Page 121 of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

Miss Anderson offers a twenty-pound note. Louise takes it and looks at it, as if she’s never seen actual money in her life.

Well, it is something of a rarity; most customers pay by card.

Anna leans in, deftly opens the till and takes the note. She then counts out Miss Anderson’s change into her hand.

‘Would you like a bag, Geraldine?’

Geraldine? Since when has Anna been on first name terms with Miss Anderson?

‘No, it’s fine as it is.’ Miss Anderson takes her purchase out of Louise’s hand and returns to her seat, showing the book to the other GMGs.

Then Hazel gets up. Again, the whole bakery watches as she goes over to the Local Authors’ section, picks up a copy of The Silent Garden, and takes it to the till. Louise glances at Miss Anderson, who’s beaming, clearly having spotted that her book has been selected.

Then her mother. She heads straight to the small selection of romance books that Louise has placed in the main shop, with a notice directing readers to the Love Shack for more choice. Without hesitation, she takes a novel and presents it to Louise.

Louise glances at the title. Red, White and Royal Blue.

‘Mum, you do know this isn’t a factual book about the Royal Family, don’t you? And it’s er… rather spicy?’

‘Yes, yes. I’ve been meaning to read it for ages,’ Elizabeth says as she presses her card to the reader.

One by one, the villagers stand, go to the shelves and choose a book, whilst everyone watches in reverential silence. The whole scene reminds Louise of congregants going up for Holy Communion. Louise feels her eyes welling up, wipes her cheek on the back of her hand. Her fingers tremble as she reaches for someone’s credit card, and at that moment, Anna gently manoeuvres her to one side and takes the payment for her.

Louise’s vision is blurred now. She blinks hard, trying to hold it together. They’re doing this for her. For the bookshop. She thought they didn’t want her books, but they’re proving her wrong. She glances at Jack, who’s now helping Anna to bag up the purchases, and catches his eye. He gives her the smallest nod, and she has to look away quickly before she completely loses it.

Andy, the guy who’s obsessed with signal boxes, opts for Great American Railroad Journeys by Michael Portillo.

Mr Grundy chooses the large-print edition of A Deadly Scent.

Tom buys How to Mend a Broken Heart, and Louise can’t help herself from squeezing his hand as she gives him change from a ten-pound note.

Even the other Geriatric Mean Girls all buy something – although they’re somewhat reluctant, and one of them does request a discount on account of a slight smudge on a dust jacket.

‘Almost everyone in here has bought a book,’ Louise whispers to Anna.

‘I think they’re trying to tell you something,’ Anna smiles.

‘And Miss Anderson started it. Honestly. I could hug her.’

They look over at the window to where the GMGs are sitting. Miss Anderson is picking at her scone, frowning at it as if she’s found a foreign body.

‘Or maybe not,’ Louise says.

And then Miss Anderson says loudly, so that the entire bookshop can hear, ‘Of course, one thing I’ve never understood is why an architect would be putting up bookshelves and building sheds.’

The place falls silent again.

Louise looks at Jack, horrified.

Richard stands up as if he’s going to leave.

And then a voice from the kitchen says, ‘It’s his “Design and Build” service.’

Louise turns to see a familiar face peering through the hatch.

‘Maddie!’

She beams. ‘Oh, yeah, and he fancies the pants off my stepmother.’