Page 34 of The Little Teashop of Lost and Found
I felt strangely comfortable with Bel already, as if she was someone I’d known for years, but I wasn’t yet ready to confide everything in her, as I did with Lola.
After breakfast Nile came to see if I was ready to go. He was wearing jeans instead of his natty suit, and a soft blue-grey sweater, which justhadto be cashmere: he reeked of elegance even dressed down.
In an old cream Aran jumper knitted by Edie and cheap chain-store jeans, I didn’t feel so much dressed down as downmarket.
Before we left, Bel offered to drive in later and show me the nearest big stores. ‘I love shopping, especially for home furnishings, and we could pick up some paint charts, too. Anyway, I’m just dying to see the café,’ she added candidly.
‘Don’t you want to work?’ I asked.
‘No, I mostly take the weekends off, unlike Mum. But then, she has some commissions to spur her on, while I’m still trying to build a name for myself.’
‘I’d like to see your studio and what you make.’
‘You can do that later, or tomorrow, can’t you?’ Nile said, impatiently jangling his car keys, so I took the hint and went to fetch my coat.
Nile was silent at first on the drive in, though I thought that mightbe due to his being stunned by my emerald-green acrylic fur jacket, which he hadn’t seen before; but then he said right out of the blue, ‘You haven’t seriously come to Haworth to try to find your birth mother, have you?’
‘I certainly didn’t move here with that intentionalone,’ I said, thrown off balance. ‘It was just that I’ve never really felt I belonged anywhere until Edie – an old friend of mine – pointed out that I must have been born round here, so if I was going to feel at home anywhere, this would be it.’
‘I suppose that’s true enough, but I’d abandon any ideas of tracing your birth mother,’ he said, to my surprise. ‘After all, if she’s never come forward to claim you, she might not welcome you back with open arms. Life doesn’t always give you the happy endings you expect.’
So far, life didn’t seem to have dealt meanyhappy endings!
‘Thank you, but I’d already thought of that scenario,’ I told him. ‘I want to find her so she can tell me who I am and what the circumstances were that led her to leave me out on the moors. I don’t feel angry or judgemental about it, I’d just like toknow.’
‘She may have a new family by now and have told them nothing about you.’
‘I’ve thought of that one, too. If I find her, but she doesn’t want to meet me, then I’ll respect that.’
‘I’d still leave well alone, if I were you, and concentrate on this far-fetched tea emporium of yours, instead. God knows, it’s going to need all the help you can give it.’
‘Gee, thanks for that vote of support, Mr Small and Perfect,’ I snapped sarcastically, and after that we didn’t speak again until he’d wound his way through the back streets and up the alleyway to the parking space.
I expect he wasn’t used to women not drooling over him and lapping up his every word, but it would do him good.
When we got out, he said curtly that he’d see me later, but I knew where to find him if anything came up.
Then he strode off, a stiff breeze blasting back the blue-black curls from his forehead, like a heavenly hair dryer.
I’d kept my brief romance the previous summer a secret from Father, since I knew he would disapprove of anything that deflected my attention from studying, so there was nothing to cause the least suspicion to enter his head.
He’d been quite right, too, for I’d realized long before that catastrophic night that ‘falling in love’ was merely a midsummer night’s dream of illusion and fantasy, in my case caused by a rush of teenage hormones. I had no intention of ever succumbing to anything of the kind again.
Having dealt with the consequences of my stupidity, I worked hard for my exams and duly went on to take up my place at Oxford to read medicine. Father was extremely pleased and made me a generous allowance.
16
Lost Lambs
I spent the morning washing and putting away the rest of the willow-pattern china and adding yet more things to the lists for both the café and flat, which were now longer than the novel I was currently supposed to be writing …
Though actually, I was feeling increasingly interested in Beauty and what was going to happen to her. Eventually, I knew I’d have to settle down and fuse all the little scenes I’d written together and hope it turned into a book.
The moment she was free, Beauty leaped for the door and, slamming it, turned the key, though not before catching a brief glimpse of the monstrous shape within. Clearly, the spider had grown even more enormous during its long sleep.
Beauty was glad thatshehadn’t, since she’d already been a plump girl when she fell under the enchantment. On the other hand, she wouldn’t have minded losing a few pounds … Still, her nursemaid had always said that princes liked girls with curvy figures – and as soon as she escaped this pesky enchantment, she’d go and find one to test that theory.
Unless, of course, he found her first, for she could now dimly hear the sound of hacking.
