Page 3 of Wishes & Waves at the Cornish Bakery
‘NO WORRIES. THANK YOUanyway.’ Tilly smiled at the lady whose name badge read Penny and turned to leave the cafe.
‘You could try next door at the bakery. Elsie has lived here for goodness knows how long. If anyone is bound to know, she is.’ Penny smiled warmly as she finished wiping the counter.
‘Oh, I think it’s closed.’ Tilly bit down on her bottom lip. ‘Don’t worry though, I’m sure something will come up.’
‘Knock and ask. She’s ever so lovely. She’ll have closed for a family dinner, but she won’t mind you knocking.’ Penny walked around the side of the counter.
‘Okay, thanks.’ Could she really just knock and disturb a family dinner? The bakery was the last shop in the small row she hadn’t tried. Just as she turned, the phone behind the counter began to ring.
‘I’d better get this, but honestly, knock and ask. She won’t mind.’ Penny smiled and picked up the phone before holding her hand over the speaker and nodding towards the door. ‘Sorry to ask, but would you mind just turning the sign on the door to closed, please?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Tilly nodded as she walked towards the door. Even though nobody she’d asked had been able to give her any practical advice or suggest anywhere new to try for a room for the night, they’d all been so warm and welcoming. Perhaps another reason Aunt Gwen and her parents had so loved it here? Reaching the door, she turned the small sign toClosedbefore slipping back out onto the cobbles.
Right, she needed to do this. She’d just walk straight up to the bakery door and knock. What was the worst that could happen? She interrupted the family meal and was told to leave without anyone advising her? That was all. Literally. They weren’t likely to come at her with a pitchfork now, were they? Besides, Penny had been about to close up for the day, and she hadn’t minded one bit Tilly asking her questions, and the haberdashery owner had answered the door when she’d knocked, despite the fact she’d already closed up.
Tilly knew why she felt nervous; it was because it sounded as though there were a lot of people in the bakery. She’d noticed a few going in whilst sitting on the bench, and there must have been at least ten people, and that was the ones she’d noticed. She wasn’t good with crowds, with people. She and her aunt had kept themselves to themselves, even more so over the years as her aunt’s illness had taken hold and she’d been struggling to leave her home.
She paused outside the door to the bakery and listened. She could hear chatting and laughter and possibly a child shrieking with joy. She couldn’t interrupt. Could she? She glanced back towards the bench she’d been sitting on. She had two choices, knock, interrupt and make a nuisance of herself but with the possibility of one of them being able to recommend somewhere to stay, or else sleep in her car for the night until she could find a bed-and-breakfast with a vacancy.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and cupped her hands around the glass before peering inside. Wow, there were loads of people inside, more than she’d noticed going to the door. Nope, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to knock. Penny had assured her the owner was lovely, but what about everyone else? They might not think kindly of a total stranger hammering on the door when they were so clearly enjoying themselves.
Tilly let her hands drop as she stepped away. She’d leave it and check on her mobile again. Perhaps they’d be a pub with rooms or some place she’d missed and could call up.
Settling her back against the bench again, Tilly laid her bag on her lap and pulled out her mobile. It would be fine. She’d find somewhere, and if she didn’t? Well, she’d sleep in her car or make the long journey back to her hometown and see if any of her old friends would put her up for a few days until... Until when? Forever. And who was she kidding? She hadn’t spoken to the handful of people she’d kept in touch with since she’d quit her job to look after her aunt for at least three years. No one would have her. And if they did, then for how long?
She put her mobile on her lap and buried her face in her hands. Until what? Until she won the lottery, or someone gave her a brown envelope holding a letter to say she’d inherited a million pounds or a mansion in the Cotswolds from a long-lost relative?
Chapter Four
‘Hi, I’m from the bakery. Can I help you?’
Lowering her hands from her face, Tilly looked up at the woman who had spoken. She fiddled with the oversized man’s watch on her wrist, the one her aunt had given her when she’d turned eighteen, the one she’d been told used to belong to her dad. ‘Oh, did you see me looking through the window? I’m so so sorry, I was just...’ She let her voice trail off.
‘It’s no bother.’ The woman smiled, her eyes lighting up with kindness. ‘I just spotted you and wondered if everything was okay. I’m sorry we’re closed, but if you need anything, I’m sure Elsie won’t mind if I serve you quickly.’
‘Oh no.’ Tilly shook her head as the heat of embarrassment flamed her face. ‘I wasn’t after anything. I’d never have... Sorry, I’d never have interrupted to try to buy something when I could see you were closed. It’s nothing.’
‘Okay, no worries. See you around.’ The woman began to turn back to the bakery.
Glancing at the ground beneath her shoes, Tilly then lifted her head. She might as well ask now. She’d already interrupted and, besides, she most definitely didn’t want people thinking she’d peered through the window hoping to grab a couple of bread rolls. ‘I was going to knock and ask the owner, Enid, something. Penny from the cafe assured me she wouldn’t mind, and then when I saw there were so many people in there...’
Turning back, the woman perched on the bench next to her. ‘Elsie?’
‘Yes, sorry, Elsie.’ Where had Enid come from? She was flustered. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest. She wasn’t used to doing things like this. She ran the pad of her finger across her watch, encircling the silver face. ‘I wondered if she knew of anywhere that might have a room for the night. I’ve looked online and rung all the places I could find, but everywhere is full, and then I started asking the shopkeepers, thinking they might know of a little place which perhaps wasn’t very well advertised or wasn’t online.’
‘Oh, right.’ The woman glanced across at the bakery. ‘I can definitely ask her. Penny was right; if anyone knows of a place, it’ll be Elsie. She’s lived here that long.’
‘Right. Thank you.’
‘I’m Lynsey, by the way.’ Lynsey pushed her hands against the wooden seat and stood up.
‘Nice to meet you, Lynsey. I’m Tilly.’ For the first time since the encounter, Tilly smiled, the panic subsiding.
‘I’ll go and check with Elsie.’ Lynsey pointed towards the bakery.
‘Are you sure you don’t mind? I really didn’t want to interrupt anything.’ Gripping the edge of the seat, Tilly felt the nervous flutters erupting inside her again. Why did she always feel like this? In any new situation? She bit down on her bottom lip; she knew why. It was because she’d spent the last few years in the comfort of her and her aunt’s home. This, coming to a new place, a new part of the country, with no plans whatsoever, was so out of character she was bound to feel nervous. Besides, it wasn’t every day she had to deal with being chucked out onto the streets, her home being repossessed and losing any sense of security.
‘No, not at all.’ Lynsey grinned. ‘I’ll be right back out.’
