Page 12 of Wishes & Waves at the Cornish Bakery
‘Exactly. And you know what? I’ve got a good feeling about the quiz tonight.’ Brooke followed Teresa and Lynsey to the door and pulled it open for them.
‘You said that last week, too, and we lost.’ Lynsey laughed.
‘Ah, yes, but this week will be different. Just you wait and see.’ Brooke waved them out before closing the door again and looking at the clock above the counter. ‘I’d better get going too. I’ll just clear up these mugs.’
‘Don’t worry, I can do that.’ Drinking the dregs of her coffee, Tilly then set her mug on the tray and walked towards the door. ‘You get home.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’ll go and help Elsie clean up anyway so I can pop them in the dishwasher on my way.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ Brooke grabbed her bag from where she’d placed it on the counter and pulled the door open again. ‘I’ll see you later at the pub then.’
‘Looking forward to it.’ Tilly smiled as she closed the door behind her before letting her smile slip. Was she? Looking forward to the quiz? All those people, and in an unfamiliar place too. She shook her head. She wouldn’t think about it right now. Besides, she could always change her mind if it got to the time of the quiz and she couldn’t face it.
With the front door to the bakery now locked, Tilly picked up the tray and headed towards the kitchen. She’d slipped into an easy routine of helping Elsie with the cleaning up whilst they chatted. It was nice. Since her aunt had passed away, she hadn’t had anyone to talk to, not properly. Yes, there’d been the cashiers at the local supermarket who she could have a five-minute natter with whilst she packed her shopping bags, and the postie had often knocked and asked her to take in herneighbours parcels as she was the only one on the street at home during the day, so she’d swapped pleasantries with him and her neighbours briefly every so often, but she hadn’t had anyone to properly speak to, to share her thoughts and feelings with and to listen to theirs. And it was nice. It was more than nice.
Not for the first time since arriving in the bay and accepting Elsie’s offer of volunteering here, tears stung behind her eyes. She couldn’t explain how grateful she was and how much she’d needed this. Not just the room, but the connections she was making, too, the friends. Not in a million years had she ever thought she’d have friends again, not friends like these, people she could actually talk to, people who appeared to care about her, too.
Blinking, she took a deep breath as she pushed the kitchen door open. She couldn’t believe how much she felt at home here after so little time.
‘All okay, Tilly?’ Elsie glanced over her shoulder from where she was standing at the sink and smiled at her.
‘Yep. Everything’s tidy out front. What can I do in here?’ Walking towards the dishwasher, Tilly placed the tray down and pulled open the dishwasher door.
‘Oh, are you okay just wiping the table and counters down, please?’
‘Of course.’
‘Are you off to the pub quiz tonight, love?’ Turning from the sink, Elsie wiped her hands dry on a tea towel.
‘I think so.’ Tilly nodded as she squeezed the last of the mugs onto the top shelf of the dishwasher.
‘Good, good. It’s a great night. Or so I’m told. I’ve not been for years, but it always was. Gerald, the pub landlord, knows how to entertain everyone.’ Elsie chuckled.
‘Are you and Ian not coming?’
‘No, we’re on babysitting duties these days.’ Throwing the tea towel over her shoulder, Elsie began putting away tubs of ingredients. ‘You remember the little ones from the dinner? Hudson, Esme and Bonnie.’
‘Yes.’ Tilly smiled. They’d all been so cute.
‘Well, me and Ian have them here so Diane, Harry, Wendy, Connor, Daisy and Ollie can enjoy the pub quiz. It gives them all a night off and lets me and Ian spend some time with the little ones. Or our honorary grandchildren, as we like to call them.’ Elsie grinned as she picked up a small bowl, which had been hiding behind the tubs of ingredients. ‘Are you okay popping this in there too if there’s room, please?’
‘Yes. I think it should fit.’ Taking the bowl from her, Tilly moved a few bits around in the dishwasher before slotting it into the last available space and closing the door.
‘Thanks, love.’ Looking at the clock on the back wall, Elsie tutted. ‘I’d better go through to the shop floor. I’ve got someone coming to fix the till this evening and I don’t want to miss him. It seems to be getting worse with each day, doesn’t it?’
‘It does. I was expecting it to give up entirely this afternoon when we had that mad rush.’ Tilly walked toward the sink and picked up a cloth and a bottle of cleaner.
‘Are you sure you don’t mind finishing off if I leave you?’
‘No, I’m fine. I’ll get this done in no time.’ Tilly smiled.
‘Thanks, love.’ Pulling the tea towel from her shoulder, Elsie folded it and laid it on the large stainless-steel table before walking through the door.
Holding the cleaner and cloth, Tilly surveyed the kitchen. Elsie had already done most of the cleaning, so this wasn’t likely to take too long. She sighed as she sprayed the table down. She still wasn’t sure what to do next in her investigations. After the altercation with Isaac’s dad, she knew she couldn’t go back to the cottages. Maybe she should go straight to the farmhouse?The farmers themselves would probably know who had lived at the cottages when her dad had been alive. Especially because she assumed the cottages were tied to the farm, farmworkers likely had rented them or occupied them as part of their farm work package.
Why hadn’t she thought of trying there first? Of course, she’d need to find a different route to the farmhouse. She couldn’t risk climbing over the gate at the end of the track again and being chased off the land by Isaac’s dad. But there must be a different way in. They’d likely be another entrance to the main farmhouse. She’d finish up here and then take a look at maps on her phone, see if she could work out another way.
