An hour later Nell walked into the deli to find Bea dancing around the kitchen and miming to the radio. She stopped in mid-flow and clapped her hands when she spotted Nell, ‘Let’s get this deli open for business.’
‘You’re in a good mood!’ Nell exclaimed, raising her eyebrows while draping her coat over the back of the chair.
‘I’ve had a cream meringue for my breakfast and at this precise moment I don’t feel sick, which is a good start to the day.’
Nell heard her phone beeping from her coat pocket and quickly glanced at the message before tying on her apron. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, chewed her lip and smiled to herself before sliding the phone back into her pocket. Bea watched in amusement.
‘Mmm … what’s going on with you? You look different, kind of rested, happy, in fact absolutely glowing,’ she mused, ‘Anything you want to tell me?’
‘Me? No, I’ve got absolutely nothing to tell.’
Bea tutted, ‘You so have. I know that look! How was your dinner date last night?’
‘Dinner date?’ said Nell, acting coyly.
‘Yes, the dinner date with the gorgeous Guy.’
‘It wasn’t a dinner date,’ Nell avoided Bea’s inquisitive stare as she piled the freshly baked scones on to a tray and tried not to smile.
‘Did he cook you dinner?’
Nell smiled remembering the state of the kitchen and Guy’s attempt at muddling together the venison pie.
‘He did,’ Nell carried the scones over to the counter and slid them into the glass cabinet, ‘They smell delicious. Have those ones got chocolate chips melted into them?’
‘They have and stop trying to change the subject,’ Bea said, switching the deli sign to open.
‘I wasn’t.’
A flash of annoyance passed over Bea’s face, ‘You are trying to avoid my questions.’
Nell suppressed a smile, ‘I’m not,’ she answered as her whole body tingled remembering the kiss she’d shared with Guy.
‘There’s more to this than meets the eye.’
‘There isn’t!’ Nell was reluctant to share how she felt – she didn’t want to tempt fate and it was all very new for her.
‘I’ve seen the way he looks at you!’ Bea insisted.
‘What do you mean?’ Nell asked her.
‘You like him as much as he likes you.’
‘Maybe.’
‘I knew it, I knew it!’ squealed Bea.
‘Or maybe we are just friends?’ Nell teased.
‘Just friends? No man and woman are ever just friends. Name a man who you are just friends with?’ Bea stuck her hands on her hips and waited for Nell to answer.
There was silence for a couple of seconds.
‘See you can’t!’
Nell racked her brains then wagged her finger at Bea in jest, ‘A-ha! Yes I can … Nathan!’ Nell stuck out her tongue at Bea and looked smug with her answer.
‘He doesn’t count, I’m married to him!’ Bea laughed and smacked Nell’s arm playfully. ‘So, what did Guy cook you?’
‘Beans on toast.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’
Nell laughed heartily, ‘I swear it’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!’
Bea rolled her eyes, ‘What time did you get home?’
‘Eleven … ish.’
‘How many bottles of wine did you drink?’
‘Two and a bit.’
‘Did he walk you home?’
‘Yes.’ Nell could feel herself blushing. Guy had insisted he walked her back to the ‘Nollie’. They’d walked side by side along the towpath when Nell had stumbled slightly. Guy had simply stretched out his hand and grasped hers and they had carried on walking. They’d paused by the railings just outside the picture house and stared up at the stars in the clear night sky.
‘Quite something, isn’t it?’ said Guy, pulling Nell in close, his arm draped around her shoulder as he pointed out the different star constellations in the sky.
‘Yes’, Nell had whispered back, feeling the first flush of love.
‘Let’s get you home,’ he’d said, and when they’d arrive at the ‘Nollie’, he’d kissed her and watched her climb safely on to the boat. Once her head had hit the pillow she’d fallen into a contented sleep.
‘Have you kissed him?’ Bea carried on with her questions.
‘Bea, I feel like a teenager answering to my mother!’ Nell objected.
‘Have you kissed him?’
Nell rolled her eyes, laughing.
‘I knew it! I knew it! I’m so pleased for you. It’s about time you put a smile back on that face of yours.’
‘You know nothing, we talked figures …’
‘Oh, I bet you did!’ chuckled Bea.
‘Bea! Stop it! Figures as in costs for the Old Picture House.’
‘Ha, I’m only teasing you. I’m just jealous. I spent the night browsing through the Mothercare website looking at prams, which was mind-boggling.’
‘I know you’re teasing,’ Nell paused, ‘Talking of mothers, where’s mine?’
Gilly was already half an hour late, which wasn’t like her and Nell wandered over to the door and peered up the towpath.
‘Here she is, cycling up the towpath now,’ Nell said relieved. She heard her mum ring the bell on her bike and wave at Guy, who was talking to a man outside the boatyard.
‘You’re late,’ Nell jokingly tapped her watch.
Gilly pulled on her brakes and climbed off her bike.
‘You look awful,’ Nell said, her heart pounding with anticipation. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘I need a good strong cuppa,’ she said, ‘It’s not been the best morning so far.’
Gilly leant against the counter and took a deep breath, ‘I know there was nothing I could do, but when I checked on the kittens this morning, I found Rosie dead in the basket.’
‘The mother?’ Nell swallowed her own sadness, ‘That’s awful.’
‘Oh God, I feel a bit emotional, what an absolute shame,’ Bea said, standing beside Gilly and Nell. ‘The poor thing.’
‘What are you going to do now?’
‘That’s why I’m late. I’ve just cycled over to the vet’s to ask for advice.’
‘And?’ Nell asked.
‘He said I need to keep the orphaned kittens warm, make a nest in a small box and line it with towels to help them conserve their body heat. I’ve left them mewing in a box, which I’ve placed at the foot of the Aga.’
Nell nodded, ‘Good idea.’
‘Then he’s given me some kitten formula and syringes. I have to feed them that way until they can go on to solids next week some time, which isn’t that long now.’
‘Is that when I can take one off your hands?’ Bea asked, picking up the deli phone, which was ringing.
‘If you’re sure, Bea?’
She covered the mouthpiece, ‘Yes, very sure.’
‘Anyway, there’s nothing I can do now except my best.’ Nell gave her mum a hug and an offer to help in any way she could.
‘Right, let’s get my coat hung up,’ Gilly said, throwing it over her arm and walking around the back of the counter.
They both looked up towards Bea, who’d placed the receiver back down and was now staring towards Gilly and Nell.
‘You okay?’ Nell asked, noticing that Bea had turned a ghastly white colour.
She hesitated, ‘That was my sister.’
‘Fern? Have you spoken to her since that night?’ Nell said, stopping in her tracks.
Bea shook her head, ‘Over four years ago now.’
‘What does she want?’
‘It’s my mother, she’s dying …’ Bea took a breath, ‘She’s asking to see me one last time.’
Nell knew everything about that night four years ago. Bea and Nathan had been so distressed, especially when they’d made the decision to never speak to either Fern or her mum again. Nell knew Bea would be feeling apprehensive but knew she wouldn’t forgive herself if she didn’t see her mum one last time, even if this did mean crossing paths with Fern once again.
‘Whatever you decide, I’ll be here for you,’ said Nell. And if you need to take some time off, I can keep this place afloat in the meantime.’
‘Thanks, Nell. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
For a moment, Nell felt a pang of guilt. Here she was getting excited about fulfilling her own dreams and hopefully renovating the Old Picture House just as Bea needed her support. Nell knew the next few weeks were going to be a strain for all of them.