The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood

by The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood (retail) (epub)

  ‘Can I help you?’ Audrey was back.

  ‘Yes, I’ll take one of each of those, please, and I’d like to pay for our tea and cake.’

  Audrey nodded. ‘Of course.’

  She boxed up the cakes then placed the card machine on the counter and Fran touched it with her credit card.

  ‘This chip and pin lark is so easy that it’s not even like spending real money.’

  ‘I know.’ Audrey nodded. ‘Gary worries every time I go shopping that I’ll forget that I’m actually spending from our account.’

  ‘It would be easy to do.’

  Fran picked up the box then tried to put her purse in her bag but she couldn’t do it with one hand. She shook her shoulder to lower the strap but her hairbrush seemed to be stuck in the lining, preventing the bag from opening. She put the box back on the counter then tugged at her hairbrush, and as she did so, the small white pregnancy test flew out too and landed on the tiled floor then spun away. Fran stared at it in horror before stuffing her brush back into her bag along with her purse and picking up the cake box, ready to flee.

  She turned to see Audrey looking across the floor at the test.

  ‘You dropped something, Fran. What is it? One of those e-cigarettes or something?’ Audrey frowned. ‘I can’t see far without my glasses.’

  ‘No… uh… it’s… uh…’

  Just then, the man from earlier, who Audrey had named as her nephew, Ethan, emerged from the kitchen with his little girl.

  ‘Ooh, look, Daddy. Someone’s dropped their lollipop!’

  Tilly hurried over and picked the stick up then frowned at it. Fran hovered anxiously, watching in horror, not knowing whether to go over and grab the test or to run away. Ethan’s smile faded as he took the stick from his daughter and peered it, before realisation dawned on his features. Fran glanced behind her to see Holly hovering near the door with Luke, her eyes wide as saucers as she watched the scene unfold.

  Ethan looked up and saw Fran staring at him, then he turned to his aunt. ‘Who dropped this?’

  Audrey nodded at Fran. ‘What is it, Ethan? I can’t see from here.’

  He approached the counter. ‘It’s a pregnancy test.’

  ‘Is it now?’

  ‘And it’s positive,’ he added.

  Audrey took the stick from him, peered at it, then turned to Fran.

  ‘I believe this is yours.’ She beamed as she handed Fran the test and Fran’s cheeks flooded with heat. She wished the ground would open up and instantly swallow her whole and save her from this horrible experience. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? It was the stuff of nightmares.

  ‘Yes… uh… thank you.’

  Fran took the test, stuffed it into her bag then pushed her shoulders back. She couldn’t deny that it was hers because she had promised to keep Holly’s secret, but now Audrey and her nephew thought Fran was pregnant, and anyone in the tea shop who’d overheard and witnessed the scene would do too.

  She had to be grateful that her parents now resided in Italy, because the way news spread around Penhallow Sands, they’d have known she was pregnant before she even got home. She loved the village, but at times like this, she wished she lived somewhere more isolated like the wilds of Norway or even the North Pole. Either might be preferable to the village right now.

  ‘Thanks again, Audrey. I’ll get that box of mugs from the car for you.’ She forced a smile onto her face, flashed it at Ethan and Tilly as if she hadn’t a care in the world, then turned and followed Holly out of the tea shop. Her legs felt stiff as blocks of wood and her neck ached as if her head had become too heavy to support, but she had to get out to the safety of her car and to escape the curious gazes of Audrey and her family.

  ‘I’ll come with you, love, and get the box.’ Audrey hurried behind Fran to the car park. She didn’t say another word about the test but Fran could feel her bubbling with questions and knew that this would not be the end of the matter. Audrey gave a warm smile as she took the box from Fran, gently patted her hand then took the box inside, and Fran released a deep sigh.

  As Fran helped Holly to get Luke into his car seat, she realised that if she had to keep Holly’s secret until after the wedding, it was going to be a very long six weeks indeed.

  Chapter 5

  The following morning, Fran stood on the shore, watching as the sky turned slowly from navy to purple to pink. She shivered in the cold morning air, in spite of her bobble hat, scarf, thick coat and gloves. Following yesterday’s incident at Rosewood Tea Shop, she’d had a restless night and barely slept. She had tossed and turned for hours, worrying about what Audrey would be thinking, wondering if the news of her fake pregnancy would spread across Penhallow Sands like a Mexican wave overnight, and everyone she encountered today would cast a knowing smile her way.

  Her stomach churned. This might be an awful situation but she had to remember that she was doing it for the right reasons; she was protecting Holly, her best friend in the whole world.

  The sea lapped at the toes of her cerise wellington boots, grey and frothy in the dawn light. The breeze nipped at her nose and cheeks, but she breathed deeply, wanting to feel the chill filling her lungs, cleansing her from the inside. Everything would be okay, she just had to keep breathing and keep focused.

  Behind her on the beach, her dogs raced around, delighted to have time off the lead. In the summer, dogs were only allowed off their lead in the early morning and in the evening, but in the winter months the hours were relaxed. However, if Fran was going to bring her dogs down to the village, she preferred to do it at quieter times and sunrise was just perfect. It meant that the dogs got to burn off some energy before breakfast and then they relaxed through the day.

  She turned and watched as they ran in circles, flashes of different-coloured fur, pink tongues lolling from open mouths as sand and droplets of water flicked up in the air. They’d need a good brush when they got home, possibly even a shower, but it was worth it just to see them having so much fun.

  Fran found peace in the company of her dogs. They lived so much in the moment, focused purely on enjoying the here and now, and there was a lot to be learnt from that. She did her best to give them a good life and they rewarded her with their easy company, their devotion and their loyalty.

  ‘Come on you lot,’ she called as she started to walk along the sand. ‘Let’s get home and have some breakfast.’

  She listened to their paws pounding the sand as they changed direction, to the foaming of the sea on the shore, to the cries of the hungry gulls as they soared across the sky and far off into the village and the spluttering of an old car engine as someone tried to start it in the chilly air. Simple things, but precious things, filling her with optimism that everything would be okay in the end, and Fran laughed as her dogs raced on ahead, watching as they ran in and out of the water, simply enjoying being alive.

  * * *

  ‘So you’ve told Rich?’ Fran asked Holly as they stood in the kitchen at Greenacres that evening.

  ‘Last night when we went for a walk.’

  ‘How did he take it?’

  ‘Really well. At first, he was a bit surprised, but as the news sunk in, he was delighted. He admitted that there was that one time… about two months ago when we were… uh… a bit…’

  ‘It’s okay, I get the picture. No need for specifics.’ Fran smiled.

  ‘I know it’s unreliable but I thought I was past my so-called fertile time and…’ Holly shrugged. ‘Perhaps it was a subconscious thing and we both wanted this to happen, or at least didn’t mind if it did.’

  ‘That sounds plausible.’ Fran nodded. ‘I’m glad he’s happy.’

  ‘Yes I am!’ Rich entered the kitchen still in his suit and tie, looking every inch the professional accountant. ‘Hi Fran.’

  ‘Hi Rich.’

  ‘Thanks for supporting Holly with the whole pregnancy test thing.’ He smiled as he took a seat at the table.

  ‘It’s no problem.’ Fran me
t Holly’s eyes, hoping that Rich was okay with the fact that she knew before he did.

  ‘It’s okay, Fran. I told Rich that I ran it by you first because I wasn’t sure if I was pregnant, and anyway, he knows what we’re like.’

  ‘Yes I do. Years of being the partner of a woman with a BFF means that I expect Fran to know most things before me.’ Rich laughed. ‘It’s fine, honestly. I’m just glad that Holly has your support. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in work stuff that I miss what’s happening right under my nose.’

  Holly went to him and slid her arm around his shoulder. ‘I love you just as you are, Rich.’

  ‘I know, and I’m a very lucky man and I love you right back, Holly.’

  They kissed and Fran smiled at them. They were so loved up and she was really happy for them. Physically, they were very different, as Rich had dark hair and eyes and was over six foot tall, whereas Holly was blonde with green eyes and was just five foot five. But they were so compatible in so many ways and complemented each other perfectly. Fran enjoyed being around them because she could bask in their happy glow.

  ‘Where’s Luke?’ Fran asked, always keen to grab a hug with the baby boy whenever she could.

  ‘Napping.’ Rich pointed at the ceiling. ‘I just popped up to check on him. It’s not the ideal time for him to nap and he probably won’t sleep well tonight because of it, but he’s been a bit restless the past few nights and I think he needs to catch up.’

  ‘A bit like Granny really,’ Holly said. ‘She’s napping a lot at the moment but I figure that sleep is healing, so she’s doing what she needs to do to recover from the flu.’

  ‘Poor Glenda.’ Fran shook her head. Flu was awful when you were young but as an elderly person, it could be extremely debilitating and dangerous.

  ‘Cup of tea?’ Holly asked.

  ‘Well, I wasn’t going to stay long, but why not?’ Fran sat down at the table. ‘How’re you feeling now, Holly?’

  Holly wrinkled her nose up. ‘I’ve been better. It’s as if since I saw the positive test, my symptoms have worsened. Everything smells funny and I need to pee more and the nausea this morning was vile. It lasts all day but is at its worst first thing.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Fran pulled a face. ‘I hate feeling sick and I’m certain that I couldn’t cope with it all day. You’re doing really well, Holly.’

  ‘Thanks, but I’m okay.’ Holly opened a cupboard and pulled out a packet of biscuits. ‘I’m on the ginger nuts now, and who doesn’t mind an excuse to munch on plenty of biscuits?’

  She placed the packet on the table and Fran helped herself to one.

  ‘Holly told me that you covered for her at the tea shop.’ Rich reached for the biscuits and took one out.

  ‘I had no choice, really.’ Fran shook her head. ‘What else could I do?’

  ‘I can’t believe that the test flew out like that. It’s one of those cringeworthy moments.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’ Fran rolled her eyes. ‘It was like something out of a movie or a TV comedy.’

  ‘And people believe that you’re the one who’s pregnant?’ Rich raised his eyebrows.

  ‘So it seems.’ Fran bit into her biscuit and munched thoughtfully.

  ‘Are you okay with that?’ Rich’s voice was filled with concern.

  ‘Well, I neither confirmed nor denied it, so I’m not exactly lying about it, am I? Therefore, it’s not a big moral dilemma for me. Anyway, if it gives you and Holly some peace to come to terms with everything and protects Glenda from too much excitement when she’s recovering, then that’s great.’

  Rich nodded slowly.

  ‘Fran also said that Jamal saw the tests in the village just after she bought them, so he probably thinks she’s expecting too.’ Holly brought three mugs of tea to the table then sat down.

  ‘Oh, Fran, this is probably going to escalate.’ Rich rubbed a hand over his eyes. ‘In a small village like Penhallow Sands, how could it not?’

  ‘Probably.’ Fran inclined her head. ‘But it’s only until after the wedding, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m so grateful.’ Holly reached for Fran’s hand. ‘At the moment, with the wedding planning and the fact that Granny has been under the weather, I’d really prefer to keep it quiet until we have it confirmed by the doctor, and until we’re past the three-month mark. If we told her now and then something happened… I’d hate to put her through that.’

  Fran squeezed Holly’s hand then reached for her tea. ‘That’s very wise.’

  ‘I’ll probably tell Dad before the wedding, but first Rich and I want to digest the news ourselves.’

  ‘Of course you do,’ Fran said. ‘Besides which, if I am currently fake pregnant, I get to eat more ginger nuts, right?’

  ‘Right!’ Holly laughed and handed Fran the packet.

  * * *

  Ethan held Tilly’s hand tight as they walked into the school on Monday morning. He suspected that he might be even more nervous than she was. The deputy head teacher he’d spoken to previously had suggested that he bring Tilly to school mid-morning to give the other children a chance to settle and to give Tilly a chance to prepare for her first day.

  The reception area smelt of paint, musty textbooks, disinfectant and chips. It was a smell loaded with memories and one that he thought must be inherent to educational establishments, because every school he’d been in had smelt the same. It was a heavy smell, but not unpleasant; its familiarity was almost comforting.

  He gave their names at the reception desk and Tilly gazed up at him, her big brown eyes filled with uncertainty. She was chewing on her lower lip in a way that made his shoulders tense.

  ‘It’s okay, Tilly. It will be fine, you’ll see.’ He wished he sounded more convinced than he felt.

  ‘Okay, Daddy.’ Tilly nodded, causing her blonde ponytail to bob.

  Ethan wanted to scoop her up and take her out of there, back to Rosewood where they could turn on the TV and drink chocolate milkshakes while snuggling on the sofa with Glitterbug. This was his baby girl, his whole reason for being, and he hated to see her anxious and vulnerable. He’d do anything to avoid that. But he knew he couldn’t keep her away from school indefinitely. The sooner she got into a routine, the better for her. Waiting to start school would be far worse than actually doing it. She needed to socialise and to integrate, to learn and to experience life.

  The door to his left buzzed and a woman he estimated to be in her thirties came through. She had bright blue eyes that emanated kindness, blonde hair loosely pulled into a bun and her skin was very clear, devoid of any makeup. That was something that his mother would have noticed and highlighted for him and it was a habit that had stayed with him. He wasn’t a fan of heavy makeup on anyone; he always felt that it was like they were trying to cover something up. This woman looked fresh-faced and honest and when she smiled, Tilly’s grip on his hand relaxed a bit.

  ‘Hello, are you Tilly?’ Her voice was warm and welcoming.

  ‘Yes, and this is my Daddy, Ethan.’

  ‘Well, I’m Miss Bromley, the deputy head teacher, and I’m very pleased to meet you both.’

  Ethan held out his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you too.’

  She gave him a firm handshake then gestured at the door behind her.

  ‘Shall we go on through? I always think it’s easier to get these things over and done with. Delaying it will only increase your nerves and that’s the last thing I want because there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Your class is ready and waiting for you, Tilly. You have a peg for your bag and coat, and a chair at a table with some friendly children and a tray for your work. How does that sound?’

  ‘Good, thank you, miss.’

  Miss Bromley nodded then buzzed them through to a long corridor.

  The aromas from reception were stronger here, especially the smell of food, as if the cooking that had been done over the years had seeped into the paint on the walls, the rough nylon carpet on the floor and the plaster on the ceiling.

>   ‘Cottage pie for dinner today,’ Miss Bromley explained. ‘With carrots and broccoli, of course.’

  Tilly looked up at Ethan. ‘I like cottage pie, don’t I, Daddy?’

  ‘Yes you do. It’s a good job you said you wanted to have school dinners.’

  ‘Yes, or I’d have missed out on it.’ Tilly nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

  ‘Your classroom is just along here, Tilly.’

  The woman led them along the corridor then stopped in front of a classroom. The door was open and excited chatter spilled out into the corridor, along with the sounds of chairs scraping on a tiled floor, laughter and an adult’s authoritative voice.

  ‘Your teacher is called Mrs Thomas and she’s very nice. She’ll keep an eye on you today and you can speak to her about anything. Are you ready to go in?’

  Tilly peered up at Ethan and he thought his heart was going to leap out of his throat. This was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

  Tilly closed her eyes for a moment then released a slow breath. ‘I’m ready, miss.’ She nodded then released Ethan’s hand. ‘See you later, Daddy. Be brave.’

  Ethan inclined his head, unable to reply because he had a feeling his voice would crack, then Miss Bromley took Tilly into the classroom. He watched through the internal window as Tilly crossed the room to a circular table. Miss Bromley showed her to a seat with her name printed on a sticker on the back of it. Tilly glanced around at the other children before pulling the chair out and sitting down. She kept her little chin up and her shoulders back, as if she were trying with all her might to be brave and to hold it together. She would be fine, his strong little girl; she was tougher than he gave her credit for.