Page 4 of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop
She lay back on the grass, the washed-out blue of the sky above her dotted with cotton-wool clouds.
She had embraced change, and now all she needed to do was settle into it – at A New Chapter, and in Port Karadow. She had left everything she knew behind: her best friend was in Portugal with her toy boy, her otherfriends were carrying on with their London lives, though they had promised to call regularly, to even visit someday in the future, and her parents were happily retired in Yorkshire, no doubt planning their next cruise. Ollie had gifted herself an enviable life in Cornwall, in a beautifully converted barn with a hint of sea view, and she was determined to make the most of it.
Henry nudged his nose under her chin, and she wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, absorbing the sensations of this one, specific moment. Ollie Spencer was a new woman and, if she was honest, she was looking forward to getting to know herself again, too.
Chapter Three
It felt strange walking into town without Henry bounding along at her side, but Ollie couldn’t take him with her today. For her first day at A New Chapter, she had put on a long, wine-red skirt below a black silk blouse, and finished it off with her caramel coat and her leather boots. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, only the front strands pulled back from her face and secured with a butterfly clip.
It had been misty again when she stepped outside, the air damp enough for her to feel it against her skin. It was invigorating, and exactly what she needed to help her focus on her first day. Ollie wanted Thea and Becky to like her: she wanted to be seen as part of the team.
She walked along the country road, the tall, thick hedges on either side starting to turn from green to red and russet, the birdsong lifting her spirits. She knew this route now, knew where there were dips in the road, which side to walk on so she could easily step onto a verge if a car came past.
Over the last couple of weeks she had got into a routine: getting up, putting on Henry’s harness, walking along the narrow lanes, sometimes down to the beach, then into town. She picked up a coffee and, occasionally, a pastry from the independent café, Sea Brew, then went to soak up the sights and sounds of the harbour. Now, the greens and ambers of the countryside slowly gave way to the odd farm building, then neat rows of houses, then the whole town, spread out before her like a chocolate box full of enticing flavours, the harbour and sea sparkling beyond it.
Usually she would walk up the hill, out of the valley Liam’s farmhouse was nestled in, then back down into town, but today she would only be going up. A New Chapter, Thea Rushwood’s independent bookshop, was at the very top of the hill, in a historic building called the Old Post House that had been renovated over the summer.
By the time she turned onto the lane that led to the Old Post House, the sun had burned away most of the mist, and Ollie could feel sweat slick on her lower back. The walk had filled her with energy, and she was buzzing. She turned a corner and stopped, marvelling again at how beautiful the bookshop was.
A New Chapter stood on its own, a solid chunk of a building built in honey-coloured stone, with a gravel space in front of it big enough for several cars. The windowsills shone brightly, and the sign above the wide doorway had red, swirling font on a glossy white background. It read:A New Chapter: Port Karadow’s independent bookshop.There were colourful displays in the windows, one an amalgamation of blues and greens and, when Ollie stepped closer, she could see they were all Cornish titles: fiction andnon-fiction, hardback and paperback. The other window was a rainbow assault, a display of children’s books surrounded by enticing-looking toys and games. The front door was postbox red, matching the sign, and a placard outside read:Coffee Served Here.
Ollie took a deep breath and pushed open the door, feeling the satisfying weight of it, hearing the loud, resonant ping of a bell announcing her arrival.
When she came for her interview, she had fallen in love with the interior. A staircase ran up the middle of the large space, its wooden banister polished to a high shine. There was a wide counter to the left of it, with displays of bookmarks, local postcards and leaflets alongside the till, and a neat tower of pocket-sized Port Karadow guides. The shelves were well spaced and organised. Ollie couldn’t help but drink it in again now that she was a part of it; now that she belonged. It was comforting and exciting all at once; still quiet at nine o’clock, but that was to be expected – especially as the shop had only been open for two weeks.
Becky, Thea’s colleague, stood behind the counter. Her long, dark blonde hair was very straight, and she had delicate features and pretty, large brown eyes. She gave Ollie a smile that didn’t quite reach them.
‘Welcome back,’ she said, her low voice melodious, and unmistakably Cornish. ‘I’ll go and get Thea.’
‘Hi Becky,’ Ollie said. ‘I’m so glad to be here!’
Becky nodded but didn’t say anything else, and when she disappeared, Ollie turned in a slow circle, scanning the bookshop, the titles on the shelves. Outside it had promised coffee, but she couldn’t see a machine or a café area, couldn’t smell its rich, morning-heady scent.
‘Hi Ollie!’ She turned to find Thea with Becky. The bookshop owner was slim, with dark hair pulled back from her face and a warm, genuine smile. She held out her hand. ‘It’s so good to see you again. Have you settled in OK?’
‘Like a dream,’ Ollie said. ‘A good one, of course – not a nightmare. Port Karadow is lovely, and so different from London.’
‘I can imagine. We’re very happy you’re here, aren’t we?’ Thea glanced at Becky, and after a second, the other woman nodded. ‘Let me show you the back room. You can store your bag and hang up your coat, then we’ll get a coffee and have a chat.’
‘I’m really keen to get started,’ Ollie said. ‘To pitch in wherever I’m needed, and focus on organising events. I want to help you build on the success of your launch.’ She had been packing up her life in London when the bookshop had opened, but Thea had told her their plans for launch day at the interview.
‘It was better than I could have hoped for,’ Thea said. ‘It was so busy, which I know isn’t quite reflected now.’ She gestured around the beautiful space, currently devoid of customers. ‘It’s going to take time to get known, for people to see us as their bookshop of choice, but I’m confident we can do that.’
Ollie widened her smile. ‘I’ve been thinking about this, and a full programme of events in the run-up to Christmas, to help promote the bookshop and tie in with what Port Karadow already has planned, would give us the best possible start.’
‘It’s already the middle of October,’ Becky pointed out.
‘I know,’ Ollie laughed. ‘But nobody needs to know how short our lead time has been. If the events run smoothly,it’ll seem like they’ve been planned for months.’ She was used to staying on her toes, and if she was in charge this time, there would be no limits to what she could achieve.
‘And you have firm ideas about the type of events you think we should be putting on?’ Thea’s expression was hopeful, and Ollie felt a spike of adrenaline. She could bring real value to this place.
‘I havetonsof ideas,’ she said. ‘I know we talked about it at the interview, but since then I’ve been looking into the town, the community, and I read the recent interview with you in the local paper. Port Karadow already has a great reputation at Christmas, with the returning lights pageant, and we need to make sure A New Chapter is right at the heart of that activity.’
‘It’s good that you’re ready to get stuck in,’ Thea said, smiling. ‘Though I still need to show you how everything works.’ She gestured for Ollie to follow her further into the bookshop.
‘A New Chapter isn’t the same as a fancy London bookshop,’ Becky said, before they could move. ‘We don’t have the same goals, the same customer base, or the same budget. It doesn’t follow that what worked for you there would work here.’
‘I appreciate that,’ Ollie said. ‘But I’ve got a lot of experience promoting books and understanding readers, and I also have a lot of contacts—’
