“Penny and Stuart were like that,” Felicia said. “The owners of the sweet-shop on the other corner. And look where that got them. Bankrupt. Forced to close. And it’s left the village with an enormous gap in its shopping centre.”
“I suppose it’s saved the village children a number of gaps in their teeth,” Saskia dared to quip, and both John and Felicia chuckled. Not wishing to outstay her welcome, she stopped recording and gathered her bits together.
“You will be careful with what you write, won’t you?” John said as he shook her hand. “What I said about Tommy. You will make sure it comes out the way I intended, right? Not in a bad way?”
“Of course,” Saskia said. “I’m not one of those sensationalising journalists who’ll spin the truth for pure clickbait. My mission is to show the rest of Britain what you can find down here. And why it’s worth the long journey.”
“Come back any time,” Felicia said, with a genuine smile.
“I just might,” Saskia said, and stepped out into the sunshine again. Her bad mood was gone, and she felt optimistic.Two businesses down, three to go,she thought, as she stepped across the road towards the boutique.
Chapter Eight
Kivi
That’s all I need,Kivi thought grumpily as she spotted Miss Saltmarshe crossing the road from the bakery towards the boutique. Luckily, the woman didn’t spot her coming down the road. She’d already rattled Kivi’s cage – which was remarkably unlike her usual placidity – and the last thing they needed right now was another conversation full of treading eggshells. She had a far more important conversation to hold this morning.
She’d left Eva at the guest house, doing the rooms. Her week was split between working with Kivi at the guest house and working with Anastasia at the florist, and today was one of the days she worked with Kivi. That was why Kivi had judged it safe to leave her to it and come into the village. She needed to speak with her sister’s other boss, and it was going to be a delicate conversation.
Luckily, Anastasia was lovely, and greeted Kivi with a beam. Of course, it helped that Kivi was probably one of her best customers. “Good morning, Kivi! What are you after this morning?”
“You, actually,” Kivi said, and Anastasia’s eyebrows raised.
“Don’t let my girlfriend hear you say that,” she teased. “She’s very possessive and protective of me.”
“Where is Miss Berry?” Kivi asked, her stomach giving a sudden anxious lurch. Anastasia’s girlfriend was the terrifying ice-queen of a headmistress who ruled the village primary school, and there was no way Kivi wanted to get on the wrong side of her.
“At work,” Anastasia laughed. “Don’t look so terrified. Come on, come around the back. Jade can handle the shop floor for now.”
Anastasia’s hospitality and affable manner were second-to-none, and soon Kivi was sitting opposite her desk with a cup of tea and a Belgian bun from the bakery over the road. Anastasia sat herself down on the other chair and looked over at her expectantly. “Come on then, what is it? You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
Kivi opened her mouth and shut it again. Being with Miss Berry for the last year or so had clearly rubbed off on Anastasia, because her poise and presence were exactly that of the headmistress. And her… intimidating-ness.
“I do, and I’m not sure how well you’re going to like it.”
“Is it about Eva?”
“Yeah, it is. I was wondering how open you’d be to the prospect of… temporarily adjusting the agreement.”
“In what way?”
“You see, I’ve been asked to plan a wedding. You know that Cassandra Mulligan and Felicia Wilson are engaged?”
“I am aware.” Anastasia’s mouth twitched. “I’m aware of all the Sapphic goings-on in this village. They’ve asked you to plan their wedding?”
“Yes. I used to be a wedding planner before I opened the guest house. The thing is… obviously, it’s a big job, and so is runningthe guest house. So I was wondering… for the next few months, how would you feel if I poached some more of Eva’s time? Having her around at the guest house a bit more would allow me more time to work with Cass and Felicia, you see.”
“I do see,” Anastasia said, and frowned. “Is this already agreed? That you’re planning the wedding?”
“No, not at all,” Kivi said. “I’ve asked them for some time to think about it. I wanted to figure out how it would work, first. And I’ve not discussed it with Eva, either. I wanted to get an idea of how feasible it would be before I broached it with her. No point concerning her over something that might not happen if you say no.”
“Oof.” Anastasia winced, but in a light-hearted way. “No pressure then. If I’m understanding you right, Cass and Felicia’s wedding plans are dependent on me saying yes to having less of Eva for the next few months?”
“Well, let’s say two months,” Kivi said. “Just up to the start of August. That would give me time to lay the ground work with Cass and Felicia, and then we can take another look at the arrangement.”
“I see,” Anastasia said, and pulled a thoughtful face. Silence descended between them – enough for Kivi to start panicking. If Anastasia said no, then there would be no way she could do the wedding, and she actuallywantedto, so-
“It’s okay if not,” she said quickly. “There’s no pressure, genuinely. Cass and Felicia can find another wedding planner.”
