Page 94 of Bea's Book Wagon
When everyone was settled in with a glass of wine or elderflower cordial, Bea took a deep breath.
‘Hello, everyone!’ she said. ‘Thank you so much for coming to the first meeting of Bea’s Book Club.’
A small round of applause reverberated around the circle.
‘I’m hoping the weather holds out for us tonight, but, if it doesn’t, Violet has kindly allowed us to use the village hall. So, if it does start raining, grab whatever you don’t want getting wet and make a dash for it.’
‘Fingers crossed it stays dry,’ said Jess.
‘So,’ Bea continued. ‘First of all, I hope you all received your copy of the book in the post?’
Everyone nodded.
‘Perfect! And now you’ve had a chance to read it, I hope you enjoyed it, but if you didn’t, that’s okay. We’re not all going to love the same books, and this club is all about trying things we might not usually read and sharing our thoughts. There’s only one rule: be open and listen to everyone’s opinions, even if you don’t agree with them.’
‘Isn’t that two rules?’ Harry pointed out.
‘I suppose it is,’ said Bea, laughing. ‘Okay, so Book Club only has two rules! We’re going to start by talking about what we thought about The House by the Bay. Then we can have a break to eat, and we’ll finish off with some questions I’ve put together for us to discuss. How does that sound?’ Everyone murmured their agreement.
‘Oh, and I’ll be coming round to top up your drinks, so just give me a nod if you’d like a refill,’ Phoebe added.
‘Perfect, thanks, Phoebe. Does anyone have any questions before we get started?’ Bea asked. ‘Nope? Okay, then, let’s start! Violet inspired the pick of our first book: Kate Fisher’s The House by the Bay. I’ve always loved Kate’s books; she’s such a phenomenal writer and this one didn’t disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it, couldn’t put it down in fact, so I really hope you all felt the same.’
There were a few murmurs of ‘Absolutely’ and ‘Loved it!’ from the group.
‘I loved the love story between Jane and Damian; it was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, and that secret he was keeping, well… I didn’t see it coming at all,’ said Bea. ‘Tori, what did you make of it?’
‘I was exactly the same, I couldn’t put it down. I haven’t read anything by her before, but I’ll definitely be reading her other books if this one’s anything to go by,’ said Tori.
‘You’re in for a treat,’ said Violet, ‘they’re all just as good, if not better. My favourite’s The Garden of Dreams. That was her debut.’
‘I loved the setting. Portofino almost seemed like a character in its own right, if that makes sense? I fell in love with it,’ said Rose.
‘I hate to say it, but I didn’t really like it,’ said Harry, apologetically.
‘That’s okay, Harry. What was it you didn’t like?’ Bea asked.
‘I just found it a little slow, and there was way too much historical detail for me. It just didn’t hold my interest nearly as much as I hoped it would,’ Harry explained.
Bea heard a tiny huff of annoyance from Violet.
‘I can understand that,’ said Bea. ‘If you’re not a fan of historical fiction, it might not be for you.’
‘I think that’s all it was, just not my bag really,’ said Harry, casting Violet an apologetic look.
* * *
After a healthy debate, the consensus seemed to be that the majority of members had enjoyed the book, with a couple of exceptions, but no one completely hated it, so Bea was pleased.
‘How do you think it’s going?’ Phoebe asked Bea, as she topped up everyone’s glasses while they grabbed a cheese board and sat down to eat.
‘Good, I think,’ said Bea, watching Nathan chatting to Arthur, his eyes glinting with amusement in the light cast upon him by the flickering candles. Violet was deep in conversation with Tori, her face relaxed and happy.
The evening light was now fading and the fairy lights around the wagon were twinkling like tiny stars, giving the evening a magical feel. The sound of conversation and laughter was humming in the air – it was exactly what Bea was hoping for.
‘Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about your wine!’ said Bea.
‘I’ve sold all of the extra bottles I brought with me tonight, and Arthur wants to book in for a vineyard tour with his son!’ Phoebe said.
