Amber frowned, remembering her lost luggage and grabbed her phone to check for any updates. She was amazed to see that it had gone past eight o’clock in the morning. She had managed to sleep solidly for ten hours. She hadn’t slept so well since she had moved to New York. The noise in the city that never sleeps had unsettled her and so she hadn’t been able to do so much either.
A bit embarrassed about her lie-in, she leapt out of bed. At least she had been able to wash and dry her clothes from the previous day, so they were clean. If her suitcases didn’t arrive that day, she’d have to head out later to buy some new underwear and other supplies. She couldn’t keep borrowing Cathy’s clothes.
She left her bedroom and went to the bathroom across the hallway. On the way, she glanced inside what appeared to be Josh’s bedroom which was next to the spare bedroom. The door was already open and there was no sound from within. Presumably he was already downstairs at work.
She wondered about Josh. He looked like a broken man at one point during the previous evening when he thought no one was watching him. The shock of losing his dad had obviously taken its toll. From what she’d heard, he had been a successful businessman until a few years ago, so his life had obviously changed dramatically, and, perhaps, not for the better either.
She headed down the stairs and immediately came across Cathy and Josh in the crowded storeroom.
‘Good morning,’ said Cathy, smiling. ‘You must have slept well.’
‘Good morning,’ replied Amber. ‘I did, but you should have woken me up earlier.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Cathy. ‘You obviously needed the rest.’
‘It’s not like you’ve missed any customers,’ said Josh, gesturing into the empty shop with a sad smile.
Cathy sighed loudly, glaring briefly at her son before saying, ‘Amber isn’t here to work. She’s on holiday. Now, let’s get you some breakfast.’
Amber followed Cathy back up the stairs and into the tiny kitchen.
Cathy made Amber sit at the table whilst she rushed around the room preparing some toast and coffee. She appeared almost frenzied, thought Amber, unloading the dishwasher and cleaning the work surfaces.
‘Won’t you have a coffee with me?’ asked Amber, as Cathy placed a plate of toast and a steaming mug of coffee on the table. ‘And I can tidy up after myself. Please don’t worry.’
‘Maybe later,’ said Cathy, smiling at her. ‘Now don’t you rush your breakfast. Take your time. Oh and grab your coat before you come back down. Mum’s looking forward to your visit.’
Despite being used to her own company, Amber felt uneasy having too leisurely a breakfast when everyone else was at work.
So she ate her toast, tidied away her plate and then headed back into the shop, with her leather jacket in her hand.
‘Oh good,’ said Cathy, nodding at Amber’s jacket. ‘Let me grab my coat and then I’ll show you the way to Mum’s new place.’
It was only a five-minute walk to the other end of Riverside Lane, past the mill and over the last of the pedestrian bridges to the other side of the river, where a single line of newly built tiny bungalows lay on a small incline. They were built in the same coloured brick as the rest of the village, although perhaps not as pretty as the other buildings. But at least they had no stairs, thought Amber as they headed up the paved path to the front door of No. 1.
Cathy let herself in with a key and called out, ‘Coo-eee! It’s only us!’
‘Good morning!’ said Tilly, who was waiting in the narrow hallway with a wide smile. She was wearing her coat already. ‘I thought we could have our walk now and coffee later as they’re forecasting rain and I don’t want to lose my perm just yet.’
‘You two go and enjoy yourselves,’ said Cathy, giving them both a wide smile. ‘I’ve too much to be getting on with today. Now, Mum, I need to strip your bed and put the bedding in for a wash as well.’
As she rushed off past them and into the tiny bedroom, Amber saw Tilly shake her head slightly.
Amber hesitated before asking softly, ‘Is Cathy OK?’
Tilly sighed. ‘She’s worried about her scan later this week,’ she said in a quiet tone. ‘It’s only another check-up, but it hangs over her like a cloud until she gets the results. She gets a bit manic until it’s over with.’
‘I’m sure she’ll be OK,’ said Amber.
‘I hope so, love. It’s been a tough two years.’
As Cathy rushed past into the kitchen with an armful of bedding, Tilly visibly brightened up.
‘Now, how about that walk? Unless I’m needed in the shop, of course.’ Tilly sounded almost hopeful.
‘Nonsense!’ beamed Cathy. ‘Josh and I can handle it. You two have a nice walk. I’m sure that’ll brush off the last of Amber’s jet lag.’
So Amber and Tilly headed back outside. Amber looked across at the river as Tilly slipped on her gloves.
‘At least you’ve stayed in the centre of the village,’ said Amber.
‘It still feels a little strange to be over this side of the river,’ said Tilly, linking her arm with Amber’s as they began to walk. ‘I’ve always lived over the shop, you see.’
They continued down the lane until they were standing opposite the shop, which was on the other side of the river.
They both stood and looked at it for a while. It was a very attractive building with its sandy-coloured brick and pointed roof, thought Amber. But the veranda was too bare. It needed a bit of colour and, truth be told, a lick of paint or wood resin to make it look a bit less shabby.
‘I remember the first time I ever clapped eyes on the place,’ said Tilly. ‘It was the prettiest place I’d ever seen.’
Amber nodded. ‘I’m sure it was.’
At one time, she added silently to herself.
‘Bill my husband, had grown up here. In fact, it was first owned by his great-grandfather. Then his father and then it passed to us to take care of. Over 100 years of Kennedys have run the stores. I thought that perhaps the line of succession would stop there when Cathy married Todd, who began to make a name for himself with his music. I mean, what’s a rock musician going to do in little old Cranbridge?’
Amber joined in her soft laughter. ‘But he came anyway?’
‘Aye, that he did,’ said Tilly nodding. ‘To my great surprise, I must confess. He was never the country village type. But he was starting to have a few heart problems and, truth be told, I think he was growing weary of the lifestyle. So he packed up the family and came here.’ Her smile held sadness though. ‘So Todd and Cathy took over the shop once I was widowed.’
‘Was it busier in those days?’ asked Amber.
Tilly sighed. ‘In the start, yes it was. It was a little shop full of everything that the villagers needed. But Todd was so enthusiastic that he used to carry on buying anything that he could lay his hands on. Toys, tools, stationery, it all began to pile up. As you can see, he carried on buying stock right up until…’ Her voice trailed off.
Amber squeezed her hand, which Tilly absent-mindedly patted. ‘Come on, love. I promised I’d show you the village and we haven’t got beyond the shop yet.’