Hope Blooms in Tuppenny Bridge (Tuppenny Bridge #5)

Chapter 2

TWO

As she’d predicted, Saturday was a busy day for Daisy. The market brought lots more visitors to Tuppenny Bridge, particularly in good weather, and today was a lovely sunny day in early July. She couldn’t help wondering, as she hurriedly buttered bread and toasted paninis, how she’d managed so long without help.

Tess and Rowan were godsends. Both had waitressed before, and Tess had also worked in a pub kitchen at Lingham-on-Skimmer, so they were experienced. Helpful, efficient, and good with the customers, Daisy thought she was lucky to have found them. She’d already decided to hire one or both of them throughout the week during their holidays, as she had a feeling the café was going to be even busier once the summer season really got underway.

For now, though, just having them here at weekends was a blessing. The queue at the counter was already stretching as far as the top of the stairs. If she’d been on her own there’d have been customers waiting all the way down to Kat’s craft shop on the ground floor.

The three of them took it in turns to snatch a fifteen-minute lunch break. Daisy tried to make the girls take longer but they both refused, insisting fifteen minutes was long enough, and laughingly waving away her protestations about employee rights and employer responsibilities.

By the time it got round to Daisy’s turn she was almost too tired to eat, but on Rowan’s insistence she grabbed herself a bowl of soup and a crusty roll and carried them over to a recently vacated table by the window, with a good view over the market square.

At least the lunchtime rush was over, and although there was still a steady stream of customers the frantic pace had slackened, allowing her time to eat her soup without feeling the need to gulp it down as fast as she could.

‘Mind if I join you?’

Daisy glanced up and beamed in delight as she saw her friend, Bethany Marshall, smiling down at her.

‘Of course! Pull up a seat.’

Bethany sat down and sniffed appreciatively. ‘Oh my, that soup smells delicious. Wish I’d got that now, but I’ve ordered an egg mayonnaise sandwich so that will be here in a minute. How are things?’ She glanced around. ‘Doing well, I see.’

‘I’m very lucky,’ Daisy admitted. ‘When I took this place on, I had no idea if I could make it work. Somehow, it’s really taken off.’

‘Not luck,’ Bethany assured her. ‘Hard work and talent. I reckon people come from miles around just for a slice of your heavenly cakes. And who could blame them?’

Daisy laughed, still unused to such glowing compliments. Eliot and his older kids, Liberty and Ophelia, had always said her baking was brilliant, while little George had shown his appreciation by eating everything she offered him. Deep down, though, she’d often thought they were just being kind, because they thought they owed her. Well, maybe not George, but he’d happily eat cat food if they’d let him so that was hardly a glowing recommendation. As for her dad and Tom—they’d never uttered a word of praise for anything she made them. She’d have thought there was something wrong with them if they had.

‘What brings you here today?’ she asked Bethany, thinking how lovely her friend looked. There was a glow about her that was quite noticeable. Bethany was an attractive woman anyway, with a honey blonde bob, dark blue eyes, and a fabulous complexion even in her mid-fifties. These days, though, there was an added something about her.

Love, Daisy thought suddenly. It’s because she’s in love.

Bethany had recently started a relationship with vet, Clive Browning, and the two of them were besotted with each other. It was quite sweet really. According to the Lavender Ladies—and if anyone in Tuppenny Bridge should know it would be those three—Clive had been a confirmed bachelor all his life, and everyone was over the moon to see him so loved up and happy at last.

Clive lived and worked at Stepping Stones, a large house and veterinary surgery overlooking the village green. Bethany, meanwhile, owned Whispering Willows, a rambling country house set in acres of land that was also home to rescued horses, ponies, and donkeys.

Bethany was in the process of not only renovating her house but also having a lot of building work done outside, as the firm she had hired had demolished the old outbuildings to make way for new state-of-the-art stabling facilities and an equine veterinary unit. She had a lot going on, so Daisy certainly hadn’t expected to see her at the café any time soon.

‘I needed a break,’ Bethany admitted. ‘Ben, Summer, and I have been erecting temporary wooden loose boxes in the near paddock for the few animals that need to be indoors at night. Clive’s on call this morning but he’s coming round after lunch to help us finish. Ben and Summer are going to eat at my place, so I thought I’d pop here to have a catch-up with you. It seems ages since we talked properly.’

‘I’ve only got fifteen minutes,’ Daisy told her regretfully.

‘I know.’ Bethany smiled at Rowan as she placed her order on the table. ‘Thank you.’

As Rowan nodded and headed away, Bethany eyed the sandwiches, crisps, coleslaw and salad with appreciation. ‘I’m so ready for this.’

She crunched a few crisps and closed her eyes. ‘I hadn’t realised how hungry I was.’

Daisy took a spoonful of soup and realised she hadn’t known how hungry she was either.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Bethany said, ‘Are you going to Dolly’s party?’

Daisy considered. ‘I haven’t responded to the invitation yet. Bit rude of me, isn’t it? I’d forgotten to be honest. When is it again?’

‘Twenty-seventh of July. It’s a Saturday so you could take the next day off to recover, since you’ve got Rowan and Tess to hold the fort here.’

‘I do prefer to take Sundays off, rather than Saturdays,’ Daisy confessed. ‘It gets so busy on market days. Mind you, Sundays have picked up massively recently, too. I’m starting to feel guilty about taking those off.’

‘You have to have one day a week away from this place at least,’ Bethany told her. She bit into her sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. ‘So, are you going then?’

‘To the party? I’m not sure. Are you going?’

‘Oh yes. According to Clive Dolly’s great fun. Besides, Clemmie was lovely to me when I first arrived here, and since she’s the one organising this for her aunt I think it’s only fair.’

‘I can’t think of anything worse than a surprise party,’ Daisy admitted with a shudder.

Bethany laughed. ‘Summer said it’s not really a surprise at all. Apparently, Dolly’s instructed Clemmie every step of the way, telling her what food she wants, where she wanted it to be held, even how she wants it decorating. Yet she’s going to act all shocked when she turns up as if she knew nothing about it. She sounds a real character.’

Having encountered Dolly, the owner of The Corner Cottage Bookshop and best-selling saga writer, Daisy had already realised that, as short as the birthday girl was, she had a huge personality.

‘It’s at The White Hart Inn, right?’

‘That’s right. Oh, do go, Daisy! It will be fun, and you need a break from this place.’

‘I’m getting a break tomorrow,’ Daisy said, a warmth creeping through her at the thought. ‘I’m having a day out.’

‘Ooh!’ Bethany’s eyes widened. ‘Who with?’

‘By myself,’ Daisy said firmly. ‘I’m heading up to Upper Skimmerdale for a hike round the wildflower meadows. I’m really hoping they haven’t been cut down yet. Haven’t seen them for years and I’m looking forward to it.’

‘Don’t you mind going by yourself?’ Bethany asked. She spooned some coleslaw into her mouth and shook her head. ‘This is gorgeous!’

‘Thank you. To answer your question, no I don’t. In fact, I prefer it. I love walking the Dales and it’s been way too long. I was stuck in Leeds for ages, and I felt as if I were slowly dying inside. I can’t explain how trapped I felt. Being back here is a dream come true and now the business is properly up and running I’m going to take some time to get out and about in the countryside again. Besides, it helps me clear my head.’

‘Do you need your head clearing?’ Bethany asked, sounding concerned. ‘Everything’s okay, isn’t it?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ Daisy said quickly. ‘It’s just a figure of speech. We all need time to be alone and think, don’t we?’

‘To be honest,’ Bethany said, ‘I feel as if I’ve spent most of my life alone. I’m enjoying being around people again. It’s so good to have Clive and Summer and Ben, and Maya and Lennox too. I feel like I’ve got my own little family at Whispering Willows.’

Daisy nodded, understanding. She’d felt like she had her own little family at Wildflower Farm once upon a time. Life with her father was so bleak up at Crowscar that the Harlands’ home had been a blissful escape. She’d kidded herself for a long time that she, Eliot, and his children were a family. She’d been very wrong. Now she had accepted that this was her time to be alone.

It wasn’t what she’d expected from her life, but she wasn’t complaining. For the first time she wasn’t dependent on anyone else. She wasn’t seeking approval from anyone either. She was running her own life her way, and she loved it.

‘So will you come to the party?’ Bethany asked again, clearly determined that Daisy wasn’t going to get out of it.

Daisy hesitated then shrugged. ‘Why not?’

‘Brilliant! It will be a lot of fun, I’m sure of it. Just about everyone’s going as far as I can tell.’ She finished eating a tomato then leaned towards Daisy, lowering her voice as she spoke. ‘I hope Isobel doesn’t go, though. She has a habit of making me feel like the lowest of the low.’

When Daisy didn’t reply she added, ‘Has he been in here recently? Noah, I mean. Still stuffing himself with cake while Isobel’s calorie counting?’

‘We don’t know that’s what happened,’ Daisy reminded her.

‘No, we don’t. But why would Isobel say it if it wasn’t true? It’s such an odd thing to say, don’t you think?’

‘I think Isobel’s an odd person,’ Daisy said.

‘Oh, she is, no two ways about it. Even so.’ Bethany looked uncomfortable. ‘Kat told me that Isobel broke her fingers last autumn. They were all strapped up apparently.’

Daisy stared at her. ‘Meaning what?’

Bethany shrugged. ‘I don’t know, but it’s a bit worrying, isn’t it? I don’t like the woman and I can’t pretend I do, but if he is bullying her—well, we don’t know how far it’s gone, do we?’

‘Noah? He wouldn’t hurt her!’ The words tumbled out of Daisy’s mouth before she had the chance to stop them.

‘But how do you know?’ Bethany persisted. ‘It’s like I told you before, you never know what’s going on between a husband and wife behind closed doors.’

Daisy thought about Eliot and Jemima, his first wife, and the mother of his children. Everyone had thought they’d had a perfect marriage. When Jemima died people had assumed that Eliot’s grief was for the woman he’d loved with all his heart. Not many people knew the truth, though Daisy was one of them. She’d seen behind the facade. Bethany was right. No one knew what really went on in a marriage except the two people concerned. Not unless one or both of them was broken and so full of despair that they finally confided the truth.

But this was Noah, the politest man she’d ever met.

‘I just can’t believe it of him,’ she said. ‘He’s so gentle and quiet.’

‘They say the quiet ones are the worst.’ Bethany sighed. ‘I just know how manipulative some people can be. And I also know what it’s like to live in the shadow of a bully. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, even Isobel.’

Neither would Daisy. She was all too familiar with bullies herself. She had to admit Isobel had seemed genuinely anxious when she’d spotted Noah in the café that day of Kat’s hen party. She’d been afraid he’d see her eating afternoon tea. And the fact that she’d had an injury in the autumn was worrying.

Could they really rule out the unthinkable?

‘Well, if they’re at the party we should keep an eye on them,’ Bethany said. ‘I’m sure you’re right and Noah wouldn’t do such a thing, but just to be certain. Just to put our minds at rest.’

Daisy pushed her empty bowl away. Bethany was right, of course. She’d never forgive herself if Isobel was being bullied by her husband and Daisy had done nothing to help her.

Even so… Noah?