The Vintage Bookshop of Memories

by Elizabeth Holland

  ‘Prue your father always wanted to be a part of your life. He didn’t find out about your existence until you were eight months old. One morning there was a knock on our front door and it was your father. He had returned to the village for your mother but he knew that your grandmother would not let him into the manor and so he asked to stay with us until he could contact your mum. Of course I had to sit him down and tell him about you. I remember it like it was yesterday, he had tears of joy running down his face as he asked all about you. He was so happy but then suddenly it was as if reality hit him and he realised that if he was a part of your life the village would never let you be happy. He told me that he had to leave you be and allow you to live your life, your mother too. I’m afraid that was the last time I ever saw Robert. He still sends a Christmas card though, every year. I don’t have his address so I can’t send him one back.’

  Prue felt like her head might explode with all the information that she had just been given. Her father hadn’t just forgotten about her mother, he had returned and he had wanted to be with her. He also knew about Prue’s existence and from the reaction that Carol described he was happy to have a daughter. Prue found that her desire to meet him was strengthening.

  ‘I think I have his address.’ Prue almost whispered it as though it was a secret she wasn’t suppose to be sharing. Carol looked shocked but she quickly composed her features.

  ‘What are you going to do with it?’

  ‘I’m going to go and find my father.’ It wasn’t until that moment Prue knew for sure what she was doing to do. She was sure that this was the right thing to do. It was time the village changed and accepted her and her family for who they were.

  ‘Would you like some company?’ Carol looked hopeful and in that moment Prue felt her heart expand with gratitude. There was nothing she would love more than some company and some moral support from the closest thing she had to family right now.

  ‘I’d love some company. I have to open the shop tomorrow but shall we go on Monday?’

  The two of them made plans to set off to the address on Monday morning. Prue knew that it could end in disappointment but she had to take this step and find out. After all, it could go well and she could find her father and Carol could find her nephew.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Monday morning Prue woke with a huge knot of nerves in her stomach. Today was the day, at least she hoped it would be. Prue was trying not to get too excited since she had already had one failed attempt at finding her father. There was still the chance that he would have moved or he might simply not be at home. There were so many ‘what ifs?’ that if Prue spent too long thinking about them she found her head began to spin out of control and she lost her grip on reality. She had to focus on today one step at a time and right now she was trying to decide what to wear. Trying being the operative word in this situation. Unfortunately, life didn’t come with a handbook that advised on what to wear when meeting your long-lost father for the first time.

  With half of her wardrobe discarded on her bed Prue was really struggling to decide which outfit to choose. What did one wear to meet their long-lost father for the first time? She almost Googled it before a purple dress at the back of the wardrobe caught her eye. It was a simple 40s style tea dress in a gorgeous purple fabric but it was so much more than that. When Prue and her grandmother had finally gained the courage to clear out her mother’s wardrobe they had taken some of the items of clothing and had them altered. This dress was one of those, it had once been a maxi dress with a gorgeous matching platted belt. The belt had been turned into a headband, however Prue decided against wearing it today with the dress. It was enough to know that she had a piece of her mother with her, the same outfit that her mother had met her father in to discuss the bookshop.

  After what seemed like a lifetime Prue was finally ready for the day and she made her way into the village, in her Mini, to pick up Carol. As Prue sat outside Carol’s cottage waiting for her to come out she breathed a sigh of relief that her love for vintage didn’t extend to mobiles. Prue tapped the address into the SatNav on her phone and set it up in the little holdall attached to the windscreen.

  ‘Good morning dear, you look lovely.’ Carol slowly climbed into the car and smoothed down her dress. She had obviously put as much effort into her appearance as Prue had that morning. The excitement was obvious on Carol’s face as she turned to look at Prue.

  ‘Are you ready for this?’ She asked, reaching over to place a reassuring hand on Prue’s arm.

  ‘I think so. What about you Carol, are you ready?’

  ‘I think so. Come on let’s go.’

  According to the SatNav the journey would take them two hours and so both women were eager to start making their way towards the address. The journey itself was lovely and peaceful as they passed endless fields and forests. Under any other circumstances Prue would have been revelling in the beauty of the area and enjoying every moment of the drive. However, today all she wanted was to arrive at the address and meet her father.

  The two women chatted endlessly for the entirety of the two hour drive. Carol asked Prue all about her life in Brighton, what she had studied at university and how she had started working in an auction house. In turn, Carol told Prue about her life and how she had come on holiday to the village at the age of twenty, met her husband and never left. Both were grateful for the distraction as their impending visit grew ever closer with each mile that they drove. Soon enough they passed a little sign welcoming them to the town where Prue’s father lived. The town was much busier than their little village and lacked the charm of quaint cottages and old fashioned shops lining the main road. Instead, this town boasted lots of chain shops and even a big name coffee shop. After having immersed herself in village-life Prue felt almost shocked as she looked around at what she had once considered life’s necessities. Prue still remembered the little thrill that went through her whenever she walked through the Lanes with a gingerbread latte in her grasp peering through the windows of all the jewellers. It felt like a million miles away from her life now and yet there was a small part of her that yearned for the hustle and bustle of Brighton. To be lost in a sea of people again.

  Prue turned a corner at the top of the main road, which took her onto a residential estate. The SatNav was telling her to take a left hand turning and then her destination would be two hundred yards on her right. Suddenly she felt her heart beat speed up and her hands became sweaty as she gripped the steering wheel. They were so close, it wouldn’t be long until she was knocking on a front door wondering whether or not her father would answer.

  ‘Shall we pull over for a minute?’ Carol suggested, she had taken one look at Prue and seen the turmoil inside of her head.

  ‘Yes please.’ Prue pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned it off before taking a couple of deep breaths to steady her nerves. She’d been through so much over the last couple of months what with her grandmother’s death, the village hating her, her short-lived relationship with Elliot and now potentially meeting her father for the first time. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that a big part of her was scared of rejection. After all, she’d been hated by the village and even Elliot had given up on her. Who knew whether her father would want anything to do with her.

  ‘Prue, I may not have seen my nephew for a long time but I did know him very well. He was a kind and loving man and I honestly think he will be overjoyed to see you. I think he’s probably been too scared to disrupt your life by contacting you. He’s probably scared too.’ Carol leant across the car and took Prue’s hand in hers. Prue hoped that the woman was right, at the very least she had to believe she was right. With one final deep breath Prue turned the key in the engine and began to press down on the accelerator.

  ‘Come on Carol.’ She smiled at the old woman and they set off towards the house.

  The SatNav directed them to a house that could only be described as average. There was nothing that ma
de it special. It was a red brick, mid-terrace house with a brown door. Prue was a little disappointed that the house didn’t give anything away about her father’s personality or his life. Or perhaps it did, perhaps his life was just average. Prue was well aware that her mind was running away with itself at this point and so she grabbed her handbag and made her way out of the car before she could think of anything else. Carol followed her and came round to her side of the road. Both women stood staring up at the house in front of them. The driveway in front of the house lay empty and Prue was worried that her father was out. It was a Monday after-all, there was a high possibility that he was out at work.

  ‘Perhaps he doesn’t have a car.’ Carol must have been thinking the exact same as Prue.

  ‘There’s only one way to find out. Are you ready?’ Carol nodded in agreement and the two women made their way up the driveway to the front door.

  Without thinking about it Prue lifted her hand and knocked on the door. Time seemed to stop as they stood there waiting to see whether anyone would answer the door. Prue had to remind herself that even if someone did answer the door, it might not necessarily be her father. After all, she had already had one disappointment in finding him. After what seemed like hours, but was probably only 30 seconds, the door began to open and Prue felt her breath catch in her throat. Was she about to meet her father?

  As the man on the other side of the door came into view Prue felt as though her whole world had been tipped on its side. There was no mistaking who it was on the other side of the door, it was her father. Prue had always known that she shared her looks with her mother, however looking at the man in front of her she could see that she had inherited both his jaw line and his lips. Prue found herself utterly speechless as she stared into her father’s eyes. He seemed to be just as taken-back as she was as his mouth opened and closed but no words were coming out.

  ‘Robert?’ Carol’s voice brought Prue back into the present and she shook her head to force herself to concentrate on the moment and begin to find her words again. Prue watched as he turned to look at the woman beside her and a look of recognition fell across this face, he hadn’t even noticed she was there until she had spoken.

  ‘Auntie Carol!’ He exclaimed, he shook his head in disbelief. Prue thought about how much of a shock this must be for him. At least she had been able to process everything and begin to come to terms with meeting her father. Robert hadn’t had any chance to prepare himself for this moment.

  ‘Robert, I’d like you to meet your daughter, Prue.’ Carol’s smile grew even bigger as she revelled in the moment as Robert met his daughter for the first time.

  ‘Hello.’ Prue waved, feeling incredibly shy and not knowing what the etiquette was for meeting your long-lost father for the first time. Was she suppose to embrace him and immediately start calling him dad? Or should she call him Robert? She wished she had thought all of this through before she was stood on his doorstep face-to-face with him.

  ‘Hello Prue.’ He smiled back at her, looking completely stunned. Thankfully he also looked as though he had no idea what the etiquette was. It was somewhat comforting to know that neither of them knew how to act in the situation.

  ‘Can we come in or would you prefer we popped out for a coffee?’ Thankfully they both had Carol there to prompt them.

  ‘Please, come in.’ Robert stood aside to allow them both into the house. Prue couldn’t help but observe the fact that the hallway was just as bland as the outside of the house had been. White walls, beige carpet and not one single picture lined the walls. There was something quite sad about just how bare this little space was.

  ‘The living room is the first door on the left. Would you excuse me for a moment, I better call work and tell them I won’t be coming in until later.’ Robert made his way further down the hallway as Prue and Carol let themselves into the living room to wait for him.

  The room had the same white walls and beige carpet, however there was one splash of colour that stood out in the uninspiring room. Above the fireplace hung a large picture of a man and a woman dressed in bright colours. As they waited for Robert to return Prue made her way over to the picture to take a closer look. Prue was surprised to see that the picture was of her mother and Robert. They were stood in front of the door to the bookshop both with huge smiles on their faces and pure happiness sparkling in their eyes. It was the kind of photo that made you smile just looking at it.

  ‘That’s my favourite picture of Dottie.’ Robert walked back into the room and came to stand beside Prue as they both stared up at the picture. Prue had known that her mother was Dorothy to most people but to her closest friends and family she had always been Dottie. There was a tendency in her family to adopt a shortened version of your name.

  ‘She looks very happy.’ Prue replied politely, a little part of her was jealous that the man stood next to her had known her mother. Prue’s mother had died when she was so young she didn’t have any proper memories of her. She only had those fake memories which originate from a photo or a video clip and over time you convince yourself that you remembered being there.

  ‘She was.’ Robert gave a wistful sigh as he turned away from the picture and went to sit on the arm chair that was tucked away in the bay window. Even the sofas were a shade of taupe. Prue was now sure she didn’t get her artistic flare and love for history from her father. Perhaps it was a trait that she had unknowingly inherited from her grandmother.

  As a silence fell upon the room Prue decided to go and sit next to Carol on the sofa. She hoped that someone would encourage the conversation as for the first time in her life Prue was utterly speechless.

  ‘I have to be honest Prue, I don’t really know what to say. Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon to see you and I’ve dreamed about this day for so many years. I just don’t know what to say.’ Prue could safely say that she had inherited her awkwardness from her father.

  ‘I’m not too sure where to start either.’ Prue replied with a nervous laugh, how were they ever going to forge a relationship when they were both just sat there enjoying the silence?

  ‘Like father, like daughter.’ Carol commented, making them all laugh.

  ‘What brings you here Prue? I mean, why now?’ Prue was grateful for a conversation starter, she only wished it could have been a question that was easier to answer.

  ‘My grandmother died recently and so I’ve gone home, to Ivy Hatch. Whilst I’ve been sorting everything out I discovered that the bookshop existed and from there I began to learn about your relationship with my mother. If I’m completely honest I hadn’t given much thought to having a father before that. Obviously I’d wondered what you were like but I’d kind of resigned myself to never knowing.’ Prue felt self-conscious as she finished her little speech. This was the first time her father was meeting her which meant that everything she said and did would form his opinion on her. She only hoped he would be proud of her.

  Robert asked a few more questions about Prue’s life and how she had come back to the village. In turn Prue asked her own questions and she learned that her father was a carpenter, he had his own little workshop nearby and was also contracted out by local builders. There was nobody special in his life, there never had been since her mother. A part of Prue felt very sad to know that he had completely given his heart to her mother and had never been able to move on. He must have lived a very quiet life, no wonder his house was so beige.

  ‘What happened to the bookshop?’ Robert asked, his eyes suddenly sparkled with intrigue.

  ‘I’ve just recently re-opened it.’

  ‘I met your mother in that bookshop. She always said our eyes met over the top of a romance novel, although that’s not strictly true.’ Tears formed in Robert’s eyes as he indulged himself in his own memories. It wasn’t something he often allowed himself to do but today was an exception.

  ‘How did you meet then?’ Prue asked, although she had read about it in her mother’s diary she wanted to hear the same stor
y from her father’s point of view. Today wasn’t just about meeting her father, it was a chance to find answers to all the unanswered questions that she had swimming around her head.

  ‘That’s a story for another day.’ A funny look crossed Robert’s face, he wasn’t quite ready to share that story with Prue yet. It was a memory that he cherished dearly and it felt like the only part of Dottie that he had left. For Prue his words made her smile, he was already thinking about the next time they met. In all their awkward-glory they were still making some progress and slowly getting to know each other.

  ‘We ought to be making a move.’ Prue commented. They had been there for a few hours and in all honesty she felt exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions and the effort of trying to open up to a complete stranger. Today was just the start of their newfound-relationship, they didn’t have to learn everything about one-another in one sitting.

  ‘Of course, you have a long drive home.’ Robert stood up ready to see them to the door. Prue felt a small pang in her heart at the idea of leaving but she knew it was for the best. She needed some time alone to process everything that had happened. Once she had done that she could consider how they moved their relationship on to become more familiar.

  They said their goodbyes and Robert even leant forward to give Prue a brief but awkward hug.

  ‘Why don’t you come down for tea on Sunday? I know Prue will be working in the shop but we could pop in and see her and once it’s shut we can all have dinner together?’ Prue could have kissed Carol for her genius plan. It would give them both a week to come to terms with everything but it meant that they had their next visit planned. It also meant that Prue would be on home turf, which would hopefully ease some of the awkwardness.

  ‘That sounds brilliant, good-bye!’ Robert stood at the door waving them off until they had turned out of the road and were no longer in eye sight.