The Vintage Bookshop of Memories

by Elizabeth Holland

  ‘My mother loves reading but she has to hide it from my father. He views it as a waste of her time when she could be doing something like cooking dinner or washing his clothes.’

  The more Prue heard about Elliot’s family life the sadder she felt for him. How terrible to grow up in a house where you couldn’t express yourself or indulge in a few minutes of something that made you happy.

  ‘Elliot please tell your mother that she’s always welcome here. She can stay and read for as long as she likes.’

  Prue’s idea for the little shop was to be a part of the community, to provide a safe and calm space for people to come and enjoy reading. She only hoped she could do her mother justice and convey her vision.

  By the end of the day the little shop was looking perfect, all that was missing now were the customers. Prue looked around and felt her heart almost burst with pride, this was her mother’s creation but now it was all hers and she had to make a success of it.

  ‘Are you ready to go?’ Elliot asked her as he came back from washing his paint brush. Prue had decided to handprint ‘The Vintage Bookshop of Memories’ on the front counter in the colour antique gold. It was a final touch and one that really pulled everything together.

  ‘Can we stay at the manor tonight?’ The plan had been for her to stay at Elliot’s over the weekend but Prue knew she had to go home at some point. She would feel safer if Elliot stayed with her for a couple of nights. They agreed to go back to the manor, with a slight detour so that Elliot could pack a bag for himself.

  As they drove up to the gate of the manor Prue felt a sickening feeling in her stomach, something wasn’t right. It took her a few seconds to realise what was so out of place. Her entire body was trembling as she looked towards the front of the manor, the front door had been smashed in and there was nothing in its place. Prue could see straight into the hallway where everything had been vandalised. A chill ran down Prue’s spine as she realised anyone could just walk in or out of the manor.

  ‘Elliot?’ Prue whispered, she wasn’t sure whether or not he had noticed it yet.

  ‘I’m calling the police this time Prue. We’re not going in until they’ve been. Who knows what or who could be inside.’

  Prue knew Elliot was right, it had gone too far this time and she needed to put her foot down. She sat in silence staring at her home as Elliot called the police and told them what had happened. It only took the police ten minutes to arrive, however every one of those minutes seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Prue was barely able to consider what the inside of the manor might look like. The hallway had been completely desecrated, who knew what they had done to the rest of the house. Precious memories gone or vandalised. Everything she had was here in this house and there was someone out there trying to take that from her. The worst thing was it was highly likely that the someone was Elliot’s father.

  The police arrived and there was a sudden buzz of action. In a somewhat dazed state Prue answered all of their questions and watched as they combed the house for any evidence. Other than a smashed door and the vandalism in the hallway all the police found were some graffiti on the walls.

  ‘What does the graffiti say?’ Prue almost didn’t recognise her voice, she sounded detached and cold. She was putting all of her effort into keeping herself together, she couldn’t afford to let her emotions free right now, not until the police had left.

  ‘It says ‘you’re not welcome here’.’ A chill ran down Prue’s spine as the police officer turned to Elliot to ask him if he knew who might have done it. Elliot shook his head, his face completely blank and told the officer that he didn’t know who may have done such a thing.

  As the officer turned to her Prue had an internal battle with herself, she knew exactly who had done this but should she tell the police? The graffiti was word for word the same as the note wrapped around the brick.

  ‘It was Arnold Harrington. He also threw a brick through my window.’ Prue could see Elliot’s eyes fall on her and the disappointment on his face. She didn’t care. She had done everything in her power to appease the village and it seemed to be working. It was time that Arnold realised that he couldn’t keep stirring up trouble with her. He had to take responsibility for his actions and be punished for them.

  The police took Prue to one side so that she could give them a statement. She could feel Elliot’s eyes on her the entire time but she couldn’t turn to look at him. Prue understood that he was in a difficult situation but she refused to continue living her life in fear. What would his father do next?

  Eventually the police left, after boarding up the doorway and telling her to call them if she needed anything. Prue watched the officers drive back down the driveway and a part of her almost wished they would come back. With them gone it was just her and Elliot and she knew they would have to talk about what had just happened. With some reluctance Prue walked around the back of the manor so that they could go in through the back door. It was a horrible feeling to know that someone had been inside your home spreading such hate. A part of her didn’t want to even go inside but she knew she had to be strong, this was her home and it would continue to be her home. She would not let one single-minded farmer scare her out of her family home.

  ‘Why did you tell them it was my father?’ Elliot broke the silence between them once they were inside the house with the backdoor shut.

  ‘I had to Elliot. He keeps coming to my house and vandalising things. He’s trying to scare me into leaving my home. I’ve grown up here, why should I leave? It’s as much my home as it is yours. It’s not right Elliot.’

  There was a tense silence between them as Elliot processed what she had to say. She could tell that he was struggling with an internal battle, he knew she was right and yet it was still his father.

  ‘Perhaps you should go home Elliot.’ As much as Prue didn’t want to be on her own here, she knew right now they needed their space.

  ‘I can’t leave you here on your own.’ He replied, his face full of torment.

  ‘You can. I’m going to call a friend and ask her to come and stay for a bit. Honestly, I’ll be fine.’ Prue was putting on a brave face, she couldn’t let on how scared she really was because then Elliot wouldn’t leave.

  Eventually Elliot accepted her reassurance and he left, with just a peck on her cheek. Once Prue was sure he was gone she let herself succumb to her emotions and ran up to her bedroom and cried. She felt completely lost in the world, torn in two. She was yearning for her life back in Brighton and yet she was loving being at home surrounded by her memories. This turmoil was only fuelling her want to find her father, it would be nice to have someone completely on her side and to help her fight her battles against the village.

  Once her tears had stopped falling Prue took a deep breath and pulled out her phone, she had been meaning to invite Katie to come and stay and right now she could do with a friendly face.

  ‘Hello?’ Prue couldn’t help but smile as she heard Katie’s perky voice down the phone, she had really missed her friend.

  ‘Katie, I’ve missed you!’ Prue knew that Katie would immediately know something was wrong from the tone of her voice.

  ‘Prue, what’s wrong?’ Twenty minutes later Prue had told Katie what had been happening and they had arranged for Katie to come and stay. She would get the train down tomorrow morning and Prue would pick her up just after lunchtime.

  Once Prue had put the phone down she considered going downstairs and making herself some dinner. However, the thought of walking through the dark house on her own scared her and so she decided to just write the day off and go to bed early. She locked her bedroom door and moved the heavy scalloped green armchair in front of it, in an attempt to barricade herself in. It was ridiculous that she had to go to such lengths to feel even the slightest bit safe in her own home. Anger was bubbling away inside of Prue and she knew it would fuel her to keep going and to fight this battle. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day.

  Chapter Nineteen


  The following morning Prue woke to someone knocking on her boarded up door. She hoped it was Elliot coming to apologise for how sour things had turned last night. Prue couldn’t allow herself to think who else it might be, if she did then she would be paralysed with fear. After wrapping her dressing gown around herself she tiptoed downstairs to see who it was. Thankfully, there was still one window intact by the side of the boarded up doorway and so she could peek out. As Prue caught a glimpse of who was on the other side of the door she felt her heart pound and her hands tremble. Staring straight back at her was Arnold Harrington. Prue didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t run anywhere, she was trapped.

  ‘I just want to talk.’ Arnold said, he must have seen the terrified look on Prue’s face. His voice was gruff and he was holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. There wasn’t anything Prue could do other than appease him and so she called back telling him she would be a minute. A part of her was interested to see what he had to say for himself. She ran upstairs and quickly threw on some clothes before grabbing her phone and putting it safely in her pocket. She also knew that the gardener would be round soon and so she wouldn’t be completely alone for long. Prue let herself out through the backdoor and made her way round to the front of the manor. She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, she couldn’t show Arnold any sign of weakness. She had to be strong and confident.

  Each and every nerve inside of Prue’s body was on edge and was screaming at her to run as far away as possible from the man who had been harassing her. However, she knew he would take great pleasure in seeing how scared his actions had made her and so she pushed away those feelings and with every step she came closer to Arnold Harrington.

  ‘What do you want?’ She spat as she came to stand in front of him. Prue wanted this little chat over with as quick as possible.

  ‘I wanted to speak to you, to offer you an ultimatum.’ His voice was gruff and his eyes were narrow in obvious disdain at the woman stood in front of him.

  ‘What kind of ultimatum? Prue questioned, she was beginning to worry where this was going. She wouldn’t be driven out of her home or out of the village by anyone, not even this brute of a man.

  ‘I’ve heard rumours that you’re looking for your father, is it true?’

  Prue felt the anger boil up inside of her, she took a deep breath and dug her nails into the palm of her hands to stop herself from doing anything stupid.

  ‘I don’t see how that’s any of your business.’ She replied, thankfully the iciness of her tone hid the anger that was simmering away beneath the surface.

  ‘It’s my business because you’re dating my son.’ The disgust on Arnold’s face was clear, he hated the thought of his son mixing with one of the Clemontes. There was a small part of Prue that was enjoying this.

  ‘Whether I’m looking for my father or not is none of your business. Now I suggest you leave my property before I call the police.’ Prue crossed her arms across her chest and stood tall, she wouldn’t let him intimidate her.

  ‘I know where your father is. If you end whatever is going on between you and Elliot I’ll give you his address.’ Prue was left stunned as she watched Arnold walk back down her driveway. That hadn’t been the ultimatum that she had been expecting.

  Once Prue was safely back inside the manor with the door locked behind her she took a seat at the breakfast bar and placed her head in her hands. She didn’t know what to do. As lovely as her relationship with Elliot was it seemed doomed. Were they going to end the same way her own parents had? Perhaps it was best if things ended now to minimise the heartbreak. If Prue ended things it was possible that she would be able to find her father and the abuse from Arnold would stop. As much as she was falling in love with Elliot she knew that their relationship wouldn’t survive his father’s wrath. From their first date something had unnerved Prue, the similarities between their relationship and her parents had been worrying. She knew that if she didn’t act soon they would be as heartbroken and as unhappy as her own parents had been.

  Although it broke her heart Prue knew what she had to do. Taking the coward’s way out she pulled her phone out from her pocket and began to draft a text to Elliot. She knew it would hurt him, especially doing it by text but she had to make him realise she was serious. If she spoke to him face-to-face there was the risk that her emotions would overcome her and she wouldn’t be able to do what she had to do. The text was short and to the point, perhaps a little cold hearted but Prue knew it had to be that way. She thanked him for all of his support and kindness and told him that she appreciated it but unfortunately they couldn’t keep seeing each other. Their relationship was strictly professional if they ever bumped into each other at the solicitor’s office.

  Once she had hit send Prue hid her phone in one of the kitchen drawers and wiped a stray tear that was slowly sliding down her face. She had to be strong and so she took a deep breath and went upstairs to get ready for the day. It hadn’t sunk in yet that she would not get to see Elliot again, she wouldn’t get to hold his hand or kiss him again. Eventually that pain would hit her and she would be utterly heartbroken but for now she had to get ready to pick Katie up from the station. She also had Arnold’s ultimatum to consider.

  Chapter Twenty

  The drive to the station was peaceful. Prue concentrated on the road in front of her and every time her mind strayed she forced herself to think of Katie and her plans for the bookshop over the coming days. There was lots to do to keep her busy and distracted. Prue was looking forward to spending some time with Katie, she needed a friend right now. The station was located in one of the neighbouring towns and took about half an hour to get there. Thankfully it was a dull but dry day and so Prue’s Mini was happily trundling along the winding country lanes. Every now and then Elliot’s face threatened to encroach on her thoughts but she pushed him to the back of her mind. Just as she had refocused on the road in front of her Prue’s phone beeped from her bag in the passenger footwell, it would be another text from Elliot. He had been trying to get hold of her for the past two hours. As much as Prue wanted to give in and pull over to answer the phone she knew that this was how things were suppose to end. They were a carbon copy of her own parents, their fate was doomed and so it was easier they ended things now before life got too complicated.

  Eventually the phone went quiet again and Prue relaxed slightly, she wasn’t far from the station now. The final leg of the journey involved busier roads, which required Prue to concentrate on what was going on rather than listening out for her phone.

  As she pulled into a parking spot in the station carpark Prue glanced at her phone to see that she was ten minutes early. It was better than being late. With a newfound sense of bravery Prue grabbed her phone and scrolled through the messages that Elliot had been sending her. He was confused and hurt by her words and was begging her to reconsider. It hurt to read his messages, telling her that he had thought they had a future together. It was exactly how Prue had felt until reality had hit her. Sooner or later he would realise why she did it and know that it was for the best. One day he would thank her for having the courage to end things now.

  Prue was soon distracted from the thoughts that were whizzing around her head at a hundred miles per hour. A knock on the car window made her jump and drop her phone. As she looked up she saw Katie peering in at her with a huge grin on her face. Prue leapt out of the car and flung her arms around her friend, with tears pouring down her face.

  ‘Hey, I haven’t aged that much since I last saw you!’ Katie tried to make her smile and it worked, she always knew how to change the mood in the room. Or in this case the mood on the pavement, by the side of the car.

  ‘It’s been a tough few weeks Kate.’ Prue sighed as she pulled back to look at her friend. She looked good, really good. Her friend was dressed in a purple flowing long top that she had thrown on over leggings. Their styles were worlds apart and yet the two girls had just immediately clicked. Katie with her curly
red hair and Prue with her sleek dark locks. They were polar opposites and yet their souls recognised each other. As Prue continued to inspect her friend’s appearance she felt a pang of jealously as she realised that Katie looked happy.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you home and we can have a good catch up.’ Somehow they squished Katie’s oversized suitcase into the back of the car and they set off back towards the village. As they got nearer and nearer Prue felt the familiar sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Having Katie sat beside her was a reminder of her old life and how happy she had once been.

  ‘How’s work?’ Katie asked, completely unaware of the chaos inside of Prue’s head.

  ‘I haven’t been working. I’ve been trying to sort the estate out, prevent an angry mob from torching my home and restoring a bookshop that I discovered my mother had once owned and run.’ It came out in a jumble of words with a sob at the end. Prue had been trying to keep her emotions locked up, at least until they had got back and Katie had unpacked.

  ‘Oh Prue, you should have called me sooner.’ The sincerity in Katie’s tone brought a fresh round of tears to Prue’s eyes. Even in the short time that she had been away she had forgotten how close they had been. When Prue left Brighton she had gone with the mindset of starting a new life and leaving her old one behind. With her friend sat next to her Prue now realised that it wasn’t a matter of one life or the other, she could have both. At least she could have both providing the villagers would accept her.

  Somehow through the tears Prue managed to drive them home and they were soon sitting at the breakfast bar with gin fizzes in front of them. It was technically afternoon and so a gin or two was par for the course. With a box of tissues on hand Prue told Katie everything that had happened since she had left Brighton. Saying it out loud made her realise just how much she had been bottling up, a village full of hate, the revelation about her father and a failed relationship. She had crammed a lot into the short time that she had been home.