by Georgia Hill
Somehow, they managed to carry the tree back along the prom from town, with Zoe at the front and Eleri taking the bulk of the weight at the trunk end.
‘Oh my goodness,’ Millie said, as they barged their way through the door of the café. ‘I haven’t had a real tree in here for years. It’s enormous!’
Zoe puffed. ‘Think there really is something magical about Ri. She got the price down by twenty quid.’
Millie shunted a table and some chairs out of the way. ‘Here, shall we put it against this wall?’
They levered it into place, hampered by a very excited Trevor, who scampered around sniffing and playing with the bits of branch that had fallen off. Millie cut away the netting and all three women studied it. It was so tall its top nearly reached the café’s ceiling.
Eleri, hands on hips, frowned. ‘I don’t think magic had anything to do with getting the price down. I reckon we’ve been sold a dud.’ She put her head on one side. This tree has got a definite kink.’
Zoe hopped from one side of the tree to the other. ‘Ri’s got a point. It’s bent halfway up.’ She giggled.
Millie came to her and pulled her into a hug. ‘Well, I think it’s perfect. Just smell the scent of pine. There’s nothing like a real tree. Thank you both. And Zoe, I’m so sorry for biting your head off the other day, my lovely. Will you forgive me?’
‘Yeah. Course.’ Zoe gave an embarrassed shrug.
‘More forgiven than a very forgiven thing?’
‘Aw Mil.’ Zoe screwed up her face. ‘Where’d you get talking like that?’
‘I’ve absolutely no idea.’
The newly restored doorbell jangled and alerted them to customers. It was the couple with the shivering terrier.
‘Basket Trevor,’ Millie said, automatically, and he padded away.
‘Excuse me,’ the woman said. ‘I don’t suppose you’re open, are you? We tried that elephant place on the high street but they don’t allow dogs in.’
Millie went into professional mode. ‘Come in, come in. It’s too cold to be out there for long. Come and sit yourself down over here at the window.’ She smiled. ‘Best table in the place.’
As they took off coats and scarves their dog wandered over to say hello to Trevor and then sniffed the Christmas tree with interest.
Millie handed over a couple of menus and followed Eleri and Zoe into the kitchen. She peered into the pot of potato and leek soup bubbling away to itself on the stove and flicked the switch on the kettle. Eleri disappeared to find a broom to sweep up pine needles and Zoe stared through the porthole window.
‘That tree definitely needs lots of lights,’ she said, happily. ‘I’ll see what Granddad has going spare. Oh no!’ she gasped.
‘What is it?’ Millie asked, busy getting a tray ready.
‘There might be a reason not to have a real tree in a dog-friendly café.’
‘What’s that then, my lovely?’ Millie looked up to see Zoe’s face creased with laughter.
‘That little terrier? He’s just cocked his leg on the trunk!’
Chapter 19
Eleri sat on the stool in the Arts Workshop and smiled at Ken. ‘At least you’ve got it nice and warm in here.’
Ken grunted. He was peering into the viewfinder of an impressive-looking camera. ‘Yeah well, if you’re sitting for any length of time, you get cold, my friend. And I can’t work if my hands are stiff. Is it okay if I take some shots? I use them with the preliminary sketches. Builds up the ideas.’
‘That’s fine.’ Eleri rocked her head from side to side to loosen a kink in her neck. Too much time on land, she decided. I need a swim, I’m getting stiff. ‘Do you want me to sit in any particular position?’ She flicked her plait off a shoulder.
‘No, no. Just try and relax, if you can. For this first session I just want to see how the light falls on your face. Get a few ideas going. I’ll probably just talk a lot and get you to talk back. Don’t feel you have to sit still. Try to react naturally.’
‘Great-looking camera.’
‘Can’t beat a Leica lens.’ Ken began rattling off a few shots. ‘I’ll have you back and do some sketches and then I can start the painting proper.’
‘I had no idea you had to do so much prep.’ Eleri stretched her back and lifted her hair off her neck.
‘Yeah well, the more notes I have, the less time you have to spend sitting for me. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.’ Ken came close. ‘Can you loosen your hair for me?’ He took a photo of Eleri’s hair as it tumbled, in a golden-brown waterfall, down her back. ‘There is one thing, though. I wanted to ask how you felt about –’
‘Posing naked?’ Eleri shrugged. ‘I don’t see why it would be a problem.’
‘Fantastic. It might be an option. Might not. You can always have Tes as chaperone, if it helps.’ He emerged from behind the camera and grinned. ‘Haven’t decided how to go with this portrait yet. But we’ll keep it in mind.’ He took another photograph. ‘Yes,’ he yelled. ‘That look into the distance, that works really well.’
Chapter 20
‘No, that’s fine.’ Millie nodded into the phone, feeling sick. It wasn’t fine at all. ‘I completely understand. Of course the feasibility study shows little potential profit. But if I could just explain some of the ideas I’ve had and some of the new customers we’ve attracted to the café recently.’ She listened as Clare’s father interrupted. And quashed all hopes of a sale.
‘Well, that’s it, then,’ she said to Trevor as she replaced the receiver. ‘That’s the end of that particular adventure.’ She gathered his warm little body to her and went to stand at the sitting-room window. It was foggy again tonight, hushing the sea. Even the Christmas lights strung along the harbour buildings were barely visible. The flat could feel very remote on nights like tonight. Few people lived nearby when it was out of season and Millie had never felt more alone. Holding Trevor closer, she whispered into his fur. ‘What are we going to do about paying the bills? I’ll have to let Eleri go. And I knew I shouldn’t have bought that extravagant tree. Oh Trev and what about that threatened hike in business rates. What are we going to do?’
The envelope, with its strident Blue Elephant logo, sat on the arm of the sofa. It had arrived that morning. At the time it had made her laugh and she’d nearly ripped it up. But this morning she’d still thought Clare’s parents were pursuing the purchase of the café.
Trevor, wriggling in her tight hold, protested, so she put him down. He found his squeaky toy and began to play with it noisily, oblivious to her distress and the fact that he might not have a roof over his head for much longer.
‘Well, that’s it then,’ Millie murmured, a solitary tear rolling down her cold cheek. ‘Blue Elephant you’ve won.’
Chapter 21
Eleri spread the lifestyle magazines out on the table in front of her. The café had been quiet all morning and she thought she could sneak in some work. They’d been due another networking group but Clare’s mother had just rung and cancelled all bookings for the foreseeable future. Millie was nowhere to be seen, having muttered something about having to make some important phone calls.
As she drank her coffee, Eleri took time to enjoy Zoe’s Christmas decorations. The endearingly wonky tree was now festooned in pink and silver tinsel and glowed with a mass of white lights. Zoe had spent an entire weekend making pink cupcake Christmas decorations out of painted cardboard. They were so effective they’d had several customers ask where they could be bought. The fairy lights, with their fluffy trim, weren’t to Eleri’s taste, but she had to admit Zoe had natural artistic talent. She’d learned that the girl had given up her painting and thought it a mistake. Zoe had potential; she was wasted doing English Lit.
The café looked much improved with a few singing snowmen around, not to mention the blow-up Father Christmas in the corner, where Trevor guarded it jealously. The decorations hid the inevitable chipped paint and hard knocks of a season’s wear and tear. The quick-fix overh
aul of last year had done its job but was only temporary. The long-planned refurbishment, Millie had explained, was having to be postponed.
The Christmas decorations were fun, Eleri decided, and fun was in short supply in Millie Vanilla’s at the moment. And the customers seemed to notice. There had been a noticeable lack of business in recent days. The cancellation of the networking groups might just be the death knell.
Trying not to worry about Millie and her café, Eleri flicked through a magazine. She paused at a page. Liking a picture of a tented ceiling and enormous chandeliers, she reached for her scissors and cut it out. ‘Would be a marvellous look for the restaurant at the Lord,’ she murmured to herself. She loved creating mood boards. It took her back to cutting and sticking sessions on wet Sunday afternoons when she was a child. Glancing up, she saw it was beginning to rain. It was the sort of light but persistent seaside rain that made you wetter than expected. No wonder there were no customers venturing as far along the prom as Millie Vanilla’s. They’d all be shopping in town and diving into Blue Elephant.
Eleri shivered. It was cold in the café. Millie had turned the thermostat down and snapped at her when she’d mentioned it. She picked up her mug and drank, thoughtfully. Millie had looked ashen when she’d slammed out. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong. You didn’t have to be a ‘sensitive’ to guess that. Eleri wondered how long things would take to work themselves out. At the moment it didn’t look good for any of them. Sighing and wishing fate would hurry up and sort it out, she turned another page and stroked an image of some chairs. The deep-blue velvet was a great look. Not with the cheap gilt trim, though. She continued to work through the magazines methodically. She’d already begun a list of possible therapies that the hotel could offer; she had enough contacts to pull in favours. She allowed herself a little wiggle of excitement. It was so good to be working on something that she had been trained for. For the first time in a long while, maybe ever, she felt the tug of roots. Of wanting to stay in one place for good. She and Alex had got on brilliantly when he’d taken her to lunch. She’d be happy to work for him. And, when the love between them happened, as she knew it would, she’d welcome it.
A shadow, dark and foreboding, misted into the room. Its tendrils gripped at her, clouding her vision. Dropping the scissors with a clatter, she put a hand to her temple as the pain struck. Something terrible was happening. It was happening right now and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
Chapter 22
Millie parked outside the front door of the Lord to let Eleri get out. She had no intention of lingering. There was nothing for her at the hotel and she had Christmas shopping to do. She and Tessa planned on going into Lyme later. If what she’d put into motion ten days ago happened, she might actually have more than a fiver to spend on present-buying this year. Besides, she had no desire to play gooseberry to the affair quietly blossoming between Alex and Eleri.
Alex appeared at the door, looking anxious. ‘Good morning, both.’ His breath puffed out in the cold air. ‘Jed’s back. His trip was curtailed somewhat. Come in, come in.’ He sprinted around to the driver’s door before Millie could change her mind. Opening it for her, he whispered, ‘Do come in. I’m rather worried about the old boy.’
Alex led them, this time, into a recently refurbished sitting room. By the hotel’s standards it was probably considered small, but Millie thought the café would fit in twice over. She glanced around, appreciating the subtle blues and creams, her attention caught by an enormous abstract hanging on one wall.
‘One of Ken’s,’ Eleri explained. ‘Alex and I thought it would be lush to display some local artists in the hotel.’
‘And, of course the main advantage is, as it’s a free advertisement for them, I haven’t had to pay a penny for it.’
‘Alex!’ Eleri nudged his arm playfully. ‘You don’t mean that, bach.’
Alex regarded her with affection. ‘Don’t I? The other advantage is if I absolutely hate the piece, I can change it at will.’ He pulled a comical face at Millie.
Eleri put an arm through his and looked up at him, laughing. ‘You don’t mean that either. Ken paints genius stuff.’
Jealousy shot through Millie. They looked so relaxed with each other. Had already got to the tender, bantering stage of their relationship. She wondered if they’d slept with each yet and guessed not. Eleri might have to work a little harder at piercing Alex’s closed-up shell. Although he was a lot more relaxed these days, he was nothing like his brother. At the thought of Jed another tumult of emotions flooded her. Not jealousy this time. Love, loss, longing. Anger. All far more complex than she imagined Eleri and Alex were experiencing. Fear prickled. She wondered why his brother was worried about him.
‘Hello Millie.’ A soft voice had her wheeling around. For a moment Millie didn’t recognise him. In place of the glossy Boden boy was a shadow, a wraith. He wore an over-sized navy and claret striped dressing gown. Alex’s at a guess.
‘Jed.’ She went to him and took his hands, any antipathy forgotten. ‘You look terrible.’
‘Thanks.’ He managed a grin. ‘Can we all sit down, do you think?’ He sank onto the nearest sofa. Millie thought he winced in pain.
She sat next to him. ‘Have you been ill?’
‘You could say that.’ His attempt at joviality was pitiful. ‘Picked up some kind of bug and couldn’t shake it off.’
Alex busied himself pouring coffee for them all. ‘Jed had to cut his trip short and get home.’
‘Didn’t get much work done,’ Jed added. ‘I had to get an earlier flight back.’
Millie looked from one brother to another. ‘And neither of you thought to tell me?’
‘Sorry, Millie. I only found out when I had the call from Heathrow to pick him up.’ Alex handed her a cup. ‘I collected him the day before yesterday. Since then it’s been a bit hectic. Getting him to see a doc and sort out someone to look after him.’
‘Would you care, Millie?’ Jed asked, quietly.
‘Of course I care! I love – ,’ Millie stopped short and looked down, confused. ‘We may not still be together but I still care about you. A lot.’ She sucked in a breath to regain control. ‘And you really do look awful.’
Jed slumped back. ‘Yeah well. To be honest, I feel it.’ He shook his head at Alex’s offer of coffee. ‘I’ll stick with water, thanks, bro.’
‘Are you eating? Is there anything I can make for you?’
‘Oh, Millie my love. I wish I could have you as my nurse.’
Before Millie could answer, Alex butted in. ‘You’ve got the inestimable Coral meeting your every need, Jed. At vast expense, I might add. And Millie hasn’t time to play nursemaid.’
Jed met her eyes. ‘Alex hired an agency nurse.’ He pulled a gloomy face. ‘She’s terribly bossy. I don’t like being told what to do, you see.’
‘When did you ever?’ Alex put in, drily. ‘And may I remind you the alternative was Mother. Ma’s brand of nursing is rather robust,’ he added, as explanation.
Millie could well imagine.
‘She’s threatened to come down to see you, as it is.’ Alex sat on an opulent blue- velvet chaise and grinned.
Jed let his head flop back as if the effort of the conversation was too much.
‘What does the doctor think it is?’ Eleri asked.
Alex answered, as Jed had his eyes closed. ‘Some kind of infection. Should go in a week or so. As long as he rests. Which, of course, he won’t.’
‘Dengue fever, maybe? It’s common in South America.’ Eleri nodded at him. She seemed to know all about tropical disease. Draining her coffee, she stood up. ‘Come on Alex, we need to go and fry our brains over a new name for the hotel. This room is looking fab, by the way. I can’t believe how quickly you pulled it together.’ She drifted out of the room.
Alex gave his brother a concerned glance. ‘Don’t let him do anything strenuous, please, Millie. If either of you need anything we’ll be in the office. Or you can r
ing for Coral, of course.’
Chapter 23
Millie took Jed’s hand, shocked to feel it so hot. He’d fallen into a doze. Gazing, she drank him in, greedily. She smoothed back his fringe, which had grown long and sun-tinted from the South American climate. The luxurious hair mocked his complexion, which although sun-tanned was worryingly dry and papery. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let time pass, content to be with him.
‘You still here?’ Jed asked. His voice seemed to come from a long way off.
Millie sat up, embarrassed. ‘I think you should be in bed.’
‘Is that a proposition?’ He yawned hugely and grinned.
‘Even if it was, which it isn’t, I don’t think you’re in any fit state to act on it.’
Jed tried to slide himself up the sofa and stopped short, as if something hurt badly. He gave up. ‘You could be right there,’ he admitted. ‘Jeez. It’s so bloody frustrating. I’m never ill.’
‘Is there anything I can get you?’
‘Only yourself.’
Millie froze. ‘Ah.’ She slid her hand out of his.
Jed closed his eyes. He seemed to be drifting off again. ‘And that’s not going to happen, is it, Millie?’
Millie squeezed shut her own eyes. The tears were threatening. ‘I don’t think so, Jed. No.’
Jed sighed. The sound came from deep within his soul. ‘Such a damn shame,’ he whispered, his voice slurring slightly. ‘We could have had such a good thing. But you’re right. There’s no hope of anything now.’
Millie, blinded by tears, searched out his hand again and they sat for a while in silence.
A woman in a blue top and matching trousers strode in. ‘So there you are,’ she said in a soft Irish accent. She stood above them, glaring down. ‘Did I or did I not tell you, Jeremy Henville, that you were to stay in bed, now?’
This must be Coral, the nurse. She was at once terrifying and beautiful. Young, red-haired and curvy underneath the uniform. Millie stood up and glanced down at Jed. ‘My fault,’ she said. ‘I should have called for you when I realised how weak he was.’