‘Are you sure this is the best way to go about it? I mean, what if she isn’t happy? What if she –’
‘Explodes?’
‘I was going to say…’ Sam paused. ‘No, explodes is a pretty good word.’
Ben gave a droll laugh. ‘I’m kind of hoping she doesn’t.’ He took a deep breath and then nodded. ‘This is a bad idea, isn’t it?’
Sam didn’t know what to say. ‘What do you want to do?’
‘I want to see her, but I don’t want to cause any trouble.’ Ben cursed under his breath. ‘I sometimes wonder if I should’ve come back at all.’
‘Don’t say that.’
‘It’s how I feel.’
‘This will work itself out,’ Sam said. ‘You’ve just got to give it more time.’
‘Time,’ Ben said with a nod.
‘She still loves you,’ Sam said.
‘What?’
‘I don’t think she ever stopped.’
‘You serious?’
Sam nodded. ‘Of course, she hates you too.’
‘Right!’ Ben said. They exchanged wry smiles. ‘Look, I’d better get out of here before she arrives.’
‘You sure?’
‘As much as I’d love to stay.’
‘Join us for another one, okay?’
‘You bet.’
Ben nodded his thanks and Sam watched as he left.
‘Hold the tea, Callie,’ he called through to the kitchen where the kettle was boiling.
‘What’s happening?’ she asked, coming out into the shop and looking around. ‘Oh, has he gone?’
‘He thought it best not to surprise Bryony by being here.’
‘Poor Ben. He really wanted to see her, didn’t he?’
‘More than anything.’
‘I have to admit, I was looking forward to seeing them together. After that Sunday lunch, I couldn’t wait for the sequel.’
‘You are a naughty lady!’ Sam said.
‘No I’m not,’ Callie told him. ‘I’m just a very curious person. Blame the writer in me. I just have to know how things turn out.’
Sam chuckled. ‘You use that writer line a bit too often.’
‘Do I?’
‘You think it can get you out of all sorts of bad behaviour.’
Callie gasped. ‘Sam Nightingale, I hope you’re teasing me!’
He put his arms around her waist. ‘I might be.’
She shook her head, pushing him away. ‘There’ll be no cuddles for you if you think I might be a bad influence on you.’
‘Not even if I’m crying out for a bad influence? I’m just a lonely bookshop keeper leading a very sheltered life in a small market town. I think I need all the bad influences I can get.’
Callie play slapped his arm and then let him kiss her and, as if on cue, the doorbell tinkled and the sound of voices was heard. It was time for the book club to begin.
It was a wonderful turn out. Winston Kneller was there with his old black Labrador, Delilah. Flo had come laden down with fruit scones, all buttered and ready to eat, and Antonia Jessop had made cheese straws.
Polly and Jago were there too as was Bryony who received a rapturous welcome and Sam couldn’t help but feel relieved that Ben had decided not to stay.
Hortense Digger, or Honey as she liked to be called, had entered the bookshop carrying a large tin.
Polly quickly came forward and took it from her, placing it on a small table which had been set in the centre of the room.
‘It’s just a little trifle,’ Honey said. ‘Well, not a trifle actually. A gateau.’
Honey stepped forward and opened the tin to reveal an astonishing strawberry gateau, its top glistening with ruby fruit.
‘Wow, Honey – you’ve really excelled yourself this time,’ Sam said.
‘Bang goes my diet!’ Callie said with a grin.
‘It’s in honour of Ma Larkin,’ Honey explained. ‘It had to be strawberries, didn’t it? It’s a shame that it’s too early for the ones in my garden so I had to make do from the supermarket. I hope nobody minds supermarket strawberries.’
‘I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints,’ Sam assured her.
Sure enough, Winston’s eyeballs were nearly out of their sockets at the rapturous sight before him.
‘Well, tuck in everybody. There’s plenty to go around,’ Honey said as plates and forks were passed to everyone.
‘Gateaux are deceptively simple to make,’ Antonia announced as she helped herself to a good-sized portion.
‘Not as simple as cheese straws,’ Honey said, nodding to the plate on the table which she obviously recognised as one of Antonia’s.
‘A cheese straw is a perfect accompaniment to an evening cup of tea. Besides we’re going to need something savoury after all this sweetness,’ Antonia said, her nose doing a strange kind of pecking motion towards her slice of strawberry gateau.
There then followed the wondrous silence of happy eaters luxuriating in the food before them. The gateau, as large as it was, didn’t stand much of a chance of survival and was soon completely devoured. Only then was everybody able to concentrate on the job in hand and Sam kicked things off.
‘It’s really great to have my sister Bryony here as a new member,’ Sam said. ‘I’ve been trying to get her to join the book club since we began. I think you’ve all met her and know her from the children’s bookshop over the road.’
Everybody said that they did.
‘“The more the merrier” as Ma Larkin would say,’ Sam added and everybody laughed. ‘So, what did you think the book?’
‘Nice and short,’ Winston offered.
‘Yes. Officially, it’s called a novella because it’s under fifty thousand words,’ Sam told the group.
‘A novella,’ Flo said, sounding the word with pleasure. ‘What a beautiful word and a beautiful book too.’
‘Did you know it’s the first of five books about the Larkin family?’ Sam asked.
‘I saw the TV series back in the nineties,’ Winston said. ‘With that Catherine Zeta-Jones girl.’
Antonia Jessop grimaced. ‘Are all the books we read adapted for television and film?’
‘Does that matter?’ Polly asked.
‘It just seems that some of us might take advantage and not actually read the book,’ Antonia went on.
There were mumbles amongst the group.
‘Are you accusing me of cheating at book club?’ Winston barked. Winston rarely barked. He was a very affable sort of man and so this sudden bark took everybody by surprise, not least Antonia who shifted uneasily in her seat.
‘Well, I wasn’t pointing the finger at you precisely.’
‘I read the novel. Novella. No point in joining book club if you don’t read the books, is there? I have to admit that I joined initially for a bit of company of an evening and a nice bite to eat, but I quite like this reading lark.’
Sam grinned. ‘You sound like Pop Larkin there, using the word “lark”’.
‘“Larkin by name, Larkin by nature,”’ Winston said, quoting the book. ‘See, I’ve done my homework.’
‘Actually, Antonia raises a very interesting point about adaptations and it’s something I’ve been thinking about too. We really should try and choose something that hasn’t been made into a film or TV series. But we’ll talk about that later, okay? Shall we return to our discussion?’ Sam said. ‘I thought we could look at the character of Charley.’
‘Mr Cedric Charlton,’ Honey said.
‘Yes,’ Sam said. ‘What did we think of his metamorphosis into Charley?’
‘Metamorphosis?’ Winston said, giving a long low whistle. ‘Sounds like I’m back in a classroom!’
‘Sorry,’ Sam said.
‘I loved Charley,’ Polly said. ‘He was made so welcome by the Larkin family.’
‘We never seem to find out about his own family, do we? He seems to be alone in the world,’ Flo pointed out.
‘It’s a common theme in literature, isn’t it? The out
sider being welcomed by a family,’ Jago pointed out.
‘Good point,’ Sam said. ‘Yes, a lot of novels are about bringing together a disparate bunch of characters who then become a kind of family. What did you all think of that? What did you make of Charley being welcomed into the Larkin’s home and family?’
‘I loved it!’ Flo said with enthusiasm. ‘I adored reading about Charley at the kitchen table and the trouble he had with those geese.’
‘Home Farm was a completely alien environment to him,’ Bryony said. ‘I think it’s fun to see a character thrown into an unfamiliar setting.’
‘Yes, and all he could worry about was his buff form!’ Honey said with a laugh. ‘And the gorgeousness that was Mariette Larkin.’
‘The charm of the place, the fun, the relaxed atmosphere, soon works its spell on Mr Charlton, doesn’t it?’ Sam continued. ‘It makes it impossible for him to leave. You know he’s been won over, don’t you?’
‘I found it all a bit saccharine-sweet,’ Antonia ventured. ‘Too much jollity and happiness and not enough grit.’
‘Yes, but it’s meant to be a light-hearted read,’ Callie pointed out, ‘so I think Bates met his objective.’
‘Too much reliance on puerile humour,’ Antonia went on. ‘Does anybody else object to the number of times Pop Larkin belches in the book?’
There were a few sniggers around the group.
‘He does apologise each time,’ Honey pointed out.
‘I thought it was hilarious,’ Flo said. ‘He used a funny term at one point, didn’t he? What did he call it?’
‘Early morning breeze,’ Callie said.
‘That’s right! I’m going to start calling mine that too. I mean, if I ever happen to belch at the breakfast table,’ Flo said.
‘Which you won’t because you’re a lady,’ Winston said with a wink.
With all this talk of wind, it seemed inevitable that Winston’s dog, Delilah, would have something to say about it, and a deadly doggy smell soon wafted its way across the room.
‘Oh my lord!’ Antonia cried.
‘Oooops!’ Winston said. ‘Late evening breeze!’
Everybody laughed whilst covering their noses with hands, books and scarves until the worst of the odour passed.
‘So is belching a theme?’ Winston asked, his expression partly serious as if he was truly trying to learn something.
‘Erm, I don’t think so,’ Sam said. ‘More repetition for humour’s sake.’
‘I see,’ Winston said. ‘I’ll look out for that in future books.’
‘Well, you won’t find it in anything sensible,’ Antonia said.
‘I take it you didn’t enjoy the book?’ Honey said to Antonia.
‘That’s right. Much too silly for my taste.’
‘But Bates writes about some of the most important issues ever,’ Callie said. ‘Family, community, the desire to find one’s place in the world. He ticks all the boxes for me.’
‘Yes, well some people are easily pleased,’ Antonia said, shifting her bony bottom on her chair and giving a sniff.
Sam cleared his throat. ‘Any other characters stand out?’
‘Pop Larkin,’ Polly said. ‘He and Ma are larger than life, aren’t they?’
‘I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a family like that,’ Jago said. ‘There’s so many of them and they all seem to get on too!’
‘Unbelievable,’ Antonia said. ‘Like The Waltons. I never liked that either.’
Flo gasped. ‘You never liked The Waltons?’
For a moment, everybody started talking about John-Boy, Jim Bob, Elizabeth, Erin et al. It seemed that Antonia was very firmly in the minority when it came to the long-running US drama series.
Sam managed to steer the conversation back towards Pop Larkin and everybody – even Antonia – managed to agree that he was a wonderful father: supportive, generous, funny and kind and with a real head for business.
‘But he should pay his taxes,’ Antonia pointed out. ‘One mustn’t be allowed to get away with that.’
Callie bent forward to pass the plate of cheese straws around and the group continued their discussion about favourite characters and scenes from the book.
‘What I love about H E Bates is that he wasn’t confined to a particular genre or story length,’ Sam said after a while. ‘He wrote light-hearted novellas like the Larkin quintet, darker standalones like The Triple Echo, serious books about the War like Fair Stood the Wind for France, and non-fiction too: autobiographies and gardening memoirs.’
‘You’re so knowledgeable, Sam,’ Honey said. ‘How do you know all this stuff?’
Sam gave a little smile. ‘A lifetime of reading helps.’
‘So, what does the H and E stand for? I was trying to guess,’ Flo said.
‘Herbert Ernest,’ Jago said.
Everybody looked suitably impressed at Jago’s knowledge.
‘I read it on Wikipedia,’ he confessed.
‘I loved the yard full of animals and how H E Bates doesn’t just make them pretty pretty,’ Flo said. ‘He knows animals are hard work, doesn’t he? Just like my garden-full. There’s always something to worry about.’
‘I liked the strawberry picking scene,’ Honey said. ‘There aren’t enough strawberries in books.’
‘Are we going to read the others in the series?’ Winston asked.
‘Not as part of the book club,’ Sam said, ‘but feel free in your own time. They’re terrific books. So any suggestions for our next book? The meeting will be in July.’
‘Something short again,’ Flo requested. ‘Maybe another H E Bates. A serious one?’
‘I think we should vary things, Flo,’ Sam advised. ‘Different authors, different lengths and genres.’
There were a few murmurings amongst the group.
‘We’ve had H E Bates from the fifties and Thomas Hardy from the nineteenth-century – how about something in between?’
‘Like what?’ Honey asked.
‘Well, we’ve just finished something light-hearted so why not go for something a bit more intense?’ Sam suggested.
‘Oh, yes,’ Antonia agreed. ‘Please, let’s have something we can get our teeth into.’
‘What did you have in mind?’ Bryony asked her brother.
‘I was thinking of Virginia Woolf.’
‘Blimey – isn’t she difficult?’ Jago asked.
‘She can be,’ Sam said.
‘I think that sounds like an excellent idea,’ Antonia said.
‘One of her novels, Mrs Dalloway, is a very interesting work. It was quite revolutionary and really made her name as a serious novelist. It’s short too although it’s not as easy a read as the Bates we’ve just read.’
‘What’s it about, Sam?’ Honey asked.
‘It’s a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway,’ Sam began, ‘and she’s preparing to host a party which is very important to her.’
‘Oh, I like a party!’ Flo said. ‘Is it a happy book?’
‘Well,’ Sam paused, ‘why don’t you wait and see?’
‘It has to be a happy book if it’s about a party.’
Sam caught Callie’s eye and she gave an anxious smile. She obviously knew her way around Woolf’s seminal work.
‘Sam – you know that one was made into a film?’ Polly pointed out. ‘Vanessa Redgrave played Mrs Dalloway.’
‘Ah,’ Sam said, ‘I didn’t know that. Well, no watching the film anyone, okay?’
Everybody solemnly promised to go nowhere near the film.
After a little more discussion about other books they’d been reading or been meaning to read, the group tidied away the mugs and plates and prepared to leave the shop. Sam had taken some orders for the paperback of Mrs Dalloway and had tipped Winston off to the secondhand copy he had in the shop for two pounds fifty. All in all, it had been a very successful evening.
Bryony was giving Flo a lift. She’d picked her up for the book club meeting after she’d dropped Son
ny at a neighbour who lived opposite Cuckoo Cottage. As they walked down Church Street to where Bryony had parked, the church clock struck nine, its fourth note horribly out of tune.
‘I wish they’d get that fixed,’ Bryony said. ‘It hurts the sensibilities.’
‘Get what fixed?’ Flo asked.
‘That out of tune bell that sounds the fourth note.’
Flo frowned. ‘Can’t say as I’ve noticed.’
They continued to walk down the dark street and had just made it back to the car when Flo gave a sigh.
‘What is it?’ Bryony asked as they both got in.
‘All that talk about Pop Larkin,’ Flo said, shaking her head. ‘I couldn’t help thinking about Mitch. Perhaps I should lend him The Darling Buds of May to read.’
‘You think Mitch will suddenly turn into Pop?’ Bryony asked.
‘No, I’m afraid I don’t, but it might give him some ideas about being a good father.’
‘I hate to admit it,’ Bryony said as she started the engine, ‘but Antonia might have had a point when she said the Larkin family were unbelievable.’
‘No! Don’t say that,’ Flo said. ‘Your family is living proof that the Larkins really exist.’
Bryony smiled. ‘I know I’m lucky, but so many people aren’t. When we were talking about the book, I couldn’t help thinking of Jago and how his father just left him and then Sean’s behaviour towards Polly and how that means Archie doesn’t have a father either. Although he has a wonderful father-figure in Jago now.’ She paused. ‘And then dear Sonny.’
‘Yes,’ Flo said. ‘There seems to be a lack of good fathers around here, doesn’t there?’
‘Thank goodness for books,’ Bryony said. ‘They rescue us so many times, don’t they?’
‘And now we have the lovely Mrs Dalloway to look forward to,’ Flo said. ‘I’m so looking forward to reading about her gorgeous party.’
Bryony bit her lip and decided to keep quiet.
When she got home after dropping Flo off, she checked her messages on the Country Catches website. Sure enough, there was one from Ben.
I’ve been thinking about getting a little car, he wrote. Georgia’s been letting me use hers for when I teach in Ipswich, but I think she’s getting a bit fed up of catching the bus to work now. Let me know if you hear of a decent one going cheap.
Natural Born Readers (The Book Lovers 3) Page 17