‘But… but… it’s a wreck!Edward Crabtree has wanted to buy it for years to knock it through to the café.’Mab looked at Jess for support, and she agreed.
‘Surely Annie didn’t live there?’
‘Yes, but only in the upstairs flat, and that’s not too bad.Downstairs used to be an old-fashioned men’s outfitters years ago, and it’s got pretty dire over the years.I think Annie must have had a bit of a thing going with the owner.She used to work there at one time, doing alterations.I expect her sewing machine’s still upstairs.The flat will need shedloads doing to it, and the shop premises are worse.Annie hated spending money on herself.Her only extravagance was to have most of her main meals in the café, so you’ll definitely remember her.’
Light dawned, as Mab remembered.‘You’re kidding.You don’t mean Miss Chapelton?’
‘Yup, that was Annie.’
‘Oh!We always called her Angelica.She said she was named after a cake ingredient because her mum loved baking so much.Angelica Chapelton was her pen name.She used to have articles published in the foodie magazines sometimes.She was my favourite old lady ever.She usually sat at the table next to mine, and she used to ask me about my writing and tell me stories about when she was a girl.I’ve only known her for a few months, but I feel like she’s, I mean, I felt like she was…’ Mab’s voice tailed off.
Leo blinked several times and said, ‘Yes, she was a right character.We all thought she was fairly broke, but I think she was scrimping and saving her money for her big plan… and for me, really.’
‘Angelica said she loved writing stories too, even when she was quite young,’ said Mab.‘And we both loved sewing.I miss her every time I go to the café.I didn’t realise she only lived next door though.She was always a bit cagey about her personal life.But Leo, I went to her funeral.I don’t remember seeing you there?’Leo’s head drooped.
‘No, I was in Barcelona for my thirty-fifth birthday bash when she died.My dad had paid for us all to go out there to his friend’s apartment, and then there was a baggage-handlers’ strike at the airport, and we couldn’t get home in time.’
‘So, what has all this got to do with Mab?’said Jess, stifling a yawn.
Leo ran his fingers through his hair and beamed at Mab, causing her heart to do an involuntary flip.He really did have a lovely smile, she thought, and his eyes were beginning to sparkle now that he was coming back to life.Leo leaned forward and took hold of Mab’s hands.His own were warm and slightly rough, and his thumbs absent-mindedly traced gentle patterns over her knuckles.She tried not to lose the plot.Why was she finding his touch so erotic?Pete’s fingers had never made her nerve ends tingle.Leo continued his story.
‘Ah, now that’s the interesting bit, Mab.Annie told me all about you.It would’ve been sometime towards the end of last November, I reckon.’
‘About me?Really?’
‘Yes, we used to chat on the phone a couple of times a week.And she wanted me to meet you, because she had this big idea for me, and she didn’t think I was capable of carrying it out on my own, for some reason.Now I think about it, I reckon she must have been feeling pretty ill by then, but she was never one for doctors or hospitals.Anyway, Annie described you down to the last detail, which was why I spotted you so easily.’
‘What did she say?’Mab wasn’t sure if she wanted to know this, but she had to ask.
‘Oh, you know, a lovely tangle of hair, usually scooped up on top, a dimple in each cheek, sea-green eyes, a few cute freckles, tall and statuesque…’
‘Statuesque?Fat, in other words?’
‘Not at all.You don’t need to be so touchy.She told me you were interesting, and that when you came into a room, people noticed.And she said you were one hell of a writer too.Oh, and Annie said you needed a job with a challenge, you’d have no problem handling the computer stuff and… erm… well, she said quite a few other things, but those were the main ones.’
Mab thought about the lively old lady with the beautiful white hair, who had given her encouragement when she had felt like giving up on the endless search for an agent or a publisher.She swallowed hard.‘So… whatwasAngelica’s plan?’
‘Well, in a nutshell, the reason I’m not at my sparkling best today is that last night, I was celebrating the start of my new business.’Leo stood up suddenly, almost knocking over their table.Jess caught it neatly and grinned.
‘Go on, and be careful.We’d like to be able to come here again.’
‘Sorry.The gist of it is that I want to open the bookshop I told you about earlier.It’s got to be really homely, with sofas and big fat cushions, and I want it to include a café that sells only… sort of… sensual food, mainly chocolate-based.’
Jess smiled up at him.‘And will the café need staff?’
‘Oh, well, of course it will, at some point.And there needs to be gentle music playing in the background, cool jazz maybe?Or perhaps a jukebox?We’ll need a decent crèche so that parents can browse in peace, with stories happening at regular times throughout the day, for the little ones in the morning, and the older ones after school.’
‘What happens to all the little children in the afternoon, then?’asked Jess.
‘Nap time, of course.They’ll all be tucked up in their beds.’
‘Oh.I don’t think George ever got the memo about nap time.’
‘Well, anyway, in winter there’ll be a roaring fire in the grate with one of those huge, old-fashioned fireguards, fixed to the wall so the kids are safe – or maybe a log-burner might be better – and a writers’ workshop, where people could just come for some peace and quiet and let the words flow.And there are lots more possibilities.A jacuzzi, for somewhere to unwind after the stresses of the day?And a tiny secret garden with a swinging seat, where you could sit and read in the summer?’
Jess sighed happily.‘Leo, this is an amazing idea!We need to go and look at the shop now.We’ll… I meanMabwill want to imagine the whole thing properly.Come on, enough talking, let’s go!’
Mab got to her feet to follow them, swaying slightly as she felt the all-too-familiar dizziness sweep over her.Her head was buzzing with Leo’s ideas but it was pointless getting excited.At this moment, ten weeks pregnant with Edward Crabtree’s child, Mab was beginning to realise that she had made the biggest mistake of her life.
