Page 30 of Whispers from the Past

Rose got to work, sketching out The Book Nook from her photo. She had purposely chosen a small canvas so that she would be able to finish it quickly to give to Eleanor.

‘Are you coming to the raffle on Wednesday Susie?’ Rose asked as she busily erased the windowsill of her bedroom window, she wasn’t happy with how close it was to the door frame below.

‘Wouldn’t miss it. You do know that it was at the summer raffle that I won Agatha and Christie?’

‘You won them?’

‘Yes! I was a little apprehensive at first, as one would be, but they won me over pretty quickly’

‘Sounds a bit unethical. To raffle off animals? Don’t you think?’

‘Oh yes, definitely. No you see Agatha and Christie weren’t the prize as such. No, I won £100 and I was walking past the pet shop on New Road and there was a notice in the window. And the rest, as they say, is history.’

Rose shook her head and laughed into her hands. ‘Ok, well that’s fine then. So how are Agatha and Christie? Over their vomiting bug?’

‘Yes, quite recovered. You must come over to meet them!’ She clapped excitedly.

‘Not sure they are really my cup of tea.’

‘Oh everyone says that, but once they have scampered over your lap a few times, you’ll be under their spell.’

‘Well, I’ll take a raincheck for now.’

‘Oh Rose, that is looking fabulous,’ declared Susie as she looked over from her easel to Rose’s.

‘Still a long way to go. But it’ll do for now!’

‘You are selling yourself short. Your mum would be very-’ Susie stopped herself mid sentence.

‘Was she good at art?’

‘She…dabbled a bit.’ Susie stumbled a little over her answer. ‘But she wasn’t a natural. Her father, your grandfather, was really quite talented though. She was always disappointed in herself that she wasn’t able to paint or draw like him. In everything she did, she was desperate to be just like him. So she tried, and tried but it just wasn’t there you know? That’s why she got so obsessed with books I think. If they couldn’t share painting together, they could share books. And their love for that Capri. That’s another thing you have in common with both of them. They were all set to start restoring a Triumph Vitesse he’d found somewhere.’

‘I know she really loved him. She didn’t talk about him as much as I would have liked, but whenever she did you could tell how much she missed him.’

‘They were very close, he and your mother,’ Susie busied herself with the pencil sharpener and Rose got the distinct impression that she didn’t like to talk about him either.

* * *

Two days later, Rose was putting the finishing touches to the raffle table in the pub as Holly came running through the doors chasing Natalie who was laughing hysterically whilst wearing mini swimming flippers with a red party dress. It was amazing that she was as quick as she was with those on her feet.

‘Catch her!’ Holly called out desperately.

Ducking down, Rose made to intercept the wild three year old, but a man she hadn’t seen before stepped out of the kitchen and swooped down to pick her up with one arm. He tossed her over his shoulder to her absolute delight.

‘Thanks Seb,’ Holly panted as she caught up with them. ‘Natalie finds it hilarious to run away from me as fast as she can. And she’s pretty damn fast.’

‘Mummy is slow,’ Natalie giggled.

‘Just give me half an hour to get her to bed and I’ll be down to help.’ Holly took the flailing girl from Seb and struggled up the stairs behind the bar. Rose knew it would be a while before Holly would actually manage to get back down to help. But it didn’t matter; everything was in hand. Turning to introduce herself to Seb, Rose was distracted by the door of the pub hitting a table as it swung open.

‘There she is…the star of the raffle I hear!’ Tony crowed as he stepped into the pub with a large box in his hands.

‘What’s in the box?’

‘A donation from the gift shop for the raffle.’ He tipped the box so she could see a huge hamper inside.

‘Great! Add it to the table.’ She cleared a space as he made his way over.