Page 62 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
The party was in full swing. Some of the cricket players sat around in the café, others were out on the grass, drinking beer, eating burgers and cakes. Hazel and Sampson were chasing each other through the trees, closely watched by Ivy. A huge cheer went up as Darren and Madeline arrived. Beers and cakes were offered, but Darren was feeling a little sore and tired, so Madeline helped him into the easy chair inside the café, then went to help Ruby, who was struggling to juggle everyone’s orders. As Madeline came outside, carrying a tray of coffees and cakes, Adam Wright came over, a sheepish grin on his face.
‘I just wanted to say sorry again for being rude and calling you a stupid hippy,’ he said.
Madeline smiled. ‘It’s all right.’
‘No, I was out of order. I wanted to make it up to you, if I can. While on weekends I’m a wild, rule-ignoring cyclist, during the week I’m a professional glazier. I see you have a little problem with one of your windows, and I’d be happy to repair it, for free, of course. I’d always be happy to give the rest of them a check over, make sure you’re all good with sealant and everything before the winter comes.’
Madeline beamed. ‘That’s so nice of you. Thank you.’
‘And your cakes are awesome, by the way. The best in Brentwell.’
‘Thank you so much.’ She held out the tray. ‘Why don’t you have another piece?’
‘I’d be delighted. Thanks.’
Slowly, the party began to wind down. The players drifted off in ones and twos, some to go home, a few hardcore heading off to town centre pubs to continue their afterparty. Pete went off to close down the burger van, Lizzie headed back to the library. Madeline waved goodbye to Ruby and her dad, both laden down with wrapped slices of pie and tart, and finally it was only herself and Darren left.
Adam had promised to come first thing Monday morning to replace the window pane, but before leaving he had cleared up the broken glass and fitted a piece of plywood into the gap. Madeline turned down Darren’s offers to help as she finished tidying up, then looked at Hazel and Sampson sleeping soundly beside each other in Hazel’s basket on the floor.
‘I think everyone’s had a long day,’ she said, looking out of the windows as dusk fell over Sycamore Park. The sky was still clear, stars starting to appear, but the wind had got up, sending flurries of leaves racing up and down the paths. There was no denying that autumn was here, fighting off the early vanguard of winter by the skin of its teeth. In a couple of weeks, the trees would have been reduced to skeletons, and Madeline would be faced with wondering what she would do when Angela decided to return. For a while she had forgotten all about her absent landlord, but her brief tenure was more than halfway done.
She was going to miss it, she realised.
Madeline cut two slices of walnut-topped cheesecake, then poured a glass of wine for herself and a squeezed juice for Darren, before helping him to a window seat where they sat together, looking out over the park.
‘So,’ he said, ‘Do you think it was your ex who broke the window?’
Madeline sighed. ‘It has to be,’ she said. ‘Who else might have done it?’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘Well, I’m going to wait until I’ve calmed down, then I’m going to find out the truth. I don’t care what he thinks about my petition. He has no right to go damaging the café. And what if we hadn’t found Hazel?’
‘Perhaps you should call the police?’
‘I don’t think they would do anything, do you?’
Darren shrugged. ‘Probably not.’
Madeline put her hands over his. ‘Thank you for getting Hazel out of that tree,’ she said.
Darren shrugged. ‘It was Ivy’s idea. I was just at the top of a greater effort. Rescuing cats is a team game, after all.’
Madeline smiled. ‘Thank you anyway.’
She realised she was leaning forwards, moving closer to him. Darren moved forwards too, and suddenly they were leaning over the table, their faces close. Madeline heard Hazel meow, wanting to go out, and hesitated just a moment, but she wouldn’t be denied. She leaned forwards a little more, and their lips brushed.
It was Darren who pulled back. Madeline frowned, but Darren lifted his sleeve and gave her a sheepish grin.
‘I’m afraid I put my arm in the cheesecake,’ he said.
While she wanted to confront Rory, she didn’t actually know where he lived now, and while she probably could have hunted him down, she thought it better to channel her energy into something more productive. On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, she left Ruby to look after the handful of customers, took a large umbrella and walked around town, collecting her petition sheets. Then, armed with a bag full of cumulative rage in written form, she headed for the council office.
A junior official who worked on the management team for Sycamore Park was happy to see her.
‘As you can see from some of the notes,’ Madeline said, ‘in addition to more than eight thousand signatures against the car park, there are about a hundred complaints about the shady process of Snide and Company in other car parks around Brentwell.’
To her surprise, the junior official just nodded.
