Page 55 of Whispers at The Bookshop Pretty Beach
‘Yes?’
‘I can’t wait to see you.’
‘Me neither.’
‘Speak to you later and we’ll talk about the ins and outs of it.’
Daisy hung up. The next bit was happening. Unlike what the mums on the ferry had said, she hadn’t romanticised anythingand she was not living in the pages of a book. She just hoped that she was doing the right thing.
34
It was a few days or so later and the wheels on the situation had turned very quickly. Miles had booked the cottage, his mum was out of hospital and the pair of them were on their way to Pretty Beach. Daisy was standing outside the holiday cottage, looking down at the sea in the far distance and watching a few fishing boats bobbing up and down on the water. She’d been liaising with Miles by text regarding his estimated arrival time and was waiting for him to come around the corner any minute. The traffic on the approach road to Pretty Beach had not been great, but Miles and his mum were finally getting close. Daisy had one hand tucked under the strap of her bag, the other holding the keys Holly had given her the day before and a bunch of flowers in the crook of her arm.
When she’d first arrived, she’d gone inside to check everything was okay and after pushing the door open, she’d nodded to herself; the cottage was so much better than okay. Clemmie had done a very good job of just about everything. The cottage was not only spotless, it was cosy and comfy and one hundred per cent Pretty Beach through and through.
A perfect place to get back to health and convalesce after being mugged by vile people in London. Inside, the cottage hadbeen cleaned and aired and everything about it felt lovely. There was a paper-wrapped loaf of sourdough on the worktop and in the fridge, a huge container held chicken soup handmade by Lottie, who owned a small catering business in Pretty Beach. The front had a little label taped to it.
LO chicken soup made with bone broth and no nasties.
Let me know if you need more. Lottie
Tucked next to the teapot, still warm and sitting in a blue-and-white tea towel, was an apple pie from Clemmie, the woman who cleaned the cottages. Daisy had peeked in and her mouth had watered at what had greeted her: a proper lattice crust, sugar sprinkled on the top and a slightly sunken middle where the filling had settled. There was a note attached to that, too.
Hope this helps a little. Welcome to Pretty Beach.
Daisy smiled to herself as she thought about what was in the cottage and waited for Miles to turn the corner. The way the locals had turned up quietly without being asked, dropping off little things and not making a big show of it, was precisely why she loved the little town by the sea.
It wasn’t long before she saw the car and Miles parked halfway along the front of the cottage and turned off the engine. Miles stepped out first, leaned over to open the back and helped his mum out slowly. Elizabeth, Miles’s mum, looked tired, thin and very frail, but her eyes appeared alert, and she was bundled up in one of Miles’s thick jumpers under a navy coat.
Miles beamed and kissed Daisy as she walked around to the back of the car. ‘Hey, Daise.’
‘Hi.’
Elizabeth smiled. ‘Hi Daisy. Thank you for sorting out all of this for me. It’s taken us a while to get here, but we’re here now. I am sorry to hear about the problem with that big chain threatening to move in. Miles has told me all about it.’
‘Hello. Yes, it’s not pleasant. We’re very pleased to have you. Welcome to Pretty Beach.’
‘Miles showed me the website.’ Elizabeth turned to the cottage. ‘Ooh, it looks lovely and just what I need.’
‘Go on in. It’s all set up. I think you’re going to love it. I think I might have to move in with you for a few weeks.’
Miles helped Elizabeth up the path and inside. Daisy followed, shutting the door behind them and gesturing to a chair in the sitting room. ‘That one’s the comfiest by the looks of it and you can see the sea from there. I’ll make some tea and put these flowers in water.’
‘We need tea.’ Elizabeth smiled as she took her coat off and sat straight down in the chair. ‘What a view. I’m not moving from here for a while. Yes, this is just what I needed. I thought I wanted to go back to the flat, but no.’
Miles followed Daisy into the kitchen. ‘This is perfect. Thanks for doing it.’
‘How was the drive?’
‘Long. She slept through most of it, which helped. The motorways were packed until we turned off. The traffic is nuts on a Friday. We should have thought about that. Anyway, we’re here now.’
‘It’s all ready for you here, so there’s nothing you need to do except help her get back to health. There’s soup from Lottie, pie from Clemmie, and bread from the bakery. Plus, I got you milk, butter, jam, biscuits, bacon and eggs. You don’t need to worry about anything.’
‘You didn’t need to do all that.’
‘Not at all. I didn’t do anything, really. Word got around about what happened to your mum and this is what happens. I’d get used to it if I were you. This town runs on casseroles and baked goods when the going gets tough, despite the GayesBooks of the world. You’re in the right place.’
‘Thank you.’
