Page 54 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
‘Well, thank you, Babs,’ Clara says, taking the handles of the wheelchair from her. ‘Same time tomorrow okay? Or would you prefer the afternoon?’
Babs shrugs. ‘I don’t mind. My fella Bertie is doing his national service at the moment so I don’t have much else to do. Would you like to see a photo of him in his uniform?’ She rifles through her handbag and produces a photo of a young man in a Royal Air Force uniform.
‘Very handsome,’ Clara says, looking at the photo.
‘Yes,’ Babs says proudly. ‘I’ve always liked a man in uniform, haven’t you?’
Clara pauses before she answers. ‘Yes, Babs. As it happens I do – very much.’
The images all blur and whirl together, and as Babs’ bright purple blouse disappears along with everything else, Jack and I turn to each other.
‘Good to see that Maggie is still painting,’ Jack says, as we lean back from the pictures lined up in front of us. ‘That Clara can be a frosty one though. Poor Arty always seems to get it in the neck.’
‘She’s a bit proper, that’s all,’ I say, still thinking about what we’ve just seen. Could the man Maggie was painting with be the same one Lou had spoken to me about? ‘She does like Arty really – you can see it in her face.’
‘Can you?’ Jack asks. ‘If that was me I think I’d be avoiding her by now, rather than trying again and again like our boy Arty does, but then I guess some women are harder to crack than others.’ He gives me a sly glance which I choose to ignore.
‘Harder to crack?’ I question instead. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘You have to try a bit harder with some women than others, that’s all.’
‘The ones you don’t have to try with aren’t usually worth it anyway,’ I counter. ‘Not in my experience.’
‘I really don’t know what you mean, Kate,’ Jack grins mischievously. ‘Can you explain further, please?’
‘You know exactly what I mean, Jack. You weren’t in the army for as long as you were without knowing that, I’m sure.’
‘I know. I’m only teasing you.’ Jack winks now. ‘Forgive me, it’stooeasy sometimes.’
‘Do you miss it?’ I venture, taking my chance now we’re on the subject, but knowing he’s likely to shut me down immediately. ‘The army, I mean, before you start twisting my words!’
‘Yes, I do,’ Jack says reflectively. ‘Not necessarily the months spent abroad living in the middle of a desert somewhere, but more the structure of it. The daily routine. You always knew what you were doing, and where you were supposed to be. Each day was a challenge. I miss that.’
‘Is that one of the reasons you took a shop here?’ I ask, while he seems in the mood to talk. ‘St Felix is a wonderful place to live, of course, but the shops – they were built so long ago and not really designed for … well, for wheelchairs to get around.’
Jack looks at me with that unwavering gaze he often has.
‘And then there’s the cobbled streets – they must be difficult for you to navigate. That’s a challenge, isn’t it?’ I continue when he doesn’t answer. ‘You could have rented a shop anywhere – somewhere much easier for you to manage – but you chose here. I think you did it so you could challenge yourself again.’
Jack carries on staring at me. ‘You might be right,’ he eventually admits. ‘It’s not the easiest place to be in a chair, that’s for sure, but I knew I had to test myself and see if I could not only manage my own business but manage it in a place that was going to be demanding for me too.’
‘And how are you finding the challenge? Difficult enough for you?’
‘The shop actually hasn’t been as bad as I thought it might be. Bronte’s been a star in that department. I don’t know what I’d have done without her help. St Felix has been fine too, once I got the hang of the cobbles, and I’m loving the beach now I’ve got my new chair, but do you know what the hardest thing has been?’
I shake my head.
‘Meeting you.’
‘Me?’ I ask, totally thrown by this answer. ‘Why me – what have I done?’
‘Blown my mind,’ Jack says to my surprise. ‘I really like you, Kate – you must know that by now. I like youverymuch. This …’ he waves his hand towards the easel ‘… this has been the best excuse to spend time with you I could have been given. I’d never have got you up here all these evenings otherwise.’
‘That’s not true. How do you know that?’
‘I just know.’
‘But how?’ I demand.
