Chapter 12
I t was the next evening and Pretty Beach was settling down for the day.
The shops had closed and the sun had dipped behind the rooftops and what was left of the day fell in long, low shadows across the pavement outside the bookshop.
Daisy reached for the chalkboard, accidentally smudged the chalk with the side of her palm, and leaned it carefully inside the door.
The twins were curled up in the book corner and all the customers had left for the day.
Margot was upside down in the big chair with her legs over the arm and a book balanced on her chest, while Evie was pressed into the cushions deep into a story about a pony that could talk.
Both of them had managed to scatter their snack wrappers despite her instructions and Daisy had already made a mental note to sweep under the armchairs before locking up properly.
To be quite frank, she hadn’t spent too much time further thinking about the nasty school mum comments or the mysterious well-dressed customers because she’d been way too busy.
The day had involved an emergency clean for Pete, Chloe, her work colleague at the bakery, coming down with a bout of flu and she’d been working in the shop which had meant that she’d been too busy for her brain to focus on anything other than all the things on her plate.
There’d been little free time to worry about nasty women at the school, business people with an agenda or, indeed, whether or not Miles was going to hang around.
That wasn’t to say that our lovely Daisy had not fantasised about perhaps yelling a few insults across the oh-so-refined echelons of Pretty Beach Primary’s playground and just scaring the other mums a little bit.
For sure, she’d thought about doing that.
How funny it would be to see the looks on their faces if she’d told them what was what.
Very funny but not that clever in the long run.
In wide-leg soft and slouchy jeans and a pretty floral shirt with her hair pulled back in a wide thick hair scarf knotted at the side, Daisy stepped back out onto the pavement with a watering can in her hand, pulled the door mostly shut with a clink of the latch, and turned towards the hanging baskets.
They had taken a battering from the wind and looked a tad tired, but they still had a bit of life left in them and the flowers were clinging on for dear life.
She'd just turned towards the middle basket when she heard a click of heels on the pavement and a “yoo-hoo” type bright, sugary voice.
‘Daisy! Hi!’
Daisy looked round slowly and forced herself to smile and not be stabby.
Georgia, one of the school mums she’d overheard was in front of her.
Georgia had been in the same year as Maggie at school and still wore her hair the exact same way she had back then.
It was pinned in an elaborate updo that looked like it belonged in a photo shoot.
Georgia was always made up, dressed to perfection and with lipstick on, even for school pick-up.
The sort of woman who managed to look like she was on her way to lunch at a hotel, even when she was just collecting her child from Reception.
Just looking at her rubbed Daisy up the wrong way.
‘Hello.’ Daisy was polite, firm and definitely not very friendly. She was giving off vibes for Georgia to jog right on.
Georgia didn’t pick up on them. She smiled a stretchy, fake grin that widened across her perfectly filled face.
‘Just passing and I thought I’d say hello.
The shop looks darling, it really does. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it!
You must have worked so hard, what with being a single mum and all… ’
For a comical minute, it flashed through Daisy’s brain that she should somehow splosh water from the can all over Georgia’s perfect outfit. She also briefly considered how many years she’d get for stabbing her. She, instead, restrained herself. ‘Thank you. I’m just closing up for the day.’
Georgia glanced at the chalkboard and then through the window where the girls were still reading.
‘They’re looking as sweet as ever. I saw Margot in the playground this week.
She was helping that little boy who took the skin off both his knees.
It was so lovely to see her being such a kind little poppet.
You’ve done such a good job with them, Daise, considering, well, you know, everything. ’
Oh, you have not even an iota of a clue.
Daisy nodded and felt her skin prickle at Georgia shortening her name.
She didn’t trust herself to say anything much, so she swallowed.
Georgia had stood in front of her at the school gates not a few days before and said she’d give her and Miles six months.
These men never stick around. Shame, really, those girls are so sweet.
Now here she was, acting like they were old friends, giving out compliments. ‘Yes, she told me.’
Georgia shifted her bag higher on her shoulder and looked Daisy up and down. Her eyes skimmed the headband, the jeans, the slight smear of chalk on her shirt. ‘You always look so relaxed and together, Daise.’
Daisy smiled tightly and her mind blanked briefly. ‘That’s one way of putting it.’
‘Well, it suits you.’ Georgia waved her hand in the direction of the shop window. ‘The whole boho bookshop thing. Very, you know, lifestyle. My sister said you’re on that reel going around. You’ve gone a bit viral, haven’t you, in leggings and a cardi, no less?’
Daisy felt her jaw go tight. ‘Something like that.’
‘People are saying you should do something with it and go big. Capitalise, I suppose. It’s such a sweet little spot. I said to Mark, if I didn’t know you, I’d think it was a set for one of those new life in the country shows. You know?’
Daisy blinked. She could still hear the twins giggling through the glass and still feel the weight of Georgia’s words from the school spinning round her head. ‘I try…’
Georgia stepped a bit closer, her voice lowering slightly. She squeezed her lips together, blinked rapidly and jutted her chin out. ‘And how’s the boyfriend?’
Daisy now definitely wanted to stab Georgia, but instead she smiled so very sweetly. There was no way she was ever going to give anything away. Not even a morsel to the likes of Georgia. ‘Great, thank you.’
Georgia beamed. ‘Oh, good, good, good. Lovely! It’s just so nice to see a bit of romance, isn’t it?
Though I’m sure it’s not easy juggling everything, what with the girls and the business.
I don’t know how you do it. I really don’t.
Like, I really don’t. They’re such gorgeous girls, too.
It’s so lovely to have twins in the class. ’
Daisy was fighting the urge to lunge at Georgia. ‘We manage.’
‘So, the new man… You met him through Juliette, didn’t you? He’s, err, well, taken on a lot.’
Daisy turned to the door; her hand gripped the handle of the watering can tightly. With a fixed smile, she looked back at Georgia, who was now leaning slightly forward like they were old school friends catching up over a cappuccino.
Georgia was doing the pursed lip, jutted out chin, rapid blinking thing again.
Her tone dropped and her head tilted with mock empathy.
‘It’s a lot, though, isn’t it? The business, the girls, and a new relationship.
I said to Mark, she’s brave, doing all that with two little ones.
Especially when it’s not all signed and sealed, you know? ’
Daisy inhaled and remained calm. ‘I’m not sure what you mean by signed and sealed. We’re not a delivery or a package deal.’
Georgia gave a breathy laugh, as if they were in on some shared joke.
‘No, of course not, I meant just in terms of things being official. Men do like to keep their options open and being with someone with children, it’s a lot.
That’s all I meant. I didn’t mean anything by it.
Goodness, sorry, did I sound a bit rude there? ’
Daisy knew exactly what Georgia was playing at. She’d heard the loaded tone many a time since she’d had the twins. A sugary kind of condescension cloaked in faux warmth. There was no way in the world Daisy was going to tell Georgia that what she’d been implying was okay. ‘Whatever.’
‘Anyway, good luck. I always say if it feels right, you’ve just got to go for it and do your own thing and stuff what anyone else thinks. You’re not the sort to sit and wait for things to go wrong. Anyway, what do I know?’
Six months.
‘To be honest, Georgia, I don’t spend too much time worrying about what other people think.
I’m way too busy making my little princesses go well in the world for that.
They’re just so gorgeous. I mean just look at them.
They are Henley girls, after all.’ Daisy laid on the sarcasm with a sugary coating, but Georgia wasn’t bright enough to pick up on it.
Georgia blinked and continued on her own agenda. ‘Yeah. I know it’s nothing to do with me, but I did wonder when I saw you all at the garden party if you’d thought it through.’
Daisy wanted to laugh, or shout, or walk away and slam the shop door so hard that the bell would snap off. Instead, she turned her face to Georgia with a smoothness that surprised even herself. ‘I’m not sure what you mean. The girls are happy. That’s the bit that matters.’
‘Of course, of course. So sweet.’ Georgia fiddled with her sunglasses.
‘Anyway, I know it was yonks ago now, but I meant to come over to say hello at the garden party, but it was so busy. You looked lovely, by the way. Oh my goodness, that dress. Where did you get it? You’re normally, well, you know, a bit more, umm, casual.
You know jeans and those floral shirts and the like… ’
Daisy kept her face neutral. There was no way she was engaging with Georgia. ‘Just an old thing I’ve had for ages.’
Georgia’s eyes flickered for a second and she pretended to be complimentary. ‘Not everyone can pull off that bohemian look. Though I suppose you’ve always had the right sort of figure for floaty. It’s a bit harder when you’ve got curves.’
Daisy smiled, sharp and quick. ‘Thanks.’
Georgia clapped her hands gently once, as if wrapping things up. ‘Well, I mustn’t keep you. Just wanted to say hello. Lovely to see you, Daise.’
‘Yep.’
Georgia turned away, so fully wrapped up in herself and entirely believing in her own narrative that it was laughable.
Daisy picked up the watering can and moved to the last hanging basket, letting the water trickle slowly into the base.
Her chest was tight, her stomach sour and she grimaced.
The thing was that Georgia thought she was clever, but really Daisy had heard it all before; men don’t take on what isn’t theirs, men don’t do this, that or the other.
Blah, blah, boring, same old, blah. Daisy shook her head because the irony was that it wasn’t about men or Miles, nope, not at all; the situation was all about her.
Attempting to push down the blind fury starting to bubble up from the sour feeling in the pit of her stomach, Daisy sighed.
She was pleased with herself; she hadn’t said a word back that she’d regret and hadn’t caused a scene.
She’d done the polite thing, kept her mouth shut and not let Georgia rattle her, at least not on the surface. Underneath was she rattled.
Inside, her mind raced, but she was well aware that there were always going to be women like Georgia around and about in life.
Polished and smiling on the outside, saying one thing to your face and another when you turned your back.
Even in a gorgeous little town like Pretty Beach, it was the way of the world.
She smiled to herself. She’d been one step ahead of the likes of Georgia.
Still, the whole episode had left a nasty taste in her mouth and she didn’t like how it made her feel at all.
As far as she was concerned, she would be quite happy not to set eyes on the likes of Georgia ever again.