of being a passenger?’ said William. ‘Responsible for the things which happen in your life instead of feeling as if someone else was in control?’
Frankie’s mouth gaped open. William wasn’t criticising her, she only had to look at the warmth in his eyes to know that. He was telling her her life was worth it, that she was worth it. She swallowed. Was she? She was about to reply when Tam cut in.
‘From the man who lost his business this might sound like a load of rubbish, but as long as it’s something you truly care about, then running a business is no different from anything else in your life. We take care of the things we love, the things which bring us joy and which make us happy. Learning how to do that is never a chore. I wouldn’t want the responsibility of baking bread which is going to be sold to members of the public, yet you love it.’ He raised his eyebrows as if to challenge her. ‘So, you might find it isn’t all that difficult after all.’
William sat back in his chair and folded his arms, an amused expression on his face. ‘Playing devil’s advocate for a minute then…If you were running this place, what would you do?’
‘Oh, nice try,’ replied Frankie. ‘But it’s never going to happen, is it?’
‘Humour me,’ said William. ‘I’m just interested, that’s all.’
Frankie held his look for a moment before pushing back her chair and getting to her feet. ‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ she said. ‘And then I’ll get you something to eat, Tam.’
‘Go on,’ said William. ‘I really want to know.’
Tam grinned. ‘And me.’
Frankie was on her way to the sink, but she stopped, half turning. Thinking better of it, she turned back, but then spun around, this time looking directly at Tam.
‘You know the very first time we met you told me that the worst thing about being homeless is that there’s nowhere to go at night? How alone it feels? Well, that’s what I’d do,’ she said. ‘I’d open up this place. I’d make the night a little less closed.’