by Lesley Eames
‘I’d like to give a gift.’
Even in the semi-darkness she could see the amusement was back in his eyes. It annoyed her but, not wanting to appear churlish, Lily took the flowers. ‘Thank you.’
She expected him to wish her goodnight and leave but he simply stood watching her. ‘Well,’ Lily finally said. ‘I’ll bid you—’
‘Might I have a few minutes of your time?’
Did he want to explain his plans and point out that there was no room for hard feelings in business?’
‘Very well,’ she said, then added a fib. ‘Though I don’t have long before my friend returns.’
‘To do what?’ he asked, smiling. ‘Rescue you from the big bad neighbour who’s imposing on your time?’
‘Hardly.’ Lily put coldness into her voice, not liking to be mocked.
He stepped into the shop then followed her up to the tea room. She gestured to an empty table but too late to stop him from walking to the table at which she’d been working. He picked up her experimental menu card. ‘Pretty,’ he observed, then looked around the room at the flowers, foliage, handwritten signs… ‘You’re working hard to make this place successful.’
‘I am.’ Lily couldn’t keep the sparks from her eyes.
‘I’ve offended you,’ he said. ‘I realised it earlier. And I don’t think it’s because of my noisy builders.’
Why not be honest? ‘Competition isn’t personal. Is that what you think?’ Lily asked. ‘You’re just doing the best for your business and I should accept it as a fair fight? I’m sorry but that isn’t possible.’
It wasn’t a fair fight for one thing. He appeared to have money while she had none. But more importantly, it was a question of decency. Luke Goddard was threatening livelihoods. ‘This place doesn’t just provide my friend, Phyllis, with a job,’ she told him. ‘It’s also her home. And Mr Bax—’
‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’
Lily stared at him.
He gestured to the table. ‘Sit down and tell me what you mean.’
‘This is my tea room,’ Lily pointed out, bridling. ‘It’s for me to invite people to sit.’
Humour glinted in his eyes. ‘So invite me.’
Lily hated to think she might be acting childishly. ‘Very well. You can sit, though I can’t imagine we have much to say to each other.’
‘Thank you.’ He sat but Lily remained standing.
That made her feel childish too so she pulled out a chair and sat opposite him.
‘You’re worried that my chocolate shop will be in competition with the tea room?’ he asked.
‘If you’re selling hot chocolate drinks, how can it not be? I doubt that there’s enough business for two cafés. ’
‘I’m not selling hot chocolate drinks. Or any other sort of drinks.’
Lily was bewildered. ‘But you asked about hot chocolate drinks when you first came here.’
‘I’m a chocolatier. All things chocolate interest me, but it doesn’t follow that I’ll be selling all things chocolate. My chocolates will come in boxes tied up with ribbons.’
Lily didn’t know what to say. Her uppermost feeling was relief but she also felt foolish.
‘Let me tell you about myself so there are no more misunderstandings,’ he said. ‘I’m known as Luke Goddard but my full name is Jean-Luc Goddard. My father was English and I spent much of my childhood here. My mother was Swiss and moved the two of us to Switzerland after my father had an accident and needed to change jobs. I learned chocolate from my grandfather but I have uncles and cousins working in that business so it’ll never be wholly mine. I’ve always wanted a business of my own and I also hankered to return to England so here I am.’
Luke paused as though to let his explanation sink in, then continued. ‘There were three reasons for choosing Highbury rather than a smarter part of London. The first was the fact that my grandparents lived here and I’ve always liked it. The second was the practical consideration of being able to afford a property. And the third was about what I want to achieve. I’m not interested in bringing more luxury to people who already have plenty. I want to bring delicious chocolate to people for whom it’ll be a treat. Everyone should taste the delights of this world.’
Lily was of the same opinion. Her tea room attracted all sorts of people from those who lived among Highbury’s most pleasant streets to ordinary men and women for whom it was… Yes, a treat. A delight.
Well, this was unexpected. Clearly, Lily needed to adjust her opinion of Luke Goddard but right now she needed to say something – anything – to stop herself from staring at him as though she’d been struck dumb. ‘Don’t you need sugar for chocolate?’ she asked.
‘You’re thinking the shortages mean I might not be able to get hold of enough?’
‘Won’t they?’
Luke shrugged. ‘We plan to be inventive with other ingredients – nuts and fruits especially – to reduce the amount of sugar we need. Even if we keep our prices modest compared to some other chocolate shops, it’s still a fairly expensive product so we won’t need to sell huge quantities to make a living.’
‘We?’
‘Pierre is a distant cousin,’ Luke explained. ‘He had an English mother and a Swiss father. He worked in my grandfather’s business and leaned the craft – or should I say the art? – of chocolate too. He’ll be running the shop when we first open.’
‘Oh?’ Was Luke returning to Switzerland?
‘I won’t pretend I wouldn’t like to expand into other areas eventually – hot drinking chocolate even – but that won’t be for a while and it might not be here, particularly if it threatens other businesses such as yours. We live in difficult times with this war raging and it’s impossible to predict the future, especially as—’
There was a sudden commotion in the shop below and Elsie and Phyllis came upstairs, chattering. ‘The lecture was cancelled due to the lecturer’s lumbago,’ Elsie announced, then came to a halt when she realised Lily wasn’t alone.
Phyllis careered into the back of Elsie then she saw Luke too. ‘We didn’t mean to interrupt,’ she said.
Luke got to his feet. ‘I was just leaving anyway.’
‘This is Mr Goddard from the shop next door,’ Lily said. ‘This is Elsie Davenport and this is Phyllis Beckett.’
He shook their hands. ‘I’ll be selling the sort of chocolates that come in pretty boxes,’ he explained, as though to clear the air in case Elsie and Phyllis had shared Lily’s suspicions.
‘That should bring new customers to the street,’ Phyllis approved, while Elsie sent Lily a sly look that showed she not only understood Lily had been wrong about this man but also wondered why nothing had been said about his rather impressive appearance.
‘I’ll let myself out,’ he said, moving towards the stairs.
‘Wait!’ Elsie called.
He turned.
‘Can I have a job in your shop?’ she asked. ‘Please?’
He laughed at her boldness.
‘I believe in plain speaking,’ she explained.
‘So I see.’
‘But I’m a hard worker.’
‘Talk to my cousin, Pierre. I’m going to be away for a while.’
‘Away?’ Lily asked.
‘I can’t return to my homeland without doing what I can to defend it,’ he explained. ‘I’ve joined the army.’
TWENTY-THREE
‘It was nice of him to bring flowers,’ Phyllis said, when they’d heard the shop door close behind him. ‘Being on good terms with neighbours is important.’
‘Especially when they’re good-looking,’ Elsie added. ‘Isn’t that right, Lily?’
Lily wasn’t thinking about his looks. Her thoughts were too busy with the fact that she’d jumped to conclusions and misjudged him. Now he was going off to the war with all its dangers and she’d lost the chance to apologise.
Or had she? Surely he wouldn’t be going away immediately?
She becam
e aware that her friends were waiting for her reply. ‘Being on good terms with neighbours is certainly important.’
Elsie gave her another sly look but to Lily’s relief said nothing more about the man from Switzerland’s handsomeness. ‘I hope this Pierre gives me a job,’ Elsie said instead. ‘Imagine being surrounded by chocolates all day.’
‘You’d be selling them, not eating them,’ Phyllis pointed out.
‘I don’t see why I can’t do both, and working next door will be almost as good as working here. Wish me luck?’
‘Of course!’ Lily and Phyllis chorused.
Lily took a selection of cakes next door as a peace offering the following day but only Pierre was there, supervising the workmen in the big kitchen that was being installed behind the shop. Stocky and strong despite his limp, he was very much the man in charge. She introduced herself to him in case he didn’t remember her then said casually, ‘No Mr Goddard today?’
‘He reported for duty. He’s gone off to fight.’
‘Already?’ Lily was shocked.
‘Luke doesn’t waste time.’
‘No, I imagine not. Still, I expect he’ll be in training for a while so you’ll see him before he’s sent overseas.’
‘I hope so.’ Pierre’s expression turned bleak.
It occurred to Lily then that a lesser man might have resented the fact that Mother Nature had given him a squat, lame body and plain features when it had given his cousin the sort of fine physique and features that made him stand out in a crowd. But Pierre was clearly too good a man for that. Love and concern for his cousin brooded in the mud-coloured eyes and Lily honoured him for it.
‘Please pass on my good wishes,’ she said.
‘I’ll be sure to. Not there!’ Pierre roared impatiently at one of the workmen.
Obviously in the way, Lily retreated swiftly to the tea room.
At closing time Elsie burst in. ‘Can’t stop. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve got the job in the chocolate shop. I start in two weeks’ time so I can help to get it ready for opening. Here’s hoping I don’t crush all the chocolates. Or eat them. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. Got to dash now as my dragon of a housekeeper is expecting me to help prepare dinner. I can’t wait to see her face when I give my notice in. She’ll have to get someone else to do her reaching and peeling for her.’
With that Elsie rushed away again. Lily was delighted for her. Elsie was due some good fortune and it would be lovely to have her sharing their evenings and working close by at last.
There was another advantage to Elsie’s new job. She’d be on hand to tell Lily if Luke called in on leave before he left for the war so Lily might still have her chance to apologise and wish him well.
Mr Bax refused to take rent from Elsie when she moved in above the bakery. ‘You’ve been a great help to the tea room so it’s only fair that you should have something in return.’
He insisted on buying a bed for her and they placed it in Phyllis’s room because Phyllis wanted Lily to have a room to herself, being the boss.
‘I may be the manager but we’re all equal as people,’ Lily pointed out, but Phyllis wouldn’t budge.
Elsie was thrilled to have a new job. ‘How do you get along with Pierre?’ Lily asked curiously after the first few days, because the man she’d met was certainly no pushover.
‘I can handle Pierre,’ Elsie assured her. ‘He might use French swear words but he doesn’t scare me.’
‘How do you know he’s swearing if he’s speaking in French?’
‘I know because of the sighing, shrugging and eye-rolling that goes with it when I tell him I won’t be bossed about.’ Elsie grinned wickedly.
But she was excited about the chocolate shop opening and keen for it to be successful. ‘Can you think of a way to make the opening special, Lily?’ she asked. ‘I’m not good with ideas.’
Lily was glad to help, not only for Elsie’s sake but also as a way of making up to Luke for having misjudged him.
The outside woodwork of the shop had been painted a rich dark red with the name, Goddard & Glasse, Chocolates being announced in swirling gold lettering across the window. Inside there was more dark red and gold. Luxurious indeed. Lily suggested that in the week before opening there should be nothing in the chocolate shop window except for a selection of chocolate boxes tied in gold ribbons and a sign to be changed each day to count down the time to the opening. Seven days, six days, five days, four…
She also suggested that on opening day Elsie should tie a ribbon to the door so it could be cut ceremoniously, with a free chocolate being offered to everyone who came to watch. Pierre was apparently happy to leave the ideas to Elsie so she wielded a large pair of scissors and cut the gold ribbon as a small crowd gathered outside and broke into applause.
Lily was one of the shop’s first customers. She bought two boxes of chocolates, one to send to Hilda and Marion, and the other for Mr Bax to give to Beatrice and Betty. Both sets of sisters sent notes thanking her with so much warmth that Lily felt she couldn’t have spent her hard-earned money better.
Easter brought Artie home but he had little time to spend with Lily. ‘Mr Alderton isn’t well,’ he confided when they snatched half an hour together. ‘There’s something wrong with his lungs and I’m afraid it might be serious. Sorry, Lil. I’d hoped we might have a day out together but it isn’t looking likely.’
‘Mr Alderton has been good to you. It’s only fair that you’re good to him.’ Lily meant every word but she was still dismayed because this holiday was their last chance to be together before he enlisted in the army after his final term at Camfordleigh.
At least there was good news from the war as America had finally decided to join in. ‘Will it make a lot of difference?’ she asked Artie.
‘I certainly hope so.’
They managed to snatch only one more hour together before he returned to school. ‘Mr Alderton’s doctor doesn’t think his life is in immediate danger anymore, but he isn’t likely to linger long so he’s putting his financial and legal affairs in order.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Lily said, pitying Mr Alderton while wondering what his death would mean for Artie.
‘He’s always made it clear that I’ll have to earn my own living once I leave school and I wouldn’t expect anything else,’ Artie explained. ‘I’ve been amazingly fortunate in the way he’s paid for my education and now I need to put that education to good use. Well, not now exactly because of the war. But Mr Alderton wants me to have a job to come home to when the war is over.’
‘Does he have something in mind?’
‘He’s giving me introductions to a number of possible employers. If one of them likes the look of me when I go for an interview, they might be willing to hold a job open for me while I’m away. Quite a few employers are holding jobs open for chaps who are fighting.’
‘What about somewhere to live?’
‘Mr Alderton is leaving most of his estate to his old school but there’ll be a pension for Mrs Lawley so she can retire,’ Artie told her. ‘She’ll keep the house in Hampstead running for another year so I’m not immediately homeless, though, and I’ll receive a small sum to help me with lodgings or other accommodation after that.’
Perhaps then Lily would be reunited with him properly and they could live side by side again, sharing some of their evenings and days off too. Not that she wanted to be a financial burden to him. On the contrary, she wanted to pay her own way. But there was the war to survive first.
‘How do you feel about all this?’ she asked.
‘I’ll regret Mr Alderton’s passing, of course. I can’t pretend to feel love for him. In some ways I’m no closer to him now than on the day I met him. But I respect him and I’ll always be immensely grateful to him. I only hope I haven’t disappointed him.’
Not that again.
‘He used to talk about the possibility of university for me but he stopped mentioning that some time ago,’ Artie said.
> Lily repeated what she’d told him before. ‘He just wanted you to have better opportunities than would have come your way without an education. If he isn’t proud of you, he’s a fool,’ she added.
Artie smiled but wryly. ‘I always hoped I’d be able to start helping you once I’d finished school. Instead I’m going into the army.’
‘Can’t be helped and I’m managing well anyway,’ Lily insisted. ‘Now, tell me about these interviews.’
‘The first one is with a shipping company. Dad worked in shipping in his own way down at the docks so it feels sort of… right to me.’
‘I’m glad,’ Lily said. ’Let me know what happens.’
She reached up to kiss his cheek, sensing his need to return to Mr Alderton. ‘I hope he doesn’t suffer.’
Lily wished she could slow down time over the following weeks. She prayed for peace so there’d be no need for Artie, Luke and thousands of other young men to risk life and limb in fighting which had brought little advantage to anyone as far as Lily could see. But she could only continue to do her best to give comfort and pleasure through her little tea room and make the most of her own life.
Artie wrote to tell her he hadn’t warmed to the shipping company. Neither had he been inspired by an insurance company or a business that traded in precious metals. But he’d also been interviewed by a building company – Grover’s – and felt much more enthused.
The building company is in Kentish Town, not far from Hampstead. It isn’t as grand as the other businesses but it appealed to me a lot. The boss is Mr Grover. Apparently Mr Alderton played an important role in his education and that’s why he’s willing to grant a favour in return. I only hope I can do the job well. Mr Grover’s wife happened to call in to the office on her way to the Oxford Street shops with her daughters. The daughters are Celia, who looks to be around our age, and Violet, who’s a little younger. They were very smartly turned out but charming.
Lily was thrilled for him.
Elsie’s happiness was another joy. It was lovely for all three girls to be back under the same roof, sharing jokes and laughter. Pierre became a friend too. He knew few people in London so the girls were glad to keep him company, especially as he was an excellent cook and proud to introduce them to dishes such as coq au vin when he could get hold of a chicken. He introduced them to wine too.
