Page 34 of Teacakes & Tangos
Lois was there as well, of course, with my step-mum Irene, and so was Rory’s thirteen-year-old sister Elsie, who loved dancing with a passion and adored listening to Freda’s tales of running away to New York to pursue her dream...
After all the stress beforehand, I’d ended up thoroughly enjoying the day, talking to the visitors who were milling around, and clapping madly at the dancing displays along with everyone else.
I’d even managed to find an excellent candidate for the job of managing the Little Duckling Café.
A lovely woman called Anika had seen the job advert on the wall in reception and her boyfriend Xander had spoken to me privately to tell me he thought she’d be the perfect person for the job with all her relevant experience working in the hospitality industry.
It was such a relief to think I might be able to fill the post at last. Having to look after the café myself would take me away from my true love. Dance. I’d hired two excellent teachers but I was looking forward to taking a lot of the daily classes myself.
I couldn’t believe how much happier I felt knowing that opening day had been a resounding success.
Rory had been quite right when he’d told me I was working too hard and getting too stressed about everything. But in any case, none of that mattered now because we seemed to be back on track, Rory and I.
Late that night, after everything was spick and span and ready to receive the first dance class customers the following morning, Rory and I locked up and drove over to his house, where he told me to kick off my shoes, get into my cosy pyjamas and recline on the sofa while he poured me a drink. I relaxed with a grateful sigh and he massaged my shoulders and told me what a brilliant day it had been and how proud he was of me for bringing it all together so spectacularly.
I yawned happily as he joined me for a snuggle on the sofa.
I’d been so silly to have worried about him spending too much time with Lois. He was just being kind and supportive, which was Rory through and through.
*****
What I couldn’t have foreseen that night, lying in Rory’s arms in the blissful aftermath of that successful launch day, was that Irene – Lois’s mum – would come to me a week or so later and put more doubts about Lois into my already suspicious mind...
Anika
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The morning after the Magic of Dance launch day, I woke very early to the sound of someone trying to push something through the letterbox.
Drifting to full consciousness, I heard a car being driven away.
Curious, I got up and went out onto the landing. Peering down, I could see there was a brown envelope lying there on the mat.
It was probably a flyer of some kind. Local businesses were forever posting advertising material through the door. I turned to go back to bed, but then curiosity got the better of me and I ran downstairs, picked up the envelope and slit it open.
The contents, when I pulled them out, made me gasp in disbelief...
*****
I stared at the wad of £50 notes in my hand in utter bewilderment.
Splaying them out, I began counting the notes but gave up after twenty-three.
Who on earth would push an envelope that must contain around £2,000 through my door? Coincidentally, the amount we’d need if we were to clear our mortgage debt...
I walked slowly through to the kitchen and sank into a seat, placing the envelope – with the cash tucked neatly back inside it – on the table in front of me.
I knew who it was, of course. It wasn’t a coincidence at all.
The cash had to be from Minnie.
She was the only one who knew the extent of our debt. I’d confessed it to her during our emotional exchange about Dad themorning she’d come to see me, and she’d been quite determined to help us out as a kind of reward for Dad’s heroic action in saving her life.
I smiled, thinking about Minnie. She was one of life’s treasures.
But we definitely couldn’t accept it.
I’d have to find out where she lived and return it to her...
