Page 41 of Villa of Secrets

‘Poor nothing, she loves it. Why don’t you put your products out, samples for everyone to try?’

‘Good idea. By the way, here’s your new perfume. No Man’s Land.’ She dabbed a little on Heleny’s wrist. ‘What do you think?’

Heleny sniffed, frowned, and smiled. ‘Unusual, but not unpleasant. I’ll give it a go and let you know the result.’ She reached out and touched Naomi’s arm. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s me who owes you thanks for organising this brainstorming. I’m quite nervous about it.’

‘Naomi!’ Bubba, who had slept most of the day, started giving orders. ‘Get me into that nice cardigan you bought me for Hanukkah. I want to look good for your business meeting.’

Naomi and Heleny exchanged a grin. They rushed into Bubba’s room and smartened her up.

‘Lipstick!’ Bubba cried.

Naomi applied her peach lip balm.

‘Heleny, pass the scissors,’ Bubba said. ‘Now, cut this bloody plait off! Chop it straight along the back of my neck, I can’t wait for the hairdresser’s.’

When the deed was done, she asked for a mirror and nodded at her reflection, fluffing her hair with her good hand. ‘Smashing! Get me to the table before anyone else comes. I don’t want to come across as an invalid. Let’s have a splash of your sexy perfume, child, and a large glug of wine to start the ideas flowing.’

Naomi blinked at her. ‘Sometimes you astound me.’ Minutes later they raised their glasses in a toast.

‘To Pandora’s Box,’ Heleny said, and they chinked.

Papas Yiannis and Marina arrived, followed by Georgia. They gathered around the table and Naomi explained the reason for the meeting. Heleny said they should do it properly and she would keep the minutes. The priest asked about finances. Georgia suggested household products that Naomi should consider, such as lavender pillows and wardrobe sachets to repel moths.

‘Can I say something else?’ Georgia picked up a pot of cream. ‘Pandora’s products, shouldn’t they be in a square container? Like Pandora’s Box?’

‘Good point,’ Naomi said. ‘What do you think, Marina?’

The priest’s granddaughter seemed slightly startled. She shrugged. ‘I don’t know . . .’

‘You mustn’t be shy,’ Heleny said. ‘You’re young, and you took business studies, so your thoughts will interest us all.’

‘I . . . I don’t like to say.’ She stared at the table top. ‘I love the perfume and the idea, but it all seems old fashioned and a bit boring, actually. Sorry.’

Everyone blinked at her, slightly embarrassed.

Naomi broke the silence. ‘No, that’s great. Exactly what we need to hear.’ She patted Marina’s hand. ‘Keep going. What would you do if it was your business?’ She glanced around the table. ‘It’s the young that have money to spend, so we have to recognise what appeals to them.’

Marina nodded. ‘I don’t understand why you want a shop. It seems mad. You should have a website, and a blog, and do makeup videos for YouTube. You could have online launch parties for new products, record wild flower walks and talk about essential oils, and get your range into the local chemists. Or consider direct selling on a large scale, like to some cosmetic companies. Why restrict yourself with the work, expense, and limited location of physical premises?’

They all stared at her.

‘Sorry . . . sorry,’ she muttered.

‘No, that’s great!’ Naomi noticed a flash of pride in the priest’s eyes. ‘But I’m not sure I’d be able to cope with the Internet stuff.’

‘Why not take on a partner who’s good at that sort of thing?’ Marina said. ‘That would leave you free to continue with what you excel at: the products. I’d work full time for forty per cent of the net.’

Naomi’s mouth fell open.

‘Think of it like this,’ Marina carried on, bolder now. ‘The more we earn, the more I make. It would be in my interest to do everything I can to boost the business. The first thing I’d do is go to the bee museum, get them to display your products, and cut a deal for beeswax and honey, and anything else you use that comes out of the hive. It’s all very well using the broken church candles, but you need to be able to cost a product properly in order to price it correctly.’ She glanced around the table and, seeing she had everyone’s attention, she continued. ‘On the downside, there is a lot to be paid for in advance to set up any business.’

Naomi absorbed all this and could see Marina was right. ‘How do you mean, that last point about money?’

‘Well, if you wish to expand outside Rhodes and your local friends, there’s testing, shelf life, and patenting to deal with, all essential, expensive, but necessary to get your range into the big stores. You need a certified accountant to set up a limited company, and he’ll want paying. The biggest money eater of all is advertising.’

Naomi’s hopes plummeted.