Chapter 10 #2
‘She can’t go to Edinburgh!’ Flora whispered in a loud voice. Izzi checked the entrance to the kitchen, worried Maud might have heard. ‘We’re going to have to find a way to stop her.’
Izzi pulled a face. ‘I know we are, but how?’
‘The festival.’ Cat shook her head. ‘All our plans – there’s no point in doing it if Maud’s not going to be there.’ She looked close to tears. ‘It’s all for her.’
‘We could tell her about it?’ Izzi suggested.
‘No,’ Flora said, pausing as she considered.
‘If Maud knows – realises we’re doing it especially for her – she’ll insist we don’t go ahead.
She hates putting people out – she’ll say it’s not worth all that bother just for her and she’ll probably tell us she doesn’t care about New Orleans, that she didn’t want to go anyway.
’ She rolled her eyes and smiled indulgently.
‘It’s just how she is. The woman has always been more interested in helping others, she puts herself last.’ She shrugged.
‘It has to be a surprise. It’ll be better that way. ’
Izzi sucked in a breath. ‘Well, I can speak to Cameron later and see if he can think of a way of getting Maud to stay.’ Her stomach leaped at the prospect of talking to him.
Damn she had it bad. Yet another reason why she needed to keep her distance.
She’d been hurt enough for one lifetime and had the feeling Cameron Buchanan could eviscerate her if she gave him the chance.
‘Aye.’ Cat nodded. ‘It’s definitely worth speaking to Cameron, but we need to put our heads together too.
’ Her lips pinched and she glanced at Izzi.
‘I’ve been meaning to invite you to the pub tonight.
There’s a pub quiz – it happens every week.
I’m meeting my sister Lara, and I thought you might want to come along, meet more of the villagers.
We can tell them about Halloween and what’s happening with Maud and see if they’ve got any ideas. ’
‘How about I join you?’ Flora suggested, nodding.
‘And I’ll see if I can persuade some of the other members of the Candy Apple Lassies to come along.
I’m sure if we all put our heads together, we’ll come up with something.
A few of the members are really good at trivia.
’ She looked up and mimed zipping her lips when Maud appeared from the back.
‘I’ll make you that hazelnut latte – I’ve been working on a new recipe.
You can go now, Cat, and Izzi, you need to sit down!
’ she ordered sternly. ‘Oh, before you go Cat, lass, when I was out, I heard there’s a problem with the electricity at the pub, so they’ve had to close for the rest of the day.
It won’t be fixed until tomorrow, so I said the quiz could be relocated here.
’ She pulled a face. ‘I know it’s short notice, but would either of you be around to help open up and serve customers for a couple of hours from around six forty-five?
I’ve got a meeting with my accountant at six-thirty and I’m not sure what time I’ll get back. ’
‘I can’t come early, but I was planning on going to the quiz, so I’m happy to help when I get here,’ Cat said, giving Izzi a long look.
‘Me too,’ Izzi said, nodding. ‘I’ve got some stuff to cook first, but I’ll arrive as soon as I can.’ It didn’t matter to her where they talked. They just had to make sure Maud didn’t overhear.
‘Thanks, lasses. I offered to host and forgot all about the meeting, so that’s a relief.’ Maud smiled. ‘I’ll let everyone know.’ She glanced towards the kitchen. ‘There’s plenty of stock and you both know your way around the drinks machine.’
‘I’ll be around too,’ Flora offered. ‘I’m sure I can keep everyone in lattes and cappuccinos, so don’t worry if your meeting overruns.
I’ll ask Erin if she can help too – so you lasses can arrive later and just do the quiz if you like.
You deserve a break.’ She waved a hand. ‘I’m happy to run the café; it’ll give me a chance to catch up with people.
There’s a few who haven’t been to my shop recently. ’ She winked.
‘I shouldn’t be too late.’ Maud gave her friend’s shoulder a squeeze.
‘Well, I’d better be off, see you back here later,’ Cat said as she headed to the counter so she could grab her coat.
Then Maud went to use the coffee machine, indicating to one of the small green tables by the window. Izzi went to sit down.
‘Can I join you?’ Flora asked, pulling out the chair opposite.
‘Good idea, lass, I’ll bring you a caramel latte. I want to try out a recipe for that too,’ Maud called from the other side of the counter.
The café was empty apart from the two of them, but Flora still leaned forward so she could whisper conspiratorially.
‘Don’t worry about Maud.’ Her gaze wandered back to her friend.
‘I’m sure we’ll think of a way of keeping her in Honey Haven for Halloween.
I need to leave in a minute – I was only supposed to be taking a short break from the shop – but I wanted to have a quick chat about the tea leaf reading I did yesterday.
’ She glanced over her shoulder and around the shop, ensuring nobody was listening in.
‘About what I saw when I looked in Cameron’s cup. ’ Her cheeks flushed.
‘What did you see?’ Izzi asked as alarm made her straighten in the chair.
‘Obviously, I can’t give you details, it wouldn’t be ethical, but something concerned me and I thought—’ Flora glanced up when behind the counter, Maud dropped a handful of spoons and the clatter made Izzi’s stomach lurch.
‘Sorry!’ Maud shouted, waving a hand. ‘Nothing to see here.’
Flora grimaced. ‘That feels like an omen,’ she said, widening her eyes.
‘The thing is, lass—’ She leaned further forward.
‘There’s something a bit odd in his future.
Something I can’t quite decipher. I wondered if you could keep a special eye on him over the next few weeks?
I don’t know, check in on him a little more, stay close.
’ Her lips pinched. ‘I’m not sure we can do anything to stop whatever’s going to happen, but I’m fond of the lad and it would put my mind at ease if I knew you were looking out for him. ’
Izzi cleared her throat. ‘Okay, um, of course I can,’ she promised.
Although if Izzi did, there was no way she was going to be able to avoid him. Which meant she was going to do everything in her power to fight their crazy chemistry. She didn’t like the idea of keeping secrets from Cameron, but hated the idea of anything happening to him even more…