Page 16 of The Secret Christmas Bookshop
Jazz shook her head. ‘No way. I never meant—’
‘It’s just one night,’ Fiona said gently. ‘To stop you getting hypothermia. We can …’ she paused. ‘Youcan look at other options tomorrow.’
‘I don’t … I can’t … can I use your toilet?’ Jazz asked.
‘Of course. Go into the hall and turn right, and it’s the door on the left, just before you reach the kitchen.’
‘Ta.’ Jazz got up and hurried out of the room, leaving her mug on the floor next to the snoozing dog.
‘That’s very generous,’ Sophie whispered. ‘You don’t know anything about her. Are you sure Ermin’s going to be OK with it?’
‘I’ll check in a moment,’ Fiona said. ‘But I would put money on him agreeing with me. And it’s just for tonight: we can’t take her back to the bookshop, can we? Return her to fusty, musty floorboards.’
‘What about the hotel?’ Sophie asked. ‘We could chip in to get her a night there.’
‘I think she’d benefit from something a little more personal.’ Fiona tapped her polished nails against her cup. ‘I used to volunteer in a homeless shelter, decades ago. I might not be as sharp as I used to be, but I still have some understanding of the young and chronically unloved. Jazz deserves a chance, and one night can’t do any harm.’
‘Everyone deserves a chance,’ Sophie said. Fiona had taken her under her wing as soon as she’d moved to Mistingham, even though she was thirty-six and perfectly independent. She loved taking care of people. ‘Just be careful, OK?’
‘Of course.’ Fiona nodded. ‘There will be ground rules. Now, let me have a look at that wrist.’
‘What?’ Sophie moved her arm behind her back.
‘Don’t think I didn’t notice.’ She tutted. ‘You fell on it.’ She moved across to Sophie’s sofa, and Sophie reluctantly held out her arm. Her skin had turned purple, stark against the cream cuff of her jumper. ‘I think you need to get this checked out properly,’ Fiona said, as the doorbell echoed through the room.
‘Who’s that?’ Sophie asked, wincing as Fiona took her hand. It was getting late for casual callers.
‘The bookshop lock is broken, so I got Ermin to give—’
‘Here he is!’ Ermin appeared in the living-room doorway, and Sophie sucked in a breath when she saw whohewas. Harry Anderly, towering over Fiona’s husband, wearing the same waterproof coat he had been wearing earlier, as well as the same stony expression.
‘Harry,’ Fiona said. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘You said it was about the bookshop?’ He raised an eyebrow.
‘I’m afraid the lock is broken.’
Harry stepped awkwardly into the living room. He looked far too handsome, and also slightly mutinous. His jacket was unzipped and his rust-coloured jumper set off the gold flecks in his eyes, which were suddenly focused on where Fiona was still holding Sophie’s wrist.
‘How did the door get broken?’ he asked.
‘It was me,’ Jazz said, slipping back into the room. She seemed even smaller under Harry’s glare. ‘I’m really sorry. I-I’m Jazz. I was looking for somewhere dry to sleep, somewhere a bit warmer than a bus shelter, so …’ Her words trailed away.
Harry’s gaze softened a fraction. ‘It’s good to meet you, Jazz. The door is an easy fix; please don’t worry about it.’
‘Right.’ Jazz sank back onto the sofa.
‘She’s staying here tonight,’ Fiona said, exchanging a look with Ermin, who nodded his assent. ‘Thank you for coming, Harry. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to let you know about the lock. You might want to get it fixed right away.’
‘There’s nothing in there worth stealing.’ His gaze landed on Sophie. ‘Are you staying here too?’
‘No.’ She felt a blush creep into her cheeks. ‘No, I’m …’ She stood up and shoved her phone into her pocket. ‘I need to get back to Clifton. I dropped him off at the flat, and—’
‘I’ll walk you out,’ Harry said.
Sophie exchanged a wide-eyed look with her friend, wished them all goodnight, and followed him down the corridor.
Fiona waved them off then gently closed the front door, and then it was just the two of them, standing on thepavement outside Fiona and Ermin’s house, a couple of cheery gnomes standing sentry in the slate-covered beds in their garden, a water feature trickling gently.
