Chapter 17
T he sky above Pretty Beach was doing its own thing.
One minute, sunshine poked through the clouds, the next minute it went dark.
The sun appeared not to be able to make up its mind about what season it was in.
Daisy stood at the school gate strategically placed so that she was nowhere near Georgia or any of her friends.
She waved at Margot and Evie as they barrelled out, both talking at the same time and clutching bits of painted cardboard and weighed down by their school bags.
Margot appeared to have lost not one but both of the hairbands that had tamed her bubble of curls into bunches, and as ever, Evie’s cardigan was buttoned crookedly, but they were smiling, and Daisy was beyond ready for the walk home and for once putting her feet up.
As they rushed up to her, she felt so much pure and utter mum love for them, she could almost taste it in her mouth.
‘We did skipping in PE and loads of jumping. I love jumping! Mummy, I’ve still got glitter on my hands and Evie said I couldn’t be the owl when we were pretending at playtime.’
Daisy took both their bags and put one over each shoulder. ‘Margot darling, I need you to breathe between sentences and slow down.’
Evie slipped her hand into Daisy’s. ‘I told her she could be the owl. I just said I thought she’d be good as a tree.’
‘You’re both excellent owls and excellent trees. Now, shall we make our way slowly home down the ivy path and maybe pop in to see Holly at the bakery?’
That suggestion, as Daisy had known it would, triggered instant squeals of approval and the twins bounced down the pavement heading for the path they liked to take home.
As they strolled and took their time, Daisy let the sea air and the post-school chat decompress just about everything.
Pretty Beach had a faded post-summer glow about it; the summer bunting still hung from here, there and everywhere, the last of various flowers spilt from the hanging baskets outside The Orangery, and the florist had propped a few autumnal bits and bobs on the trestle table outside.
As they got to the bakery, the girls darted in ahead of her and the unmistakable Pretty Beach bakery scent of fresh dough, sugar, and icing hit Daisy’s nose. There was a small queue of people near the counter and Holly, the owner, was standing at one of the display units not far from the door.
‘Hello, you three!’
Daisy smiled and lowered her voice. ‘We’re on the hunt for Locals Only. Emergency levels of school-day tiredness will hit these two shortly, if I am not mistaken.’
‘Coming right up. Busy day?’
‘Always.’ Daisy watched as the twins pressed their noses to the glass display case.
‘How are you, Daise?’
Daisy frowned at an odd tone in Holly’s question, brushed it off and thought nothing of it. ‘Good, thanks, really good, actually.’ Daisy touched the side of a display table. ‘Touch wood.’
‘That’s good.’
‘You okay?’
Holly bristled a little bit and then beamed as if she was trying to look happy.
‘Yes, all good! You’ve got a bit of a glow about you today.
’ Holly walked around the counter, bagged a few buns from a hidden basket and passed them over.
‘That sort of “I just got a delivery of something lovely" glow, if I’m not mistaken.’
Daisy laughed. ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’
‘Funny, I heard you might have received something very nice yesterday.’ Holly winked.
Daisy chuckled and shook her head. ‘How in the name of goodness do you know about that?’
As Holly tapped the side of her nose, a gigantic diamond on her hand caught the light.
‘Ahh, I can’t divulge my sources. Actually, Mum played in a bridge tournament with Dimitri and Matthew's dad. He said there was a very nice delivery waiting to go out at the warehouse which was headed in the direction of the bookshop.’
Daisy shook her head. ‘I should have known the bridge club would be quicker than the internet. Honestly, it’s like a Pretty Beach telegraph service.’
Holly laughed. ‘You’re not wrong. My mother gets wind of everything before it even happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if she knew what I was having for lunch before I made it.’
Daisy tucked the bag of buns in her bag and glanced at the twins, who were still staring in the glass case. ‘Well, yes, okay, I did get a delivery from a very posh London shop, no less.’
‘Oh! Fancy. I’m not jealous…’
‘It was nice. There was shortbread in a tin so heavy I could use it as a doorstop. The girls are still squealing about the truffles, though I’ve hidden those at the back of the cupboard for when they’re asleep and I can partake in them in peace.’
‘Let me guess, it was from a certain person and there might have been a little note in there too?’
Daisy smiled. ‘There might have been. Let’s just say it was well received and even more appreciated.’
Holly grinned. ‘Someone who knows how to do things properly. Good for you, Daise. You deserve a bit of that sort of thing especially if, I mean, umm, after things...’
Daisy frowned. ‘What?’
‘Nothing. That must have been such a nice thing to receive.’
‘It was! I opened it and had to stop myself from bursting into tears. Then I found myself trying to find shelf space in the fridge for a wedge of cheese that had its own gold label. I mean, it came in a wooden box. I have clearly moved up in the world.’ Daisy joked.
‘I literally made a cheese board in that very same place with own brand cheese and stolen rosemary.’
‘That is how you should be treated and I support it fully.’ Holly deadpanned.
‘You’re funny.’
‘And how’s the shop, anyway? Every time I go past, it looks magical from the window. It looks like you’re doing a great job with it.’
‘It’s ticking along quite nicely. We had a quiet patch last week when the weather turned and everyone decided to go back to school routines and lunchboxes, but yeah, it’s good.
Plus, there’s a group of women from a book club in Cambridge who are coming next week via Lotta.
Apparently, they’ve put us on their “literary tour” list.’
‘That video reel thing helped, didn’t it? The one that went all over the place?’
‘It did. I didn’t expect it. I was in a cardigan that had definitely seen better days and I was tidying. It was hardly glamorous, but I’ll take it for the team. I’ve definitely seen more interest because of it.’
Holly waved her hand and the drop of diamonds hanging under her ears sparkled. ‘That’s what people loved about it, though. It wasn’t trying too hard. That chair looked like heaven and you looked like someone they wanted to have tea with.’
‘I felt like someone who needed tea and several hours’ sleep, to be honest, but yes, it helped.
People come in now and say they saw the fairy lights on Instagram and want to know if they can sit in the corner and read.
One woman asked if she could move in. I mean she was joking, of course, but it is funny really when you consider what I started with.
All of it was initially Pete’s idea, though I won’t remind him of that when I make my millions. ’
‘Sometimes things just, umm, work...’
‘I guess so. I was going for something not too shiny and not one of those bookshops that feels like you can’t touch anything.
I want people to stay and browse and if they spill a bit of tea, it’s not anything to panic about.
’ Daisy watched as a funny look crossed Holly’s face, but she couldn’t work out why.
‘Mum said the little book ladder in the corner is her new favourite place to do her online trading.’
Daisy chuckled ‘Yes, she’s been in a few times. Woe betides anyone who interrupts her. I served her tea on repeat.’
‘Yes, she said.’
‘Funny, you never know what people will like, do you? I thought people would love the Penguin display or the middle table, but it turns out the wonky shelf over in the corner by the library ladder is the bit that I see people taking pics of.’
‘That’s the bit they connect with. All the shiny places in the world and all these new fangled things and people still want something that reminds them of someone or somewhere real and you’ve got that in spades in that building.’
Daisy smiled and tucked the bag under her arm. ‘Thank you. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours and it has meant that I have dropped off the renting merry-go-round. I’ve got loads of ideas and I’m going to do up the back garden next. Hopefully, before the weather turns.’
‘Maybe a little fire pit out there?’
‘I was thinking about that. I found one online that wouldn’t break the bank. It’s a right pig’s ear out there at the moment.’
‘You’ll make it work. Get Suntanned Pete involved.’ Holly winked and cackled.
‘Yup, he’s been great, actually. Right, we must get on.’
Holly smiled and leaned in. ‘You know everyone’s rooting for you whatever happens, don’t you?’
‘They are? About what?’
‘Oh, no, nothing. Just, I meant, you know. It’s a good old-fashioned comeback story for that building, despite, well, anyway...’
Daisy frowned and laughed. ‘That sounds like a headline. Thanks, Hol. Really.’
‘Don’t be silly.’
Daisy went to hold her phone out to pay for the buns. Holly pushed the phone away. ‘Get away with you.’
As Daisy walked out and then strolled along, she caught sight of her reflection in the window of a shop they passed.
Slightly windswept, flushed from the walk, a school bag over each shoulder, and smiling.
That was the part that caught her eye and made her take a second look: a very big, very happy smile.
Evie looked up ‘Can we paint when we get in?’
‘We’ll see. Aunty Annabelle’s coming over for a cup of tea.’
Daisy squeezed Evie’s hand as they approached the bookshop.
Things were going well and she was happy.
Weirdly, though, she kept on feeling as if with one wrong move, it could, and would, all come crashing down, like a big pile of playing cards in one of those towers that suddenly toppled.
It felt a little bit as if she was holding her breath and so was her whole world at what might be coming next. Hopefully, she was wrong.