Hannah looked at Bridie. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
Bridie had no clue what Hannah was thinking.
Hannah suddenly shouted out, ‘Hey, you guys!’
The two carers had just reached the bookshop.
‘Any chance you could mind a cute puppy for a couple of hours this evening?’
Bridie said, ‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask them to—’
‘Yeah, why not?’ one of them called out.
‘I’ll go fetch him,’ said Maisie, holding out her hand for the key.
A few minutes later, after Hannah had popped her head into the shop and shouted out, ‘Maisie – stop playing with Barney and bring him down this instant!’ Maisie reluctantly handed over Barney to the carers at the door of the bookshop. He ran inside the bookshop, tail wagging furiously, ready to explore.
A moment later, Thea stepped out of the bookshop, wearing her coat and carrying a mini Hetty hoover.
Bridie looked at her curiously. She was just about to ask what Thea was doing with the hoover, when Joss stepped out of his office wearing paint-splattered overalls. Across the yard, Reggie was outside, locking up his shop. He lived upstairs. She wondered if he was meeting friends again.
As Bridie set off with Hannah and Maise, Mabel and Marjorie hurried out of the charity shop, barring the way of a customer who was about to walk in. She heard the sisters say. ‘Sorry, we’re closed.’
‘Oh, I won’t be a moment. I was interested in that item in the window.’
Mabel said, ‘I’m afraid we’ve got somewhere to be. Please come back tomorrow.’
Bridie raised her eyebrows. They weren’t ones to turn down a bit of custom.Curiouser and curiouser, she thought.
She walked out of the yard with the sound of footsteps behind her. When she glanced over her shoulder, Thea, Joss, Reggie, Mabel and Marjorie were following them. Bridie raised her eyebrows at Hannah.
‘Word got out, I’m afraid.’
Bridie guessed exactly how word had got out. ‘You told the gossip girls, didn’t you? About the theatre.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘I might have mentioned it,’ Hannah said innocently, avoiding eye contact.
Bridie recalled catching Mabel marching across the cobbled yard earlier. Bridie had been putting some paintbrushes in the window display when she’d spotted her. She’d quickly ducked her head, hoping Mabel hadn’t seen her, even though she anticipated she was on the way over to the art and craft shop to find out where Bridie had been that morning. But there had been no tinkle of the bell above the shop door.
When Bridie did raise her eyes above the windowsill, she saw Mabel marching past the shop, aiming for Hannah’s soon-to-be bridal shop next door.
How odd,Bridie had thought at the time – there was no coffee machine or comfy sofa in there, just packing boxes and one dressed mannequin in the window. She hadn’t thought anything much of it – until now. Now it made sense. Mabel had gone to see Hannah to find out what her new shop assistant was up to – leaving Friday morning soon after she’d arrived for work.
Nosey parker, thought Bridie. But her nosey neighbour, who had spread the word to the other shopkeepers in the yard, was wearing an apron and carrying a broom. They were all going to help.
‘You did say the more the merrier!’ Hannah laughed, falling in step with her.
‘It was just a figure of speech, Hannah.’
‘I know,’ she said brightly, ‘but many hands make light work.’
‘Is that what Mabel said?’
‘How did you guess?’
Bridie sighed.
‘Hey – wait up!’
