They reached Sabrina’s Audi and relished the instant warmth of the heater as she turned the engine on. She looked across to Conor. ‘This is really huge and really horrible, and I didn’t want to say anything as it does indirectly affect your family.’
She could see the light drain from Conor’s eyes. ‘Go on.’
‘Lowen is now working for a developer who wants to shut down the outdoor market. They’re going to build a huge housing development at the top of the hill, which means that the excess traffic will have to go through Ferry Lane seven days a week.’
‘What an absolute eejit.’ Conor bashed his hand down on the dashboard. ‘But he’s seriously deluded. The planning will never go through.’
‘Well, this is why Lowen had a short-term job at the council. He’s got some of them on his side ready for some backhanders if it does.’
‘The cunning piece of…’
‘Yes. He really is a nasty man.’
‘I guess the positive of you having your dalliance with him is that you found this out.’
‘Everything for a reason, and all that.’ Sabrina’s face dropped. ‘But I don’t want you or Frank or anyone else getting involved because he will know I’ve said something, and I really do want to keep my anonymity around here. He said that if I say anything, he’ll tell everyone who I am around here and inform the press. It will be a circus, and I’m not ready for that.
‘What a wanker.’ Conor looked pained.
‘So, I’m going to handle it by myself.’
‘How?’ Conor stared at her.
‘You don’t need to know that. Give me a week, please, and if I haven’t put some kind of halt on it, then you can take over. OK?’
‘But—’
‘Conor, I’ve trusted you with a lot. In return, trust me on this one. Please. You must promise me.’
Conor sighed deeply. ‘Next Monday, we walk and talk again. Deal?’
‘Deal.’ Sabrina put her hand out to shake his and he immediately put it to his mouth and kissed it.
‘But, after that, I can’t promise you what might happen.’
‘Conor!’
‘This is serious shit, Dickens, and affects a lot of people.’
‘I get it– of course, I get it.’ Sabrina sighed.
Conor gave her one of his lop-sided smiles. ‘You’re an amazing woman, and don’t ever forget that.’
And despite her preoccupation with the question of what on earth she was going to do to save the market without exposing her own secret, she blushed. ‘I try.’
With Conor dropped off at Bee Cottage doing some gardening for Billy and Kara, Sabrina let herself into the flat and made herself a cup of tea. So happy that she had taken the decision to take Mondays off, too, she positioned herself on the sofa so that she could look out over the busy estuary. As she focused on theHappy Hartmaking its way over to Crowsbridge, she thought back to Conor wanting to kiss her. Every ounce of her gut had told her to. In fact, she had never felt so certain of wanting something or someone in her whole life. His touch felt so right, he smelt so good. But more importantly she could tell that his intentions were true. And as certain as what she had experienced with Lowen Kellow was pure lust, she knew that if she were to kiss Conor Brady right back, it would undoubtedly lead to something far deeper. If she would let it, that was. Because, despite convincing herself and everyone around her that everything about Dominic Best was wrong, there was a tiny part of her bruised, fragile and clearly deluded heart that was still telling her that she still loved him. And until that feeling passed, she wasn’t ready to move on.
Chapter Thirty
The Ferry Lane Market Stallholders Monthly Meeting was a far more relaxed affair than Sabrina had imagined it would be. She had arrived at Monique’s, promptly at midday to find four tables pushed together, each with a delicious looking platter of sandwiches, jugs of water and a coffee jug.
Linda Harris was in her element chatting to everyone, pouring the coffee and basically busying herself to make sure each stallholder had what they needed. Once everyone was sat and settled, she looked over to Big Frank. ‘Ready?’
He nodded and with an air of importance, the plump woman scurried to lock the door and hang thePrivate Meeting until 1sign on it.
Kara and Star had beckoned Sabrina to join them at their end of the table, which she was pleased about as she had felt a bit of imposter even being invited to the meeting, especially as she was so part time and not a local. She obviously knew Frank and Charlie, too, and for her sake, Frank had kindly asked everyone around the table to give her a little introduction as to who they were, and which stall they were connected to. Gideon Jones who ran the antique stall had given her a leery smile; Nigel from the fish stall, still wearing his blue-and-white-striped apron and smelling slightly of haddock, gave her a half smile. Ben Clark, the butcher sat quietly doing a word game on his phone, looked up and cooly just nodded his head at her; and Alicia, who seemed as sweet as the fudge and honey she sold at The Sweet Spot, gushed a huge welcome.
Frank cleared his throat. ‘We wish you all the best, Jilly, and welcome to the Ferry Lane Fold. It’s great that Brian can keep his slot on the market, thanks to you. So, if anyone has any problems with Jilly taking the unit, then I suggest they talk to me about it.’ Sabrina suddenly felt warm inside. Accreditation from Big Frank and a justification that she was in fact helping one of their own was, she realised, a big step towards her acceptance into the market community.
