Page 11 of A Second Chance in Seabury
‘Oh,’ Doris’s face fell. ‘Well. That’s a real shame. I did wonder, but I always hoped you might be back to stay one day.’
Hannah shook her head, wondering why the movement made her feel so sad. She had a life to get back to.
‘How long are you here for?’ said Doris.
‘At least two weeks,’ said Hannah, trying to recapture her joy rather than sinking back into sadness.
‘Well, don’t forget I’ve still got a set of keys to your place!’ said Doris.
‘You do?’ Hannah blinked in surprise.
Doris nodded. ‘Your aunt left them with me years ago, just in case she ever locked herself out. Then, towards the end, I used them to take her shopping in to her.’
There was that damn lump in her throat again. ‘Thank you… I didn’t realise.’
Doris shook her head and smiled. ‘You don’t need to thank me. I adored Millie. But if you’re selling the place, you’ll no doubt be wanting them back.
Hannah nodded.
‘Actually,’ said Doris, ‘can I suggest something? Why don’t you leave them with me a little longer? You might misplace your set before you leave—especially if you’re going to be busy packing.’ Doris cocked her head, watching Hannah intently.
‘That’s an excellent idea,’ said Hannah with a smile. It was just the sort of thing she’d do!
‘If you like that, I’ve got another one for you,’ said Doris, ‘and hear me out before you say no…’
‘Okay…?’ Hannah frowned, wondering what was coming. She could do without Doris trying to talk her out of selling the place. As well-meaning as it might be, she simply wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for her flat in Londonandkeep the house in Seabury now that the trust had come to an end.
‘Well,’ said Doris, ‘I was just thinking that you could leave the spare keys with me when you head off back to London. I could hold onto them for the estate agent. Then, if they need someone local to check on anything or to unlock for viewers, I could keep an eye on things. It’s easy enough for me to pop up the hill and deal with it.’
‘I can’t ask you to do that!’ gasped Hannah.
‘You didn’t,’ chuckled Doris. ‘I offered. Besides, it’s the least I can do. Millie was my friend, and I know she’d want me to help you in any way I can.’
Hannah swallowed. ‘That’s really kind of you.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ said Doris, waving her words away. ‘Anyway, there’s no need to decide now… but the offer’s there. It might just save you a bit of hassle, that’s all.’
Hannah nodded. ‘I’ll need to check with the estate agent, but if they don’t have any objections—yes please.’
‘Perfect,’ said Doris with a beaming smile. ‘Now then, anything else I can help you out with? I got a new jar of Rhubarb and Custards in yesterday. It’s almost like I sensed you were back in town!’
Hannah glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was the shelf with jar after jar of old-fashioned sweet treats, along with a pair of metal tongs, a scoop, and a selection of pink and white paper bags waiting to be filled.
‘Now you’re talking!’ she breathed. ‘I’ll definitely have a big bag of those, please. They’ll keep me going while I’m cleaning.’
Doris nodded and bustled out from behind the counter so that she could do the honours.
‘Can I have a few Parma violets too, please?’ she said, as Doris unscrewed the top of the first jar.
‘Your aunt’s favourites,’ she said with a smile.
‘Yeah. Hey, you don’t happen to know if Mr Eaves has a sweet tooth, do you?’
‘Well, the man’s very fond of his honey,’ chuckled Doris, ‘so I’d say so. He always goes for these.’ She pulled down another jar and rattled the pieces of what looked like golden honeycomb.
‘Cinder toffee?’ said Hannah, reading the label. ‘Okay, great. Can I get a bag full of those, too, please? A big one.’
Doris nodded, though Hannah didn’t miss the curious look on her face. She quickly turned away before the older woman decided to subject her to the third degree. Hannah had no idea why Mr Eaves had decided to help her out… but she could do without the rest of Seabury speculating!
