‘The trouble is that the customers have dropped away a little now that the road to Aldwych is open again,’ he said, that night in the pub. ‘I mean, the locals have been great, but it’s only a small village.’
‘I know what you mean,’ said Mike, leaning on the other side of the bar and staring around the empty pub.
‘Do you think if you became one of those artisan pubs it might help?’ asked Tom, picking up a chip and showing them just how soggy it looked.
‘We’ve tried,’ said Mike. ‘The missus just won’t have it. She says good home cooking is what’s important.’
‘I agree,’ said Tom, putting his fork down with a look of disgust on his face as he stared at his half-eaten food. ‘Let me know where I can find some and I’ll be right there.’
‘I suppose we could always buy some ready meals and just nuke them in the microwave,’ said Mike.
‘Sounds delicious,’ drawled Tom, rolling his eyes. ‘And there was me thinking that home-made should be just that.’
Josh listened into the conversation, barely taking it in, but he did wonder whether it was worth pursuing some more ready meals in the shop. Amber had mentioned tired commuters a while ago. Was there a market there? But the trouble was that it might not make any difference anyway.
‘You OK?’ asked Tom, looking across at him.
Josh sighed. ‘Decent food or not, it still doesn’t get the punters past the door.’
‘And they’re all heading the other way now that the road to town is open again,’ said Tom, guessing the truth.
Josh nodded. ‘Exactly. Everybody will head back to the supermarket and that’s that. And there’s no chance of passing trade where we are.’
Tom nodded thoughtfully but remained silent.
On the next bar stool along, Dodgy Del gave a start. ‘You know what, there might be something in that. Leave it with me.’
Josh and Tom looked at each other before exchanging a shrug of shoulders. Josh had no idea what Del was talking about, but it was unlikely to make a difference.
He said as much on the phone to his brother when they spoke later in the week.
‘Look, you’ve done your best,’ said Pete. ‘You’ve taken care of Mum and the shop for the last couple of years. But isn’t it time to take care of you now?’
‘Have you been reading Mum’s Cosmopolitan again?’ drawled Josh.
‘Ha ha. Very funny,’ said his brother. ‘Look, Mum was talking when she was over here. She’s quite happy to let the shop go now.’
Josh gulped. ‘She is?’
‘I think you’ll be surprised when she comes back from New Zealand. She doesn’t want to be tied to it any more. It was a big thing for her to come abroad and the break has done her good. She’s got plans for the future and they don’t include running the shop any more.’
‘But it was always Dad’s dream too,’ Josh told him.
‘Yeah. Exactly,’ said Pete. ‘Dad’s dream, not yours, mine or Mum’s.’ He paused. ‘Look, think about it. You could get a visa and come out to join me. You’ll get a job with no problems. Especially with your sales skills. You can stay with me for a while until you get on your feet.’
Josh frowned. ‘Sounds as if you’ve thought it all through.’
‘I’ve talked about it with Mum, like I said. She knows you haven’t been that happy either. There’s no shame in saying that it didn’t work. Dad wouldn’t want you to waste your life in Cranbridge.’
But as he got off the phone to his brother, Josh was filled with doubt. No, he was certain his dad wouldn’t want him to be unhappy. But he wasn’t as miserable as he used to be. He was beginning to feel at home in the village with his friends. The shop was struggling financially, but there was hope these days that perhaps their fortunes were changing. The shop looked great. He had finally found his foothold as to what type of business he wanted to run.
And then there was Amber.
But she was thinking of leaving soon. So, maybe he should do the same.
41
One morning, Amber had just placed the latest delivery of potatoes into the appropriate crate next to the tractor, when the bell above the door rang.
She looked up as a lady came in with a large box. ‘Hello,’ she said to Amber. ‘I’m not sure if you remember me.’
‘You’re Lesley,’ said Amber, thinking fast. ‘You donated all those lovely cakes just after the storm.’
‘That’s right,’ said Lesley, smiling. ‘What a good memory! Look, I hope you don’t think this is cheeky, but I’ve made some more. They were supposed to be for a massive party that’s been called off and now I’m stuck with them all. There’s lemon drizzle, Victoria sponge and cherry cake. All home-made. I’d hate to see them go to waste, so I wondered if you wanted to try and sell them in your shop? With a cut of the profit for you, of course.’
Amber looked across to Josh, who came over and carried on the conversation with Lesley. They agreed the commission on each cake whilst Amber displayed them by the counter. Then they priced each cake up accordingly and waited to see if they would sell.
It didn’t take long. People were still desperate for a treat after the misery of the floods and soon Amber overheard Josh calling Lesley and asking if she wanted to make it a more regular occurrence.
It turned out that Lesley had a friend who made pastries and so a daily delivery of fresh croissants and Danish pastries was soon filling the shop with a tempting aroma along with Lesley’s home-made cakes.
Then someone else had made bramble jelly, which was beautifully wrapped in jars with ribbons around the side. All the ingredients were also listed on a small cardboard tag.
Day by day, the shop was slowly restocked with home-made goods.
Stanley filled up his shopping bag each day almost to the brim. ‘This is wonderful,’ he said. ‘I wanted to cancel my weekly delivery from the supermarket anyway and this is the perfect excuse. You have everything I need.’
He then set his shopping down behind the counter whilst he waited for Frank to join him for their morning coffee. People were beginning to view the shop as a meeting hub and Amber was often updating everyone with the news regarding the roads reopening and even the weather.
It was mid-morning later in the week when Amber heard a commotion outside the shop. She went to the window and peered out, somewhat amazed to see at least twenty elderly ladies standing in a group and looking around.
She went outside, wondering if they were lost and needed help.
‘Ah! There she is!’ called out Del, whom she hadn’t spotted just around the corner having a cigarette as he looked into the coach engine. ‘Our saviour!’
‘Hi,’ said Amber, a little self-consciously. ‘What’s going on?’
‘The coach broke down,’ he shouted out to her. ‘We’ve only been going for around twenty minutes, haven’t we, ladies?’
They all nodded, looking thoroughly miserable and shivering.
‘Come inside,’ urged Amber. ‘It’s warm in there whilst you wait.’
So the shop quickly filled up with the coach passengers and Amber offered them all a free cup of tea and coffee whilst they waited for Del to fix his coach.
‘Looks like it may take some time,’ said Josh, weaving his way through the crowded shop. ‘He’s still got the bonnet up.’
‘Perhaps I could try one of these cupcakes whilst we wait,’ said one of the ladies. ‘How much are they?’
‘Only £2,’ Amber told her. ‘They’re handmade by a lady in the village.’
‘How marvellous,’ said another lady. ‘Did you hear that?’
‘It’s wonderful,’ said the lady who had bought the cake and already had her mouth full.
‘And that’s from the Chairwoman of the Women’s Institute!’ said the particularly glamorous lady in front of her. ‘Shall we all partake, ladies? I don’t know about you, but I need the energy.’
‘That’s because of your boyfriend wearing you out, Rose,’ said Grandma Tilly, who h
ad just come through the front door.
The glamorous lady in front of her gave a throaty, somewhat naughty laugh before giving Amber a wink. ‘Tilly Kennedy! You’ll make me blush in front of this nice lady.’
‘You’ve never blushed in your life, Rose Harris,’ said Grandma Tilly, with a knowing smile.
‘The upper classes never do, dear,’ said Rose imperiously.
Amber immediately wondered who she was but was too shy to ask. Thankfully Grandma Tilly did the introductions.
‘This is Rose Harris. She’s the sister of the Earl of Cranley. They live in Willow Tree Hall, a few miles down the road.’
Amber nodded, having heard somebody mention the stately home before. ‘I’m Amber,’ she said, shyly.
‘I think I met a Sam Harris recently,’ said Josh from nearby.
‘My grandson,’ Rose told him in a proud tone.
Josh nodded. ‘Nice guy. We were thinking about stocking some of your Willow Tree Hall cider here in the shop.’
‘How splendid,’ said Rose, looking around. ‘It’s doing ever so well sales wise. And it would fit right in.’ She looked around the shop. ‘Such a pretty place. I shall tell all my family and friends about it. And you’re only just down the road from us!’
‘Well, we need all the customers we can get,’ said Josh with a smile, before he headed outside to see Del.
‘What a handsome one,’ said Rose, giving Amber another wink. ‘I do like a man in a leather jacket.’
Amber blushed and turned around to refill the coffee machine.
Whilst the ladies browsed the shelves inside the shop, she went outside to find out how long they might have to wait.
‘What do you think is the matter?’ Josh was asking Del, who was now sitting on the bottom step of the coach.
‘Couple of missing fuses,’ Del told him.
Josh looked surprised. ‘Missing? Do you think they fell out on the road here?’
‘Nah, mate,’ whispered Del. ‘They’re in my pocket!’
Josh stared down at his friend, who was now grinning at him.
‘Well, you said you needed the customers,’ said Del. ‘If I can drag it out for long enough, I’ll get them in the pub next for a drink before we get back on board. They’ll still have time to wander around their National Trust garden later.’
Josh was speechless for a moment as he stared up at Amber in amazement. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘You’ve broken down on purpose?’ she whispered.
‘A couple of bottles of that local cider wouldn’t go amiss,’ said Del, with a wink.
‘You’re on if we make a profit,’ said Josh, laughing.
‘Great,’ said Del, springing up. ‘I’ll try and break down later on this week as well. Got to give the place a fighting chance, eh?’
As he walked away, Amber found that both she and Josh were laughing. For once, Dodgy Del’s nickname was working in the shop’s favour.
42
Back in the shop, Josh told the ladies that the problem with the coach engine should be fixed in a short while.
‘Such a shame to have to leave,’ said Rose, who appeared to be the leader of the group. ‘But we shall return. It’s been years since I’ve been to Cranbridge. Do you remember the Christmas fair they used to hold here?’
‘You’re going back a few years now,’ said Grandma Tilly, nodding thoughtfully. ‘You were only on your second husband then.’
Josh screwed his face up as he tried to think back in time. ‘I remember the lane outside being packed with stalls and people,’ he said.
‘That’s right,’ said Rose, nodding. ‘It was always very pretty. Seemed to herald the start of Christmas, from what I remember.’
‘We’re going to hold one again this year,’ said Grandma Tilly.
Josh turned to look at his grandmother somewhat incredulously with raised eyebrows but said nothing.
‘With all the stalls along the riverbank?’ asked another lady.
Grandma Tilly nodded. ‘Absolutely,’ she said. ‘Lots of home-made goods.’
‘Really? How marvellous,’ said Rose. ‘When’s it being held?’
Grandma Tilly looked across at Josh, obviously realising that she hadn’t quite worked out all the details of her lie.
Oh, what the hell, he said to himself.
‘Saturday, fourth December,’ said Josh, with a smile as he plucked a date out of thin air. ‘Two weeks from today. All afternoon and into the evening. We’ll be trying to raise funds for the recent flood victims.’
Grandma Tilly nodded in agreement. ‘That’s right.’
‘We’ll be there, won’t we, ladies?’ announced Rose. ‘We must support our local villages.’
There was a general chorus of approval.
‘Your carriage awaits, ladies!’ announced Del, who had just opened up the front door.
With lots of waves and goodbyes and taking their many purchases with them, Josh was left behind in the shop with Amber and Grandma Tilly.
‘A Christmas fair?’ he said, laughing as soon as they were alone and looking at his grandmother.
‘It used to be marvellous,’ said Grandma Tilly.
‘It’s a great idea,’ said Amber.
‘I’m glad you agree,’ said Grandma Tilly, picking up her handbag. ‘You’ll have great fun organising it.’
‘Me?’ said Amber, wide-eyed with disbelief.
‘I’m too old to cope with all that, dear,’ said Grandma Tilly. ‘Right, I’m off to look at my afternoon soap.’
She left the shop more quickly than Josh had ever seen her move.
‘What are we going to do?’ said Amber, looking at Josh.
‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ he told her.
She looked relieved. ‘You’re right. I’m sure you’ll be able to sort something really good out for the fair.’
He took a step forward. ‘Oh no,’ he replied, shaking his head. ‘This is all on you, Miss Green.’
‘Me?’ she told him, aghast. ‘I can’t organise anything like that!’
He smiled. ‘Of course you can,’ he told her. ‘In fact, you’re going to have to, because I sure won’t have the time!’
Amber was still looking horrified. ‘But…’ she began, her voice trailing off.
‘Why does Saturday, fourth December ring a bell anyway?’ said Josh out loud.
‘It was the date that your mum’s flying home,’ Amber told him.
‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘Well, she’ll love a Christmas fair being held in Riverside Lane.’
Amber was looking deep in thought. ‘I suppose I’ll have to stay until the fair and then I could always leave the day after.’
Josh felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach.
He reached out and lifted her chin so that she had to look into his face. ‘You’re really leaving?’ he said, searching her eyes for the truth.
‘I was always going to leave,’ she told him softly. ‘This was just a stop-off on the way through to my parents, remember?’
He abruptly let go of her chin and stared down at her.
‘I thought you liked it here,’ he said.
‘I do,’ she replied in a small voice.
‘I thought that you and I were a good team,’ he told her.
‘We are.’
He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of it all.
‘But your mum’s coming back, so you don’t need me any more,’ she said.
Josh found he couldn’t breathe. The thought of Amber actually leaving had been an idea that he’d been trying to bury away.
‘Well, I’m sure Mum will want to see you before you leave,’ he said, thinking quickly. ‘Especially with all the changes to the shop.’
Amber nodded. ‘Of course. OK. Well, I’ll book the flight for the Sunday.’
‘Right,’ said Josh, his mind reeling.
‘Well, I’d better get organising,’ said Amber, with a soft smile. ‘There’s a Christmas fair to organ
ise in less than two weeks.’
After she had wandered away, Josh remained standing in the middle of the shop, trying to work through his feelings. The shop was rejuvenated. The floods had receded. Even the Christmas fair would help. It felt as if Cranbridge was getting a fresh start, that there was hope at last. So why did he feel as if his own life was just ending?
43
Amber reached up to cut down another branch of holly from a nearby tree before dropping it into the large pile next to her.
‘The holly and the ivy indeed,’ said a voice next to her.
She spun around to find Stanley standing next to her, all wrapped up in his heavy coat, scarf, hat and gloves.
‘Glad somebody’s dressed appropriately,’ she told him, with a shiver. ‘It’s freezing! I didn’t bring my coat out with me as it’s been so mild lately.’
‘At least you’re wearing a jumper,’ he said.
She looked down to where her jumper had snagged many times on the sharp pointy ends of the holly leaves. ‘Good job it’s not my favourite,’ she replied, with a smile. ‘Are you out for your morning walk?’
‘Actually, Frank and I are catching the bus into Aldwych together. Just a little shopping.’
‘And you didn’t come to us? I’m hurt. Really hurt.’ She gave him a wink to show that she was joking.
Stanley appeared to be much happier these days, she thought. Despite having to move out of his home and into a bungalow, he was much busier going on various days out with Frank.
‘My dear, if I could get everything in your wonderful shop, I would.’
She gave him a very gentle nudge with her elbow. ‘You’re allowed to go into town. Besides, I think it’s nice that the two of you are going together.’
‘We figure safety in numbers if it’s a little busy,’ said Stanley. ‘And we’re going to treat ourselves to a little lunch as well.’
‘Well, enjoy yourselves,’ she said.
He said goodbye and walked slowly around the corner towards the bus stop. Amber watched him until he was out of view before bending down to pick up an armful of branches that she had cut.
The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts Page 24