Deck the Shelves (Village of Berkingsley #2)

Do You Hear What I Hear

Chapter Four

(Village Gossip from the ladies)

I stared into those dark chocolate eyes far longer than the situation warranted, my mouth agape in what I’m sure was an unattractive look of befuddlement. But in my defense, the arms that caught me held on a few seconds longer than was necessary before setting me back upright on my own two feet. Even with his wool overcoat on, I could still feel the muscles in this stranger’s arms when he caught me.

“Uh, nice catch.” I casually swiped the hair from my face, trying to play it cool in front of this six-foot hunk of a man who looked exactly freaking like the Duke of Hastings from Bridgerton . This was a tad difficult while dressed like Santa’s little helper, but I tried to muster all the sexy confidence built up from years of adult Halloween parties. I jut my left hip out, placing my hand on the opposite side, hoping it looked like I fully intended to fall deep into this stranger’s arms.

And…he just stood there, both hands in his pocket, staring at me with humor in his eyes and a tight smile on his lips. Not saying anything. Not. One. Single. Word. Even Pippy was stunned by his standoffish demeanor, quietly sitting next to me, tilting her head in confusion at the man before her.

I cleared my throat, trying another approach. In my best customer service voice, I chirped, “Welcome to Spines ‘n’ Wines. Can I help you find anything?” The silence seemed to linger in the air just long enough to irritate me. Seriously, what was with this guy? Arsehole. Finally, he spoke:

“My apologies. I hadn’t realized there was a children’s Christmas event going on today. Are you open to the public, or shall I find my way out?” His thumb pointed back toward the exit, eyebrows raised, looking me over from my elf hat to my fuzzy slippers.

“Yes, we are. Just opened ten minutes ago, in fact, and there is no children’s event. Just little me trying to make this place a little merrier and bright for the arseho…, uh, grinches who might wander in.”

He grunted in reply as he turned toward a table to the right, picked up a book, and began flipping through the pages before turning it over to glance at the back cover. He had to be feigning interest because I knew for a fact that the book was a guide for menopausal women. His stoic demeanor might have passed as PMS, but his body was all testosterone.

“Going through some life changes, then?” I asked pleasantly, managing to hide the jest in my voice. Two can play at this game.

He flipped the book to the front, taking note of the cover. He responded by lifting the book above his head, giving it a slight shake. “Ah, looking for a Christmas gift for my mum, but I don’t think this one will do.”

“Yeah, that will most likely get you on the naughty list this year. What are her interests? Cooking, baking, animals? The rules of social etiquette, perhaps? We also have games and puzzles in the far back corner of the store. I know my mum fancies those.”

He nodded his head in response. “I’ll go take a look.” He started towards the far wall but hesitated for a moment. Turning back toward me, he said simply, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” My eyes lingered a bit too long on him as he walked away. Too bad his bland personality didn’t match that perfect physique. Santa could only do so much to make wishes come true.

I returned my attention to the original problem of getting these Christmas lights secured up on the displays. It really shouldn’t be so difficult. I’ve decorated and rearranged my flat so many times that my friends sometimes wondered if a new tenant moved in. After untangling the strands of bulbs, I climbed back up on the step ladder, carefully leaned over, and hooked the lights around an old nail I found at the top of the shelf. Bingo. Now, if I could just get the end of the strings to stay put…

Clunk . The lights once again rolled forward off the shelf, colliding with the wooden floor. This time, thankfully, I didn’t join them in the fall. I hopped off the ladder in frustration and sank down on my hands and knees, gathering the bundle of lights. “Merry freaking Christmas,” I huffed under my breath as I once again worked to untangle the strands. When I finally had them bunched in my arms, I looked up and found my view obstructed by the crotch of the one and only bookstore Duke.

“Oh, hi. May I help you?” I asked his pelvis.

Finally, a genuine smile crossed his face. His gorgeous eyes lost a bit of their intensity, replaced with humor and maybe even a bit of concern.

“I came over to ask you the same thing.” He reached his hand out, and I placed mine in it, his grip tightening around my palm, pulling me to my feet. His other hand easily held a basket filled with four bottles of wine and barrel-aged whiskey . Interesting choice of reading.

“I prefer the red,” I said, nodding towards his basket.

“Ah, yes. Agreed. These are for my mum and sisters. They love a dry white wine. The whiskey- that’s for me. Holidays at home tend to be better with a, um, little refreshment. So, do you want me?”

“Excuse me?” I gulped, fully aware of how close our bodies stood. I probably shouldn’t be able to smell the damp fabric of his jacket or the faint peppermint on his breath. Or see the veins in his forearm peeking out from the jacket sleeve. Do I want him? Well, he certainly got straight to the point, didn’t he—?

“The lights.” His voice pushed those sugarplum visions straight out of my head and back into the reality of Santa’s bookshop wonderland. “Do you want me to help you with the lights?” he clarified.

“Um, yeah. Okay. Thank you.” I pointed toward the end of the romance section. “I’m trying to hang them along this shelf. Add a little sparkle to this side of the room.” I climbed the stepladder, hopefully for the last time, stringing them once again along the top, fully aware that my arse was in direct eyesight of my new personal assistant. He didn’t seem to notice, though. His focus was solely on tucking the end of the lights securely behind a Christmas bear Emilia had brought over. One I had already affectionately named Mrs. Claws.

I stepped back to scrutinize our work, and the Duke followed. “Not too shabby, right?”

He nodded in agreement, his face void of any emotion.

“Right. Well, thanks for your help. I’m Alice, by the way.” I propelled my hand out, and surprisingly, he didn’t leave me hanging.

“Freddie. And it’s quite alright. No problem at all. Could you ring me up at the till?”

“Of course. Follow me.” We headed to the counter up front, Pippy close on my heels. Freddie placed the bottles of wine and whiskey on the counter, pulling his wallet out from the back pocket of his trousers.

“So, no books today, then?”

He shook his head. “You know, I don’t actually know what my mum likes to read. Figured I’d browse her bookshelves and come back to pick something out.”

“Is it for Christmas?” I asked, totaling his purchase and placing the bottles in a paper bag.

“Yeah, it is.”

“You have a bit more time to sort it out. Tell you what. Come back and tell me what she likes, and I’ll help pick out a few titles for you. This is my parents’ shop. I don’t live here anymore, but I’ll be around the next few weeks helping out.” I slid the bag across the counter toward him.

“Thank you, Alice. I’d appreciate that.” His brooding eyes focused in on mine, and I felt all words momentarily escape my brain. Nodding my head, I managed to give an awkward wave goodbye as he turned and left the shop, holding the door for Emilia, who was carrying a clear bin filled with train tracks. I heard her thank Freddie as she passed by.

“Sorry it took me so long. Carol caught me outside and wanted to chat about the winter festival coming up next weekend…”

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, trying to collect my thoughts, which suddenly seemed to be darting all over the place like Pippy hyped up on one of the homemade pup biscuits I sometimes baked for her.

“It sounds like it will be a great event. She’s looking for more vendors and participation from local businesses. I told her I’d gather some music students to play carols and would mention it to your parents as well. Maybe they could set up a book stand.”

“Sounds like a delight. I’ll let my mum know. Let’s get this train set up, shall we? I’m hoping to be done and out of here before puzzle club starts, and I get plastered with questions about my love life.”

“Ah, smart. How long until puzzle club?”

“About an hour. Mum said it starts at 11 a.m.”

“We should have plenty of time, then.” Emilia set the bin down in the children’s section next to the tree. “Let’s get to work!”

We did not have plenty of time. It turned out that when you were retired and eager to hear any bits of gossip that might be new in town, there was no such thing as arriving too early. One by one, the ladies from the Berkingsley Puzzle Club trickled in, faces caked in full makeup and all carrying some sort of sweet treat or savory snack.

First was Penny, the former nanny to many families around town. She gave a soft smile and a demure hello, a crumb cake in hand. She actually wasn’t one to gossip, but she lived alone since her husband had recently passed, and good company was what she sought. Emilia and I engaged in polite chit-chat until Kathryn arrived next, bringing an assortment of scones and pastries from William’s kitchen. Though tiny in stature, she always carried herself with the posture of a queen, and her wardrobe reflected that, too. She removed her coat, and underneath, she wore a black turtleneck sweater with a gold linen shawl covering her petite shoulders.

“Oh, so nice to see you, Alice, dear. Emilia told me you’d be home on holiday for the season. What a wonderful gift for your parents. How is your big fancy job in the city going?”

“They’re keeping me busy, and I love putting my skills to work. And might I say, you look beautiful today. What a stunning wrap you are wearing! I always know who to get my fashion tips from.” I winked at her. “Here, let me take those goodies, and I’ll lay them out for you.”

“Oh, not necessary, dear. We have our own little system here.” She pulled a maroon cotton tablecloth covered in snowflakes of various sizes from her purse as the door chime rang behind us. “But you can keep laying on the compliments. An old lady like me never gets tired of hearing them.”

“Well, I could go on all day–” but before I could begin, the bell on the door jangled, and a cackle of gibbering voices pulled everyone’s attention away.

I muttered a few words of exasperation as I turned to greet the chatty women at the door. June and Bernice. The two queens of town gossip. It was always a fine line between wanting to hide from their game of twenty-one questions and embracing their bustling personalities. They lived at the retirement home on the outskirts of the village but always managed to know the workings of every business and resident of Berkingsley. They were a lot, but I loved them.

Bernice entered the shop first, a bonnet tied under her chin and her focus already on me. “Alice, lovely Alice. I am so happy to see you’re back in town.”

June shuffled in behind, unwrapping her scarf as she entered. “I already told you she was back, Bernice. I heard it from Carol.”

“Well, one never knows where Carol gets her intel, June. Just last month, she mistakenly informed us that the mitten drive was extended, and we purchased all that yarn and completely missed the deadline. Now we have bins of yarn collecting dust and half-finished mittens that we need to get onto the hands of children.” She hung her tan overcoat and hat on the coat rack beside the door.

“I took care of it. Theo is collecting them when we’re finished and will drop them off at the children’s center in Maydom. It will all get sorted out,” June replied.

“What a splendid fellow that Theo is. Smart thinking, keeping him out of trouble so he doesn’t go on any winter wilderness expeditions. That boy is always looking for a way to make our hearts wreck with worry.” Bernice set a ceramic bowl filled with a delicious-smelling dip on the table, followed by a small container of crackers as she chatted, saying her hellos to Kathryn and Penny.

I looked over at Emilia, who was hidden from view behind a bookshelf. She was trying her hardest to hold back a laugh as they discussed her fiancé, not wanting to reveal her presence too quickly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t fret too much over Theo. Emilia, here, is keeping him in line, making sure his adventures aren’t too adventury.” She threw me a look of disdain before poking her head out from behind the books and giving a wave.

“She’s got that right. Hi, Bernice. Hi, June. So good to see you here,” she said.

“We wouldn’t miss Puzzle Club. It’s our favorite part of the month. Wait until you see the puzzle we brought today,” Bernice said, a twinkle in her eye.

Kathryn paused from smoothing the wrinkles out of the tablecloth, an annoyed look on her face.

“It’s my month to bring the puzzle.” She held up a box with the photo of a vintage farm truck with a tree tied to the bed, shaking it for emphasis. “It’s the MacKenzie-Childs special. I made a special trip to Harrods just for the occasion.”

“Oh, Kathryn. That is so lovely. A trip out to London just for the puzzle? How thoughtful,” Penny said while pouring herself a cuppa from the kettle on the table.

“Oh yes, Kathryn. So very nice,” June added. “It is a bit…” she wrinkled her nose, “conventional, don’t you think? Bernice and I got a jolly kick out of this one. Show ‘em, Bernie.”

Digging into her bag, she lifted out a large box covered in more than a dozen cat faces, each making a distinct face and wearing a different outfit. One with a Santa hat, one wrapped in a present, one wearing earmuffs.

Penny laughed. “Oh, look, Alice. One even looks like you.” I hoped she was referring to the elf costume and not my eyeliner. Either way, the puzzle was adorable, but I could sense trouble brewing as Kathryn’s shoulders tensed and her lips puckered into a grimace. Emilia and I exchanged conspiring looks. The only catfight I wanted to witness was over who would place the last puzzle piece.

“Ladies, these are both quite festive choices. I think you should do both,” I smoothly interjected, hoping to ease the tension growing in the room like a hot-air balloon.

“Yes,” Emilia chimed in. “And we could glue them and frame them to hang on the wall after. Alice and I were just discussing what else this place needs to feel a bit more Christmasy.”

I looked at Kathryn, who was avoiding everyone’s gaze by picking up pretend crumbs from the table that was now laden with dishes, and then over to Bernice and June, who seemed to be contemplating our suggestion.

Kathryn raised her head, lifting her chin in the air. “I suppose that will work. But I am working on the vintage puzzle. It was my month to choose, after all, and cats don’t even fit with this month’s theme.”

“You’ll never find a farm without a cat wandering its grounds. But I, too, love the idea of framing them both. We could even make it a contest and have the customers vote on which one they like better,” Bernice said. June nodded her head in agreement.

A fresh voice joined the discussion. “No competitions, ladies. The bookstore is a place of unity, not the sort of place to get people miffed.” Mum had descended the stairs, carrying a tray with wine glasses and a steaming pot that emitted scents of cinnamon and cloves. “Have a glass of mulled wine and relax. I say we do both puzzles together and make it an afternoon. Ollie can take care of the till.”

“Always the wise one, Joyce,” Bernice said to my mother, plucking glasses off the tray and putting one at each seat around the wooden table. “Now, to choose which puzzle we should do first…”

Oh, for cripes sake. These ladies. Mum quickly mumbled an excuse and ran back up the stairs, and I followed suit and motioned for Emilia to help me arrange the ornaments on the tree in the back of the store.

“These ladies are too much,” Emilia whispered, trying to hold back a giggle.

“Tell me about it. I’m sure they’ll move on to town gossip soon.”

“Yeah, or begin a town feud. Time will tell.” She moved a few gold ornaments to the side of the tree and retied a few poinsettia buds to the branches. “I think we did a grand job on this tree. It’s gorgeous.”

It was quite a beauty. I already felt my Christmas cheer meter rising to HoHoHo level, taking in the sight of the tree, front display, and lights hanging from the ceiling. Secret Santa Mission was a success.

But then, June’s voice interrupted my thoughts, ruining all progress of a happy Christmas. “It’s such a shame that this will be the last Christmas the bookstore will be open. It feels like more than just a part of the village. It’s a part of who we all are.”

My smile froze on my face. As I edged closer to the group, still hidden by a bookshelf, I heard Penny say, “I’m so glad the girls decided to decorate the place. Joyce said that Ollie has been in such a depressed state since the flood. Hasn’t even given a thought to Christmas.”

“Poor man. It doesn’t help that most of their decorations were destroyed. And with the enormous cost of repair of the pipes and walls, well, I’m sure they didn’t want to put money towards something so frivolous as decor when they can’t even afford to keep the place running,” Bernice said.

“Spreading Christmas cheer isn’t frivolous, Bernie,” June countered.

Kathryn cleared her voice. “Either way, darlings, it isn’t proper to be discussing other people’s finances. Especially those of our friends.”

“Quite right, Kathryn.” June nodded. “Thank you for that reminder. Now, let’s get started on this puzzle. I just know this Meowy Catmas puzzle is going to look purr-fect on the wall.” They all laughed and surprisingly, not a single peep of disagreement was made.

The sounds of their joy deepened the pit that grew in my stomach. The bookstore, closing? Images of a happy Christmas suddenly transformed into a snowy mirage.