Page 25 of The Secret Christmas Bookshop
Harry nodded. ‘I’ll speak to Winnie after this, let you know if it’s on.’
‘Thank you,’ Sophie said. ‘That’s kind.’
Harry accepted his bread and the steak slice, and took out his wallet to pay for them. ‘Good to see you,’ he said to Dexter, then glanced at Sophie and added, ‘I’ll be in touch.’ She didn’t think it was a coincidence that he was echoing her words from the other night.
‘Looking forward to it,’ she said.
She was so tempted to call after him, to ask him to say hello to Darkness and Terror for her, but he’d offered her a glimpse of his softer side, had made her think they mightbe able to work together without killing each other, and she didn’t want to lose that so soon.
Dexter rested his arms on the counter. ‘That wasn’t on my Bingo card for today.’
‘We’ve got to plan the Christmas festival together,’ Sophie said with a shrug. ‘He’s going to have to interact with people, so maybe he’s getting some practice in?’
‘He behaved like a normal human being.’
‘It seems some thingsarepossible.’
‘Wow.’ Lucy burst into the bakery with Clifton under her arm. ‘That was Uncle Harry, right?’
Dexter sighed. ‘Noteveryone’sUncle or Aunty, Luce.’
‘He didn’t mind when I called him Uncle Harry,’ Lucy said, and Dexter winced.
Sophie burst out laughing. She couldn’t remember enjoying a lunch break so much, even if she’d spent the whole time talking, and Fiona would be wondering where her sandwich was.
‘Hedidsay Uncle Clifton looked like a mop, though,’ Lucy added thoughtfully, and Sophie’s laughter faded. Right. Next time, she was definitely going to out Harry’s stupid dog names. If he was going to give it out, then she was more than prepared to dish it right back.
She paid for her sandwiches, took her reluctant dog back from Lucy and said goodbye to her and Dexter. As she turned in the direction of Hartley Country Apparel, she saw Harry walking up to the hotel’s main entrance. His stride had some bounce in it, and she might have been imagining it, because he was quite a way away, but it looked very much like the Dark Demon Lord of Mistingham was actually smiling.
Chapter Ten
As the clock ticked round to five o’clock on Tuesday, Sophie found herself getting flustered. For the most part she was calm and collected – in the face of disgruntled or disparaging customers; when it came to decisions about her future; when she happened upon an angry bull in a field on one of her runs. Growing up with constant uncertainty and some volatile characters, being moved on at short notice or missing out on something she’d been promised, she had learnt that getting worked up never solved anything.
But now, despite a successful day in the shop, with good sales and a commission for four notebooks from a regular customer who lived in Wells-next-the-Sea, her pulse was thudding and her hands were prickling with sweat. In half an hour she would meet Harry and, together, they would get the details about last year’s festival from Winnie. It wasn’t a scary task, so why was she so nervous?
‘OK, Sophie?’ Fiona asked.
‘Of course.’ Sophie cleared her throat.
‘Any progress with that book of yours?’
‘Not so far,’ she admitted. ‘But it’s only been a few days, and so much has happened since then. The festival … Jazz.’ She looked pointedly at her friend.
Fiona sighed. ‘She came down for dinner last night, but she hardly said a word. I’m worried we’ve offended her in some way.’
‘This whole thing must be a huge adjustment for her,’ Sophie said gently. ‘She’s been living on the streets, not knowing where she’s going to sleep or get a decent meal, and then suddenly she’s got you and Ermin looking after her, checking on her, asking what she needs. I think that …’ She swallowed. ‘A big part of it, for someone who hasn’t had a whole lot of good things happen to them, is that they start telling themselves they don’t deserve them. Somehow, this is where theyshouldbe, and anything positive seems too good to be true. You can’t expect Jazz to be a smiling, grateful open book right away. She’s probably finding it hard to trust you – trust the situation.’
Fiona nodded. ‘I wonder if she’d feel more at home in a hostel, but I don’t want to give her the impression we don’t want her here.’
‘The best thing you can do is sit down and talk about it. Whatshewants, and what you want and are prepared to do. I would maybe give it a few more days, but don’t leave it too long to find out what she’s thinking.’
Fiona gave her a weak smile. ‘You’re wise beyond your years.’
‘I’ve had to be.’ Sophie said it with a grin, so it didn’t come across as bitter. ‘Anyway, now I need to focus on this blinking festival, work out how I’m going to organize itwith someone who rations himself to roughly five words an hour.’
‘That man.’ Fiona shook her head.
‘Ermin was more than happy to let him be involved.’
