Stirred with Love (8 page)

‘I do care for you,’ Nick added into the silence. ‘Part of me always will. But we have to move on.’

Funny you should say that, Kate thought, as she watched him leave the room moments later; waited for the front door to close behind him; listened for the familiar sound of his car reversing out of the drive way.

Because moving on was exactly what she couldn’t stop thinking about.

Later that evening, shot through with exhaustion, Lily settled down for the night with a hot drink. It had been extremely tiring work to find two friendly people to help with her plan. She’d been surprised at the amount of letters and phone calls she’d received. Perhaps putting it into five newspapers around the surrounding areas was a bit ambitious of her. At the last count she’d interviewed twenty-four men and women, from all over.

She cast her mind back over the array of strange characters that had made their way to the cafe over the past three weeks. That girl who’d turned up with a mouth full of chewing gum. She looked like a cow mulling over the right amount of grass. And when she opened her mouth to talk, after she’d placed the gum on the roof of her mouth, all Lily could get out of her were monosyllables. The girl had no character, wouldn’t do at all.

Then there had been Malcolm. He’d come across as a young sprightly man over the phone, but if the truth were known, he wasn’t far from retirement age. ‘Once I’ve got over my aches and pains first thing in the morning, I’m as good as any twenty -year old,’ he’d told her proudly. Lily could just imagine. He’d never make the early mornings. He’d probably manage to pull himself out of bed and get to work around eleven. No, he hadn’t been suitable at all.

Kate Bradshaw, on the other hand, had seemed perfect. She had a real air of grace about her. Lily had noted the shine on her hair, not a dark strand out of place. Her make up, subtle yet striking, accentuated her best features, easily her deep set, dark blue eyes. Her business knowledge had been excellent. She had the foresight to look at what the café could be and not what it was. Lily also surmised that Kate could use the move to Somerley to her own advantage.

Lily’s thoughts then turned to Chloe Ward. Lily smiled as she remembered the way Chloe had put her foot into things with the least amount of effort during her interview. She seemed full of life and, oh what beautiful hair. Masses of curls, cascading down her back. Piercing green eyes bewitching her as they sparkled with enthusiasm. There was an actress she reminded Lily of. Used to be married to that small Cruise fellow.

With great pleasure and an immense amount of relief, Lily ran a line straight through the last item on her long list of objectives. At last she could put her plan into place.

CHAPTER NINE

Kate stood on the front doorstep for a moment and looked back into the hallway of her home. For all she knew, that may be the last time that she’d clatter her heels on the flooring, glance through the rectangular mirror to see if she looked decent enough to be let out and try not to get her clothes hooked up on the dried flower arrangement sitting on top of the table.

It was weird to think that she was leaving. Over the years, how many times had she run through that front door, anxious to see Nick because she couldn’t wait to feel his arms engulf her in a bear hug? Rush in with news that she knew he’d be ecstatic to hear.

Sadly, she thought, there were far more times when she’d dreaded walking through the front door, knowing that all she’d be met with was a stony silence. The look that said, ‘don’t bother talking to me.’ The body language that said, ‘keep well clear, I don’t want to know you at the moment.’

With a grave sigh, she pulled the door shut, picked up the last three carrier bags and slung a faded red rucksack over her shoulder, nearly knocking herself off balance in the process.

‘I can’t believe you’re taking all this baggage,’ said Louise as she struggled to wheel a bulging suitcase down the short driveway.

Kate was taking more baggage than Louise realised – emotional baggage. She frowned, shoving a carrier bag full of Rosie’s toys onto the back seat of her car. Rosie was strapped into the passenger seat but still insisted on taking a look. With well practiced patience, Kate untangled her and sat her straight again.

‘Now, be patient,’ she stroked Rosie’s head reassuringly and gave her a rubber bone to play with. Maybe that would keep her quiet for some of the journey.

Stretching up to full height, Kate turned back again, this time to stare at the house. Now the day had come for her to leave and well, she was ready to go, but her feet were reluctant to move.

‘Are you okay?’ Louise asked her.

Kate shook her head. ‘I’m scared.’

‘Don’t be. It’ll be exciting.’

‘But I’m excited too.’

Louise gave Kate a hug. ‘You’ll be fine.’

Kate pulled back from Louise with a feeling of remorse, wishing that she wasn’t leaving her behind too. ‘I hope so. You take good care of that husband of yours. Don’t wear him out too soon.’

‘I won’t. And we’ll call and see you as soon as you’ve settled in.’

‘You mean once all the mess has gone and the place is looking decent?’

Louise grinned. ‘Yep, you got it. When all the hard work has finished.’

‘Well, toodle-pip then.’

Kate finally got into her car and started the engine. She forced herself not to look through the rear view mirror until she had turned out of Marble Close. Her stomach seemed to helter-skelter around. She wasn’t sure if it was due to nerves, or happiness, or merely the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast and had only nibbled at a light lunch. Still, she had plenty of chocolate supplies in the glove box and it was only an hour and a half’s drive to Somerley at the most.

Pushing all feelings of doubt clearly away and wondering instead what the future would bring for her, with Rosie still securely fastened up by her side, Kate focused on the road ahead and sped off towards their new home.

‘Here we are then.’ Kate placed Rosie onto the floor two hours later and watched as she proceeded to sniff every inch of her new surroundings. Kate was so thankful that Lily had agreed to let her stay here, if only for a trial period of a month. She knew Rosie would win her over, especially as Lily had shown her a photo of a dog long passed away.

The double bedroom Lily had shown Kate to was at the back of the building. Kate pushed up a thick net curtain, mentally changing it to a lighter roman blind, and nosed at her surroundings. The window overlooked a cobble-stoned alleyway, with properties, mostly boarded up, behind. Not a very pleasant view but still, she didn’t intend on spending too much time in this room. Throwing Rosie’s cushion onto the bed squashed up against the wall, she wondered what Chloe would be like as she unzipped her suitcase. Lily had told her she was eighteen. She hoped they’d get on well. Fourteen years was quite an age gap.

She didn’t have long to wait because Chloe appeared in the doorway twenty minutes later. Instantly, Kate saw how her presence would lighten up any dreary room. Oh, the joys of being eighteen, she envied, taking in the spiral curls, long legs in skinny jeans, ballet pumps and the white vest underneath an oversized red t-shirt with a slashed neck.

‘Hi.’ Chloe smiled. She shrugged her right shoulder and her holdall slithered to the floor. ‘You must be Kate?’

Kate, embarrassed at being caught with her favourite knickers in her hand, quickly shoved them into a drawer. Rosie gave a grunt and headed across the floor, immediately demanding attention.

‘Yes, hi yourself.’ Kate swept Rosie up and onto the swirly pink and white duvet. ‘Are you in the room next to mine?’

Chloe nodded. She began to stroke Rosie’s head, looking over as Kate grouped her toiletries and cosmetics together on top of the dressing table.

Kate was older than Chloe had imagined. She’d assumed she’d be working with someone the same age as herself. She hoped it wasn’t going to be a problem as she watched Kate’s array of jumpers and t-shirts being put into the drawers. There didn’t seem much in the way of things that she could borrow, she sighed inwardly, as she scanned the rest of the suitcase.

Kate straightened up to her full height and Chloe realised that she’d be known as the tall one again. Kate was small and thin, with hair that she envied already. Chloe would love to have straight hair of any colour. At least there were choices with straight hair.

‘Lily’s making coffee for us,’ she said. ‘I’m going to dump my stuff and go downstairs. See you in a minute.’

‘I’ll settle Rosie and then come down to you,’ Kate shouted after her.

Hearing her name, Rosie bounced around like a kangaroo while Kate wondered where on earth she was going to put her cushion. It was bad enough that she had to stay in here. With all her snoring and twitching, she’d be lucky to get any sleep. Hastily, she pushed it under the dressing table and prayed that she’d settle quickly.

Chloe was waiting for her on the landing when she came out of the room minutes later.

‘So, what made you come here?’ she asked as Kate walked downstairs in front of her.

‘Oh, you know,’ Kate glanced back shyly. ‘A new challenge, a change of scenery. Something like that. How about you?’

‘Oh, you know,’ Chloe jumped down a step at a time, ‘my first job, my first salary, my first taste of freedom away from home. I’ve just finished my A levels.’

‘How did you do?’ Kate asked, recalling how nervous she’d been when her results had been due. She needn’t have worried though. She’d passed all three.

‘I think I did enough to pass but I’m not sure the grades will be good enough for uni.’

‘There you are,’ smiled Lily as Kate pushed open the door to the café. Catching her breath as she pushed a tray onto a table she had dressed for the occasion, she turned back to the counter. ‘Help yourselves while I fetch the milk.’

Kate’s eyes lit up. There was enough cake for ten people, let alone the three of them. She spotted her favourite Madeira cake alongside scones, a layered chocolate sponge cake and what must be a litre of cream.

Chloe grabbed a mug and added two spoons of sugar before stirring it well. ‘This cake is delish,’ she exclaimed when Lily eventually sat down with them.

Kate’s eyes rested on Chloe’s trim waist. She looked like she’d be able to eat anything and get away with it. She wondered if she exercised or if it was the youth in her that made it easy for her to keep the weight off.

‘I made it.’ Lily helped herself to the last mug. ‘My Bernard said he’d run a marathon if the prize was one of my cakes. We used to sell them in the café.’

‘I hope you’ll still be doing that once you’re up and running again,’ said Kate. ‘This Madeira cake tastes delicious.’

‘Thank you.’ Lily turned to the first page of her notepad and declared the meeting officially started. ‘Now I know that you’ve only just arrived, but I’d like to know, one more time, what does it suggest to you when you walk into the café?’

‘Lots of men coming in to taste your cake,’ said Chloe and they all laughed, if a little false and jittery.

‘Yes, I’m sure it does,’ said Lily. ‘And what about you, Kate?’

The first time Kate had walked through the doors into the café, she had been excited at the prospect of making the large space into a bright, yet cosy establishment. The counter situated on the far left wall was in the wrong place for her liking. She felt that it should be in the middle of the back wall and the first thing a customer saw when they came in. She didn’t like the floral wallpaper that covered every wall, but that was easy to remove. Once the flooring was covered up, paintwork treated to a touch of white gloss and the windows scrubbed clean, the room would be almost presentable.

Now, sitting here once again, her enthusiasm was still the same.

‘Maybe we should go all modern, chocolate and ivory to reflect the colour of coffee,’ she tried.

‘Ugh, too dark. What about yellow and green?’ Chloe flicked back her hair and pouted. ‘Anything else could clash with my colourings.’

‘Or a traditional look?’ Kate offered. Although the look wasn’t what she would like, it was Lily’s business after all. ‘Gingham table clothes, cafe nets at the windows?’

‘No!’ Chloe was appalled and shot forward in her chair to protest. ‘We’d only attract old biddies that sit resting their legs for two or three hours over one cup of coffee and a scone. We need young blood, people who want to try something different.’

‘Old biddies like me, you mean?’ said Lily, amused at her outburst.

‘No, I…’ Chloe blushed.

‘It has to be good enough to attract both,’ said Kate. ‘This is an industrial area so most people may only be able to come here for their lunch and perhaps a quick drink after a hard day at the office. So we need to cater for a morning trade too. It’s all good business. Have special deals for pensioners etc.’

Chloe was clearly revolted at the suggestion but kept her mouth shut this time. This was going to turn out to be a living nightmare if she didn’t steer them towards a younger outlook. What would her age group want with checks, and frills, which would no doubt be suggested next?

‘Well, I don’t agree with the traditional look,’ she said. ‘This coffee shop wants new people. New ideas, new recipes. New everything, if you ask me.’

‘Some of the stuff is workable.’ Kate lifted the lace tablecloth and rubbed her hand over the surface. ‘We could jazz these up in no time. How many tables have you got, Lily?’

‘Twelve, but –’

‘That wouldn’t take long. I took a part time interior design course last year. I learned some brilliant techniques with paint. If we cover everything with a primer, we may be able to colour wash the tables and chairs.’

‘Colour what?’ Chloe looked bewildered.

‘Colour
wash
. It’ll get rid of the blue.’ Kate eyed Chloe’s sceptical look. ‘Trust me. It works incredibly well. And it would save a hell of a lot of money.’

‘I agree,’ said Lily, pleased to see her second in command was watching the pennies for her. ‘But, actually, I’ve decided to buy some more. I want the new shop to be up to date. I have some brochures for you to browse through. I’m sure you’ll come up with something special.’