Page 25 of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea

‘Oh, wow! This looks amazing.’ Ed wasted no time, dropping his napkin into his lap and diving straight in.

‘Mmm. Those roasties!’ Florrie popped one into her mouth and gave an appreciative eyeroll as the crisp skin gave way to buttery softness.

‘It was great to see Maggie’s Christmas teddy bears featuring so prominently in the Campion’s window. Must’ve given her a huge thrill when she and Bear popped over to see them the other day.’ Ed sliced into a large ball of sage and onion stuffing.

‘It was wonderful to see them. I’m so happy for her, especially after all the trouble she had in the summer with that cousin of hers. Despite that, it’s turned out to be a good year for her and Bear.’

Before their ice-skating session, Florrie and Ed had enjoyed a mooch around the shops that lined the Georgian market square, stopping to gaze into the tasteful window display of Campion’s of York. It was the flagship store of the company thathad recently been sold to a mystery buyer who had plans to invest in the flagging shops and restore its previous reputation as the place to buy exclusive and luxurious items. Adding to this, the new owner was keen to support local companies and cottage industries and was eager to stock the stores with goods that met his exacting standards. The shop in Middleton-le-Moors was benefitting from an extensive refurbishment programme, the scaffolding that had obscured the frontage for several months being dismantled just days before the town was decorated for Christmas. The shabby exterior woodwork had been given a fresh lick of eggshell paint, and a hand-painted sign, which included the logo Maggie had designed for the company, had been hung above the wide oak door. The window display was decorated in a suitably festive theme, including a luxurious Christmas tree, showcasing Maggie’s limited edition handmade Christmas bears that were exclusive to Campion’s. The sumptuous styling was a testament to the artistic skills of the visual merchandiser the store now employed.

Over their delicious meal, Florrie and Ed had excitedly discussed their plans for the tearoom in the bookshop, Ed doing all he could to help Florrie visualise his ideas. ‘It’ll be easier to picture when Alex has something drawn up,’ he’d said.

Cautious by nature, the only part of the project that cast any doubts in her mind was the cost. The staircase itself was almost a thousand pounds, and that was with a great chunk of money knocked off the asking price thanks to the mates’ rates Nate had generously given them. But, from what Ed was saying, the tearoom would occupy the two rooms at the front of the first floor, which meant the flat’s kitchen would have to be moved – they couldn’t have the wait staff lugging trays of tea and cakes along the hallway that led off to rooms that would be taken up with books and stationery. Plus, they wouldn’t simply be able to use the kitchen and equipment they already had, there’d berules and regulations to comply with; they’d no doubt have to kit the room out with a professional-standard kitchen. Then there was the matter of washrooms; they’d have to provide at least one, potentially two, since she doubted the outdated one in situ would suffice. And then there was furniture for the tearoom itself to think about. Her dad had offered to do the structural work for free, but neither she nor Ed would hear of that. Their project would take a huge chunk out of Charlie’s building schedule and there was no way they wanted him to be out of pocket.

She didn’t want to burst Ed’s bubble, especially when he seemed so enthusiastic about the idea, but she didn’t know how they would be able to afford to pay for it all. Granted, the bookshop had generated a decent profit over this last year in particular, but it wouldn’t go anywhere near covering the cost of Ed’s plans. She supposed they could apply for a business loan, though that held little appeal with interest rates being what they were. There was no two ways about it, they were really going to have to give this some serious thought, get their ducks in a row if they were to approach a bank.

Oh my days!Florrie’s mind was in a whirl, excitement being the overriding emotion.

By the time they’d left The Golden Fleece, buttoned up tightly against the cold, darkness had properly set in. The square looked even more magical than when they’d first arrived. Florrie cast her gaze around at the nostalgic scene of Christmas card perfection. It could have come straight from the pages of a Dickensian novel. Festive lights were festooned from each of the Georgian buildings, with glittering displays filling their windows, while a large Christmas tree dominated the centre. The sweet aroma of roasting chestnuts from the stall in the farcorner of the square mingled with the smell of woodsmoke that curled up into the dark sky from the chimney pots. This was the only town, other than Micklewick Bay, where she could imagine herself living.

As they headed along the moor road towards home, featherlike snowflakes started tumbling from the sky, slowly at first, the flurry getting denser as they bypassed the moors. A gritter rumbled by on the opposite side of the road, showering rock salt over the car as it passed. Ed upped the speed of the windscreen wipers, snowflakes covering the glass as soon as one lot was swiped away. Though it appeared to be settling on the roadside and verges, Florrie was relieved to see the roads themselves were clear thanks to the endeavours of the gritter. She retrieved her phone from her backpack, texting her mum to say they were on their way home, and asking how things had gone at the bookshop. It didn’t take long for a reply to land.

Glad to hear you’ve both enjoyed yourselves, lovey. All went fine at the bookshop, just very busy! Gerty’s been a good lass. Take it steady on your way back. Snow’s been forecast. See you soon Love you! xxx

Her mum signed off in her usual way with a series of hearts and kissing face emojis. Relief rushed through Florrie. She puffed out a sigh, causing Ed to steal a quick glance at her.

‘What’s up?’ he asked. From his tone, she could tell he was thinking the worst, that Dodgy Dick had shown his face at the bookshop, spreading his menacing air like a suffocating fog.

‘Don’t worry, everything’s fine.’ She was keen to quash his concerns. ‘Looks like the bookshop had no unwelcome visitors, thank goodness. Mum says they’ve been busy, though.’

‘That’s good news, I mean Dodgy Dick not showing his face.’

‘It is.’ Hearing that had put her mind at rest more than she’d been expecting. ‘And she says Gerty’s been a good lass.’ Her heart filled with warmth at the thought of the Labrador.

‘Gerty’s always a good lass,’ Ed said affectionately.

‘She is, she’s a star.’ She smiled at the thought of how much the Labrador would be enjoying being spoilt by her parents that evening. ‘Mum also said heavy snow’s been forecast for the moors so we should take it steady.’

‘Don’t worry, the car’s got winter tyres on, we’ll get home safely.’

Pulling up outside Florrie’s parents’ house, Ed stilled the engine and twisted his body towards her, light from the streetlamp spilling into the car, highlighting the gentle look in his eyes. ‘Thanks for organising this afternoon, Florrie. I’ve had more fun than I could ever have imagined, and have loved every minute of it, even when I ended up on my backside.’

‘Yeah, me too.’ She smiled at him.

‘What? You’re saying you enjoyed seeing me end up on my backside?’ His expression of mock hurt made her giggle.

‘Well, now you come to mention it, it was pretty entertaining.’

Ed laughed. ‘Seriously, though, I haven’t had so much fun for ages.’

Joy bloomed in her chest. She’d had a brilliant time, too, despite how tricky it had been to keep upright at times, and her face had ached from laughing so hard. ‘Which was exactly the object of the exercise, to create some happy Christmas memories.’

‘Well, it definitely did that.’ He reached his hand out, touching the side of her face before leaning in and brushing his lips gently across hers.

‘Mmm.’ Florrie felt her heart melt.

Seconds later, their moment was interrupted as the front door of the house was flung open and a blaze of bright light flooded the footpath, Charlie’s silhouette appearing in the door frame. Gerty pushed her way past him and came bounding down the path, giving an enthusiastic bark as she stopped beside the car.

‘To be continued when we get home,’ Ed said, kissing the tip of Florrie’s nose.

---