Chapter Forty
‘Come on, van’s here, we haven’t got all day,’ Zach hollered up the stairs.
Effie bit her lip to stop the tears from bubbling over as she glanced around the little flat she’d turned into a cosy home.
Her belongings were now stuffed into cases and hurriedly shoved into boxes.
Her heart lurched to think she wouldn’t be waking up to the view of the bay, or skipping over the sand for her morning swim and hot chocolate at Lola’s.
Zach appeared in the doorway and gave the flat a once-over. It looked very much as if he was eyeing it up. Effie narrowed her eyes, he had his own place already, what could he want with it?
Zach grabbed her case. ‘What have you got in here? Rocks?’ he said, before he hauled it down the stairs.
Grabbing her bags, Effie followed him. She knew she should fight this, but she was completely frozen under his glowering glare.
From the way Zach had had the van on standby, Effie had a suspicion he’d come here with this plan all along.
She couldn’t even call Clive as he was on a cruise.
Although this whole charade stank of Zach’s malicious, petty nature, Effie couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure that Clive would back her.
She didn’t want to think that maybe Zach was telling the truth.
Effie shivered at the thought of Zach taking over the business when Clive decided to retire. He’d wreak more havoc than he was currently as he threw Effie’s case into the back of a waiting van. The driver watched dispassionately as he smoked a cigarette.
‘What’s going on?’ Lola demanded as she hurried out of the café. ‘Effie?’
‘It’s none of your business,’ Zach snarled at her.
Lola pulled herself up to her full height and fixed Zach with a withering look. ‘As a member of the Polcarrow village committee it is my business. Also, as Effie’s friend. What are you doing?’
‘Lola, it’s—’
Zach cut her off. ‘It’s my business. Well, my dad’s,’ he admitted, ‘but I’ve done a check and nothing Effie is doing is in line with company policy, so I’m here to get things back on track.’
‘What do you mean company policy?’ Effie exploded. ‘I came and set this shop up with my own hands, it’s doing a roaring trade.’
‘It certainly is,’ Lola reinforced.
‘“Set up”, that’s the key phrase, you came here to set it up, which you’ve done and now you can go back and leave this branch to a professional.’
‘You? A professional?’ Effie scoffed.
‘Be careful or you won’t have a job to go back to in Penzance.’
‘How dare you talk to her like that!’ Lola exclaimed, stepping forward.
Effie sensed a crowd growing. There was nothing she liked less than a big fuss. She also didn’t want Zach to accuse her of having the village gang up on him.
Effie stepped forward and placed a hand on Lola’s arm. ‘Thank you for everything,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll try and come back, soon, I promise.’
‘I don’t like that man,’ Lola said through gritted teeth.
‘But he is the owner’s son. Please, don’t make it any more difficult for me. I’ll chat to Clive when he’s back.’ A look passed between them; they all remembered how useful Clive had been at the book launch.
Instead of saying anything, Lola bundled Effie into a hug.
‘I’ll miss your hot chocolates and flapjacks,’ Effie said, wiping away a tear as she stepped back.
‘What about Jake?’
She knew she’d miss him too, but instead she shrugged. ‘He’s probably back with Tara. Maybe this is for the best.’
Lola didn’t need to say anything, but Effie knew she disagreed with every word.
With a quick glance over her shoulder and a wave at the loyal villagers and customers, Effie made her way round to the passenger’s side of the van and climbed in. The driver merely grunted at her and turned the ignition, speeding out of Polcarrow before Effie could even say a proper goodbye.