‘Now that I would love to see.’ Bridie imagined that perhaps Hannah’s husband was the artist.
‘Apparently, he used to act on the stage there years ago,’ said Hannah.
‘Really, in that theatre?’
‘Oh, yes.’
‘I spoke to Reggie when we both happened to stop outside the theatre. He didn’t mention he used to act on the stage there in its heyday, although he did mention he liked to stop and reminisce.’ Bridie suddenly remembered what he’d said –this theatre and I go way back.
Hannah shrugged. ‘I didn’t know about his connection to the theatre until Maisie, that’s my daughter, told me about it. She came across the shoebox when she was looking around his shop waiting for the last customer of the day to leave before her music lesson with Reggie.’
Bridie resolved to visit Reggie’s shop and speak with him again. Perhapsheknew who owned the theatre.
‘It’s just so sad that they’ve let it run down like that,’ commented Hannah.
‘I agree.’
Hannah stood up and walked to the counter. Bridie could hear her pull out a drawer under the counter. She got out a roll of sticky labels and wrote something on one of them, peeling it off the roll. Then she disappeared into the window. She emerged saying, ‘There – the painting is sold.’
Bridie looked at her, disappointed.
Hannah stopped mid-stride on her way back to the sofa. ‘Oh, don’t look disappointed. I’ve sold it to you.’
‘What?’ Bridie looked at her stunned. ‘I haven’t got the money.’ Now Bridie was worried that she owed the young lady a lot of money.
‘Don’t look so worried either. It won’t cost a fortune. Let’s say twenty pounds. And you can pay me what you can. In the meantime, I’ve decided to take it out of the window and put it upstairs in your flat.’
‘My … flat?’
‘I used to live up there with Maisie when I fell on hard times. It’s very small, poky even. And you would be living on top of your job, so it’s not really ideal.’
‘You’re offering me a flat to go with the job?’
‘Yeah – why not?’
‘Why not?’ Bridie could feel tears in her eyes again. She didn’t even know what to say. ‘Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly. I’ll take the job for sure.’ Bridie said, ‘but I’d want to pay you rent.’
‘Just pay what you can afford, even if it’s a pound a week, if it makes you feel better. Look, see how it goes at your parents’ and if it gets too much and you need your own space, it’s here, or rather upstairs, if you need it.’
‘I still don’t understand why—’
‘Why I’d offer you the flat too?’
‘Yes, to a complete stranger.’
‘I was a stranger here once, in Cobblers Yard. I don’t know where I’d be now if it wasn’t for my friends and the little community in the yard rallying round. Thinking of which, if you were to move into the flat, you wouldn’t be on your own in the yard after the shops have closed. Henry lives in the flat above his bookshop, and Reggie is here too, in his flat above the music shop, so you’d be in good company.’
‘Reggie lives in the yard?’ Bridie felt strangely drawn to Reggie, and it wasn’t just because he had that shoebox full of old photos and memorabilia. He had been a stage actor just like her, once upon a time.
‘He does. So, the flat is available if you want. I’m going to put your painting up there. There’s a spare key to the shop which I will sort out for you. The flat is up the stairs behind that door.’ She pointed towards the back of the shop. ‘Now, when would you like to start?’
Bridie frowned. She admitted, ‘I don’t know the first thing about running a shop – or what you sell.’
‘Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not expecting you to order stock or anything like that, just literally ring up people’s purchases. Most people pay by card, so it’s just the little card machine here.’ She walked over to the counter. Bridie followed.
Hannah added, ‘And if there are any questions, just take the customer’s phone number or email address and I’ll get back to them.’
Hannah showed her the till, the little card machine, and the recycled paper carrier bags with the name of the shop. ‘Now, at the moment, it’s only three days in the shop during the week, and the odd Saturday, which will help me out.’
