Page 6 of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop
‘That sounds like an accomplishment in itself! If you need anything else, just pop in.’
‘I will, thank you. Oh, and Maisie?’
‘Yes?’
‘What are you doing on Friday evening, at half-past six?’
Maisie sucked in her cheeks. ‘Uhm, nothing. Sadly.’ She laughed.
‘Come to A New Chapter, then. We’re having our inaugural book club meeting, deciding which titles to read over the next few months. Bring a book you’d love to talk about, and we’ll do the rest.’
‘Oh, that sounds … are you sure? That would be lovely.’
‘Entirely sure. See you then!’ Ollie waved and walked on, enjoying the afternoon sun painting the cobbles gold, and gently warming her cheeks. After a few more steps, she’d reached Sea Brew. Her heart rate picked up, which was ridiculous, because it was just a coffee shop. They made a wonderful chai latte and crispy, delicious sausage rolls, but neither of those things, as good as they were, made her pulse race.
She risked a glance through the window, and saw a familiar tangle of dark curls, heard a low laugh that vibrated right through her. She spent a moment indulging, as if inhaling the sweet, rich scent of a chocolate she wasn’t going to allow herself to eat, then moved past the open door and into Cornish Keepsakes.
The gift shop smelled heavenly, and the sight of all the chunky wicker hampers, lined with colourful tissue paper and filled with goodies, wasn’t any less enticing. There were gingham-topped pots of jam, coaster sets, bags of fudge and jars of old-fashioned, brightly coloured sweets. The smell came from an array of locally produced candles, the floral and musky perfumes mingling into a single, heady aroma.
The shelves around the edges of the shop were filled with stone and glassware ornaments made by local artists, sea-glass jewellery that winked at her. Ollie wanted to absorb every sparkle and glossy surface, to inhale the smells until her head was full of them, instead of thoughts of the man next door.
In one corner, surrounded by the soft glow of golden fairy lights, was a Christmas display. Ollie’s breath caught at the beauty of it. The hamper centrepiece was packed tothe brim, with a jar of brandy butter, a Christmas pudding wrapped in red foil, a box of luxury mince pies and several silvery crackers, their zig-zag ends so distinctively festive. Shredded red tissue paper spilled out of it, and nestled in between each item were sprigs of holly with plump red berries, and bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with golden twine. Ollie pressed a hand to her breastbone. ShelovedChristmas, and this display was the perfect blend of elegant and over the top, just as the festive season should be. But it was more than that. It was …
‘What do you think? Doyouthink this is too early?’
Ollie spun round. ‘Meredith! How are you?’
Meredith was a few years younger than her – in her late twenties, probably. Her soft brown hair fell in waves around her shoulders, and her warm eyes and the sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks gave her an open, friendly appearance. When Ollie had come into Cornish Keepsakes two days after moving in, to buy candles and decorative trinkets to make the barn more homely, they’d started chatting. Since then, Ollie had made the gift shop a part of her daily routine – it was next to Sea Brew, after all – and she and Meredith had struck up the beginnings of a friendship.
‘I’m great! What about you?’
Ollie nodded. ‘I’m really well, thanks. Just admiring your festive display.’
Meredith crinkled her nose. ‘I never thought I’d be accused of getting into the Christmas spirit too early.’
‘Don’t tell me you’re not a fan.’ Ollie was incredulous. ‘You work in the gift business!’ Personally, she never passed up an opportunity to add more decoration, more twinkle, morefunto life.
‘I used not to be,’ Meredith admitted, folding her arms. ‘I had a really tough Christmas – a long time ago, now – and I ended up dreading it. But since last year, things have changed. A whole lot, actually.’ Her expression brightened.
‘You and Finn?’ Ollie knew that Meredith’s boyfriend, Finn, was a painter.
‘Me and Finn,’ Meredith confirmed. ‘And some other things, too. I’m ready to embrace the festive season as early, and as wholeheartedly, as I possibly can. And Adrian, would you believe, thinks I’ve taken it toofar!’ She laughed.
‘I don’t think that,’ Adrian called from the office behind the shop. ‘We just don’t want to ride roughshod all over autumn. We need to make the most of every season, and you’ve put Christmas up before Halloween.’
Meredith rolled her eyes. ‘I told you: this is onetinycorner to plant the idea in people’s heads. My Halloween stock is arriving tomorrow, at which point I will happily fill the rest of the shop with cobwebs and dangling spiders.’
Adrian, the owner of Cornish Keepsakes, appeared in the doorway. He always looked dapper, wearing a suit and one of his endless supply of quirky ties. Today, it was green avocados on a pink background. ‘Hello, London Ollie,’ he said.
Ollie laughed. ‘Is that a moniker so you remember who I am?’
‘It was, but I don’t think I need it anymore. Would you be disappointed if I dropped the London part?’
‘Not at all. I don’t want people thinking I’m one of those terrible interlopers. What are they called – grockles?’
‘That’s more for tourists, I think,’ Adrian said. ‘We’ll just call you Ollie from now on.’
‘Very decent of you.’
