‘Oh wow! What a showstopper that is!’ declared Jack. ‘There’s no mistaking what this scene’s all about. Florrie, I think you need to get yourself out here again, flower. This is right up your street.’
‘I’ll set it to start from scratch like the other,’ said Ed.
Florrie didn’t need telling twice. She hurried out onto the pavement, her heart leaping as her gaze roved excitedly over the scene. ‘“Top Withens”,’ she read aloud, her gaze sliding to the girl, then the copy ofWuthering Heightsresting amongst the bracken as realisation dawned. ‘Oh my days, Jack! It’s Emily Brontë! And Top Withens was reputedly the inspiration forWuthering Heights!’
‘Aye, you’re right,’ said Jack, taking a closer look at the scene.
Tears started spilling from Florrie’s eyes. Ed had created this just for her; she must’ve mentioned to him hundreds of times that Emily Brontë’s novel was her favourite book of all time. What had she done to deserve such a wonderfully thoughtful man? She could look at this beautiful recreation of the moors around Top Withens forever!
She rushed back inside, throwing her arms around Ed. ‘Thank you, Ed! Thank you! It’s absolutely wonderful!’
‘Thought you’d appreciate the nod toWuthering Heights.’
‘I do, I’m over the moon. Oh, Mum, you should go and take a look, it’s amazing! Both windows are.’ Florrie had inherited her love of books from her mum who’d been bringing her to the bookshop from being a tiny babe in arms, and when it was simply known as Harte’s Bookshop.
‘After seeing how excited you are, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist, lovey.’ Paula chuckled as she sneaked out of the bookshop to take a look. From her reaction when she returned, Paula was as delighted by Ed’s handiwork as her daughter.
The window reveal over and done with, Jack and Paula returned inside the bookshop, closing the door and sliding the bolt across. It was decided that the rest of the team would take a lookafter the reading and when the crowd had thinned – which they all agreed was the biggest one they’d drawn so far.
‘It’s just gone twenty past six, so I reckon we’ve got time to catch our breath and grab a quick cuppa before we open the door and start letting folk in for the reading,’ said Jack. ‘I could do with wetting my whistle after all that yelling trying to get folk to quieten down.’
‘Sounds like a good plan to me, son. I’ll go and put the kettle on.’ Jean patted his arm and gave him a smile as she passed en route to the kitchen. ‘We’ll have to be quick, mind.’
‘Wait up, Jean pet, I’ll give you a hand,’ said Jenna, trotting after her.
‘By ’eck, they’re a right lively bunch out there, Jack. There’s no wonder you had to shout to be heard,’ said Charlie. ‘You could do with one of them megaphone things.’ Both men chuckled at that.
‘Aye, I might look into getting one for next time, save the old vocal cords.’
Florrie was pleased to see her dad still seemed to be doing okay and suffering no ill effects from being up and about this evening after spending so many days on the sofa at home. She’d spotted her mum keeping a close eye on him, which was reassuring, especially since she’d mentioned to Florrie he was still experiencing some dizziness caused by the labyrinthitis, although Paula had stressed that the spells weren’t as severe or as frequent. Florrie had been relieved to hear that, especially since she knew his worries about not being able to walk her down the aisle were still preying heavily on his mind. She hoped this evening would go some way to assuaging his concerns.
TWENTY
‘Have you got your voice limbered up, lass?’ Jack asked Jenna, grinning broadly.
‘I have that, pet, and I’m raring to go.’ She grinned back, rubbing her hands together. The Happy Hartes team were loitering at the front of the shop, waiting for the two authors to say the word before the door was opened and the next stage of the evening got underway.
Jack turned to Florrie and Ed who were standing side by side, Ed’s arm thrown around her shoulders. ‘Happy to let folks in, you two lovebirds?’
They both laughed and told him they were.
‘Right, team Happy Hartes, time to get to your stations.’ Jack spoke in a mock army sergeant voice.
‘You okay there, lovey?’ Paula rested her hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
‘Aye, I’m fine, lass.’ Charlie rolled his eyes good-naturedly at Jack.
‘Don’t fret, Paula, I’ll watch him like a hawk,’ Jack said, winking at Charlie. His words seem to satisfy her and she hurried over to the reading room where Jean was waiting by the door in readiness to take tickets. Jenna scuttled over to the counter whereLeah was stationed to advise any customers keen to purchase books that they could do so after the event. Jenna and Jack always walked into the reading room together, once the audience were in their seats. Florrie and Ed made their way over to the reading room, waiting to greet the audience.
A thrum of excitement ran through Florrie. She loved Jack and Jenna’s readings, the way the couple bounced off each other; their affectionate banter went down well with everyone and a great night was always guaranteed. She regularly pinched herself that their humble little bookshop was so wholeheartedly supported by such well-respected authors. Even better, Jack and his mum were partners in their business – granted, they had a small number of shares, but it still felt good to know they had their support and backing.
She stole a quick look around the room, pleased with how they’d decorated it for the evening. The style Florrie and Ed had chosen for the space when they’d renovated the former storeroom was that of a vintage study. They’d invested in two second-hand, sturdy wingback leather armchairs, dressing them with plump tweed cushions and wool throws. They’d placed these either side of a vintage desk upon which they’d arranged a pile of old books. For this evening’s purpose, however, the old books had been replaced by copies of Jenna’s latest novel set alongside a huge faux chocolate cake that was surrounded by faux chocolate cupcakes. A large vase of flowers in pinks, purples and cream sat at the opposite end, softening the study vibe and lending a feminine feel to the room, while a selection of lamps dotted about added a cosy vibe. One of their best-loved readings was the time the couple had selected one of Jenna’s novels and Jack had taken the role of the male protagonist. It had gone down a storm, his dry delivery adding to the light-hearted humour of the story. Tonight, they would both be reading an extract fromYou Had Me at ChocolateCake, followed by Jack reading from his book of poetry he’d written in North Yorkshire dialect.
It wasn’t long before people started to filter in and a buzz ofquiet excitement filled the room. Florrie looked on as people took their seats.
‘Now then, flower,’ a voice said in Florrie’s ear, which she recognised instantly as belonging to Stella.
‘Hiya, Stells, thanks for coming. You too, Alex.’ Florrie nodded to Alex who was standing behind her friend. From her quick appraisal, she noted Stella was still in her court suit, her hair tied back in a neat chignon, the way she wore it to work.
