He pushed his hands in his pockets and stood by her mother’s chair. ‘OK. Now we’re convinced you’re bearing up, I think we should have a word with your sister, if she’s still here.’
‘Yes, where is she?’ her mother asked, animated once more. ‘I have a few things to say to her before I leave. George,’ she said waving at him. ‘Make sure you speak to Clementine.’
Paige pulled a face at her father. Did she think Dad was some sort of tyrant they were frightened of? He might bellow occasionally, but they all knew he was a softie underneath all that bluster.
‘Go on, you’d better bring her down,’ he said.
She ran up the stairs to fetch Clem, knocking on the door, before opening it a fraction. ‘Hi,’ she said, a little taken aback to find Clem sitting, freshly showed and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. ‘You OK?’
She nodded. ‘I was just building myself up to face Mum.’ She looked up at Paige. ‘I heard Olly earlier. You haven’t told him anything, have you?’
‘Not yet,’ Paige was relieved to admit. ‘But you do know I can’t keep this from him for long. He’s my closest friend and living next door he’s bound to see you at some point.’
‘I know.’
Paige couldn’t help feeling sorry for her and knew her sister hadn’t told her the real reason for her return to the island. Clem had always wanted to go to university and study History. Even when she and Olly had got together, no matter how devastated she’d been to leave him behind, she still never considered giving up her degree. Paige studied her for a moment.
‘I’ll leave you in peace,’ Paige said, as her sister entered the lounge to greet their parents.
‘Don’t feel you have to,’ Clem said, attempting a smile that didn’t quite make her it to her eyes. ‘I’ve nothing to say.’
‘But your degree,’ Marion cried, one hand to her throat as if someone had just threatened to harm her. ‘All that studying wasted. Not to mention the fees. If only we could get student loans in Jersey for further education like they do on the mainland,’ she said. ‘I’d rather have time to pay off a loan than have to struggle to find the fees at the beginning of each year.’ She shook her head. ‘We’ve already paid this year’s fees.’
‘Marion,’ their father glared at her. ‘Never mind the fees. I’m sure Clementine has her reasons for this decision.’ He turned to focus his attention on his youngest daughter. ‘And as soon as she’s had time to think things through, she’ll be returning to England to carry on with her studies.’
‘But, Dad,’ Clem said, before being interrupted.
He held up his hand. ‘No. Enough now.’ He shook his head. ‘I’ll speak to you in a few days; see if you’ve come to your senses by then.’
Both girls knew better than to argue with their father when he was in this mood.
‘Marion.’ He held out his hand to help their mother stand. ‘Come along, let’s go.’
‘We’re going to lunch at Samsons,’ she said, trying to distract him like she always did when she felt he’d gone on long enough. ‘I think I’ll try the scallops.’
‘You always have the scallops, Mum,’ Paige said, glad not to have to listen to more advice from her father. She gave her mother a peck on her cheek. ‘You go and enjoy yourselves.’
‘Thank God that’s over with,’ Clem said, falling back into the large armchair, when Paige returned to the lounge having seen their parents out.
Paige was about to agree when she heard her phone bleep from inside her handbag. Saved by the phone, she thought, and went to check the message.
‘I can meet you at 9 2moro @ yr shop, Seb.’ Her heart skipped as she read it. He could have phoned her, she thought, conveniently forgetting that she was the one who had unplugged her landline and switched off her mobile.
‘I can go in to the shop at nine tomorrow to check everything out,’ she relayed to Clem. ‘I’d better go next-door and let Olly know, otherwise he’ll be over here to find out.’
Before she had time to knock at his front door, Olly pulled it open with a flourish. ‘Has anyone contacted you yet?’ she asked, as he poked his head out.
‘Just now,’ Olly held up his latest phone. ‘I was just about to come and tell you. I suppose we’ve all received the same message.’
Paige looked at his screen. It seemed like they had, she thought miserably. That said it all.
‘Mine’s from my manager,’ he added, as if reading her mind. ‘I was hoping for more time off, but I suppose they need the computers up and running as soon as possible.’
‘They’ll need you to make sure the cash registers are working too.’ Paige felt a little cheered Seb hadn’t been the one to contact every member of staff, after all. Then feeling foolish for being so immature, she added. ‘Why don’t you call for me in the morning? We can go in together to see the state of the place.’
‘But I thought I’d come back with you to your cottage now,’ he said, looking confused.
‘Not today, Ol.’ She moved back from his doorstep.
‘Is everything OK?’
Paige smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. ‘Fine, really. I just need some time out, that’s all.’
Chapter Twelve
‘It’s not as bad as I thought.’ Paige glanced around her shoe display and at the shelves at the back of her shop.
Sebastian could hear the relief in her voice as he walked up to the partition at the beginning of her concession.
‘It all looks fine to me,’ agreed Olly. ‘I’m pleased for you. At least now you won’t have to take out another loan to pay for new stock.’
Sebastian stepped past a pillar. He saw Olly pull back the sleeve of his sweatshirt and checked his watch. ‘I’d better get up to the office before he notices I’m missing and has me shot.’
‘Fine, see you later. Oh, and don’t forget to find me before going home. I don’t want to have to walk back.’
‘Um, hi,’ Olly said awkwardly, spotting Sebastian standing there.
‘Hi,’ Sebastian said, irritated by Olly’s comment about him and envious of the closeness between Paige and this man. He stood back to let Olly leave. ‘They may not look as if they’ve been affected, but I think you’ll find some of them will be smoke-damaged.’
‘I didn’t see you there,’ Paige said.
‘You’ll need to smell them,’ Sebastian continued, ignoring her obvious contempt for him.
Paige frowned. ‘Smell them?’
‘There was a lot of smoke in the building, although more at the front rather than back this way, but you don’t want to sell anything to your customers and have it returned later as soiled goods, do you?’
She stepped forward. Picking up a purple leather boot with skyscraper heels and tiny chains across the ankle, she breathed in deeply. Sebastian couldn’t imagine anyone being able to balance on such thin heels, let alone walk in them. She seemed unsure and sniffed again.
‘Mmm, there’s only a slight smell. Thankfully, it’s only the stock on display that’s been badly affected. The rest are locked away, in tissue paper and boxes, so they’ve been spared. I think I’ll take the ones that have been affected home to air for a few days. Hopefully, then they’ll be all right.’ She turned to face him. ‘How’s the rest of the building?’
‘Not as bad as we first thought,’ he said, surprised she was engaging in conversation with him. He watched her full mouth as she spoke for a moment before realizing he hadn’t heard a word of what she was saying. Sebastian shook his head. ‘Sorry, what was that?’
‘Don’t worry,’ Paige said, sarcasm filling her voice. ‘It wasn’t anything important.’
Sebastian stepped closer to her and went to take her hand. Paige moved away from him. ‘Paige, I know what you must think of me.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘If you did, I’m sure you wouldn’t waste your time talking to me.’
‘You don’t have any intention of forgiving me for what I’ve done, do you?’
Paige shook her head. ‘Not yet. C
an I ask when I’m likely to discover, let me see,’ she said holding a finger up against the side of her jaw. ‘Oh yes, whether I’m surplus to requirements, or not?’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Don’t you recall telling me in Sorrento how you have to categorise the concessions and decide which you’ll keep and those that are surplus to the company’s requirements?’
He couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to shake her, or kiss her. ‘I’ve a feeling it won’t matter what I say to you. I think you’ve already made up your mind about me. However, if you need any help removing stock from the store, let me know.’
‘Thank you,’ she snapped. ‘But I’ll be fine.’
‘I’ll leave you to it then,’ he said, trying not to smile as he watched her silently before turning and walking away.
With her father’s words ringing in her ears, Paige knew she was right not to ask for Sebastian’s help. Olly stayed behind after work to help her move her stock in his car, making her feel even guiltier about keeping her sister’s presence from him. Back at the cottage, she took each pair of boots and shoes from their boxes and lined them up in her small conservatory, covering the whole floor space with them.
Paige opened the two windows. ‘Hopefully they’ll get enough of an airing this way.’
‘I couldn’t smell anything to begin with,’ Olly said, passing her the last pair of black leather shoes. ‘Luckily, your shop is well away from the worst of the damage. The clothes shops from the first floor are in a right mess. They’re going to have to dump all their stock. The insurance claim is going to be massive.’
‘Is there any news on the bloke who reported the fire?’ She knitted her fine eyebrows together in confusion, wondering where her sister had gone, or if she was keeping out of the way in her room.
‘What, Frank Bellows? Nope, they still can’t get him to say what he was doing there so late at night. He insists he didn’t see anything suspicious. I was wondering if it was some sort of protest against the company takeover that probably went wrong. He’s been there for years, after all, and won’t take kindly to any changes.’
Paige sat down. ‘Poor man.’ She shook the thought from her head. ‘I’m glad I’ll be off to Spain next week, and away from all this chaos.’
‘Buying again so soon?’
She nodded. ‘I emailed off the latest designs to my supplier. Can you believe it’s three months since I last went? You know how I have to time my trips to coincide with the university holidays,’ she added without thinking.
Olly visibly brightened. ‘Does that mean Clemmie will soon be back from uni to look after everything?’
‘Um, yes,’ Paige said, wishing he would stop looking so hopeful. Then, unable to keep it from him any longer, she took a deep breath. ‘In fact, she’s already here.’ There. She had done it. There was no going back now. Clem might want to kill her, but right now she didn’t care. The startled look on Olly’s face made her want to give him a hug.
‘Already?’ His thick blond eyebrows knitted together in a frown. ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’
Paige chewed her lower lip trying to think up a plausible answer. ‘Because she asked me not to,’ she admitted, relieved to be telling her friend the truth. ‘Clem’s insisting she’s not going back, which is why my parents came over to the house the other morning.’
‘I thought it a little dramatic for them to race over because of the fire. I mean it’s not like you were hurt,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘So, has she mentioned me at all?’
‘’Fraid not.’ Paige shook her head, furious with her sister for treating someone as decent as Olly in such a shabby way.
‘She hasn’t said anything to you? What, nothing?’
‘Sorry.’ She stroked his arm gently, wishing she could take away some of his hurt. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure she will do when she’s ready.’
‘Yes, but when will that be? I still don’t have a clue why she dumped me. One minute everything was great between us, and the next.’ He slammed his fist down on the counter top, causing the merchandise to shudder. ‘Sorry.’
‘It’s fine. I can understand how frustrating this must be for you, but I’ve no idea what happened either.’
‘I want to be angry with her, but I can’t help feeling something is wrong. I’m worried for her. This is so out of character.’ He raked both hands through his messy hair.
Paige thought so too, but didn’t like to add to his concern. ‘Let’s not get all worked up. Clem just needs a little time and at least we know where she is while she’s doing it.’
He seemed to accept this. ‘True, I just hope she doesn’t take too long, I’m going mad waiting, and it’ll be worse now I know she’s right next door. Somehow it was easier when I thought she was away.’
Great, thought Paige, not the effect she was hoping to have. She was also worried about Clem’s reasons for finishing with Olly. They seemed so perfectly matched and had obviously been very happy the last time she’d seen them together. Something was very wrong, and she needed to discover what it could be to be able to help her sister in any way.
Paige was relieved when the day she was leaving for Spain finally arrived. Inviting her sister to the shop to go through everything, she told her that she could have two of the six smoke-damaged pairs.
‘Two pairs?’ Clem shrieked with excitement, grabbing the emerald green thigh-high boots and putting them on. ‘I’ve had a passion for these since you first showed me the sketches.’
‘You’d be having a third pair, if they weren’t too small for you,’ Paige said, thinking how well the colour suited Clem’s skin tone. ‘They look gorgeous with your long legs. You’re so lucky.’
‘Why, because of the boots, or my legs?’ Clem said, smiling for the first time since she had returned from university.
‘Because of your legs.’ Paige pulled a face. ‘Stop showing off, you know how I hate my short ones.’
‘They’re hardly short, just shorter than mine.’ Clem took off the boots and tried on the other pair Paige had given her. ‘These are gorgeous. Thanks, Sis.’
‘My pleasure,’ Paige said, determining it was now time to broach the subject of Olly. ‘Clem,’ she said, tidying up the boots scattered on her lounge floor.
‘How’s Olly?’ Clem asked interrupting her as she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror. ‘Is he still working upstairs at De Greys?’
‘He is.’ Paige nodded. ‘Why, were you thinking of having a chat with him?’
Clem groaned. ‘I don’t want to, but I know I owe him some sort of explanation.’
Me too, thought Paige. ‘He’s confused about why you finished with him. And I can’t say I blame him.’
‘I know. I promise I’ll talk to him soon,’ she said, frowning. ‘Not yet though.’
‘Please make it soon. It’s putting me in a very awkward position.’
‘I will,’ she said. ‘Does he know I’ll be working here while you’re in Spain?’
Paige nodded. ‘So, unless he avoids you, you’re bound to bump into him at some point.’
‘Great,’ Clem said, sounding anything but happy at the thought.
Paige chewed her lower lip. ‘Maybe I should postpone this trip for a few weeks?’
‘No, you won’t.’ Clem shook her head. ‘And don’t look at me like that, I’ll be fine. You go and have a productive trip. Bring back some fab footwear.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 43
