Page 41 of Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses

Jimby was still in full swing. ‘As you can see from the ones we’ve already been given, there’s a whole array of fabulous-looking things to bid for, like hampers of wine, for example – quite like the look of that myself.’ He chuckled. ‘As I’ve already said these can be collected at the end of proceedings. You just need to bring your paddle and your wallet, and Lady Caro and I will sort out the rest for you. So, with all of that out of the way, there’s nothing more for me to say but have an awesome evening and please, please bid generously, folks, it’s for a great cause. Now here’s Lady Caro with a final word.’

‘Thank you ever so much for that, Jimby.’ Caro’s cut-glass voice was in stark contrast to his broad moorland accent. ‘So, without further ado, it’s time to kick-off proceedings and dive into Lytell Stangdale Primary School’s Auction of Promises!’

A huge wave of applause followed, accompanied by cheers and whistles. Spirits were high.

‘So, who’d like to bid for this fabulous chocolate hamper very kindly donated by The Chocolate Cherub over in Middleton-le-Moors?’ Caro looked around, smiling broadly, gavel poised. Jimby picked up a wicker basket wrapped in cellophane and came to the front of the stage to show it around.

‘Mmm-hm. It smells absolutely amazing,’ he said.

‘Becca, who owns The Chocolate Cherub, tells us it includes over sixty pounds-worth of chocolate, from bars containing salted caramel, to boxes containing violet creams. I’m sure we’re all familiar with The Chocolate Cherub’s products and we can all agree they’re absolutely scrumptious,’ Caro said.

The villagers were hesitant at first, but it didn’t take long for them to get into their stride and dive into bidding wars with great enthusiasm. Caro and Jimby proved to be a great team, their rapport reminiscent of a comedy double-act. They used all of their powers of persuasion throughout the evening, entertaining everyone as they did so and keeping the mood buoyant. At one point, Jimby modelled a jaunty leather hat donated by the country store in Middleton-le- Moors, strutting about like a model on a catwalk, earning himself hoots of laughter and even the odd wolf-whistle, which only encouraged him to ham things up even more.

‘Come on folks, who’s going to start the bidding for this? It’s amazing quality and perfect for stylish walks in the countryside,’ he said.

‘Yes, you too could look as fetching as Jimby in this.’ Lady Caro pulled a jokey face before saying, ‘Seriously, though, folks, it really is excellent quality.’

After a brief bidding war, it was snapped up by local cyclist Len, gentleman friend of Rhoda, who bid way more than it was worth. ‘Thank you for your generosity, darling,’ said Caro when the bidding for it had finished.

‘Aye, not so sure I’ll be parading around like Jimby when I’m wearing it, mind,’ he said dryly. ‘But it’s nice to support such a worthy cause.’

‘Now, this next promise is a real goodie and we’ve got our very own GP, Zander Gillespie, to thank for it – or should I say, it’s his parents we should be thanking. They’ve offered the use of their newly restored chateau in Carcassonne for a week. It looks absolutely amazing. I’m told it’s kept its original features but still has all mod cons which have been added sympathetically. It’s got a generous-sized pool too, and a wonderful garden. Quite fancy it for myself and the missus, actually,’ he said.

‘Me too,’ Vi said from the audience, triggering a ripple of laughter.

Unsurprisingly, the chateau attracted a lot of attention and bidding for it was vigorous, with it getting down to Lord Danskelfe and someone from out of town who no one recognised. Everyone looked on, holding a collective breath as the bidding heated up. The stranger wore a determined look, each time out bidding Lord Danskelfe. But Lord Danskelfe wasn’t to be beaten and his wildly generous bid secured him his week there. The stranger looked daggers at him before storming out.

The winning bid for Anoushka’s one-to-one dance lessons belonged to Lady Caro who seemed inordinately thrilled at her success. Her enthusiasm surprised Anoushka; she’d never expressed an interest in learning to dance before now. ‘Oh, darling, I’m absolutely delighted, and I can’t wait to put it to use,’ she said, her eyes glittering.

The evening passed in a blur, with all of the promises being bid on and paid for – including Anita’s which had been won by an unsuspecting soul from out of the area.

‘Well, that was a resounding success.’ Molly was sitting at a table with Vi as the pair totted up the money. ‘There’s an absolute fortune here.’

‘And some folks who didn’t manage to win any bids have actually made donations. Look, here’s a cheque for three hundred quid from Hugh Heifer.’

‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ said Anoushka who’d sat down to help them. She wondered why he didn’t spend some of his money on a new pair of wellies instead of cobbling his old ones together with bits from others. It would seem he took the spirit of “make-do-and-mend” to the extreme. Her thoughts on Hugh aside, she’d thoroughly enjoyed the evening; neither Damon nor Gabe had crossed her mind once.

‘I really can’t thank you enough. You’ve all been amazing, organising this for our school; it’s very touching.’ Mrs Prudom looked almost tearful. ‘And your enthusiasm is so infectious, Jimby; who couldn’t help but have a marvellous time with you and Caro at the helm?’

‘It was no bother at all. It’s a great little school; we want to make sure it’s still here generations from now.’ Leaning on the brush he was using to sweep the floor, he flashed her one of his trademark beams.

Anoushka was heading towards the door, chatting animatedly with Brogan, when Caro stopped her. ‘Noushka, darling, I’m terribly eager to book the first dancing lesson; I’d like to do it as soon as possible if that’s okay? Strike while the iron’s hot and all that.’

‘Course, no problem. It’s probably best if you call me and we can work out a suitable time between us. Or an email would do just as well; whichever suits.’

‘Perfect! I think you’re going to have lots of fun.’ Caro gave an enigmatic smile before shooting off, calling after her father. ‘Oh, there you are, Daddy. I was beginning to think you’d got lost.’

Anoushka looked after her, a puzzled expression on her face.

‘What d’you think she meant by that?’ asked Brogan.

‘I really haven’t a clue.’ Anoushka’s mind was a little woozy from the four glasses of Prosecco she’d polished off earlier. ‘Maybe she’s going to show me some dance skills she’s been keeping hidden.’ Though, somehow, Anoushka doubted that was what she meant; she’d give it more thought later, when her head was clear.

27

It wasn’t until she was having breakfast the next morning, nibbling on a slice of thick, buttery toast, that it crossed Anoushka’s mind Gabe hadn’t donated anything to the Auction of Promises. It struck her as odd; there were any number of things he could have offered: tour t-shirts, tour merchandise, t-shirts worn by him… it didn’t have to be him offering todoanything, like be a slave for a day as someone from Arkleby had put themselves forward for. An item would have sufficed and attracted a lot of interest. This lack of thought – for want of a better expression – didn’t match the man she was familiar with. He was usually the first to jump in and get involved with village activities or to offer help if anyone needed it. Carrying Little Mary’s shopping sprang to mind. Adopting Bob, the rescue Labrador, rather than having some fashionably expensive statement breed, quickly followed. Gabe had always been keen to blend in with the village, but his lack of a donation puzzled her. Maybe he’d been so busy it had simply slipped his mind? Even so, that really wasn’t like him, and with Lady Caro as a friend, there’s no chance he would have been able to forget about it; when she was on a mission, everyone knew about it – in the kindest possible way.

Though his tour had finished, Anoushka hadn’t expected Gabe to turn up at last night’s fund-raiser; according to Caro, other commitments had taken him to London. Lilith Dean, no doubt. If she was being honest, him not being at the auction had actually come as a relief; relief at not having to have people’s eyes on her, of being the subject of whispers as people tried to guess how she was feeling. But she couldn’t deny she’d been dreading the awkwardness of her first meeting with Gabe afterthosephotographs had exploded onto social media; she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to smile without revealing how she really felt.

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