Life seemed so topsy-turvy I didn’t even know what was troubling me most. Was it Lydia’s revelation about her memory? Was it the fact she had finally agreed to go to Paris to track down her long-lost love? Or was it Brad and Cara bringing what was surely going to be the spawn of Satan into the world?
As the early morning sunshine peeped through the clouds, I made my way out to the front of the café and wiped down the tables in readiness for the first customers. I always opened up for Phil on Thursday and Friday mornings. Bath always looked at its most beautiful at the end of May when the stone buildings were permanently bathed in a golden glow. Yet even the promise of another day in the most gorgeous city in the world couldn’t shift the bad mood I had found myself in since I woke up.
‘Stop thinking about that bloody ex! If only for the sake of your wrinkles, woman,’ called a voice.
Glancing up, I saw Rachel striding along the pavement towards me. Dressed in a black tailored business suit, as she pushed Matilda down the road in a pram, she looked every inch the powerful, working mother that had it all.
‘You look fabulous,’ I said, leaning in to give her and Matilda a kiss.
Rachel tugged at the waistband of her trousers and frowned. ‘I still haven’t lost all the baby weight, and it’s my first day back at work – this was the only thing that fitted.’
‘Well, you look wonderful,’ I declared, and meaning it too. ‘Coffee on me to celebrate.’
At that Rachel’s face lit up. ‘Thanks! But don’t let me have one of Ginger’s divine pastries for breakfast, that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.’
‘I thought it was this little bundle of joy?’ I asked.
‘Possibly,’ Rachel grumbled as we walked back inside the café. ‘Ignore me, I’m in a foul mood. If I’m honest, coffee isn’t the only reason I’m here.’
I raised an eyebrow as I fired up the machine and pulled down a cup and saucer. ‘Oh?’
‘Yes, Lily has to go up to Elstree Studios tonight and won’t be back for the rest of the week. I know I promised you drinks later to take your mind off things, but I don’t think I’ll find a babysitter at such short notice.’
I set down a cappuccino in front of Rachel and smiled. ‘Don’t worry about it. To be honest, I’m grumpy myself and an early night might be a blessing.’
‘Really?’ The look of relief on Rachel’s face was obvious.
‘Really,’ I promised, turning back to the coffee maker to make myself a drink.
‘So have things settled down a bit?’ Rachel asked taking a gulp of coffee.
‘Depends what you mean by settled.’ I sighed. ‘I’ve been wondering if it’s a good idea to take Lydia to Paris after all.’
‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Rachel said firmly. ‘It will do you both good.’
I wrinkled my nose. ‘But what if Lydia can’t cope or does something stupid?’
Rachel raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘Has she done anything stupid since you’ve known her?’
‘Aside from lying about the fact her eyesight wasn’t good enough to drive, shouting at tourists in the street and going on a complete image overhaul you mean?’ I said wryly.
‘Fair enough,’ Rachel chuckled. ‘But a lot of that could be grief. I know she says she’s getting forgetful, but you also told me that the doctors have said she’s fine. Your initial instincts about going to Paris were right, this could be just what Lydia needs to lay these ghosts to rest and face the rest of her future.
‘Perhaps…’ I rested my chin on my fist. ‘She’s just so up and down at the moment. Today she’s going to Bristol for a meeting with some antiques dealer and she’s been really jittery about it all week. I offered to go with her, but she looked at me as if I’d just offered to chop the head off a donkey and said it was important she went on her own. It’s all a bit weird.’
Matilda let out a little cry then and Rachel kissed her daughter’s forehead, soothing her immediately. ‘Not really. Perhaps she’s still upset about what happened with the driving lesson. Maybe she needs to prove to herself and to you that she’s still capable.’
I drummed my fingers against the countertop and regarded Rachel thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps. I hadn’t thought of it like that. And that driving lesson must have really shaken her. It’s such a shame as she was actually doing brilliantly once she got going.’
Taking another slug of her coffee, Rachel banged her cup noisily against her saucer. ‘It must have been hard for her to realise like that, but honestly, after what happened at the top of Milsom Street the other day, thank God she found the courage to confess.’
‘What happened on Milsom Street?’
‘Didn’t you hear?’ Rachel said in hushed tones. ‘Some kid stepped out into the middle of the road, and an old duffer who was driving got the brake and the accelerator muddled up.’
‘You’re kidding!’ I gasped. ‘Was the child okay?’
Rachel grimaced. ‘The child was fine. Some bloke saw what was happening and pushed her out of the way in the nick of time.’
‘Oh, thank goodness,’ I cried.
‘Not for the poor bloke that rescued her,’ Rachel sighed. ‘He was taken straight to hospital and died from internal injuries.’
My hands flew to my mouth in horror. ‘Oh my God! That’s horrible. That poor man.’
As Matilda gurgled, Rachel lifted her from her pram and clasped her tightly to her chest. ‘It doesn’t bear thinking about. But it shows what can happen if people aren’t responsible about when to give up driving. The poor old sod was so shaken apparently he needed sedation, and of course he’s going to be wracked with guilt over what he’s done.’
‘Will he be charged, do you think?’ I mused.
‘Who knows? Maybe. Or maybe it was just a tragic accident. Either way it could have been avoided if the driver had known it was time to give up. He was ninety-seven for goodness’ sake, he should have given his licence up a long time ago. I know Lydia might still be upset about what happened, but frankly it was a blessing she was made to realise she wasn’t fit to drive so early on.’
At that we both fell silent, each thinking about the elderly driver and the poor, brave man who lost his own life to save that of a child. Life really was short.
‘Well, anyway, I must be going,’ Rachel said, getting to her feet. ‘Thanks for the coffee, and I’m genuinely sorry about tonight. You’re welcome to come round mine instead. I know it’s not drinks and dancing, but I can offer pizza and a couple of bottles of wine!’
I smiled as I cleared away her cup. ‘Sounds good. Let me see how Lydia is after her meeting in Bristol and I’ll give you a ring. I just want to make sure she’s her usual self.’
‘Fair enough.’ Rachel smiled, kissing my cheek goodbye. ‘Hopefully see you later.’
‘Hope so,’ I called as she exited the shop, ‘and good luck today.’
The rest of my shift passed in a blur as I cleared tables, made endless cappuccinos and cleared out too many students who were blatantly ignoring the no-laptop policy on certain tables. Phil had been worried about creating such a rule, but I told him that some people didn’t want to be surrounded by stressed out students tapping away at their keyboards as they worked. Some customers genuinely just wanted a coffee, a slice of cake and a natter, and it was time to honour them as well as the laptop brigade.
So far it had gone well and we’d seen an upsurge in takings since I’d made the suggestion a couple of weeks ago. Yet, like everything, there were still a few who didn’t like it and grumbled when I made them move, much to their disgust and to Phil’s.
‘Come on Erin, they’re not hurting anyone,’ Phil sighed as I shepherded a pair to a table by the window.
‘Yes, they are, they’re hurting our other customers,’ I pointed out.
Phil said nothing and instead concentrated on tidying the newspapers on top of the counter. He was such a lovely guy and hated confrontation of any kind, but even though I knew it pained him to admit it, the changes I had suggested had sent our profits way up. Not only had I created laptop-free tables, but I’d also introduced a loyalty card scheme along with events for the café. Last week we had staged a meet-the-author event that had been set up by a local book group and later on today we had a language exchange group taking over the unused function room upstairs. I was thrilled and I knew Phil was too, but I also knew that he was intensely proud of his café and resistant to change, so it was important to take baby steps.
Then again, I thought, remembering Lydia, maybe it was also important to strike while the iron was hot. Perhaps Rachel was right and I had been thinking about all of this way too much. Paris wasn’t a million miles away, it would only be a short trip and it really would give her the chance to find out what happened to Jack – she was forgetful, not stupid, after all. Before I lost my nerve, I whipped out my phone and started looking up air fares. Within minutes I had discovered two flights to Paris in June at a bargain basement price from Bristol airport, travelling at very reasonable times. Before I could change my mind, I entered my credit card details and hit the book now button. As the confirmation appeared on my screen I grinned with excitement – our Parisian adventure had just got real.