Page 82 of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

‘Will you miss building our cute little book nooks when you’re back in London, Jack?’ Maddie says. ‘Designing your fancy buildings again?’

Louise daren’t look at Jack.

Jack scowls at the road. ‘Have you told her? You have, haven’t you?’

Louise is indignant. ‘No, I haven’t. I’d never betray a confidence. I’m not like that.’

He looks back at the road, a scowl on his face.

‘Sorry,’ he mumbles.

‘’sall right,’ Louise says.

‘I should have trusted you.’

‘Yeah, you should.’

‘Trusted her with what?’ Maddie says.

‘Nothing,’ Louise and Jack say in almost perfect unison.

‘Don’t give me that. There’s obviously something.’ Maddie is scowling now.

They drive for another mile or so in stony silence. Jack reaches over and puts the radio on, but it’s out of tune and they just hear crackling. He fiddles with the button, attempting to find a station, then gives up and turns it off again.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake,’ Maddie sounds exasperated. ‘Will one of you please tell me what’s going on? What hasn’t Louise told me, Jack?’

‘If you must know, Maddie,’ he says, emphasising her name, ‘I’m not an architect. I’m a carpenter.’

‘Wow, I didn’t see that coming,’ Maddie says ‘Although… well, Louise did think it was strange when you didn’t have a website. Wait, wait. Can you stop? There was a charity shop back there.’

Jack slows the van down, pulling in at the side of the road.

Louise opens the passenger door and gets out again, followed by Maddie, who shouts, ‘Won’t be long!’ as she heads off towards the shop.

Louise doesn’t get back into the van this time, but stands on the pavement, next to the open door. ‘You’d better tell her not to tell anyone.’

‘Yeah, I know.’

‘Especially not my mum.’

‘Definitely not your mum.’

‘I don’t know what she’s after, do you?’ Louise says to change the subject.

‘Not a clue.’

‘She put a poster in the bakery window, asking for old newspapers, but she wouldn’t tell me why.’

‘Perhaps she’s getting a puppy,’ Jack says, his tone uninterested.

‘A puppy? I doubt it.’ Louise shakes her head. Maddie has never expressed any desire to have a dog, even when she was younger and her friends all had pets.

The back door opens again. Maddie puts some plastic bags inside, and then they’re off again.

‘So you’re a carpenter?’ Maddie says.

‘Yes. Mostly, I design and build summerhouses.’