Page 78 of The Little Teashop of Lost and Found
Finally satisfied, I half-closed my eyes and imagined the lights glittering on cutlery and glass tumblers, the sheen of the white tablecloths and the chink of cake fork against plate …
‘You could squeeze a couple more in,’ helpfully suggested Nile from right behind me, almost giving me a heart attack. I’d forgotten the door was open because Ross was out at the front, stripping paint from the door and window frames.
‘I think you should be belled, like a cat,’ I told him.
‘Did I startle you? I didn’t see you standing there until I was in, because you hadn’t got the lights on. I think you need some replacement light fittings, by the way,’ he added. ‘Those rustic wood effect ones would look better in the waffle house.’
‘You’re right, but I thought they’d do for now and I could replace them later, when I found something more suitable. I’m not sure quite what.’
I gestured at a stack of chairs and tables at the back, near the counter. ‘I don’t want to squeeze any more in, so those are to go up to Oldstone.’
‘I expect Sheila will store them in the attics until needed. Goodness knows, there’s enough room in there to hide a battleship.’
‘They are very spacious,’ I agreed. ‘Sheila could make lots more letting bedrooms there eventually, if she wanted to.’
‘Don’t encourage her, or we’ll be a country house hotel,’ he said.
‘Oh, I don’t think so – she couldn’t do it all herself, and her pottery is her consuming interest, isn’t it? She just slots one or two visitors in with the family and then it’s not any trouble at all.’
I looked round the room with satisfaction at how it was coming together. ‘You know, if Jack carries on at this rate, there won’t be any major jobs left unfinished after next week! He’s painting the outside woodwork tomorrow if it’s dry – that’s why Ross is stripping the old paint off – and the sign should be back, too.’
‘Yes, is that boy safe with a blowtorch?’ he asked.
‘I hope so, but I’ve told him if he cracks any of the old glass in the bow window I’ll kill him.’
I checked my watch. ‘Well, if you just wandered in from curiosity and don’t need me for anything, I’d better go and chase up the fitted double ovens that were promised for today and haven’t appeared.’
‘Actually, I came over to give you this,’ he said, handing me a bubble-wrapped parcel. ‘Early teashop opening gift.’
‘Oh, you shouldn’t have …’ I began to protest, and then stopped once I’d revealed the lovely blue and white jug I’d adored from the moment I set eyes on it. ‘Nile –really, you shouldn’t have!’
‘I didn’t think you’d be able to resist picking it up and fondling it every time you came into the shop, so I thought I’d give it to you before you dropped it and wiped all the value off in one go.’
‘But … I saw the price tag, so I know it reallyisvaluable! You can’t give all your stock away and I haven’t even paid you for Lola’s paperweight.’
‘Actually, this is one of my mistakes. It’s been mended, listen.’ He pinged the side of the jug and it made a flat sort of note.
‘It’s been well done, though. I arrived late at an auction and bought a box of stuff sight unseen, because they held the jug up.’
‘Well, I suppose you would have needed X-ray eyes to see the mend from where you were?’
He shrugged. ‘It still has some value and also, I found one or two good things in that box when I got it back home. I was going to take the jug down to London to see if Zelda could sell it, before you took a fancy to it.’
‘Thank you very much,’ I said. ‘I do love it, though I don’t know why, unless it’s because the pastoral scene is so idyllic and soothing.’
‘Soothing redheads is my speciality,’ he said.
‘How many do you know?’
‘Just the one, which is quite enough,’ he said, then favoured me with the ghost of his shatteringly attractive smile and turned to leave. ‘Don’t forget dinner tomorrow – I’ll drive.’
‘What?’ I said blankly.
He half-turned and raised a surprised eyebrow. ‘Mr Rochester’s Restaurant? You did say you wanted to go, so I’ve booked us in for tomorrow evening. I’ve got a flail to deliver while we’re at it.’
‘While we’re atwhat?’ I blurted out, so it was probably just as well he was halfway back to his shop and didn’t hear me.
And did he say aflail?
