Bridie pushed that thought to one side and focused on Kate. She deserved to know. Jeremy did too. But he wasn’t there just then. Kate was, but she had a lot going in her life without Bridie throwing another spanner in the works – it was already all falling apart.
And it would be no good justtellingKate; she would not believe it unless there was something in front of her that was indisputable. But Bridie decided it wasn’t a good time to go upstairs and fetch the shoebox. Barney wasn’t crying anymore. Bridie guessed he’d fallen asleep. But if she went upstairs, she’d wake him up, and then he’d howl the place down if she left again.
And what about keeping the theatre a secret? If she showed Kate the shoebox, it would only raise a lot more questions, and inevitably she’d have to own up to how the shoebox had come into her possession.
Bridie decided to leave things as they were – for now.
Chapter 39
‘Did Hannah tell you she offered me a job?’
Bridie wasn’t surprised. ‘Sorry, but I mentioned to Hannah that you lost your job.’ She wondered what was coming next. She cringed. ‘You weren’t rude to her, were you?’
Kate looked taken aback. ‘Why would I be rude? Especially when the reason I came to Hannah’s shop was to ask if I could apply for the job you mentioned she might have for me.’
‘I’m sorry, run that by me again? I thought you were joking when you said you’d come here about a job. I assumed that you were here to tell me off for telling Mum that you lost your job.’
‘I’m glad you did tell Mum. I ended up coming clean, telling Mum everything – that I’ve been pretending to go to work, when I’ve really been sitting in the library every day, completing online applications and getting absolutely nowhere.’
Bridie nodded. It was just as she’d thought.
Kate continued, ‘Do you know what she said? I should take a leaf out of your book and get myself a job locally just to bring some money in.’
‘She said that?’ Bridie was surprised. She’d always assumed Mum, a GP, was disappointed with all her life choices, especially working in a shop, whereas the sun always shone out of Kate’sbackside. Mum had clearly changed her tune from what she’d said to her just that morning outside the theatre.
‘She told me I should be more like you and get on with playing the cards I’ve been dealt. She said,you didn’t see Bridie running back to London and trying to resurrect a career that is over.
Bridie still did want to return to the London stage, although she was becoming less certain, but she didn’t mention that to Kate. Nor did she mention that she had a plan to get there. She looked at Kate. It sounded like their mum was intimating that it wasn’t just Bridie’s career that was over, but Kate’s too. Perhaps their mum had spoken to their dad, who’d worked in London for decades, and he’d been aware that there would be huge lay-offs coming along in the financial sector.
Kate confirmed all that she’d just been thinking.
Bridie asked, ‘So, you’re applying for a job in Hannah’s bridal shop?’
‘Oh, no.’
Bridie sighed in disappointment. For a moment, she’d thought how nice it would have been to have her sister working just next door. After all that Kate had just said, she’d assumed she would be applying for a position. She’d even said that was why she’d turned up there.
Kate said, ‘I’m not applying for the position. Hannah has already offered me the job – and I’ve accepted!’
‘What – really?’ Bridie couldn’t hide her surprise.
‘Yup. The bridal shop isn’t open yet, but I can start helping her with setting up the shop. She knows I’m overqualified for the job, so she thought that if I were to stay on, she’d hire another member of staff to mind the bridal shop if I wanted to move on and get involved in the business side of things at Somersby Hall. That’s where she and her husband run the wedding venue.’
‘Oh, really? She’s offered you the chance to do that already?’ Bridie suddenly felt a little envious. She’d thought that she mighteventually get involved with the business at Somersby Hall and was surprised that Hannah had offered that possibility to Kate instead when she hadn’t even started work for her yet.
‘Hannah said something a bit peculiar when I said that I thought you might have wanted to get involved with the bridal business.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She said that you would be far too busy running your own business. When I asked her what she meant, she changed the subject. What did she mean by that? Has she asked you to take over her art and craft shop?’
Bridie resisted a smile. So, that was why Hannah hadn’t offered her a different position – because of the theatre.
‘So, you’re definitely going to take Hannah up on her job offer?’ It sounded to Bridie that Kate wasn’t just viewing the arrangement as temporary. But how would she manage with her large mortgage?
Kate nodded. ‘If I’m honest, I wouldn’t want to go back to my old job even if I won the lottery – unlike you. Staying at Mum and Dad’s has given me time to think, rather than just rowing with Andy over our predicament. The fact is that I’m not sorry I lost my job. I hated the commute – although it was made bearable commuting into London with Dad every day. But since he retired, it’s been horrible sitting on that train for an hour and a half on my own with nothing but my laptop and more work to do. And I hate London. And oh, how I hated my job.’
‘So, why did you do it?’ Bridie expected Kate to tell her she wouldn’t understand because she didn’t have a family to support. Instead, Kate said, ‘Because I’m an idiot!’
