‘Dropping a copper coin into the water keeps your tulips from drooping, so they last longer.’
‘Okay,’ he replied doubtfully.
‘Trust me,’ she replied, watching him walk away.
Florrie began serving the next customer but glanced back at Tom just as he reached the top of the lane. He looked back over his shoulder, catching her eye as he answered his phone. Still watching him, Florrie thought the conversation looked heated and he seemed to be speaking faster and faster, waving his free hand in the air, even though he was still holding the bouquet. Even from that distance, it was clear the conversation had riled him. Finally, he hung up and stuffed the phone back into his pocket, then for a brief second stared at Florrie. He seemed to be in turmoil, his face like thunder as he turned and walked away and finally disappeared from sight.
There was something about the way he’d stared at her that had unnerved Florrie. She didn’t know why but her gut feeling was telling her that that phone call had had something to do with her. All she could do for now though was push it out of her mind, so she put on a smile and served the next customers.
As soon as the queue began to dwindle, Florrie rang Isla. The second she answered, Florrie announced, ‘My gut is telling me that Tom may know about our campaign to save The Vintage Flower Van. He’s been to the van this morning and bought flowers and a ticket for Flowers in Bloom, and he asked if we could talk.’
‘He doesn’t need a ticket.’ Isla gave a chuckle.
‘Don’t joke! I have a bad feeling and I don’t know why.’
‘I wonder if it has anything to do with the local protesters outside the town hall today. Aidy made sure that they were featured on the news.’
‘I don’t know anything about that. I’ve been run off my feet ever since opening the van this morning. I’ve not had time to check anything.’
‘Midday there was a large group of environmental protesters chanting outside the town hall. They had placards and were voicing their opposition to the plans for the demolition of the gardens at Rose Cottage. I’ll send you the clip from the news.’
Isla hung up and as soon as the link pinged through Florrie clicked on it. She quickly counted at least thirty protesters. According to the accompanying news report they’d positioned themselves from the start of the work day to ensure maximum visible impact to the staff at the town hall.
As soon as the footage finished, she rang Isla back. ‘There’s no way he can’t know after that.’
‘Of course he’ll know, the company is in his hands now. So, let’s see what his next move will be.’
Florrie had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach but all she could do was wait to see what impact, if any, the last couple of days would have on the planning application. Because by her reckoning the opposition letters would be starting to roll in at the council office any time now.
ChapterTwenty
It was late afternoon and after a busy day Florrie was cleaning out The Vintage Flower Van. She was exhausted yet happy, as today’s flowers had sold out in record time and the Flowers in Bloom tickets had sold like hot cakes. As she was collecting the aluminium buckets and lining them up at the side of the cottage, Florrie heard a car pull up. She turned to see who it was and waved at Aidy as he climbed out of his car and began walking towards her.
‘Aidy! I’ve never seen anything like today. All the flowers were sold out just after lunch yet still people queued in their droves just for a Flowers in Bloom ticket. We’ve already sold hundreds! Isn’t it marvellous?’
Aidy smiled supportively but there was something uneasy about his countenance.
Florrie noticed he had his phone in his hand. ‘What brings you to Rose Cottage? Is this about the protesters?’
‘Not quite.’
Immediately, she got that sinking feeling in her stomach once more.
He handed her the phone and she saw that a rival newspaper’s website was showing on the screen. ‘You need to read this.’
Florrie scrolled through to the article and couldn’t believe her eyes when she read the bold headline ‘University Friends in Tug-of-war Over Business That Has Traded for Sixty Years’. Underneath were two photographs, one of Tom sitting on his father’s yacht drinking champagne and one of herself serving a long line of customers outside The Vintage Flower Van.
‘Why didn’t you tell me that you and Tom Houston knew each other? Did you not think that was an important piece of information?’ asked Aidy.
Florrie could sense Aidy was a little miffed that he’d been scooped by a rival reporter.
‘I didn’t think it was that important, to be honest. It was years ago that we knew one another and I wouldn’t say we were friends exactly. Also, we haven’t seen each other since, well … until he turned up in Heartcross. Apparently, his grandfather’s charity is being featured at Flynn’s charity event up at Starcross Manor.’
Florrie turned back to the phone and kept reading. The article hadn’t left any stone unturned. Tom’s professional reputation and moral standing were being questioned. The article suggested he was hell-bent on destroying her late great-aunt’s business and leaving her homeless and penniless. Though some bits were accurate, it wasn’t quite the whole truth, as Florrie was the owner of Buttercup Barn and lived in her rented home on Love Heart Lane. But it was the next line that really caught her eye.
When approached, Tom Houston from W. Houston Property Developers refused to comment for this article.
‘In journalistic terms, what does that mean, Aidy?’ she asked as she pointed to the sentence.
