Page 26 of The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street
She saw his eyebrows knit together. ‘It’s just hot chocolate, honestly. None of your rubbish though. It’s made with the good stuff; seventy per cent cocoa solids, and then a dash of vanilla syrup for sweetness, all covered in a ton of cream, and more chocolate of course.’ He was grinning as he picked up his spoon and plundered the top of his own drink. ‘Dig in, you don’t have to be polite.’
‘I’m not really…’ She trailed off.
Oh, this was awful. Bertie had gone to so much trouble so that she could enjoy herself, and if she were anyone else she would have fallen on these things with undisguised glee, just as Bertie had. But she was not anyone else, unfortunately.
‘Is everything all right?’ He thudded a hand against his forehead. ‘Don’t tell me, I’ve managed to pick the one thing you absolutely hate?’
‘No,’ she replied quickly. ‘I like hot chocolate. It’s just that I usually have it… well, plain. I’ve never tried it with all thesethingsin it before, I’m not sure…’ She gave an involuntary shudder, trying to turn it into a cough.
Bertie gave her an easy smile. ‘No worries,’ he said. ‘Give it a try and if you don’t like it I can get you a plain one.’
Just like that. But she couldn’t, it would be so wasteful.
She picked up her mug and tried to dislodge some of the cream with her spoon but she couldn’t even see the liquid underneath. She looked around her, at all the happy, smiling faces – people drinking from mugs, glasses, huge tankards even, and all without a care in the world, and here she was, couldn’t even manage a dollop of cream. She swallowed, took a deep breath and a mouthful of her drink… and almost gagged. It was so, so… She couldn’t even put it into words.
A couple of napkins lay next to the plates and she snatched one up, holding it to her lips pretending to be concerned that she had a cream moustache. She dragged a smile onto her face. ‘What am I like?’ she said.
Bertie popped a nut into his mouth. He was watching her, but made no comment. She picked up a pretzel and waved it nonchalantly.
‘So, what are you doing for Christmas?’ she asked, trying to deflect attention from herself.
He rolled his eyes. ‘What, apart from working out how to run Buchanans, you mean? No, I’ll be in Scotland for most of it. A mate of mine has a big house up there; more of castle, actually, so as soon as I’m fit to drive after the big day I’ll be heading up there for a week of food, booze and general debauchery. New Year up there is amazing.’ He stretched out the last word until it had at least five syllables.
She looked at him, puzzled. ‘But it’s your mum’s birthday on New Year’s Eve. Won’t you be spending it with your family?’
‘God, no!’ Bertie laughed. ‘I can’t think of anything worse. Been there, done that, most definitely bought the tee shirt but I don’t think I could stand another family bash – Lawrence being his usual pompous self, muttering about standards and tradition, ordering everyone around, Kit trying to make himself invisible, disappearing for hours on end, while muggins here tries to keep the peace and inject some fun into proceedings, while all the time Mum watches the clock.’ He broke off, frowning. ‘Of course, I knowwhyshe was watching the clock now; couldn’t wait to get rid of us all so that Charles could come round. Why she didn’t say anything I don’t know.’
‘Maybe she was just trying to protect you. To keep Christmas special for you guys so that it wouldn’t feel like Charles was trying to muscle in on the family.’
‘Do you really think that?’ Bertie sounded incredulous.
‘I don’t know. It just strikes me that whatever she was like as a mum, with your dad dying so young, Bea has brought you up virtually on her own. Okay, so your dad left a huge pot of money which helped, but most single mums I know are very protective of the family unit, especially when there’s a new partner on the scene.’
Bertie popped another nut in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. ‘Do you know, I’m not sure I ever really thought of it like that. Mum just always seemed keen to get rid of us all.’
‘Or nervous of someone arriving…’ Daisy picked up her drink and took another swallow.
‘Yeah… maybe you’re right.’
‘Of course I’m not sure about Lawrence being pompous or Kit pretending no one can see him, I think those might just be character traits.’ She grinned and Bertie laughed, knowing he was being teased.
‘So, come on then, Miss Turner. If you have family dynamics sussed, what’s your Christmas like?’
She looked up sharply, not having expected the question. ‘Oh, quiet,’ she replied, heart thudding. ‘Very boring, no dramas at all, in fact.’ She smiled and took another sip of her chocolate.
‘Well then, big family, small?’ He glanced up at the tree above their heads. ‘Are you a lonesome pine or part of a thicket?’
His description made her smile, and relax somewhat. ‘One of a pair,’ she replied. ‘I have a brother, well, half-brother, but he doesn’t live around here, so we have a long phone call on Christmas Day but that’s about it. I shall go for a walk along the canal, which will be heavenly, and then go home to sit in front of the fire with my new book. I always treat myself at Christmas,’ she explained.
She could see that Bertie wasn’t quite sure how to frame his next question. It was the one that always came after, so she thought she would save him the bother, and embarrassment.
‘I don’t see my parents,’ she said. ‘My dad left with my brother when I was about five and my mum… It’s a long story, but we had a bit of falling-out, so I don’t keep in touch.’ It wasn’t quite the whole truth, but it would do. She pulled a face. ‘So you see, I’m not quite the expert on family dynamics that you thought I was.’
‘Your mum was a single parent though,’ replied Bertie. ‘Just like mine.’
‘Not like Bea,’ said Daisy. ‘But, yes, you’re right, she was.’
She picked up her drink again so that she wouldn’t have to look at Bertie or answer another question just at that minute and, without thinking, took a huge swallow. Her eyes widened and she pulled the mug away from her lips to stare at its contents.
