‘You’re Lesley,’ said Amber, thinking fast. ‘You donated all those lovely cakes just after the storm.’
‘That’s right,’ said Lesley, smiling. ‘What a good memory! Look, I hope you don’t think this is cheeky, but I’ve made some more. They were supposed to be for a massive party that’s been called off and now I’m stuck with them all. There’s lemon drizzle, Victoria sponge and cherry cake. All home-made. I’d hate to see them go to waste, so I wondered if you wanted to try and sell them in your shop? With a cut of the profit for you, of course.’
Amber looked across to Josh, who came over and carried on the conversation with Lesley. They agreed the commission on each cake whilst Amber displayed them by the counter. Then they priced each cake up accordingly and waited to see if they would sell.
It didn’t take long. People were still desperate for a treat after the misery of the floods and soon Amber overheard Josh calling Lesley and asking if she wanted to make it a more regular occurrence.
It turned out that Lesley had a friend who made pastries and so a daily delivery of fresh croissants and Danish pastries was soon filling the shop with a tempting aroma along with Lesley’s home-made cakes.
Then someone else had made bramble jelly, which was beautifully wrapped in jars with ribbons around the side. All the ingredients were also listed on a small cardboard tag.
Day by day, the shop was slowly restocked with home-made goods.
Stanley filled up his shopping bag each day almost to the brim. ‘This is wonderful,’ he said. ‘I wanted to cancel my weekly delivery from the supermarket anyway and this is the perfect excuse. You have everything I need.’
He then set his shopping down behind the counter whilst he waited for Frank to join him for their morning coffee. People were beginning to view the shop as a meeting hub and Amber was often updating everyone with the news regarding the roads reopening and even the weather.
It was mid-morning later in the week when Amber heard a commotion outside the shop. She went to the window and peered out, somewhat amazed to see at least twenty elderly ladies standing in a group and looking around.
She went outside, wondering if they were lost and needed help.
‘Ah! There she is!’ called out Del, whom she hadn’t spotted just around the corner having a cigarette as he looked into the coach engine. ‘Our saviour!’
‘Hi,’ said Amber, a little self-consciously. ‘What’s going on?’
‘The coach broke down,’ he shouted out to her. ‘We’ve only been going for around twenty minutes, haven’t we, ladies?’
They all nodded, looking thoroughly miserable and shivering.
‘Come inside,’ urged Amber. ‘It’s warm in there whilst you wait.’
So the shop quickly filled up with the coach passengers and Amber offered them all a free cup of tea and coffee whilst they waited for Del to fix his coach.
‘Looks like it may take some time,’ said Josh, weaving his way through the crowded shop. ‘He’s still got the bonnet up.’
‘Perhaps I could try one of these cupcakes whilst we wait,’ said one of the ladies. ‘How much are they?’
‘Only £2,’ Amber told her. ‘They’re handmade by a lady in the village.’
‘How marvellous,’ said another lady. ‘Did you hear that?’
‘It’s wonderful,’ said the lady who had bought the cake and already had her mouth full.
‘And that’s from the Chairwoman of the Women’s Institute!’ said the particularly glamorous lady in front of her. ‘Shall we all partake, ladies? I don’t know about you, but I need the energy.’
‘That’s because of your boyfriend wearing you out, Rose,’ said Grandma Tilly, who had just come through the front door.
The glamorous lady in front of her gave a throaty, somewhat naughty laugh before giving Amber a wink. ‘Tilly Kennedy! You’ll make me blush in front of this nice lady.’
‘You’ve never blushed in your life, Rose Harris,’ said Grandma Tilly, with a knowing smile.
‘The upper classes never do, dear,’ said Rose imperiously.
Amber immediately wondered who she was but was too shy to ask. Thankfully Grandma Tilly did the introductions.
‘This is Rose Harris. She’s the sister of the Earl of Cranley. They live in Willow Tree Hall, a few miles down the road.’
Amber nodded, having heard somebody mention the stately home before. ‘I’m Amber,’ she said, shyly.
‘I think I met a Sam Harris recently,’ said Josh from nearby.
‘My grandson,’ Rose told him in a proud tone.
Josh nodded. ‘Nice guy. We were thinking about stocking some of your Willow Tree Hall cider here in the shop.’
‘How splendid,’ said Rose, looking around. ‘It’s doing ever so well sales wise. And it would fit right in.’ She looked around the shop. ‘Such a pretty place. I shall tell all my family and friends about it. And you’re only just down the road from us!’
‘Well, we need all the customers we can get,’ said Josh with a smile, before he headed outside to see Del.
‘What a handsome one,’ said Rose, giving Amber another wink. ‘I do like a man in a leather jacket.’
Amber blushed and turned around to refill the coffee machine.
Whilst the ladies browsed the shelves inside the shop, she went outside to find out how long they might have to wait.
‘What do you think is the matter?’ Josh was asking Del, who was now sitting on the bottom step of the coach.
‘Couple of missing fuses,’ Del told him.
Josh looked surprised. ‘Missing? Do you think they fell out on the road here?’
‘Nah, mate,’ whispered Del. ‘They’re in my pocket!’
Josh stared down at his friend, who was now grinning at him.
‘Well, you said you needed the customers,’ said Del. ‘If I can drag it out for long enough, I’ll get them in the pub next for a drink before we get back on board. They’ll still have time to wander around their National Trust garden later.’
Josh was speechless for a moment as he stared up at Amber in amazement. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘You’ve broken down on purpose?’ she whispered.
‘A couple of bottles of that local cider wouldn’t go amiss,’ said Del, with a wink.
‘You’re on if we make a profit,’ said Josh, laughing.
‘Great,’ said Del, springing up. ‘I’ll try and break down later on this week as well. Got to give the place a fighting chance, eh?’
As he walked away, Amber found that both she and Josh were laughing. For once, Dodgy Del’s nickname was working in the shop’s favour.
42
Back in the shop, Josh told the ladies that the problem with the coach engine should be fixed in a short while.
‘Such a shame to have to leave,’ said Rose, who appeared to be the leader of the group. ‘But we shall return. It’s been years since I’ve been to Cranbridge. Do you remember the Christmas fair they used to hold here?’
‘You’re going back a few years now,’ said Grandma Tilly, nodding thoughtfully. ‘You were only on your second husband then.’