The Little Shop in Cornwall: A heartwarming and feel good beach read

by Helen Pollard

  ‘How?’

  Claudia took a sip of tea as she thought about it. ‘Maybe he’ll let me explain my stock?’

  ‘Doubt it,’ Sarah said. ‘Some people are just closed-minded.’

  ‘But if Millie keeps wanting to visit Healing Waves, he’ll have to deal with it, won’t he?’

  ‘By shouting at you every time you sell her a bar of voodoo-cursed soap?’

  Claudia laughed despite her misery.

  ‘You could tell Millie she’s not welcome,’ Evelyn suggested.

  ‘Not an option.’

  ‘Or tell her that her dad’s not happy about it?’

  ‘No. I get the impression those two are on a knife-edge as it is. I don’t want to be responsible for making it worse.’ Claudia sighed. ‘Well, thanks for the tea and sympathy. I’d better go – I’m due at Tanya’s tonight. Staying over. I’ll leave Pudding some food in his timer dish, so don’t worry about him.’

  Sarah smiled. ‘Don’t go cooking up any dark spells or sticking pins in Jason Craig effigies while you’re over there, will you?’

  Claudia gave her a long look. ‘I’m making no promises.’

  Claudia loved the drive to Tanya’s, even though she lived over an hour away in Falmouth. Tanya ran her own business developing websites, so a busy town was a must for her, although she still did a lot of driving to meet clients.

  It had often occurred to Claudia that the distance between them might not be such a bad thing. If they lived nearer, they would drink far too much wine and eat far more pizza than was good for them. And staying over meant a relaxed evening. The early alarm for the drive back was worth it.

  She and Tanya had become firm friends from the moment they met soon after Claudia moved south. Tanya was the only person in Cornwall who knew how disappointed life and love had left Claudia, and how hard she’d worked to discover the Claudia she wanted to be, a woman who didn’t answer to anyone. Claudia didn’t regret that. It was healthy that one person in her new life understood her completely.

  An evening of wine and chatter and laughter with Tanya was just what she needed after the afternoon she’d had.

  Negotiating her way through Falmouth, she found a parking spot in the street outside Tanya’s pale blue terraced cottage – not always possible in high season – and let herself in.

  Tanya hadn’t opened out the small ‘two-up, two-down’, but had left it with its original low-ceilinged rooms, cosy and cluttered with the paraphernalia that was unique to Tanya’s… natural talents.

  She greeted Claudia with a kiss, a glass of wine and a colourful veggie supper. An hour later, Claudia had caught up with Tanya’s new website commission for a local restaurant and had commiserated over her latest dating flop.

  ‘He was so into me when I met him at yoga,’ Tanya lamented. ‘Couldn’t keep his eyes off me.’

  This, Claudia could well believe. Tanya was petite, lithe, and had a short blonde haircut that rarely misbehaved (and if it did, it only made her look cute). She looked darned good in her yoga gear.

  ‘But?’

  ‘The usual. More interested in my body than my mind. And…’

  Claudia gave her a knowing look. ‘Did you tell him?’

  ‘I always do. Easier to come clean at the start. No point investing time and energy in a lost cause.’

  ‘He didn’t want to date a witch?’

  Tanya’s alter-ego didn’t always go down well with her dates. But it was who she was. She believed in the Craft wholeheartedly. Claudia wished her friend could find a soulmate who could accept that.

  Tanya made a face. ‘I got the impression he was thinking about going along with it just so he could get me into bed – you know, see if it was more exciting with a witch. But he bottled out.’ She poured more wine. ‘Enough about me. Tell me about you.’

  A sinful slice of rich chocolate cake later, Tanya was up-to-date with Claudia’s week. They made sleep-inducing herbal tea and sat cross-legged on the floor to drink it.

  ‘So, to sum up.’ Tanya counted off on her fingers. ‘A new shop’s due to open in Porthsteren and nobody knows anything about it. And you have newcomers – one a lonely, bereaved teenager, and the other her hostile, unreasonably angry, bereaved dad who has impressively managed to send your trademark serenity on a holiday to destinations unknown.’

  Claudia laughed. Tanya always made her laugh. It was one of the many reasons she loved her. ‘That’s about the size of it.’

  Tanya sipped her tea. ‘Millie’s straightforward enough. If she wants to chat, you’ll chat to her. You’ve never been one to turn anyone away. If her dad doesn’t like her coming to your shop, let him lay the lay down the law and take the blame.’

  Claudia winced. ‘I resent that he made me lose my temper – I haven’t done that in ages – but I don’t want to be the cause of friction between them.’

  ‘You’re not the cause of anything. You merely exist. Healing Waves merely exists. What they do about you and the shop is their problem. Whatever they’ve been through, he had no right to shout at you on your own premises. Narrow-minded idiot.’

  Claudia sighed. ‘The thing is, I don’t know if he’s narrow-minded so much as over-protective of his daughter – understandably, under the circumstances.’

  ‘You may well be right, but don’t be too soft. Don’t let him walk all over you.’

  At that, Claudia’s eyes became steely. ‘I won’t.’

  ‘I know you won’t. You learned that lesson the hard way.’ Tanya jumped up and started rummaging through her supplies cupboard in the corner of the lounge. ‘How about a spell for staying strong in the face of obstacles? We need red candles, incense, something metal…’

  Of course we do. Claudia smiled. She would never perform a spell herself – she didn’t have the knowledge or the inclination to learn – but she trusted Tanya and didn’t object to the occasional one being performed on her behalf.

  As the incense (home-made and blessed at the correct phase of the moon and time of year) filled the room, Claudia slowed her breathing and concentrated on Tanya’s words as she lit candles and drew metal through flame. Tanya had taught her that intention was paramount for a spell’s success, and although Claudia wouldn’t call Jason Craig an obstacle, as such, a little courage to handle him might not go amiss.

  She couldn’t deny the rain against the window and the rumble of thunder in the distance added to the atmosphere.

  Jason couldn’t sleep. The driving rain and loud thunderclaps didn’t help, but primarily, it was the knowledge that he’d behaved so badly that kept him awake.

  His intention had been to have a ‘quiet word’, not deliver a rant full of insults and abuse. He didn’t see himself as a dinosaur about these things. He merely hoped that Millie’s love of ‘alternative’ shops was just a phase, albeit a fairly harmless one as far as teenage phases went.

  Jason also liked to think he was a fair man, and the truth was, Claudia was right in almost everything she’d said. He’d been unconscionably rude about her livelihood, even though her shop was light and bright and positive. He hadn’t seen anything menacing in there, only things he didn’t care for or believe in. She hadn’t pried Millie’s pocket money out of her hand. And Claudia had taken time to chat to his daughter and bring a welcome present to their home.

  He’d behaved like a prize arse. And he’d put himself in a difficult position, because although he knew he should apologise for his behaviour, he still stood by not wanting Millie embroiled with all that woo-woo crap. He would rather his daughter worked through her grief in a more proven, traditional manner. Not that that had worked for her.

  Jason turned over, tugging the sheets higher. As if grief for her mother weren’t enough, he knew that Millie blamed him for the divorce that had been planned before fate changed the direction of all their lives. He’d allowed her to. There was no point in suggesting she might blame her mum, too. Gemma wasn’t here to give her side of the story, and Jason couldn’t bear the thought of alte
ring Millie’s perception of her mother. And so he’d let it lie, hoping time would lessen his daughter’s anger towards him. Instead, time and hormones and all things teenage – he remembered his own teenage years all too well – had seen Millie retreating into her defensive armour, her grief and anger directed, more often than not, at him.

  Jason hoped their move to Cornwall might release this stranglehold on their relationship. He was enjoying the coastal scenery and sea air. He also appreciated the change of faces. Even though it was common knowledge among the locals that he was a widower, they assumed he was moving on with his life. Jason liked that.

  And yet he’d already managed to alienate one of those locals, a usually calm and pleasant woman who had turned pretty darned feisty, those eyes flashing fiery gold before cooling to amber ice, and that wild hair framing her livid, rather beautiful face. And who could blame her? Her empathy with Millie was evident, and Millie obviously felt able to chat to her in more than monosyllabic grunts. For that, he should be grateful.

  Jason thumped his pillow into submission. Parenting could be seriously rubbish at times.

  Chapter Five

  Claudia’s ringtone jolted her out of a deep sleep. She glanced at the time. Six o’clock. What the…?

  ‘Sarah. Is everything okay?’

  ‘Not really, honey.’ Sarah’s voice hitched, and a slow panic curled in Claudia’s stomach. Sarah rarely got emotional.

  ‘Is it Pudding?’

  ‘Pudding’s fine. It’s the storm last night. Didn’t you get it over there?’

  ‘We had rain. A little thunder.’ Realisation crept in. ‘Why? Was it bad in Porthsteren?’

  ‘Yes. It hit us hard, Claudia – the Page Turner and Healing Waves. A few other places. There’s damage.’

  Claudia’s heart sank. ‘How much damage?’

  ‘It’s not irreparable, but it is a bit of a mess. You need to come and see for yourself. Sort it all out.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

  Tanya came through from her bedroom. ‘Problem?’

  Claudia told her.

  ‘Oh no.’ Tanya folded her into a tight hug, stroking ineffectually at Claudia’s morning mess of hair. ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll come with you.’

  Claudia gave her a wobbly smile. ‘Thank you, but no. You have a meeting at that restaurant for the website. They won’t thank you for cancelling.’

  ‘Friends are more important than work.’

  ‘You need to make a living, Tanya. It would only make me feel guilty. Sarah and Evelyn are there. I’ll be fine.’

  It was a long moment before Tanya relented. ‘Okay. But please drive safely. And let me know what’s happened as soon as you get a chance.’

  From where Claudia parked on the beach road, she could have thought everything was normal if she hadn’t known. Walking around to the front of the building was another matter.

  The Porthsteren Page Turner’s large display window was boarded over. Healing Waves’ glass was, remarkably, intact, but a tarpaulin had been fixed over part of her roof and window, and smashed roof tiles littered the ground beneath. She could see at a glance that her window display was ruined, and she was scared to imagine what might be damaged inside.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Claudia.’ Evelyn rushed out, pulling her into a distressed embrace. ‘We would’ve done more, if we could. All we’ve managed so far is to get our window boarded and that tarp put up for you. Libby’s son-in-law did it for us.’

  ‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’

  ‘We had no idea until Libby called us around five thirty. We’re sheltered over at the cottage – the storm didn’t seem too bad there.’ Evelyn sighed. ‘I think we’ve been unlucky with the direction of the wind here – it looks like it caught us head-on. Most of the businesses along the beach road are alright because they’re set back. But the beach is a mess.’ She gestured at the sand, covered in debris. ‘A couple of boats in the harbour were damaged – tossed against each other. The Smugglers’ Inn has roof damage and a broken window. Anywhere that juts out has caught the worst.’

  ‘Being in prime position has its downside,’ Claudia commented dully. ‘You haven’t been inside mine yet?’

  ‘No. Sorry. We were busy protecting the outside, in case it rains again. But Sarah checked on your flat and Pudding, and she fed him.’

  ‘Thank you. I should go and see.’

  But Claudia’s hand was shaking, and Evelyn had to unlock the door for her.

  Claudia stepped inside, her eyes roaming the front end of her shop. All the goods in the window display were ruined by water or wind. The wall at a right angle to the window had taken the most damage. That was where she stocked her textiles, and the handmade soaps she left unwrapped – she didn’t believe in unnecessary packaging and plastics. The wooden shelves, left untreated for a natural look, appeared water-logged. The water would turn the wood black and mouldy.

  Claudia viewed the damage with dismay. That this had happened at all was bad enough, but at this time of year, just as things were gearing up… Panic gnawed at her insides at the thought of all the things that must be done, and done quickly.

  Remembering Evelyn, she tried to smile but failed. ‘How bad is yours?’

  ‘Some of the outdoor furniture was damaged.’ Evelyn pointed at a jumble of broken wood piled in a corner of the terrace as Claudia followed her out. ‘But not all of it. It’s sturdier than you’d think, and the wall protected it to some degree.’ They stepped over the bookshop’s threshold. Everything near the window was wet through and sprinkled with glass.

  ‘All the books on the tables and shelves nearest the window will have to go.’ Evelyn’s words were matter-of-fact, but her voice shook. ‘Even those that didn’t get sodden might have slivers of glass between the pages. We can’t risk it.’

  ‘Are they replaceable?’

  ‘Oh, heavens, yes.’ Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. ‘Those at the front are the blockbusters, the holiday reads, the thrillers. Nothing too specialist.’

  ‘But they’re at the front because they bring in your trade,’ Claudia said, realising as soon as it was out of her mouth that it wasn’t tactful.

  ‘Yes. We’ll need to clean up and restock as quickly as we can. One of us will get off to a few car boot sales, I suppose.’ Evelyn wafted a hand towards the rear of the store. ‘Let’s face it, we can hardly rely on people desperate to purchase books on the history of the traction engine or how to build your own greenhouse. But it could have been worse. Structurally, it’s only the window.’ Evelyn sighed. ‘We should have had it fixed sooner. That crack in the corner, the one caused by the marble, you know?’

  Looking like a bullet hole with cracks radiating outwards, it had appeared overnight a couple of months ago, and Sarah had found a marble beneath, they assumed tossed by a bored youth.

  ‘But we weren’t sure how much longer we’d carry on,’ Evelyn went on. ‘And money’s been tight over the winter. We were putting off repairs until we had summer season money in the bank and the prospect of winter weather on the way. Who’d’ve guessed that nature would be so contrary and send the storms now?’

  Claudia wasn’t feeling too fond of nature herself right now. ‘Is Sarah alright?’

  ‘Yes. She’s on the phone to the insurance company.’ Evelyn pointed at the mess. ‘Apart from having the window boarded, we haven’t done anything, in case they want to inspect. Sarah doubts they’ll bother if she sends the photos she’s taken, but you never know.’

  Claudia hadn’t thought it through yet, like they had. Her first instinct would have been to clear up, but she realised now that that wasn’t necessarily the right thing to do.

  Back outside, she stared out over the sand. ‘The beach is a mess.’

  ‘The council’ll do something, but I’ve heard talk about volunteers chipping in to get it done faster.’

  ‘I should help.’

  ‘Absolutely not. Nobody who has their own damage to wo
rry about is expected to help.’

  Claudia looked back at their shambles of a building and sighed. ‘Well, I can’t say I feel up to arguing.’

  ‘Workmen’ll be busy with all this damage,’ Evelyn warned her. ‘You’ll have to act fast to stand a chance of quick repairs.’ She placed a hand on her arm. ‘I can’t even make you a coffee. The machine isn’t fired up.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Evelyn! You have your own problems.’ Claudia straightened her spine. ‘And I should get on with mine. Thank you for everything you’ve done.’ She slapped a hand across her forehead, making Evelyn jump. ‘Meditation!’

  ‘You can’t be considering running that tonight! You have to cancel.’

  ‘That means letting everyone down.’

  ‘Claudia, you have enough to cope with. People will assume it’s cancelled, anyway.’

  ‘But it’s at times of stress that people need it the most.’

  ‘And it’s at times of stress that you should listen to your old friend Evelyn. I’ll put a notice on the door upstairs. You put a notice on your website. I’ll be checking up on you.’

  Claudia couldn’t help but smile. Sarah was usually the strident one, but Evelyn could show a streak of feistiness now and again. ‘Okay.’

  First, she went up to her flat to double-check there was no damage there, breathing a huge sigh of relief to see everything intact. Because it was set back a little and not flush with the shop front, it had escaped the full force of the wind.

  Pudding wound around her legs as she made some herbal tea. When he tried to follow her to the door, she fixed him with a steely glare.

  ‘You can’t come with me today. It’s too messy down there.’

  He watched her leave with a melancholy look, but she knew he’d soon accept his fate and take a nap.

  Back downstairs, clutching the bamboo takeaway cup in her hands, she eyed the front of her premises. The tarpaulin would have to stay in place until she got the roof sorted. Inside, she would have to assess and clear up. There was her window display to recreate, the ruined textile goods to reorder. As for the soap, she could buy some in, but that wasn’t what her regular customers expected… and yet handmaking it meant a lot of hard work.