Page 110 of Bea's Book Wagon
Bea sat at the end of the aisle a few rows from the front so Arthur could get out easily if he needed to. As he settled himself next to her, he handed her a card with her bidding number on it.
‘You’re forty-eight, I’m forty-nine. When you’re ready to place your bid, hold up your number. If you win, the auctioneer will write it down, then we go and pay. It’s quite straightforward, really,’ Arthur explained.
‘Got it,’ said Bea, enthusiastically, getting swept up in the excitement.
The auctioneer worked through the lots one by one and Bea was surprised by the fast pace of it all. He was a real showman, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy and tossing his gavel into the air for dramatic effect every time he closed the bidding. Bea could see how easy it would be to get carried away and bid much more than she’d intended.
Arthur’s umbrella stand was up next and he got his first bid in early. In the end, it came down to him and just one other bidder, but Arthur snuck in a last-minute bid just before the final gavel sounded, securing the umbrella stand for ninety-five pounds.
‘That was impressive,’ said Bea, patting his arm.
‘You have to wait until the last second and just when they’re about to drop the gavel, in you pounce with your final bid,’ he whispered, tapping his nose. ‘Works every time.’
When Bea’s book lot came up, she found she was the only bidder. She raised her hand once making an opening bid of twenty pounds, and the next thing she knew it was going once, going twice, sold… to her!
‘Well, that was a bit of a let-down,’ she complained to Arthur. ‘I was hoping for a spectacular bidding war,’ she admitted, feeling a little disappointed.
‘Never mind, my dear! It’s still your first auction purchase. Let’s pay our dues and then perhaps we can stop for a cup of tea on the walk home? If you have time, that is,’ Arthur asked, looking hopeful.
‘That would be lovely, and I did want to pick your brains about something, actually,’ said Bea.
‘I’m all ears,’ he said, pushing himself up from the chair, ‘let’s go crazy and get cake too!’
‘Let’s!’ Bea agreed with a nod, taking his arm as they walked slowly to the cashier’s desk.
CHAPTER 32
Arthur was brimming with enthusiasm and advice when Bea shared her idea for the bookshop, and he’d patiently talked her through some of the pros and cons of running a physical shop; what pitfalls to look out for and what the benefits could be. And, despite feeling awkward, the following morning Bea decided Arthur was right, so she took a deep breath and set off to the Pink Ribbon.
‘Hiya!’ called Bea, feeling a little nervous as she walked through the door. She knew how sad Anya was to be closing the shop, and the last thing Bea wanted was to upset her and Simon before they’d even had a chance to pack up.
‘Hi, Bea!’ said Simon from behind the counter, knee-deep in boxes.
‘How are you doing? It looks hectic…’ said Bea, glancing around. There were ‘50% off everything’ signs everywhere, and Anya was carefully bubble-wrapping some of the larger vases and bowls before boxing them up.
‘Oh, you know,’ said Anya, with a deep sigh. ‘Just getting on with it, really.’
‘The sale’s going well, though,’ said Simon. ‘We’ve shifted quite a bit of stock already.’
‘That’s great news,’ said Bea, brightly. ‘I could do with some new candles actually.’
‘Help yourself, there’s still loads left over there,’ said Anya, pointing to a shelf in the corner.
‘I also wanted to give you this,’ said Bea, getting a copy of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility out of her bag. ‘This book has given me some comfort in the past, and I thought it might do the same for you.’
‘Thanks, Bea,’ said Anya. ‘That’s really thoughtful of you.’
‘Actually,’ Bea continued, feeling even more nervous than before. ‘I wanted to talk to you both about something, if you’ve got time?’
‘Course!’ said Simon. ‘I could do with a break from all this, to be honest,’ he said, gesturing at the pile of boxes next to the counter.
‘Well…’ Bea said, hesitantly, her jaw muscles tightening. ‘I really hope you don’t think I’m being insensitive, but Tori and I were talking about what might happen to the shop once you’ve left – what kind of business might take over – and, well, erm,’ Bea continued, ‘I was wondering if perhaps… if I could… maybe… look into opening a bookshop,’ she finally blurted.
‘Oh, wow!’ said Anya, clearly shocked.
‘I feel awful even asking, given everything you’re going through, but my friend Arthur thought I should pick your brains, seeing that you’ve been here for years,’ Bea said, her face flushing hot.
‘Well, for what it’s worth, I think a bookshop here would be great. Someone has to take it over, and I’d much rather it be you than a stranger. I know you’d look after the place,’ said Anya, looking around the shop fondly.
