Page 71 of The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street
Amos nodded enthusiastically but he didn’t need to, Flora was already pulling her jumper off over her head. Underneath she wore a plain scooped-neck tee shirt; it would show off the necklace beautifully. She gathered her thick hair into a bunch and held it away from her neck, so that Amos could fasten the necklace, albeit with shaking hands.
Flora stood back and lowered her hair, pushing it back over her shoulders. She stood up tall, stretching her neck. ‘It feels wonderful,’ she said. ‘Like someone is just lightly touching my skin with their fingertips.’ Daisy could see she was itching to explore it with her own fingers, but she held back, not wanting to spoil the effect for Amos.
‘Jewellery should speak only words of love… That’s what you said, Daisy, wasn’t it? But this, this is even better, because these words aren’t spoken, they are whispered gently like a lover’s sigh…’
Flora snorted. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Amos, will you stop?’ She dabbed at her eyes. ‘Or my mascara will be halfway down my face.’ But she grinned at him, and then at Daisy and, in the look that passed between them, was the acknowledgement that he was right.
* * *
It was the anticlimax, Daisy knew that, but by three o’clock she was pounding the towpath again, trying to rid herself of the restless feeling that had plagued her ever since Flora and Amos had left. Their reaction had been everything she could have wished for but now that the elation had died down, together with the sheer relief that it was all okay, her thoughts turned increasingly to the coming days.
She hadn’t heard from Nick yet, nor had she expected to. Her parcel had only been sent on Thursday, and not to his home address, but to the house of his girlfriend’s parents near Chester where he would be staying once he was back from his last trip before Christmas. She didn’t suppose he would even see it until Christmas Eve. So now she was reduced to playing a waiting game. Not only for his response, but also for the day after tomorrow when Buchanan’s fate was decided, and hers along with it. It induced a horrible feeling of helplessness.
The canal was quiet, but the light was already beginning to go and Daisy wasn’t surprised. This close to Christmas people were either busy or enjoying a quiet afternoon by the fire in readiness for the mad rush to come. There was now so little time left in which to say something to Kit. But it was unlikely she would get the chance even if she could find the words.
She was on her way back home when she saw Robin clambering from his boat. He was muffled against the cold just as she was, clutching a brightly wrapped package to his chest.
‘Land ahoy,’ he called. ‘I was just coming to see you.’
She grinned. ‘Were you? Although I’m not sure you can say “Land ahoy” when you’re on solid ground too.’
‘Good point. In that case, Happy Christmas, Daisy.’ He thrust out the present towards her. ‘I know it’s earlier than we usually exchange gifts, but I sent my manuscript off to my editor this morning, so I’m a free man and heading to my parents first thing in the morning instead of Christmas Eve.’
‘Ah… well then you’d better come back to the cottage with me a minute so I can get your present. I’d hate you to miss out.’
He grinned and fell into step beside her. ‘I’ll confess I hadn’t a clue what to get you this year, but I have it on good authority that you’ll like those.’
‘Oh?’
‘Yes, I bumped into your friend – boyfriend? – the other evening when I was out. Taking the air, as I like to call it, but what is actually one last cigarette before bed, and we got talking. Fascinating chap, I approve.’
Daisy stared at him. There were several things wrong with that statement. ‘Hang on a minute… When was this, Robin? And I don’t have a boyfriend. What did he look like?’
Robin scratched the end of his nose. ‘Erm, tall, dark and handsome? No, let me think… Tall, yes, dark… hard to see at night, but dark-ish… and handsome? Not my cup of tea, obviously, but maybe… friendly looking anyway, with a very open face… and kind of…’ He motioned to his forehead. ‘A floppy hair thing going on.’
It can only have been Kit. ‘When was this?’ she asked again.
‘Wednesday, I think… yes, definitely Wednesday, but it was late. Your light was still on though.’ He paused for a moment. ‘I did do the concerned citizen thing because he was stopped by your path, but he seemed to know where he was going. And once I got talking to him it was obvious that he knew you, so I thought it must be okay.’
Daisy gave him a reassuring smile. ‘Yes, it’s fine. I know who it was. Sorry, I forgot he’d been round for a minute. He comes out walking this way quite a bit and he popped in when he saw my light was on. Bit embarrassing actually, he was busting for a wee.’ The lie came easily; she had no wish to make Robin anxious.
Robin laughed. ‘God, and I kept him talking for ages. Like I said though, interesting chap. He didn’t have a torch with him and, when I commented on it, he said he always walked by moonlight. We got talking about the stars.’
It was definitely Kit.
They had reached her cottage and Daisy pushed open the door. ‘Hang on and I’ll go and get your pressie,’ she said.
She returned moments later and held out the package. ‘They’re, well, I bet you can guess.’
‘Aye, notebooks,’ Robin said, a broad smile on his face. ‘Same as always, but what would I do without you, Daisy?’ It had become a bit of a standing joke between them as Daisy had bought him notebooks ever since she found out he was a writer.
He leaned forward to give her cheek a kiss. ‘Well, Happy Christmas. I hope you have a good one.’
‘You too, Robin.’ She was still clutching her gift from him and she gave it a gentle shake. ‘Intriguing…’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
She watched as he made his way back down the path, giving a farewell wave before shutting the door. She stared at the present, the present that clearly Kit had offered advice over. She couldn’t… could she? No, she shook her head. It wasn’t Christmas yet and she never opened presents early. She took it through into the sitting room and placed it under the tree.
The walk hadn’t exactly chased Kit from her mind but the urgency to think about him at least had lessened as other thoughts crept in too. Now though, he was right back, centre stage. There was something… Ever since Amos had revealed that it was he who had inadvertently told Kit about her jewellery, something had been gnawing at her. That should have made everything simple, but somehow it hadn’t and she couldn’t work out why. But as she straightened, it came to her.
