Chapter Forty-Two
The following morning Effie stood at the seafront, eyes closed against the sea spray and against the sinking feeling that she was right back where she started, her dreams once again in tatters.
She sipped her takeaway tea, summoning up the courage to head to the main shop.
It was like London all over again. All that excitement evaporating into nothing.
The previous night Effie had had to stop her mum from jumping in the car and driving down to Polcarrow to give Zach a piece of her mind.
After another round of tears and a large bowl of her dad’s delicious mushroom risotto, Effie had settled onto the sofa under a blanket, pleased that she had somewhere to go and parents who cared so much about her.
Yet at the same time it felt as if by taking that step to move away, she didn’t quite fit back into her old life.
She missed her flat, her new friends and, although she was trying not to, Jake.
Yes, she’d been anxious about going to Polcarrow, had doubted that she’d be able to set the shop up, but she’d embraced the opportunity.
She’d rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in.
With every stroke of the paintbrush, every swim in the sea, every book she’d stacked on the shelves, every morning coffee she’d shared with Jake, she’d built up a life that felt more her own than any other time in her life.
Jake. Effie still hadn’t heard from him.
She’d also been completely unable to stay away from scrolling Tara’s social media, taking in the cosy tropical paradise photos of them together.
Effie had known their lifelong bond was worth more than the few weeks she’d spent with Jake.
Maybe being sent back to Penzance was for the best?
Her previous feelings that Polcarrow would still be home without Jake were suddenly hollow.
Jake was woven into every memory of the little fishing village.
Finishing her tea, she tossed the cup into a nearby bin and, turning her back on the choppy grey sea, made her way into the town centre. Her feet retraced the familiar steps towards the front door of Books by the Sea but it was as if she was walking on autopilot.
As the familiar blue door came into view, Effie paused.
Outside sat the box of damaged or old books they sold at cut price.
She’d always loved watching people rummage through it hoping to turn up literary gold.
She hadn’t got around to setting up such a box in Polcarrow because all the stock had been brand new.
Taking a deep breath, Effie crossed the road and after a brief pause, where she wondered if Zach had opened the Polcarrow shop, pushed open the door.
The familiar worn-in aroma of polish and old books greeted her, a smell she’d always found comforting.
Paper and ink, the faint aroma of the coffee Maddie always brewed first thing, the gentle timbre of classical music sounding from the radio.
Beside the door were the familiar shelves of beautifully bound classics and in the middle of the room a table stacked with an eclectic mix of local non-fiction and fiction.
There was a strange, not unwelcome sensation of coming home.
As Effie pushed the door shut, the bell jangled.
‘One minute,’ Maddie called from somewhere behind the counter.
Effie lingered by the display table, feeling both at home and out of place. She watched as Maddie heaved a box onto the counter and swept her hair off her face. Her mouth dropped open as she clocked Effie.
‘Effie, what are you doing here? Not that I’m not pleased to see you, but shouldn’t you be in Polcarrow. What happened?’
Effie’s lip trembled. ‘Zach happened.’
‘What do you mean?’
The tears spilled from Effie’s eyes and Maddie rushed out from behind the counter and bundled her into a hug. ‘Come on, come through. I’ll stick the kettle on and I think there’s some cookies left that Zoey made.’
Effie allowed Maddie to usher her into the tiny staffroom and into one of the uncomfortable but practical plastic chairs. Maddie thrust some tissues at her and set about making the tea whilst Effie sniffed and dabbed at her eyes.
‘What has Zach done?’ Maddie asked as she plonked the tea down on the table and lifted the lid from the biscuit box.
Effie took one of the chocolate chip cookies and nibbled at the edge. ‘He just turned up at the book club, glowered at everyone, you know how he does.’
Maddie furrowed her brow and puffed out her chest, which at least cracked a smile from Effie.
‘Yes, exactly like that!’ She sipped her tea.
‘Then he turned up yesterday morning at the shop, completely tore apart everything I’d done.
The yellow chairs – told me customers should be buying not sitting down and I wasn’t running the business properly.
The next thing, he’d told me to pack up the flat, called a van and practically manhandled me out of Polcarrow. ’
‘What?’ Maddie’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
The shock on Maddie’s face answered Effie’s next question; clearly her friend had no idea Zach was back on the scene. ‘I feel so stupid. I should’ve stood up to him. But you know what he’s like.’
‘Uh-huh. A complete bulldozer. But why did he do this?’ Maddie dunked her cookie.
‘He told me Clive wasn’t happy with the figures, which doesn’t make sense because the last email I had was full of praise.’ Effie shrugged. ‘He told me I shouldn’t be running the shop as if it’s my own. That I’d gone against company policy.’
‘What?! How?’
Effie shrugged again. ‘He just said I wasn’t trusted to run the business properly.
I don’t understand. Clive was really pleased with what I was doing.
Or I thought he was. If he wasn’t happy, he should’ve told me.
I ran all my ideas for decorating the shop past him.
He was happy for me to have free rein on some things.
I didn’t think Clive would be this underhand. ’
Maddie shook her head. ‘This isn’t Clive. Can’t be. He’s been singing your praises so much it’s been driving me and Zoey mad. He’s even talking about changing the blue to yellow here.’
‘What?’
‘This is Zach. It’s got him written all over it.
’ Maddie chewed thoughtfully. ‘He split up with that girl he was dating, you know, the one whose dad owns that chain of seafood restaurants. He’s been clattering around here in a foul mood for the past week.
When he wasn’t here yesterday, I just assumed he’d found someone new to amuse him. I had no idea he was heading your way.’
Effie let this sink in. ‘So you think this has nothing to do with Clive?’
‘Can’t have. He’s on holiday anyway. Halfway through that cruise. Probably somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic sipping a pina colada. Let’s call him.’
‘We can’t disturb him on his holiday!’
‘Effie. We can. Something isn’t right about this.’ Maddie reached for her phone and dialled Clive’s number.
They watched as it rang out. It didn’t even go to voicemail.
‘I’ll try again.’ Maddie pressed dial but again it rang out.
They sat back, sipped their drinks and studied the phone. Still no connection.
‘So, what are you going to do?’ Maddie asked.
‘Come back and work here, I guess. I don’t think I’m completely fired.’
Maddie narrowed her eyes at her. ‘You’re not going to put up a fight?’
‘Over what? He is Clive’s son. It will be his business one day. I’m sure it’ll sort itself out when Clive is back. Anyway, what if Zach is right? What if he is doing his dad’s dirty work? Clive hates confrontation.’
Maddie considered this. ‘True. But it still doesn’t feel right. What about that hunky photographer?’
‘Back with his ex.’
‘What? No way! Seriously? Shit, Effie, I thought he was well into you with all that helping and not being able to take his eyes off you. What is it with modern men?’
Effie shrugged. ‘No idea. It’s been a brutal week, Mads, can we not keep hashing it out, please? The great Polcarrow experiment is over and clearly another failure to add to my list. I’m gutted to be honest.’
‘I know, hun, I know, for what it’s worth you were brilliant.’ Maddie squeezed her hand and cast her eye at the calendar. ‘Anyway, it’s not long until Clive is back and we can sort this mess out.’
Effie smiled her gratitude at her, but neither of them needed to remind the other that Clive was a total pushover when it came to his spoilt, entitled son.