The Vintage Bookshop of Memories

by Elizabeth Holland

  With a new resolve Prue wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to control her emotions. She would make a life for herself here and the villagers would have to put up with it. Perhaps she could talk to Elliot about the contracts and give them the option to leave. She didn’t want to force them to stay, perhaps having some fresh blood around would be nice. And so that was decided, she would stay in the area and she would make it work.

  Once Prue had made her decision she looked down at the diary in her hands, her fingers tracing the dragonfly on the cover. If she was going to stay here and be happy she had to begin to know the truth. With trembling hands she turned the page and glanced down at the writing. The diary seemed to span from her mother’s eighteenth birthday to a few days before her death. With this in mind Prue flicked through the pages looking for her father’s name. The rest of her mother’s memories could wait until Prue was in a better frame of mind, for now she had to learn about her mother and father’s relationship.

  Prue found an entry that was a year and a half before her birthdate and it looked to be the day her parents met. A strange sense of excitement filled Prue, she was about to find out the answers to so many of her questions. This was where her own story started, with her parents meeting. Perhaps she should have made herself a gin fizz to accompany the reading, it was too late now though, her eyes were already scanning her mother’s words.

  ◆◆◆

  1st June 1994 -

  Dear diary,

  Mother has finally said I can have my own little bookshop! She’s finally realised that there’s nothing else I want more. Well, other than a beating heart. We’ve agreed that for now it’s the perfect little project for me, especially while I’m in good health.

  She gave me the choice to pick from some of the buildings we own in the village and I’ve found the perfect one. It’s small but cosy and I can just see how magical it will look once I’ve finished. I’ve been sketching my ideas and sending them to the girls - they’re all looking forward to coming down for the grand opening.

  There’s a new man in town, Robert. He’s absolutely gorgeous. I’ve asked him to do some work on the bookshop for me and he agreed. I almost missed what he was saying because I was too busy staring into his sparkling green eyes. He has a chiselled jaw line, perfect bow shaped lips and shaggy black hair that just falls over his forehead. Diary, I think I now believe in love at first sight. Thankfully I stopped myself looking like a complete idiot. He’s coming into the shop tomorrow to discuss what I want. I cannot wait!

  I have to decide what to wear. Perhaps that purple maxi dress?

  Until tomorrow diary…

  ◆◆◆

  Prue stared down at her mother’s writing with fresh tears in her eyes. She had been so young, so full of the excitement for life. After all the years that her mother had suffered with her health, she was finally getting to live her life without endless hospital trips. How cruel life was to finally grant her the wish of her bookshop and then to dangle an attractive man in front of her when their relationship was doomed from the beginning. Prue decided to read on to the next entry, the day when her father came to the bookshop.

  ◆◆◆

  2nd June 1994 -

  Dear diary,

  I have had the best day ever! Love at first sight definitely does exist.

  Robert Darwin is perfect in every single way. He made me laugh all day and I couldn’t stop smiling just being in his presence. He’s agreed to do the work on the bookshop and even made a little joke about us getting to spend so much time together. I showed him my sketches for the shop and he was as enthralled as I am. He can see my vision and that alone tells me what an amazing person he is.

  And then diary, can you guess what happened next?

  He asked me out on a date!

  Of course I said yes. Mother is furious. Robert is one of the villagers now and apparently I shouldn’t be ‘mixing’ with them. I told her I didn’t care. The class system in Ivy Hatch is ridiculous. I’m just a normal girl (well as normal as you can get with a heart defect and a degree in art). If I want to go on a date with the hottest man in the village then I will.

  We’re going out for dinner on Friday night. I have to go shopping to find something new to wear!

  Wish me luck diary!

  ◆◆◆

  With a sense of sadness Prue put the diary down. Her mother had been so excited for her date, knowing how their story ended made Prue want to bury her head under the duvet and never come back out. How dare the villagers steal this happiness away from her mother! On a lighter note Prue had chuckled as her mother’s thoughts immediately went to shopping and buying something new for her date. One thing Prue hadn’t inherited from her mother was her love for vintage fashion. With a heavy sigh Prue stood up and stretched, she didn’t know how to feel after reading those two diary entries. Sadness resounded throughout her and yet there was a happiness deep down. The chance to get an insight into her mother’s thoughts was beyond anything Prue had ever expected to happen. She felt as though she was getting to know her mother.

  Now all Prue had to do was decide whether or not she wanted to trace her father. As she got changed and climbed into bed she realised that there was no reason not to. Why shouldn’t she meet her father? Surely he at least deserved to know she existed. Prue knew she might meet him and they might decide they didn’t want a relationship but she had to know. She had to meet him. After all, she had gone twenty-four years without a father so what difference would it make if he rejected her? As her eyes drooped with sleep she tried to string together coherent thoughts to form a plan on how to track him down. It was too late though, she couldn’t resist sleep any longer, it had been a very long day.

  Chapter Twelve

  The following morning Prue woke feeling much calmer. It was somewhat of a relief to no longer have anger churning inside of her, today she could breathe and think coherently about what she had discovered last night. Prue grabbed her pale pink silk dressing gown and wrapped it around herself as she slipped her feet into her sheepskin slippers. It was bright sunshine outside but there was still a chilly breeze, despite it almost being May. With a coffee in hand she made her way outside and onto the lawn where a table and chairs sat. As the sun shone down Prue took a seat and looked around at the garden, the same grass that she had run on as a child. This was her home, it had been her family’s home for generations, no amount of prejudice would make her leave.

  Prue was grateful for her grandmother, for bringing her up to be a strong and independent woman who knew her own mind. Nobody would sway Prue, once she had made a decision she would do everything within her power to see it through. This would be no different. The villagers would be hard to win over but she hoped that with a little negotiation they could live in harmony together. It was time that the younger generation adapted to the modern world and forgot about the divide between the Clemontes and the residents of Ivy Hatch.

  As Prue sat watching the birds in the trees she began to form a plan in her head. She now knew that she wanted to track down her father, if that was at all possible. She hoped that Elliot might be able to help her. The second element of her plan involved charming the villagers. Despite their behaviour Prue knew she had to let that anger go or else she would never be happy here. If she harboured any bitterness towards the residents it would only eat away at her until she was unhappy and isolated. She planned on holding a meeting with everyone and discussing the changes she would be making to their contracts. Prue only hoped that would be enough to secure her acceptance in the village.

  Draining the dregs of her coffee cup Prue stood up and stretched, it was time she put her plan into action. With a spring in her step she changed into a silk blush pink pleated midi skirt and a cream cashmere jumper. Prue was too impatient to do anything to her hair and so she styled it into a low bun. With a quick glance at her watch Prue grabbed the keys to the Bentley and made her way to Mr Adley’s office. If she were being sensible she
would have picked the Mini up from Elliot’s but she wanted to save that trip for later. Prue was hoping to spend some time with Elliot and so she was planning on waiting until this evening to pick her car up. For now she had some important things to discuss with her solicitor.

  The solicitor’s office was silent as Prue walked in, the receptionist immediately jumped up and came running over to her.

  ‘Miss Clemonte, I wasn’t aware you had an appointment for today?’ The woman was visibly flustered.

  ‘It’s okay, I don’t have an appointment. Sorry I know Mr Adley is really busy but I was wondering whether he could see me quickly? I’m happy to come back in a while.’

  ‘Of course, take a seat and I’ll let Mr Adley know you’re here. Can I get you anything, tea or coffee?’ Despite having grown up in the manor it still irked Prue when people treated her differently. She wasn’t special, she was just lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family. Well in her case perhaps she was unlucky to be born into a wealthy family.

  An hour later Prue was walking back out of Mr Adley’s office feeling somewhat more positive. They had agreed an overhaul on all contracts. The villagers would now be charged the market rent, no more or less, and before switching contracts they would have the option to terminate the agreement. If Prue was completely honest she hoped that a number of families would terminate their contract. She would do her best to be a gracious landlady but it was tough knowing that they had ruined her mother’s happiness and prevented her from knowing her father. It was the right thing to do though, Mr Adley agreed that the changes should be made and he promised to start drawing up the new documents as soon as she left. They had agreed that in two weeks time she would arrange a meeting with the villagers to discuss the new contracts.

  Now that her visit to Mr Adley was over with Prue could relax a little. She had put things in motion and there was no going back now. Either they accepted the changes or she would have to consider selling the properties. Prue knew that in the grand scheme of things she was a good landlady, the villagers paid their rent and the land and property was theirs to do what they wanted with. Who knew what rules other landlords would impose, surely they wouldn’t want to take that risk? Doubt was beginning to form inside of Prue’s mind.

  No, Prue was their best option, they just had to realise that. Prue was doing this for her family’s memory and for the village. Not for the villagers. With her first task of the day ticked off Prue climbed back into her car and began the journey home. Her next task was to stop at the farm shop on her way to buy some ingredients for dinner. The farm shop was one of the few places in the area that Prue didn’t own and yet they were much nicer to her than all of her tenants put together. After a quick stop Prue picked up everything she needed to whip up a quick curry. She was going to surprise Elliot and bring dinner with her this afternoon. Thanks to him she could now take steps to resolve her problems. There was also the small matter that she wanted to spend some more time in his company.

  The afternoon was spent in the kitchen at the manor with the windows open and music playing. Prue knew there would be plenty of time to worry about the villagers and finding her father but for now she needed some time out. Cooking was her relaxant, it always had been. During her time at university Prue supplied her entire halls with cake during exam periods. There was something just so relaxing about throwing various ingredients into a pan and creating something so delicious and rewarding.

  Prue had text Elliot earlier telling him she would be over later and not to have dinner before she arrived. She had been a little ambitious sending that text thinking that she could wait until the evening to visit. Knowing that Elliot was working from home made it even harder to delay going round. There was something about his company that she really loved and his good looks were rather nice too. Prue sighed and put down the book she was holding, she had spent the last hour reading the same paragraph over and over. It was no good, she may as well go over to Elliot’s now. With dinner in hand Prue slipped on some white pumps and walked down to Elliot’s cottage.

  He must have been looking out for her because as soon as she stepped foot on the cobbled pathway the front door swung open. Elliot stood there with a huge grin on his face. He was looking a little disheveled from working at home but even in his jogging bottoms and black t-shirt he still looked rather handsome. Prue almost ran down the little pathway and into the cottage. For a moment she wondered whether she enjoyed Elliot’s company so much because he was the only person being nice to her. However, all those thoughts ebbed away as he leant forward to place a kiss on her cheek and her entire body felt as though an electric current had coursed through it.

  Elliot took the dish from Prue and and put it in the kitchen for later, he then poured them both a drink and pointed Prue in the direction of the living room. It was a homely space with floor to ceiling bookshelves almost bowing under the weight of hundreds of books. The flooring was the cottage’s original stone but there were rugs covering most of it. At the back of the room was a big beige sofa which Prue sunk straight into. It was the kind of living room that you could curl up in, light a fire and while away the hours.

  As the afternoon sun poured in and drenched them both in a golden glow Prue told Elliot all about her plans to renew the villager’s contracts and make them fairer.

  ‘You’re doing more than they deserve.’ Elliot observed, his eyes boring into hers.

  ‘I know but I have no other option. I want to live here and be happy.’ Prue felt the tears form in her eyes. All day she had kept busy trying to distract herself from the turmoil of emotions within her. Not five minutes with Elliot and she was crying again. He leant forward and enveloped her in a hug. Prue let herself relax into his embrace and took a few deep breaths to stop herself from crying.

  ‘Thank you for being so kind.’ She whispered as she pulled back slightly to look Elliot in the eye. As their eyes met she wasn’t quite sure who moved first but suddenly his lips were against hers and they were kissing.

  All too soon Elliot pulled back, a look of anguish on his face.

  ‘I’m so sorry Prue, I shouldn’t have done that. I’ve taken advantage of you.’ He ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture as Prue tried to speak around her tingling lips.

  ‘Elliot, you didn’t take advantage, I promise. I really like you.’ Prue cringed as she heard her own words, she sounded like a fourteen year old confessing to fancying their crush.

  ‘I really like you Prue.’ He beamed back at her and reached out to hold her hand.

  The evening was spent in a blissful bubble with just her and Elliot. They ate, drank and talked about everything and nothing. As much as Prue wanted to stay she knew she had to go home and so eventually she tore herself away from him but not before she got one final kiss.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was Saturday morning and Prue woke up with a start. It had been a couple of days since she had last seen Elliot but he had been busy with work and so she had kept herself to herself. That didn’t mean that they hadn't spoken though. For the past couple of nights they had both fallen asleep whilst on the phone to each other. Prue still felt a little thrill run through her every time she thought of him, she felt like a teenager again. She was finally getting to see Elliot again today. It wasn’t exactly a date, they were going to try and find out some more information about her father.

  Prue would be lying if she said she hadn’t spent more time than usual on her hair and makeup. At 11am she emerged from her en-suite, finally happy with her appearance. It was about time too as there was a knock at the door. With one last glance in the mirror at her outfit Prue ran to the door. After much dithering she had finally settled on a plain grey tea dress and a chunky knit mustard coloured cardigan. Her hair had been curled to perfection and her makeup was flawless, yet natural. As Prue opened the door to Elliot she was surprised to see him looking so dapper, he had clearly taken note of her love for vintage fashion. He stood there in a tweed suit, a white shirt
and a matching flat cap. It was so not his style and yet it suited him.

  ‘You look very nice.’ Prue commented, allowing him to step into the hallway.

  ‘I’m sweltering already, might have to ditch the suit jacket.’ He pulled off the jacket as he followed Prue into the kitchen where she had left her handbag.

  ‘It suits you.’ Prue smiled and reached up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. The butterflies in her stomach started swarming as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a proper kiss.

  As they made their way out to the front Prue slipped her hand into Elliot’s and gave it a quick squeeze. It was a bittersweet day. Her first day spent with Elliot and yet here they were going in search of her father. Elliot had done some research and the last place they could trace her father to was a village on the coast about an hours drive away. They had decided to make the most of the day and treat it as an almost-date. Prue could feel the excitement fizzing inside of her, a first date with Elliot and potentially finding her father, what a day.

  ‘Can we take the Bentley?’ Elliot turned to her with big round eyes, trying to use his good looks and charm to persuade her.

  ‘I’m not sure, it’s a long way. Can we not take your car?’ As much as Prue loved her vintage cars she didn’t know how reliable they would be on an hour journey.

  Reluctantly Elliot climbed into the driver’s seat of his little Clio and they set off for the coast. Prue was aware that she should probably have been feeling nervous at the prospect of hunting down her father. However, after experiencing such a roller coaster of emotions over the past couple of weeks all she felt now was excitement. Her mind was made up, she had a plan in place and so now she could enjoy every second of it.