The Seafront Tea Rooms

by Vanessa Greene

  ‘What a shame. It’s such a milestone.’

  ‘I suppose it would have been nice to mark it,’ Letty said, tilting her head as she considered it. ‘Too late now, though.’

  Charlie immersed herself in the postcards and photos from the early days of the Seafront. She stayed like that for a while, ideas drifting through her head. She was nudged out of her daze by a man’s voice.

  ‘Hello there.’

  Her eyes flicked up from the page and met Euan’s. A smile came to her lips as she saw him standing by her table. ‘Hey,’ she said.

  ‘How’s it going?’ His gaze drifted to the baby, who was now smiling and wide awake, her blue eyes button-round and bright. ‘I’m guessing this is the famous Gracie.’

  ‘The very same,’ Charlie said, putting the papers down and peering into the pram. ‘This is her. My youngest niece.’

  ‘She’s lovely.’

  ‘She is beautiful, isn’t she?’ Charlie said, carefully lifting Gracie out of the pram and holding her close. ‘I’m allowed to say that because she’s not mine.’ She smiled.

  ‘Ha, yes.’

  ‘How’s the work on the cinema going?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘Good, thanks. There’s a slight issue with one of the plans, but I reckon we’ve worked out a way to fix it.’

  ‘The buyers have got a real catch. That place is going to make an incredible restaurant.’

  ‘I think so,’ Euan said. ‘The venue is on everyone’s radar already, so there’ll be a lot of interest around it when it opens. I wish it were going to nicer people though – it’s one unreasonable demand after another with these buyers.’

  ‘Intense?’

  ‘Yes. Hence the scone break.’ Euan smiled. ‘What are you up to?’ He looked at the papers on her desk. ‘Research?’

  ‘Yes. And meeting some friends.’

  ‘Euan, have you got a minute?’ Letty called over from the kitchen. ‘Only the tap’s broken again.’

  ‘Yep, sure.’ He rolled his eyes playfully in Letty’s direction. ‘Duty calls.’

  ‘See you later,’ Charlie said. As he walked back into the kitchen, she found it difficult to look away.

  ‘We’re not late, are we?’ Kat said, pulling out a wooden chair and sitting down opposite Charlie. Séraphine sat down with them.

  ‘No, don’t worry, we said two,’ Charlie said. ‘I left the house early for a walk with Gracie. Luke’s come round today to talk to Pippa and I wanted to give them some space.’

  ‘So they’re talking?’ Kat asked. ‘That sounds positive.’

  ‘I think it’s a very good sign. Pippa called him yesterday and he agreed to come to talk things through. She apologised – which is quite a big deal. Pippa doesn’t back down easily. Fingers crossed, they’ll be able to work it all out today. The kids miss him terribly.’

  Letty brought Kat and Séraphine their cups of tea. ‘Here you go, you two. Our blend of the day.’

  ‘Thanks, Letty,’ Séraphine said.

  ‘And I suppose you need to get back to your job soon,’ Kat said to Charlie.

  ‘Too right. My boss isn’t exactly thrilled with the situation. But I’ll try and fit in with whatever Pippa and Luke decide.’

  Euan came out of the kitchen to get something from the counter, and waved over to Kat, who said hello back.

  ‘You know Euan?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Kat shrugged. ‘Everyone knows Euan.’

  ‘In a good way, or a bad way?’ Charlie tilted her head, feigning disinterest.

  ‘Ha.’ Kat smiled. ‘In a good way. Why do you ask?’

  ‘No reason,’ Charlie said quickly.

  ‘Yeah, right,’ Kat laughed.

  ‘Anyway. Your trip,’ Charlie said, changing the subject. ‘I want to hear all about it.’

  ‘Were the reviews OK?’ Séraphine asked.

  ‘Yes, they were terrific,’ Charlie said. ‘I’ve made a few small changes, but nothing major. I’m happy with everything – thank you.’

  She’d been pleasantly surprised when she read the reviews – they were far more concise and honest than the ones she usually had to deal with, even from experienced food writers. There was something about Kat’s voice that was instantly engaging and her vivid descriptions brought the tea rooms she’d visited to life. The only problem was, due to her own lack of input, there still weren’t enough of them.

  ‘So, are you on track now?’ Séraphine asked Charlie.

  ‘Almost. Nearly,’ Charlie said, biting her lip. Then she realised there was no point lying about it. ‘By which I mean, not at all.’

  ‘Do you want us to help with some more?’ Kat offered.

  ‘Would you? It would really help me out. I’d need them by the end of the week.’

  ‘Sure,’ Kat said. ‘That’s fine. All right with you, Séraphine?’ Séraphine nodded.

  ‘Phew, that’s such a relief,’ Charlie said. ‘I’m only getting snatches of time at the moment, and to be honest I feel horribly unfocused. A couple more reviews from you guys would make all the difference.’

  ‘Sure. We can do another trip,’ Séraphine said. ‘We still have a few places on our list.’

  ‘Excellent. Then it’s all coming together,’ Charlie said. ‘I’ve just been doing a little research. Look at these mementoes of Letty’s – they’re wonderful. Check out this old menu.’

  Kat took it from her and read it. ‘How funny. Tongue? They served that?’

  ‘I know,’ Charlie laughed. ‘Gross, right? Letty’s certainly improved the menu.’

  ‘These photos are nice,’ Séraphine said. ‘Look at this picture of Letty and… Who’s that? I suppose it must be her husband.’

  ‘John,’ Kat said. ‘Euan’s dad. They’re not together any more.’

  ‘They look as if they were happy back then,’ Séraphine said. ‘I wonder what happened.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Kat said. ‘She’s never talked about it as far as I know.’

  Charlie pulled out a newspaper article that dated back to the middle of the Second World War. ‘There are so many stories about what the tea rooms went through. So much history here, and Letty’s family have been here since day one. Over a hundred years of serving tea.’

  ‘A hundred years?’ Séraphine said, her eyes widening.

  ‘Yes, it was a shame that we didn’t get a chance to celebrate,’ Kat said. ‘Letty had a run of bad luck that year and it put a damper on things.’

  ‘Are you sure it’s too late?’ Séraphine asked.

  Charlie smiled. ‘What’s a year or two between friends?’

  ‘Maybe the three of us could do something for her?’ Séraphine said. ‘Throw a party?’

  ‘That’s a lovely idea,’ Kat said. ‘But you know Letty, she never wants a fuss.’

  ‘Maybe she doesn’t get a say in it,’ Charlie said, mischievously.

  ‘I like the way you’re thinking,’ Kat said. ‘A surprise party, here at the tea rooms. How are you two fixed the Saturday after next?’

  ‘It looks as if I’ve got a party to go to,’ Séraphine said, smiling.

  ‘Shhh,’ Pippa said with a smile, putting a finger to her lips. ‘Gracie just went down, and I swear her hearing is super-sensitive.’

  ‘I thought you were still up with the kids.’

  ‘No, they’re all in bed.’

  ‘How did it go today, with Luke?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘Not bad,’ Pippa said, tilting her head. ‘Better than I expected.’

  ‘Did Flo and Jacob realise you were meeting up?’

  ‘No. I didn’t mention it. It’d only confuse them, so as far as they’re concerned he’s still away on that business trip.’

  ‘Did you get to explain everything?’

  ‘Yes. And thank God he seems to believe that nothing ever happened between me and Will. He says he wished I could have said something to him earlier rather than reacting in the way that I did – and he’s right, of course.’

  ‘Where’s he
staying?’

  ‘He’s still at a friend’s. He says he wants to spend another couple of nights away.’

  ‘And how are you feeling?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Pippa said. ‘I miss him. More than I thought I would. I mean, honestly, what was I thinking?’

  ‘You’re allowed to find things hard every now and again.’

  ‘Perhaps. But I hurt him, Charlie. He still sees it as me trying to write him and the kids out of my life. He thinks that’s what I really want. But it isn’t. The thing is Gracie was a shock. For both of us. I thought if I could escape from it for a few minutes, I might be better able to handle real life. Adjust.’

  ‘Does he understand that?’

  ‘He’s beginning to. We didn’t fix anything, but it feels as if we’ve made a start. I’ve messed things up too much to fix in a day.’

  ‘Nothing is ever one person’s fault completely.’

  ‘Perhaps. But it was me that wrote the emails, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Is there anything Luke could’ve done – could do now – to help you? So that you’re not on your own with the kids so much?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ She furrowed her brow. ‘Not work weekends, I suppose.’ She shrugged. ‘But that won’t happen.’

  ‘How can you be so sure? Why don’t you try asking him?’

  Pippa seemed to mull it over. ‘I suppose it’s worth a shot.’

  That evening, Charlie looked through one of Pippa’s recipe books, deciding what she was going to bake for the centenary party, and reflecting on her day. The time with Kat and Séraphine had been a tonic. Since Sarah had moved to New York, she rarely got to socialise with her real friends, and while she and Sarah still talked on Skype, the time difference meant one of them was usually about to go out. Charlie didn’t open up easily – she never had. What was there to enjoy about being vulnerable? And yet she could feel it starting to happen with Kat and Séraphine. She felt relaxed in their company, safe.

  As she flicked through the pages of cakes and muffins, she thought of the other encounter she’d had that day – with Euan. The buzz she’d felt at seeing him again. There’d been something between them. Or had she imagined it?

  Kat’s name flashed up on her phone and she picked up.

  ‘Hey, Kat, how’s it going?’

  ‘Good, thanks,’ Kat answered brightly. ‘So, I’m calling about the party.’

  ‘Perfect timing,’ Charlie said. ‘Help me decide something. I’m torn between healthy date-and-raisin muffins and indulgent white chocolate and cranberry.’

  ‘Come on, that’s a no-brainer,’ Kat said.

  ‘That’s true.’ She flagged the white chocolate muffin page with a Post-it note. ‘Now, what was it you wanted to ask?’

  ‘I called Euan to tell him what we had planned.’

  The mere mention of his name sent a tingle down Charlie’s spine. She berated herself – she was a grown woman, not a teenager, and she ought to act like one.

  ‘He’s going to sort the music,’ Kat continued, ‘and he also says he can get his hands on some discounted wine for us.’

  ‘That’s terrific.’

  ‘There’s just one thing…’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘He’s asked me for your number. Said he wants to talk it all through with you,’ Kat said.

  Charlie’s heart thudded in her chest. She hadn’t invented it. The connection she’d felt had been real.

  ‘What do you think?’ Kat asked, a smile in her voice. ‘Shall I pass it on?’

  25

  Tuesday 30 September

  Dinner at mine tomorrow night? Kat had texted Séraphine and Charlie. Bring a dish, your party-planning skills, and a readiness to drink wine x

  It had been a while since Kat had had visitors, and it showed. Leo’s toys were scattered around the living room, and in her bedroom clothes were strewn on every available surface. She put on music and began tidying things into their proper places, throwing away what she could as she went. There was an hour to go until the women arrived, and as they’d all agreed to bring a dish, it wouldn’t take her long to get her part of dinner ready. As she tidied, dusted and cleaned, she looked forward to the evening ahead. Being with Séraphine and Charlie was easy and relaxed; it was as if she’d known them far longer than a fortnight. It was good to have friends round again; that had been one of the first habits she’d let go when Leo arrived.

  She answered her ringing phone with one hand, still tidying with the other.

  ‘Hi, Jake,’ she said.

  ‘Hey. Is now a good time?’

  She glanced at the clock. ‘It’s not ideal. Is it about Leo?’

  ‘Yes, sort of,’ he said.

  ‘OK, sure.’ She laid down the pile of clothes she was carrying. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘It’s about Leo…’ He hesitated. ‘But actually more about us. About you and me.’

  Kat furrowed her brow. ‘Us?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jake said. ‘Us.’

  ‘Right,’ she said, waiting for him to elucidate.

  ‘I meant what I said the other day, you know. I miss how we were together. I miss you.’

  Kat’s heart sank. They’d been through all of this.

  ‘Who’s to say we couldn’t be a proper family again?’ he said.

  ‘Jake, we’ve tried,’ she said, calmly. ‘You know that. We’ve tried and we’ve tried.’

  ‘Have we though, really?’

  ‘Yes, we have,’ Kat said. She remembered every moment of it – the date nights with their long, awkward silences, the family days out where they made the effort to be cheerful for Leo’s sake. By the end it had all fell stilted, forced.

  ‘I mean, I know you tried – but I don’t think I ever put my heart into it. It was as if I was numb.’

  ‘Right.’ She took a deep breath.

  ‘Things change, don’t they?’ he said, his intonation rising in hope. ‘Look, I’ll admit it – I wasn’t ready for the responsibility that came with having a baby, not then. But I am now.’

  ‘The time for that’s passed,’ Kat said, firmly.

  ‘I feel completely differently now,’ Jake insisted. ‘Isn’t that worth talking about?’

  Kat glanced up at Leo’s painting on the fridge, remembered painting it with him, how proud she’d been, how they’d both ended up covered in glue and glitter. She might not get it right all the time, but they had a lot of fun together. Her home was a safe haven for the two of them. There had been something missing for a while, but now there wasn’t. As the two of them had grown closer, and other friends and relatives had come into their lives, that gap had disappeared. She and Leo were coping. More than that – these days, they were getting on just fine.

  ‘Sorry, Jake, I don’t want to go back.’

  ‘Is that how you see it? Don’t you think it could be going forwards?’ The hope in his voice was tinged with desperation.

  ‘We can both be there for Leo. But I’m sorry, Jake, there’s no us any more.’

  Kat was relieved when Charlie and Séraphine arrived, bringing distraction and fresh energy. Talking with Jake had revived memories of the two of them at their worst, and even though she’d tried to end the conversation on a positive note, she could tell that the rejection had felt like a fresh blow to him.

  ‘Hey,’ Charlie said, coming inside and glancing around Kat’s living room. ‘Nice place.’

  ‘It’s a lovely flat,’ Séraphine added. ‘Cosy.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Kat said, glad that the rush job she’d done on tidying had made a difference. ‘We’re fond of it. It never normally looks this tidy actually, but with Leo away I thought I’d have a go at stemming the tide of chaos.’

  ‘It’s got tons of character,’ Charlie said. ‘I love this table,’ she added, running her hand over the wood.

  ‘Thanks,’ Kat replied. ‘I got lucky with this one; a pub was closing and getting rid of all the furniture. I painted it with chalk paint, then rubbed away at it. Those chairs in
the corner are from the same place.’

  Kat remembered the day, a month after Jake had finally moved out, when she’d resolved to make the flat her own, and decorate it exactly how she wanted.

  ‘Quite the upcycler,’ Charlie said, impressed.

  ‘Keeps me out of trouble.’ Kat grinned. ‘But enough small talk,’ she said, leaning in towards Charlie. ‘Spill. Did Euan call you?’ she asked eagerly.

  ‘Euan?’ Séraphine echoed.

  ‘Yes,’ Kat explained to Séraphine. ‘He’s totally into Charlie. Made up the flimsiest of excuses to ask me for her number. It was very cute.’

  She turned back to Charlie. ‘So did he?’

  ‘He might have,’ Charlie said, blushing.

  ‘And how was it? What did he say?’ Séraphine asked.

  ‘It was nice talking with him,’ Charlie said. ‘We barely talked about the party at all, though. He got straight to the point.’

  ‘And…?’ Kat said.

  ‘We’re going on a date,’ Charlie said, unable to contain her excitement. ‘Tomorrow.’

  ‘Great!’ Kat and Séraphine said at once.

  ‘You think it’s a good idea?’ Charlie said, furrowing her brow. ‘It all seems a bit crazy, as if I’m planning a holiday romance or something. I’m meant to be here helping Pippa.’

  ‘You are helping Pippa. But why shouldn’t you have some fun at the same time?’ Kat said. ‘You’re only here for a while.’

  ‘That’s true, I suppose,’ said Charlie.

  ‘Live a little,’ Kat said. ‘I’ll give the disclaimer, though – Euan’s lovely, but from what I know, he’s not particularly serious about relationships.’

  ‘Fine,’ Charlie said. ‘That suits me perfectly.’

  ‘This is the way to eat dinner,’ Charlie said as they settled down at Kat’s table, ‘everyone doing a little bit. It’s so much easier, isn’t it?’ She heaped her plate with the butternut squash salad Kat had made, and the pasta bake that Séraphine had brought.