Rinka laughed and took his hand, placing it on her hand holding the shovel. Together, they dug up a small patch of dirt near the ruined wall.
“One down, five million more to go.”
Chapter Four
THE OTHER BAKER
Charlotte
Charlotte wasn’t sure how she’d recognized Julian straight away. It must have been twenty years since that Winter Solstice night when she’d seen him last. When she’d run from him before he could see her.
He was taller now, even taller than he’d appeared in the window that night. Broader, too, though still on the lean side for his height. His skin was the same warm brown Charlotte remembered, and he still wore his black hair closely cropped to his head, but he’d grown a light beard now as well.
It suited him.
“He looks familiar,” said Mrs. Knox as she joined Charlotte across the street. “Not one of our regulars, but maybe I served him at the Midsummer Festival?”
“No,” said Charlotte. “He lived in town once. A long time ago. I wasn’t around when his family left, but he may have been just a child then.”
Mrs. Knox grabbed Charlotte by the arm. “It isn’t. Tell me that isn’t Julian Blair.”
“I think it is,” said Charlotte, tucking a strand of her silver hair behind her ear.
“Oh, well, that changes everything! You and Julian spent so much time together at the shop. It must have made an impression on him too. This is all a misunderstanding. Let’s go clear things up with him.”
Mrs. Knox tugged Charlotte forward, but she didn’t move.
“Come on,” said Mrs. Knox. “Unless you think it isn’t a good idea.”
“No,” said Charlotte, backing away. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by opening the shop. But I have to go. I have to—”
Charlotte ran back into Mrs. Knox’s bakery, straight through the shop, past a sole customer waiting at the counter, and into the backroom, where she slammed the door behind her.
Charlotte’s pulse pounded in her ears. Her chest was tight; she couldn’t seem to get a good breath.
What was Julian doing here? Charlotte knew he had left Herot’s Hollow a long time ago. It had taken her years to work up the nerve to come back into town—at night, of course, while everyone was sleeping—but when she did, there were strangers living in his family’s house, and a charity shop had moved in downstairs.
Why had he come back here? And why had he opened up a bakery of all things?
“Well, that was a waste of time,” said Mrs. Knox when she returned. “Managed to sell three loaves of bread to Mr. Rainey there, though. He’s got a full house at the inn. What’re you doing on the floor?”
Charlotte had lowered herself to the ground near one of the cupboards. “Just catching my breath.”
“Are you alright, girl? You look a bit peaky.” Mrs. Knox rested the back of her hand on Charlotte’s forehead.
Charlotte gently pushed it away and got back on her feet. She could go through the crisis of what to do about seeing Julian again after work. “I’m fine. Did he not remember you?”
“Oh, he remembered me, alright. Said he didn’t mean to do me any harm, but he needs the ‘baked goods’ to bring people into the shop. It’s the cheese he’s really wanting to sell, and the wine. The croissants are just meant to get folks in the door. I asked him if that meant he’d give them up once folk in the town know he’s there, and he said, ‘We’ll see.’”
The cheer had slowly drained from Mrs. Knox’s voice as she spoke. A scowl set into the lines of her face. For the first time since she’d started working there, Charlotte could see Mrs. Knox’s age.
“It’s not like I’ve never had competition before. But just across the street, and at the busiest time of the year. And just as I’ve taken on my first employee…”
Her eyes flashed at Charlotte, and Charlotte realized what she meant: if the bakery didn’t recover, there was a chance Mrs. Knox would have to let her go.
“I’m sure it will be fine. We make far more than croissants here. Once the novelty wears off, they’ll be back. You’ll see.”
Charlotte made a decision then that she hoped she wouldn’t regret. “I’ll go and speak to him.”
