I feel a stab of irritation. Paloma’s staring up at Theo Steel as if he’s the eighth wonder of the world. ‘Right, well, I’m off home. I need to put some frozen peas on my ankle.’ I smile at them and start heading off across the green.
‘Wait up!’ Paloma runs after me. ‘Have you hurt yourself? Let me see.’
‘Congratulations on your time, Twilight,’ calls Theo, and we both turn.
He’s standing with his hands on his hips, grinning over. ‘Very impressive. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you must have come by bus.’
Chapter 13
When I get into Paloma’s car next morning, I heave a sigh of relief and slump back in the seat. ‘I can’t believe I’ll finally have proper furniture for the café.’
We’re on our way to Lake Heath to collect it from Rowena.
‘And it’s not too shabby, either!’ Paloma grins. ‘Except that it is.’
‘Yeah, shabby chic. Just the effect I wanted – and I won’t have to do a thing to it because it’s already in such great condition.’
‘Just as well since it’s only two days until the grand opening!’
It’s been a real roller coaster of a week on all fronts.
Mum was worrying me. She kept saying everything was fine when we spoke on the phone, but for some reason I started to suspect she was protesting too much – and eventually, after a bit of delicate probing, it emerged that Dad isn’t responding to the treatment the way the consultant had hoped he would, and Mum has been trying to protect me from this news. We were both in tears on the phone and I made Mum promise never to keep the truth from me again.
Things on the café front weren’t going swimmingly, either. The big ‘Twilight Café this way’ sign that Paloma created is a real triumph, but it kept on falling down from the fence where we were trying to moor it. So in the end, I gave in and hired a local hoardings company to fix it in place. It’s all money, though, and the cash is slipping through my fingers at an alarming rate.
So when Rowena Swann said I was welcome to look at the furniture she’d had in her ice-cream parlour with a view to taking it off her hands, I practically cheered down the phone. Paloma and I went to see it and it was perfect. When I asked Rowena how much she wanted for it, she mentioned a cash sum that was so reasonable, I took her hand off there and then – although I insisted on throwing in a free cake and coffee every week for a month, which she seemed quite delighted about. I think she was just really pleased to get the furniture out of her garage.
And now, Paloma and I are off to collect it.
I’m expecting her to start the engine and drive off. But instead, she takes a deep breath and turns to me, her eyes sparkling.
‘I did it!’ She clutches my arm. ‘I knocked on the door with the old-fashioned bell-pull.’
My eyes open wide with shock. ‘Oh my God! What happened? Did you find out about your mum?’
Paloma shuffles in her seat so she’s angled towards me. ‘Well, a lovely woman called Sylvia answered the door and we had a long chat about my search. She said the people she bought the house from were called Banbury, but that obviously wasn’t Mum’s family because her name is Margaret Green. At least, it was. Obviously if she’s married, her name will have changed.’
‘So what’s next?’
‘The woman, Sylvia, is going to ask around her neighbours and see if anyone can shed any light on where the Green family went. I gave her my number to text me if she finds anything out.’
‘Gosh. That’s so great. I guess the more people who know you’re searching for her, the better.’
Paloma gives an excited little nod.
I lean over and give her a quick hug. ‘I’ll keep my fingers crossed.’
‘Come on, then. Let’s get this furniture.’
When we arrive at Rowena Swann’s modern semi-detached in Lake Heath, she already has the garage door open ready for us. She greets us with a big smile and a thumbs-up and helps us load the furniture into the back of Paloma’s estate car. It’s like a giant puzzle, trying to fit as many chairs in as possible at weird angles and it’s fairly clear it’s going to take several trips to collect the whole lot.
When we’re loaded up, we stand chatting in the driveway.
‘So are you putting your feet up now you’ve retired?’ asks Paloma.
Rowena laughs. ‘I hate that word “retirement”. It makes me feel as if I’m a poor old horse being put out to grass. No, there’ll be no lazing around. I plan to stay very active and take up loads of hobbies I’ve never had time for.’
I smile. ‘That’s what my Auntie June was planning – until she stepped into the role of chief babysitter for her granddaughter. Not that she minds, of course.’
‘Of course not.’ A shadow passes across Rowena’s face. ‘I don’t have any family, so I guess my time is my own.’
There’s a brief silence. Then Paloma says, ‘I’m not even sure I want kids, but I suppose I’ve got a while to decide.’
Rowena nods, a pensive look in her eyes. ‘Children are such a blessing,’ she murmurs. ‘I never realised that until …’ She breaks off and smiles. ‘Anyway, hope this furniture is okay for you!’
‘I hope you’ll be there on opening day,’ I say as we get back in the car. ‘Remember your free coffee and cake.’
‘I’ll be there, Twilight!’ She waves gaily. ‘Along with hundreds of others, dying to sample your coffee and your baking!’
‘Hundreds?’ I turn to Paloma as she motors carefully down the driveway, mindful of the shifting load in the back. ‘I wish.’
‘Hey, you never know.’ She grins and turns slowly out onto the road. ‘We’ve put up all those posters in prominent places. It
