Chapter 35

THIRTY-FIVE

MONDAY 18TH DECEMBER

Florrie called Jean early that morning to share the happy news of Baby Marsay's arrival. It crossed her mind that Jean was supposed to be working for Maggie at Clifftop Cottage until lunch time that day and she doubted it would have been at the forefront of Bear's mind to let her know Maggie wouldn't be there, since he'd be so wrapped up in the urgency of his little girl's arrival. She was sure the two women would have planned for what to do when the situation arose, but, in any event, Florrie felt it would be a good idea to give her prior warning. She didn't know if Jean had a key to Clifftop Cottage and didn't want her to have a wasted journey if no one was home to let her in, and neither did she want to trouble Maggie and Bear about it.

Jean had been delighted to hear Maggie and Bear's news, though Florrie hadn't shared Baby Marsay's name, not wanting to deprive the new parents of that pleasure themselves.

Of course, there was another reason for Florrie's call. She also wanted to check when would be a good time for her and Ed to have a chat with Jean and Jack; they'd agreed it would be better to tell them when they were all together. Florrie had detected an air of excitement about Jean when she'd suggested the four of them meet at The Cellar early doors after the bookshop had closed.

‘Ooh, The Cellar, I do like it there. I'm looking forward to it already,' Jean had said.

With the call out of the way, Florrie and Gerty had jumped in the car and followed Ed to Clifftop Cottage in Bear's Land Rover. The plan was for him to leave the Landie there, post the keys through the letter box if no one was home, and have a lift back into town with Florrie.

When they arrived, Clifftop Cottage was shrouded in darkness, the curtains drawn tightly at the windows, the wind, laced with the threat of more snow, battering the walls relentlessly. Uncertain if Bear was catching up on his sleep or still at the hospital, they did what they needed to do as quietly as possible and headed to the bookshop, both glad to be back in the warmth of the car.

There they met Florrie's dad who demonstrated how to use the new alarm he and the electrician, Jeff, had rigged up for them the previous day. Having the up-to-date system had afforded Florrie a sense of relief she hadn't anticipated, and she was further pleased to find that it was a more straightforward affair than the old one.

‘If we're going to The Cellar tonight and we'll both be having a glass or two of fizz, it would make sense if we didn't have the car here. I think I might drop it off at the cottage and walk back,' Ed said casually, jangling the keys in his hand as Florrie was tidying the shelves in the autobiography section.

‘Oh, okay.' She looked up at him. Much as she hadn't been expecting that, she could see his logic.

‘Won't be long,' he said, as he headed out of the door a few minutes later.

It was when he still hadn't returned an hour later that Florrie started to think something was amiss.