Page 21 of Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses

‘Hi, Caro.’ Anoushka returned Caro’s smile, looking up at her quizzically.

‘I’ll cut to the chase. Gabe tells me you’re looking for somewhere to locate your dance studio and I was wondering if you’d found anywhere suitable?’

‘No.’ Anoushka’s shoulders slumped. ‘It’s proving to be harder than I expected. I’m beginning to think I’m never going to find anywhere.’

Caro’s smile grew wider. ‘In that case, darling, I think I could be the bearer of some jolly good news.’

‘Oh?’

‘I’m sure you’re aware – especially since your father and Jimby have been working on them – but my latest plans for the castle, and getting the old pile contributing towards her upkeep, involve converting that cluster of old estate offices on the Lytell Stangdale road. They’ve been standing empty for absolutely yonks which is a scandalous waste.’

‘Yes, I know the ones you mean.’ Anoushka had heard her dad and Jimby talking about them, singing their praises.

‘Well, there’s a large, detached unit – for want of a better word – that I think just might be perfect for you. It’s just come free again since the person who was originally going to take it on has backed out. I wouldn’t care but, like the other tenants, he’s had his name on the list before the units were even started. But that’s by-the-by. If you think it’d be any good for you, you’re very welcome to take a gander.’

‘Oh, wow!’ Anoushka’s interest had been well and truly piqued. These were the buildings Gabe had mentioned the previous week. Until recently, they’d been in a state of disrepair for as long as she could remember, with the roofs of some collapsing in, walls crumbling in places. Several months ago, work on renovating them had started in earnest – her dad had secured the contract to do the joinery work, and Jimby had been commissioned to make new cast iron fencing and a grand set of gates to the entrance. Memory of what Kristy had said about the new vets’ taking over a Danskelfe Estate premises swirled in her mind; she wondered if it would be located at one of these buildings? If her memory served her right, their location was perfect and came with plenty of space for parking. That would certainly ease the problem of cars clogging up the village before and after her classes, which had been a cause for concern with her current set-up. ‘I’m intrigued,’ she said, ‘and very keen to take a look. Would I have sole use of the building?’ With the increased interest in her dance classes, she was finding it difficult to fit everyone in the village hall. Booking extra sessions had proved tricky as it was already in great demand, what with Gerald’s art classes, Vi’s burlesque classes and flower arranging classes to name but a few.

‘Oh, definitely; the building would be let to you alone; yours to do with whatever you will.’

‘Right.’ Anoushka nodded, rubbing her fingers across her chin as she processed the information, her hopes springing to life. ‘The only thing is, I’d need to have the rooms sound-proofed, that way I wouldn’t run the risk of disturbing your other tenants, and I’d need to have special sprung flooring fitted too. Would that be a problem with them being old buildings?’ She braced herself, hoping she hadn’t talked herself into a deal-breaker.

Caro leaned forward and patted Delilah soundly on the withers. ‘Not at all; none of those buildings are listed so there’s no need to worry about that, which is a blessed relief. So, if you like what you see, you’re welcome to crack on with whatever needs doing right away. The unit I’ve earmarked for you is detached and the walls are jolly thick, which should help stifle any noise before you even get started on the sound-proofing.’

‘Sounds perfect! When can I take a look at it?’ Excitement was thrumming through her veins; from what Caro had described, the unit had the potential to be the answer to her prayers.

‘Tomorrow morning too soon? Say, ten-thirty?’

‘Perfect. Thank you, Caro,’ she said, as a huge smile spread across her face.

‘It’s actually Gabe you have to thank; he’s been badgering me to find something for you on the Danskelfe Estate. Sim and I wondered if he’d actually willed the chap to back out of the unit so you could have it.’ She gave a hearty laugh.

Anoushka felt her cheeks grow warm. ‘Well, I’m very grateful to you both.’

Caro gave her a loaded look. ‘Yes, he’s a good man is Gabe.’ Just then, Delilah snorted and started pounding the ground impatiently, plumes of steam billowing from her nostrils. ‘Okay, madam, bide your passion, we’re heading off now.’ She smiled at Anoushka. ‘See you tomorrow, darling.’

‘See you tomorrow.’

Anoushka couldn’t help but do a happy dance as she watched Caro trotting off along the path, Delilah’s hooves drumming on the ground; she had a good feeling about this. ‘At last!’ she said, with a little squeal of joy. Brimming with happiness, she hurried home; she couldn’t wait to share the news with her family.

* * *

That night Anoushkalay in bed, her mind way too busy to contemplate sleep. With excitement bubbling away inside her, she envisaged how she’d have the rooms of her new dance school, the colour schemes she’d use and the sign she’d have above the door, not forgetting the dancewear. Vi had already put her in touch with a brand designer and together they’d settled on a logo and font. It was contemporary and stylish in shades of midnight blue, dusky pink and antique gold featuring a pair of ballet shoes and a rose. All she’d been waiting for was an address so she could get her business cards printed. Anoushka wiggled her toes happily.Ooh! This is so exciting!Tomorrow morning couldn’t come round soon enough.

As her mind gradually wound down, her thoughts turned to Gabe. She was grateful to him for mentioning her situation to Caro. If it wasn’t for that, she was sure she wouldn’t have had the chance of the unit; it would’ve been snapped up before she’d heard it was back up for let again. Caro was right, she thought with a sigh, he was a good man. She recalled the look in his eyes the last time she’d seen him. He’d stopped her as she was leaving the pub last Saturday. ‘Bye, Noushka. I probably won’t see you ’til I get back,’ he’d said, giving her arm a squeeze. Her heart gave a little leap at the memory.Don’t go there, Noushka, you’ve got enough on your plate.

14

Caro’s fancy sports car was already parked up when Anoushka drove into the spacious courtyard, tyres crunching over the gravel. She pulled up outside the unit – the word really didn’t do the building justice – her stomach fizzing with excitement; she couldn’t wait to see inside.

‘Morning, darling.’ Beaming, Caro appeared in the doorway before striding over, her ponytail swinging jauntily. ‘Mwah. Mwah,’ she said, clasping her hands on Anoushka’s shoulders, delivering a kiss to each cheek. ‘Come on, let me show you the space, see if it suits your needs.’

‘Morning, Caro, thanks so much for this. It looks fabulous from the outside,’ Anoushka said, following her.

‘As you can see, there’s plenty of space for parking, and there’s more either side and to the rear, too.’

‘That’s great.’ Anoushka nodded, taking it all in. Already, this was looking so promising. It was the largest of the group of buildings, and set back on its own. Before even stepping over the threshold, she hoped with all her might it would be perfect.

Inside, she glanced around at the generous entrance area – it would make an ideal reception and waiting room. It had four doors leading off it. The two on the back wall opened onto two generous sized spaces that would be absolutely perfect for dance lessons. Another door gave way to a small, newly installed kitchenette, while the other led to a toilet and a room that could be fitted out as a changing room. Anoushka’s mind was racing. Already, she could visualize how she’d have everything set out. ‘This is fantastic!’ she said, unable to rein in her enthusiasm.

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