Page 60 of The Bookshop Ladies

‘It will keep you safe and I want you to have it.’

‘I…’ Robyn had tears in her eyes too. ‘Thank you, I don’t know what else to say but…’

‘But?’

‘Already, I feel…’ she shook her head as if she thought she was a little crazy. ‘Well, not so scared of welcoming people to the launch and…’

‘You won’t have anything to be scared of now, not with this close to your heart,’ Joy said and, perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought that Robyn stood a little taller, a little more confident already.

Weeks earlier, when Joy had suggested an open night, she had not expected anything like this. With all her experience in organising business launches, she’d never seen such a turn-out.

‘Of course, I blame you,’ she whispered to Albie when he arrived.

‘Me?’ he laughed, the roguish glint in his eyes betraying the fact that he had called everyone he knew and more or less ordered them to turn up.

‘Yes, most of these people are here to listen to you read.’

‘Well, I may have mentioned it to one or two in the village but…’ From what Joy could see, there must be at least fifty old age pensioners in the place, all of them enjoying the wine. Most of the women had picked up paperbacks and some of the men were browsing the gardening and sports biography sections. Poor Robyn was run off her feet at the cash register.

In order to steady Robyn’s nerves, Joy had told her to stand behind the cash desk to start with. She would be happy to take over later – once the place filled up. Robyn roped Kian in to help out; leaving Imogene scowling from the corner.

‘Hmph, one or two! You have most of the village rounded up here tonight.’ Joy was only half joking. ‘I just hope we have enough wine and food to go round.’ She was gauging the crowd with a practised eye.

‘Plenty more if you run out; I’m sure any of the pubs on the street will be only too happy to lend you a few bottles of plonk,’ Albie said. He was right of course, they could always get more in. ‘Kian’s lassie is a bit of a sourpuss, isn’t she?’

‘That’s a terrible thing to say.’ Joy always tried to take the middle ground, but it was obvious to her at least that love’s young dream were not getting along at all. In fact, if anything, Kian only had eyes for Robyn. Fortunately, on this occasion, Robyn was far too busy to notice.

‘I think our Robyn wasn’t too far off the mark when it came to that lassie. I’d say she’d trot across Mother Teresa to get what she wanted and there wouldn’t be a backwards glance,’ Albie said. Privately, Joy had to agree.

‘Thank God the evening has stayed dry,’ Fern said, coming up between them. She was doing the rounds outside with the wine bottles. ‘There are people lined up all the way down to the coffee shop and they’re still arriving.’ She was already a little flushed, but it suited her. She looked happy. Joy thought she should be; she deserved it.

‘Have you thought about Luc at all?’ Joy asked her later, as they were getting ready for the speeches.

‘There’s nothing to think about,’ Fern said and she sounded as if she was once more that person Joy had always expected her to be, confident, positive and strong. ‘I’m going to file for a divorce, as soon as it’s legally possible. I’ve spoken to a local girl, Maya. She’s a solicitor and happy to represent me so…’

‘Good God, that was fast.’ Joy was taken aback.

‘Not really, I just bumped into Maya a few minutes ago. Nothing is set in stone, but I’m going to drop in to her office next week. There are no quickie divorces in Ireland, but my mind is made up; no point hanging around.’ She shrugged. ‘Okay, so maybe Luc has made it up for me, but between ourselves, this is probably long overdue, I just didn’t want to face up to it until now…’

‘Ah, now that Icanunderstand.’ Hadn’t Joy spent years burying her head in the sand when a braver woman might have had the courage to bring things out into the open? ‘I admire you so much, Fern, I would love to have your resilience.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that…’ Fern said, but she blushed.

‘I do. You’re getting a second chance. The paintings you’ve done here in the last few weeks are amazing and it looks like you already have an admirer waiting in the wings.’ She nodded towards the tall thin man who never seemed to be very far away from Fern at the artists’ circle.

‘Oh, whatever about the art – I’ll certainly take that – but as to romance, I’ve no intention of jumping into anything any time soon…’ Still there was a twinkle in her eye and Joy thought, maybe, the art circle might prove to be more important to Fern than they had realised.

‘I wouldn’t rule anything out, if I were you…’

‘I have you to thank for it, you know.’ Fern lowered her voice. ‘Even if I’d never have thought that possible in a million years!’

‘Ridiculous.’ Joy rolled her eyes. ‘Everything that you have and anything good that happens, you have worked for and you deserve it.’

‘No, not ridiculous at all. I’d never have joined in a group like the one you managed to find and I don’t want to think about how long I’d have drifted about wondering what I’d do about Luc and my paintings and… my whole future, if it wasn’t for the way I’ve seen you handle yourself and all that Yves threw at you. You’re a class act, Joy,you’rethe inspiration.’

‘She’s certainly that.’ Albie took a glass from a passing tray and stood next to them.

‘You see, you’ve even got Albie eating out of your hand.’ Fern poked her uncle playfully and he put his arm around her shoulder.

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