The Christmas Bookshop(80)

He half-smiled.

‘He got more than he bargained for there.’

‘But they stayed together?’

‘Everyone stayed together. That’s how it worked.’

‘But she kept that picture. Did you find it?’

He smiled.

‘I was trying to steal money. For sweets. It was after they got rid of rationing. I was so excited. I wanted to buy so much chocolate … but I found that.’

‘What did she say?’

‘She wanted to talk about it,’ he said. ‘Oh God. I did not want to hear it.’

‘She couldn’t have told anyone.’

‘She never did. People made up their own stories anyway. Next time I checked her wallet, the picture had gone. And my train set was packed away in the attic.’

Carmen nodded.

‘She must have loved him. To risk all that.’

He sighed.

‘My mother was just about the most unhappy woman I ever met in my life.’

‘But, Mr McCredie,’ said Carmen urgently. She could hear the noise of the party, rising higher. ‘Look what you have here. You have your beautiful shop. Your lovely house. And out there – there are so many friends. So many people who care about you.’

‘That’s all you,’ said Mr McCredie. ‘It’s you that’s made this shop busy again.’

‘Yes, because my dumb sister Sofia – she cared about you so much she got me up to work for you. And she’s only your lawyer. People care.’

Mr McCredie wiped his eyes.

‘Have a think about meeting the German people?’ said Carmen. ‘They’re here at the Christmas market, at least for another week or so.’

He swallowed hard.

‘Time heals a lot of things,’ said Carmen.

Mr McCredie didn’t say anything.

‘And now,’ said Carmen, ‘I need you to come and say a few words otherwise everyone is going to go and spend all their money at the magic shop again. Bronagh will just put a spell on them.’



Already bored with Blair doing his glad-handing routine with the women getting their books signed – it was nice that they were giving her envious glances, but really it was terribly repetitive and nobody talked to her at all – Skylar turned round, looking at the rest of the party. The bell rang and the tall figure of the lecturer sloped in, wearing a fresh white shirt which was so new it probably still had pins in it. Skylar bounced over to him with her broadest smile.

‘Dr Oke!’

He blinked.

‘Oh yeah, hi,’ he said, faintly recognising her. ‘Is Carmen here?’

This was the second time Skylar had heard this tonight and she wasn’t thrilled. ‘Oh, she should be around somewhere,’ she said. ‘Now, I really particularly enjoyed the beetle section … ’

‘Thanks,’ said Oke, but he was miles away. He met a lot of women, but he didn’t give himself away easily. He couldn’t; his values wouldn’t let him, and he travelled so much, it often was not fair.

But … He remembered her running around the fair with the children, laughing her head off, her dark hair flowing in the wind. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Nothing could be less practical, of course. But he had been asked, if he liked, to extend his teaching another term; he was wildly popular with his students.

Skylar eyed him up shrewdly. God, Carmen was just man-crazy, it was pathetic. First flinging herself at Blair – she, on the other hand, understood Blair on a spiritual level, which Carmen was obviously completely incapable of. And now this doctor was looking for her, when Carmen was barely educated and worked in a shop. It was ridiculous. She should do him a favour.

‘Yes, poor Carmen,’ she said, grabbing back his attention.

‘Why, what’s wrong with her?’

‘Oh,’ said Skylar, putting on her most pitying face and letting her rosebud lips turn down regretfully. ‘She got a teensyweensy crush on my boyfriend.’ She stroked Blair’s arm, who ignored her. ‘Well, quite a big crush actually! I can’t really blame her. But it’s been tough on her. She’s just been after him so desperately for ages … I think she thinks she is actually going out with him.’

‘Really?’ said Oke, frowning and confused.

‘Oh yes, she’s been desperate. He tried to turn her down politely but she wasn’t having any of it. Anyway.’ Skylar made her eyes go wide. ‘I really, really hope she’s okay.’

Just as she said this, the curtain to the stockroom opened and Carmen emerged with Mr McCredie; she was slightly pushing him forward, and a loud cheer went round the room for him, perhaps brought on by the alcohol and general cheer of a jolly Christmas party, as well as much natural affection for Mr McCredie and some relief that his shop was still standing.

He wasn’t expecting it, and went quite pink, Carmen smiling broadly as she looked at him.

Then her attention was caught as, right in front of her, Blair looked up from where he was signing for someone else, met her eye and stuck his tongue straight out at her.

It was so unexpected a gesture that Carmen started and instantly blushed; it was entirely surprising he was here, bigger and cheekier than ever. He kept eye contact.

She didn’t even see Oke, who was standing behind Blair and therefore had not seen the face he made; neither did Skylar.