Bridie thought it was probably time she left. ‘I’d better get off to school.’
Henry brightened. ‘Yes, of course. You don’t want to be late. Thea? Are you going with your friend?’
Thea nodded. ‘In a bit.’
Thea followed Bridie and Hannah to the door. She whispered, ‘Bridie, that so kind of you to go along with his conversation. I hope he didn’t embarrass you.’
‘No, not at all.’ Bridie said, telling another fib.
Hannah said, ‘You don’t mind that I apprised Bridie of the … situation with your dad?’
‘I’m glad you did, otherwise Bridie would have been really confused.’ Thea turned to Bridie. ‘I hope my dad hasn’t put you off popping in and having a cuppa.’
‘No, not a bit,’ said Bridie genuinely. In fact, she was looking forward to hearing more of Henry’s recollections of the old theatre.
‘I’d like to visit Reggie next,’ said Bridie, eyeing the charity shop across the yard, rather hoping they could give that a miss.
‘Good idea,’ Hannah replied. ‘Looks like the sisters are running late today, so I think we’ll have to give them a miss this morning.’
‘Oh, what a shame.’
Thea looked at her and laughed.
Bridie threw her a sheepish grin. Hannah had guessed Bridie wasn’t looking forward to meeting them.
‘Still, I’m sure they’ll pop in at some point for a cuppa and a biscuit.’
Bridie grimaced. She’d already been forewarned that they did pop into Hannah’s shop and make themselves at home on the sofa.
They stepped up to Reggie’s shop door and Bridie immediately noticed a note stuck to the door.
So did Hannah. ‘Ah, Reggie is out tuning Grace’s piano.’
Bridie was disappointed. She should have paid him a visit the previous evening, but it had been her first night in the flat, and she hadn’t wanted to leave Barney alone while she nipped across the yard to tell Reggie she was his new neighbour.
‘Well, I call it Grace’s piano,’ continued Hannah, ‘but her granddaughter, Briony, now lives in The Beach House where the piano is, along with her husband and child. Hopefully you’ll meet them sometime. When they visit Cobblers Yard, I’ll be sure to introduce you to more of my friends.’
‘You have so many friends,’ commented Bridie, staring at the note.
‘It’s that sort of place. Everyone is so friendly. Mind you, I had my best friend, Lili, who introduced me to all the people she’s met since she moved here. And now, you have me to do the same. You know what they say – it takes a village.’
Bridie turned to look at Hannah. ‘I thought that saying related to raising a child?’
‘I personally think that saying should apply to everybody, no matter your age or circumstance. We all need good people around us to thrive and reach our potential.’
Bridie frowned.
Hannah noticed. ‘Oh, did I say something wrong?’
‘No, on the contrary. You made me realise something. In all the years I’d been living and working in London, I didn’t have a village.’ Bridie quickly rephrased, ‘I know London isn’t a village but …’
‘I understand,’ Hannah said smiling brightly.
‘I could have had a village in London, people, friends in my corner, but I … didn’t.’
And Bridie realised something else – she hadn’t really been thriving in London; just working hard but not attaining the important things in life – friendships. She hadn’t created her own village, like Hannah had – with friends, supportive people who genuinely cared about her – in which to thrive. If she had, there would have been others to turn to besides her family.
She knew she was very lucky to have parents she could turn to, and her grandad – she was putting off phoning him, feeling she had let him down after all his support and his belief in her dream to become a theatre actress. But sometimes her family could just be too much, thinking they knew what was best for her. She thought of her mum, already trying to pair her off with Oliver, and the inference that now she’d had her fun playing in the theatre, she should settle down and get a serious job and a serious boyfriend.
