She took the milk rolls Moody had brought in and began to arrange them in the window. Half past five in the morning and she had already been working for an hour. She was loving every minute of it.
‘Good morning.’
She looked up and saw Micah watching her. She gave him a cautious smile. She hadn’t seen him since the night they had spent together on the boat and, although she had written to him – twice – to explain why she was so busy, he hadn’t replied. ‘Good morning, Micah,’ she replied. ‘Can I help you?’
‘I confess I only called in to find out if it was true that the baker’s is under new management.’
‘As you see.’
‘Bakers work cruel hours,’ he observed.
‘Judy and I have just finished our elevenses,’ she teased. She winked at Judy, who laughed before tactfully disappearing into the back.
Micah took a sample of fruit cake from the counter and ate it. ‘You made this?’
‘You know full well Moody did. I’ve been forced to increase his wages. I’m terrified he’ll get a cook’s job aboard a ship before I’m ready to let him go.’
‘Can’t you follow a recipe?’ Micah asked.
‘Not Mr Goldman’s, I can’t. Some of it runs along the lines of “you know how much to put in of that” or “one pinch on cold days and two on warm days” and my absolute favourite – “Go outside, look at the sky and you’ll see how much time to give the dough to rise from the colour of the clouds.”’
Micah laughed. ‘I loved that man.’
‘I hope to see him again, one day.’
‘Well, if it’s any consolation, my shopping list is straightforward. Two milk rolls, two poppy seed, and two French, please.’
Edyth picked up a pair of tongs, chose the rolls, slipped them into a bag and handed it to him. ‘On the house.’
‘Keep doing that and you’ll go bankrupt,’ he warned.
‘It’s only for the first customer.’
‘Of the day?’
‘Ever. In fact, he gets free shopping for the rest of his life. Just returning a favour,’ she added.
‘Next thing you’ll be telling me is that you have no intention of moving from the Bay.’
‘I don’t. I’ve put every penny I have into this business.’
‘And what does the lady do for entertainment?’
‘She goes to bed early – very early.’
‘In that case, would you like to come round to the mission for a late tea or an early dinner, whichever suits, when you shut up shop tonight?’
‘No.’
‘I see.’ He failed to conceal his annoyance at her rejection.
‘The mission is always – how did you put it? – bedlam. On the other hand, you could come round here for an early dinner. Judy has an audition – in London this time. I’ll be taking her to Cardiff station later this afternoon. She’s staying overnight as it looks promising.’
‘Jed told me, it’s for the chorus of Blackbirds; an all-black show that’s going on tour.’
‘It is, although I dread to think what I’ll do for help if she gets it,’ she said seriously.
‘I know a few promising young girls looking for jobs.’
‘I bet you do.’
‘So dinner tonight, I accept your invitation. What time do you want me here?’
‘Is six o’clock too early?’
‘That depends on what time you want me to leave.’
‘That is entirely up to you.’
He looked around to check no one was about. ‘Edyth, that night on the boat … this could lead to –’
‘Babies? I hope it does. I’d like dozens.’
‘But we won’t be able to marry until your marriage is annulled. And me visiting you on a regular basis –’
‘Is bound to lead to gossip. In fact, it already has. The police didn’t believe a word of the alibi I gave you. But they couldn’t disprove it either. So, if you intend to keep visiting me, you’ll have to learn to be discreet, Pastor.’
‘Edyth, be sensible. The man is rarely ostracised. But a child born outside marriage would ruin you.’
‘Not on the Bay, which is why I’ve decided to stay. The respectable, kind-hearted people like Eirlys Williams would pretend any child of mine was Peter’s no matter how long the gap between him disappearing and the birth. The kind-hearted, but not quite so respectable, people like Anna Hughes wouldn’t give a damn whether the child had a father or not, so long as it was clean and cared for.’
‘And you?’ His blue eyes were serious.
‘I’ve already picked out the father of my children, but he’ll have to allow me to keep my independence.’
‘And what will he get in return?’
‘My love and affection for the rest of his life. A key to my door, space to put some clothes in my wardrobe and chest of drawers. Will six o’clock tonight suit you, Micah? You can bring your pyjamas, although I really would prefer it if you didn’t wear any.’
The Brothers &Lovers series
by Catrin Collier
For more information on Accent Press titles, please visit
www.accentpress.co.uk
Tiger Bay Blues Page 45