Page 10 of Right Place, Right Time
I suddenly realise the rest of the table are watching our exchange intently. As I turn away from Adam to look at them, they all hurriedly pick up their drinks and begin innocently sipping on them.
‘I could do it now if you like?’ Orla says. She pulls a pack of tarot cards from her bag. ‘I always carry my cards with me and there’s a free table over there. No one else need overhear.’
‘Why not?’ Adam says, holding out his hand to Orla.
‘Grand!’ Orla takes his hand and shakes it. They both stand up and go over to the small empty table in the corner of the room. Adam throws me a triumphant look as he walks past me.
‘He’s very nice, isn’t he, Adam?’ Harriet says, watching the two of them sit down opposite each other. ‘What a life he’s had, travelling the world with all these bands. It sounds incredibly exciting.’
‘You’ve found out a lot about him in the few minutes I was gone!’ I say, smiling at Harriet. Harriet is well known for being the gossip of Clockmaker Court, and makes it her business to know everything about everyone.
‘If you ask the right questions, you can learn a lot about a person in five minutes,’ Harriet replies knowingly.
‘She’s right,’ Rocky says. ‘I’ve never known anyone to find out someone’s life history as quickly as my Harriet can.’
‘Thanks, love.’ Harriet smiles lovingly as him.
‘We called that a busybody in my day,’ Ben says from his comfortable armchair at the end of the table. ‘Or just plain nosey.’
‘Nonsense, Ben,’ Harriet says briskly. ‘Just because you don’t choose to engage with your customers, doesn’t mean I’m nosey for doing so. It helps to build a rapport with them.’
‘I don’t need to build a rapport with someone to sell them a map or a thruppenny bit,’ Ben says, lifting up his glass of rum. ‘In fact, most of my customers would be put off if I tried to engage them in too much conversation. I find they prefer to browse in peace and quiet.’
I like Ben. He never says a lot, but when he does speak, it is always short and to the point. His shop is a few doors down from mine, and we will often pass antiques and customers on to each other if they are more suited to the other one’s shop.
None of us know how old Ben actually is, and he makes it quite difficult to guess. He has kind, dark brown eyes that look piercingly right through you if he feels you’ve said something silly. He’s tall, but these days walks a little hunched over. His movements are often stiff and slow, but he’s able to get about with the use of an elegant Derby walking stick with a curved wooden handle. His dark skin has aged well, and, if it wasn’t for his head of tightly curled white hair, he would probably look much younger. He knew my grandparents before me, and when I first took over Rainy Day Antiques and needed advice about anything either to do with the shop or the wider antiques community, he was extremely helpful.
‘Well, running a café and bakery is a lot different than selling old maps and coins,’ Harriet says haughtily. But I knew she would never stay cross with him for long. We all have a soft spot for Ben.
‘It is that,’ Ben says, nodding agreeably.
I glance over at Adam and Orla. They are already deep into the reading, both looking intently at the cards Orla has dealt on the table.
‘Don’t you be worrying about them two, young Eve,’ Ben says, seeing me. ‘What will be, will be.’
I smile at him. ‘I’m not worried, Ben. I just want to make sure Orla doesn’t tell Adam anything to make my house clearance fall through.’
‘Any vintage clothes?’ Luca asks hopefully.
‘Not that I’ve seen. But we didn’t really go in any wardrobes.’
‘Shame.’
‘No maps or coins either,’ I tell Ben. ‘Sorry.’
Ben doesn’t seem all that bothered. ‘Not in the house anyway,’ he says oddly.
‘I guess there might be some outbuildings I haven’t investigated yet.’
Ben shakes his head. ‘No, not there either.’
I’m about to ask him what he means when there’s a slight commotion across the room. Adam has scraped his chair back from the table and is standing up, staring suspiciously at Orla.
‘How could you possibly know that?’ we hear him ask.
Orla doesn’t look at all ruffled by Adam’s outburst.
‘Please, Adam, sit down,’ she says calmly. ‘There is nothing to be afraid of.’
