The Bookshop of Second Chances Jackie Fraser (ebook reader macos .txt) 📖

somehow through you, I think he might do it.’

‘But why would he think sleeping with me would upset Edward?’ I frown.

‘Thea, you’re not stupid, come on. Everyone thinks you’re sleeping together, and if you’re not, then eventually you will be.’

‘Oh my God, do they? Surely they don’t.’ I goggle at her, although I do feel quite stupid for not thinking anyone would be interested in us.

‘Yes, they do. I’m sorry, it’s a small town, everyone’s intrigued. You know he never has women working in the shop. You hang out together, he’s never rude to you, yadda yadda.’

‘He’s constantly rude to me, what on earth do you mean?’

‘Yeah, hardly.’

I sniff. ‘One of the reasons I liked it up here is because everyone was talking about me at home. I was enjoying the anonymity of Baldochrie.’

‘Yeah, well, you can forget about being anonymous. Look, it’s just people are nosy, and they like romance and intrigue, and you’re new and now people know you’re single, they’re all wondering who you’ll get together with.’

‘Ugh.’

She laughs at me. ‘And Charles likes you. But he might have a motive beyond “wouldn’t it be fun to take Thea out to dinner”. And I like you, too, so I thought I should tell you.’

‘Bloody hell.’

‘I mean by all means shag him if you like – it doesn’t bother me.’

‘Yeah, no, you’re all right. He’s too charming. I don’t like charming people.’

‘You prefer Ed.’ She laughs. ‘Not charming.’

‘Of course I do, I like him a lot. But I’m not going to sleep with him either, you know.’ I laugh. ‘Jesus. It’s like being at college.’

I’m in the shop. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since Cerys told me all that strange stuff. I don’t know what to think about any of it.

My phone rings, a number I don’t recognize.

‘Hello?’

‘Thea. Charles here.’

I nearly drop the phone. Jesus flipping Christ. I feel an unexpected bubble of hysteria and have to bite my cheek.

‘Can you talk?’ he asks.

‘I… Yeah, hello, hi, I’ll just–’ I slide off the counter and walk to the back of the shop.

‘I shouldn’t phone you at work,’ he says, ‘but I’ll be busy later and I wanted to catch you.’

‘Well, here I am. Hello. What can I do for you?’

‘I wondered if you’d be free for dinner,’ he says.

I nearly laugh. But I restrain myself. ‘Dinner? Gosh,’ I say, ‘it’s suddenly very fashionable to buy me drinks and offer to buy me dinner. How thrilling.’

‘Why, who’s been buying you drinks?’

‘Oh, just some guy,’ I say, laughing at myself. ‘I met him in the Arms the other week.’

‘Oh. Did he ask you out?’

‘No. Luckily, since I’m not ready to go on dates.’

‘Oh,’ says Charles.

‘But presumably you’re not asking me on a date. Are you?’ I’m not sure when making people feel slightly uncomfortable first seemed like fun. Maybe today.

‘Well,’ he says. ‘It wouldn’t not be a date.’

‘You don’t want to go on a date with me, though, do you? What’s happened to Miranda?’ There’s a slightly awkward silence. ‘Is she away or something?’

‘Miranda and I are not… She’s not my girlfriend,’ he says.

‘Isn’t she? I kind of thought she was.’

‘Mm, no, not… No.’

‘Gosh, you Maltravers men with your unconventional relationships.’ I begin to walk back through the shop towards the front door. ‘So anyway, where were you thinking?’

He clears his throat. ‘There’s quite a good restaurant at Knockandry.’

‘The hotel? Hotel dining rooms,’ I say, ‘I’m not sure they’re ever all that, are they? Sorry, that sounds fussy.’

‘It’s good,’ he says. ‘They have a Michelin star, if that helps.’

‘It does a bit,’ I say, laughing. ‘You’re probably already regretting this, right?’

‘Not at all,’ he says, polite.

‘And when would this be?’

‘I thought perhaps Thursday?’

‘As in this Thursday as ever is?’ I lean on the counter.

‘Yes, if you’re free.’

‘Oh, well, I generally am. My social life is very limited. Okay, thank you. Shall I meet you there?’

‘I’ll come and collect you. Half seven suit?’

‘Sounds fine,’ I say, ‘thank you.’

I slide my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and laugh heartily. Edward is selling a collection of 1970s Thelwell cartoon books to a man in a tweed jacket. Once he’s given him his change and put the books in a bag, he asks, ‘What’s funny?’

‘What isn’t funny, eh? Good lord. So that was your brother,’ I tell him. ‘Guess what he wants.’

‘My brother? What’s he phoning you for?’

‘What indeed. Wants to take me out,’ I say. ‘We’re having dinner.’

‘You’re having dinner with my brother?’ Brows beetling, forehead furrowed.

‘Apparently so.’

‘Why the hell are you doing that?’

‘Two reasons,’ I say, ‘if I’m honest. One is I’ve never had dinner with a lord.’ I snort. ‘And I guess it will be quite fancy, and I like to eat nice food. And the other reason is, oh my God, why on earth would he want to have dinner with me? Do you think he’ll get me drunk and try to get me to sign the house over to him or something?’

‘If he gets you drunk, it won’t be the house he’s after,’ says Edward, disapprovingly.

‘Pfft. Yeah, but seriously, it’s weird, isn’t it?’

‘I’m not sure “weird” is the right word.’

‘Oh, come on, of course it is. I asked him if it was a date. He said it “wouldn’t not be a date”!’ I chuckle. ‘That’s the sort of thing you’d say.’

‘If I ask someone out to dinner, it’s definitely a fucking date,’ says Edward.

I shake my head. ‘You bought me dinner the other week and that wasn’t a date, was it? Anyway, your brother doesn’t fancy me. I’m pretty sure.’

‘Doesn’t he? What makes you say that?’

‘What, am I a bit of rough or something? Come on.’

He closes his eyes briefly. ‘Jesus Christ.’

‘No, I’m not fishing,’ I say, hoisting myself up onto the counter and banging my heels against the front of it. ‘I’m being serious. Cerys said something yesterday about this. It doesn’t make any sense to me. What about all those glossy women? The house was full of them when I went to that