‘Do you think you’d be up for selling them in our pop-up shop?’ Saffy asked him.
He nodded. ‘I think Noreen would have liked that.’
I didn’t miss the catch in his voice and the glisten of tears in his eyes. If we got to that point, I’d offer to help him sort through everything as he might appreciate the support. Clearing out a dead spouse’s belongings for whatever reason wasn’t easy. I’d managed the garage but all Cliff’s clothes were still hanging in the wardrobe.
The conversation turned to the empty gift shop in Willowdale and Veronica was indeed in the know.
‘It’s a sad story, actually. A pair of sisters, Ava and Jocelyn, ran it for years but Jocelyn had an affair with Ava’s husband and they ran off together. Ava closed the shop at Christmas three years ago, expecting to open again at Easter, but that became impossible after she discovered that Jocelyn had emptied the shop bank account and also kept the money that should have been paid to their suppliers for months previously. The business owed thousands. Ava needed to remortgage her house to pay the debts and find another job to pay the mortgage.’
‘That’s awful,’ I said. ‘Poor woman.’
Veronica nodded. ‘Fortunately, there was a light in the darkness. The solicitor who dealt with it all was an old school friend of hers and they fell in love. I don’t personally know either of them but a good friend of mine does and she says they’re incredibly happy together – far happier than Ava had ever been with her husband.’
‘What happened to Jocelyn and the husband?’ Saffy asked.
‘They split up and he returned, begging Ava to take him back. Can you believe that? How he had the front to do that after he’d had an affair with her sister, of all people, and destroyed their business and—’ Veronica stopped abruptly and pressed her fingers to her lips. ‘I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I got on my high horse like that about people I don’t personally know. Please forgive me for sounding like a terrible gossip, spilling out their private business.’
‘You’re not a gossip,’ Milly assured her. ‘We specifically asked and you shared what you know.’
‘It wasn’t very charitable of me to do so.’
Laughlin lightly touched her arm. ‘I echo what Milly says. You arenota gossip. Gossips often share unconfirmed information and typically do it with unkind intentions or disapprovingly and that’s simply not you.’
As Veronica smiled at him with evident gratitude, I marvelled at how Laughlin didn’t say a lot but the things he said were so helpful and considered.
‘I know a bit about it too,’ Laughlin said, addressing the group. ‘Noreen was friends with Ava. The premises situation is complicated. Ava and Jocelyn both had daughters who were really close. There’s a flat above the shop and the intention was for the girls to move into it together when they were ready to leave home – a rent-free starter home for them both. When everything went wrong, the girls fell out and have been at loggerheads ever since. They won’t live together but each refuses to let the other live in the flat. Jocelyn and her daughter want Ava to buy them out and, although Ava and her daughter would be willing to do that, they can’t agree on a price. Jocelyn wants a 50:50 split and Ava wants more in compensation for the debts she had to settle so it’s been stalemate for quite some time.’
‘So we’re going to have no chance of a pop-up shop there,’ Milly said.
‘Not necessarily,’ Veronica said, looking thoughtful. ‘If you’d been battling with your sister over an empty premises for three years and you had the chance to make some quick money for a few months, wouldn’t you lay down your arms? Leave it with me and I’ll put some feelers out next week.’
* * *
Laughlin wanted to get Lancelot home for some rest after his ordeal so Veronica drove them back to Willowdale and Milly joined Saffy and me at my house for a coffee. The three of us started a new journal for our potential pop-up shop. Saffy found the Facebook page for Willowdale Gifts and scrolled through dozens of photos of the inside, which gave us a good feel for the space and how the sisters had used it. None of us knew whether the pop-up shop would happen, but it was exciting imagining what it could be.
Milly had a light bite with us for tea before heading home, and Saffy and I had just settled down to watch some television when a text came through.
From Paulette
It’s been a tough day. Setting off home now. Hope you and Saffy are OK
To Paulette
We’re both great. Sorry it’s been hard. Are you OK to drive? Saffy’s welcome to stay if you’re tired and want to book into a hotel overnight
Half an hour later, my phone rang and Paulette’s name flashed up. Given the content of her message and the fact she’d phoned me rather than Saffy, I slipped into the kitchen to answer it.
‘Can I take you up on your offer to have Saffy overnight?’ Paulette asked.
‘Of course. How did it go?’
‘It was bad.’ She sighed heavily. ‘I’m drained so I’ve taken your advice and pulled into some services. The hotel here has a room free but I wanted to check about Saffy before I book it.’
‘If she’s happy to stay here, she’s very welcome, but if she’d rather go home, I can drop her off – whatever she prefers. Do you want to speak to her yourself?’
‘I’ll check in and get settled first, then I’ll ring her.’
‘Okay. I’m here for you if you want to talk.’
