Chapter 8

EIGHT

Thanks to the posts Florrie had added to the bookshop's social media pages, as well as those of Micklewick Bay's, a great crowd had gathered outside The Happy Hartes Bookshop in time for the unveiling of the window displays. Though it was muted by the glass, the upbeat conversation was filtering into the shop. Florrie was astonished at the number of people who'd turned up. She'd spotted the first few loitering at around four thirty, apparently bagging themselves a prime spot. It had surprised her since the unveiling wasn't due for another hour, not to mention how bitterly cold it was – the wind had a habit of blasting up through the square straight off the sea.

And now the number had grown from half a dozen to a great swell of people. She'd guessed it would be busy, but neither she nor Ed had anticipated anything like this.

She was standing at the front of the bookshop with Ed, her parents, Leah, Maggie – who'd been joined by her husband, Bear – and Jean Davenport. Jack Playforth had just nipped to the bathroom before they opened the doors and the fun began.

‘Bloomin' 'eck, have you seen how many folk are out there?' said Charlie, chuckling as he peered through the glass in the door. ‘The pavement's packed and cars are struggling to get by on the road.' Even from this side of the door, the buzz of anticipation that filled the air was palpable.

‘Oh, my goodness, looks like there's hundreds!' said Jean Davenport, her eyes shining. ‘Where've they all come from?'

‘It's a mixture of your Jack officiating and folk being keen to see our Ed's display,' Paula said, peering around her husband to get a view. It gladdened Florrie's heart that her parents had started to refer to her boyfriend as "our Ed".

‘Blimey, there's a photographer and what looks to be a television camera!' Paula's voice rose with excitement. ‘Charlie, you've got better eyesight than me – I'm right, aren't I? That's a telly camera, over there, just by the streetlight and next to the fella with the daft hat, the one that's got a massive feather in it.'

‘What? The camera's got a massive feather in it?' Charlie asked, his face a picture of puzzlement. ‘Why would a camera have a feather in it?'

‘I don't mean the camera, you daft apeth.' Paula gave his arm a reproving nudge. ‘I mean the fella beside it is wearing a hat with a huge feather in it. You can't miss it, it's like something from a pantomime.'

‘Some folk'll wear owt.' Charlie pulled a face. ‘But then again, I suppose it is pantomime season. Anyroad, where are you pointing?' He squinted through the glass and let out a throaty laugh. ‘By 'eck, you're right, love, it is a daft bloomin' hat and the feather's just poked the woman standing next to him right up the nose. She doesn't look too chuffed about it at all.' His shoulders shook with mirth. ‘Ey up, she's giving him a right earful now. That'll teach him to wear summat as daft as that hat.' He chuckled some more, making his face flush.

Florrie bit down on a laugh, not daring to make eye contact with Ed.

Paula turned to the others and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ‘Never mind the fella with the hat, Charlie, can you see a telly camera? That's what we're interested in.'

‘Oh, aye, yep, I can see a telly camera as well. Blimey, it's a right big 'un.'

‘I wonder who told the telly folk?' said Jean, craning her neck to see it.

Florrie and Ed exchanged glances, each giving the other a shrug. ‘Not me,' said Florrie. She'd informed the local newspaper, but hadn't contacted the TV station; she hadn't thought to.

‘Me neither. I would've mentioned it if I had.' Ed looked as puzzled as she felt.

As Florrie was racking her brains as to who it could be, Jack returned from the bathroom. She wondered if Jack had contacted the TV station on the quiet. He was always keen to promote the bookshop, it would be so like him to do it.

‘Right,' he said, clapping his hands together, ‘I think it's time to put the good folk of Micklewick Bay out of their suspense. We all know it's Ed's window displays they're itching to see – it's got nowt to do with wanting to hear me prattling on. Come on, Ed, lad, get that door open.' Jack grinned broadly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

The excitement inside the shop was nothing compared to the level on the street. The square was bouncing! Ed opened the door wide, and a great roar of applause went up as Jack stepped out. A chorus of whoops and cheers quickly followed. Florrie glanced at Ed in disbelief, the smile on her face growing wider.

Jack stood, waiting for the applause to die down, his stern resting face belying his good-natured personality. He'd been much maligned in the press in his early days of fame thanks to his dour looks, regularly being described as curmudgeonly, but the description didn't match the man Florrie had come to know. And tonight his face was wreathed in smiles.

Since his arrival in the town, he'd become a much-loved local celebrity, embraced as if he'd been a resident all his life. It was something that had made his mother Jean incredibly proud.

Jack lifted his hands in a gesture for the crowd to quieten down, but it had little effect.

Florrie gazed out at the vast throng of people, all wrapped up against the cold, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. It was heartwarming to see so many people. Amongst them she spotted Jasmine with Zak and Chloe, the two children chatting away excitedly. Stella was there, too – she wasn't hard to miss being so tall and no doubt in a pair of her vertiginous heels. She was with Alex, her boyfriend of the last few months; the pair made for an attractive couple. They were standing next to Lark and her friend Nate who ran an upcycling store in town. Seeing the two of them together, so easy in one another's company, brought a smile to Florrie's face. It was no secret that Nate would like to be much more than Lark's friend but thus far she'd resisted taking their relationship down that route, arguing that the seven years between their respective ages meant she felt he was too young for her.

Jean grabbed onto Florrie's arm. ‘That's my lad they're all cheering.' Her eyes were shining with pride. Florrie reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

‘You must be so proud, Jean.'

‘Oh, I am, lovey, so very proud.'

The thought that Mr and Mrs H would have been in their element right now flitted through Florrie's mind, followed by a quick squeeze of her heart, making her wish they were here to see it.

‘Thank you very much for turning out when it's so bloomin' freezing, folks,' Jack said in his rich North Yorkshire accent, instantly lifting Florrie's spirits. ‘I know I can speak on behalf of Florrie and Ed when I say that your support of The Happy Hartes Bookshop is very much appreciated – it warms our happy hearts, so to speak.' He tapped his hand to his chest.

‘Here, here,' said Florrie, as another round of applause burst out.

Jack turned and flashed her a quick smile. ‘And I promise not to witter on for too long. I know you're all dying to see what magic Ed's created behind these curtains and we don't want any of you to freeze to the spot with me boring you to tears.' He chuckled.

‘You could never bore anyone, Jack!' a female voice called out.

‘Aye, too right,' said another. ‘You can whisper sweet nothings in my lugs any time you like.'

A ripple of laughter ran around the gathering.

‘Thank you very much, I might take you up on that offer,' he said dryly, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. ‘Anyroad, before we go any further, so none of the little kiddiewinkles miss out on seeing the unveiling, I think it'd be nice if we could have them at the front, so if we could just have a bit of a reshuffle before I press the magic button.'

Jack waited patiently while the crowd rearranged itself and a line of excited children stood before him. ‘Ready?' he asked.

The crowd roared its reply, children jumping up and down.

‘Okay, prepare yourselves to be utterly captivated by the magical Christmas display of The Happy Hartes Bookshop. Five! Four! Three…' The crowd counted down with him, their voices filling the square.

On the count of one, Jack pressed a button on the remote he held in his hand, and the curtain on the winter wonderland scene slowly glided open.

Set to a backdrop of a starry night sky, the space had been decorated as if it were a snow-covered clearing in a wood – albeit on a smaller scale. A cluster of faux conifers stood in one corner, their branches drooping under the weight of fake snow, while fir cones were scattered over the ground. In the centre was a small wooden sleigh upon which sat a sack in sumptuous red velvet complete with a thick cord tie in a rich shade of gold. The sack was bulging with books, some of which had spilled out around it, while a group of woodland creatures looked on. Though everything was fake, it looked remarkably realistic. It was spellbinding.

Behind the scenes, Ed flicked the switch that controlled the display.

A collective gasp of awe went up as the scene came to life, all twinkling lights and sparkling snow. The children were utterly enthralled. They ceased their jumping about and all stood gazing at it, mouths open, eyes shining as a pale half-moon was suddenly illuminated with a soft glow and stars began twinkling in the velvety night sky. In the next moment, a bushy-tailed squirrel scampered up a tree, while faux snowflakes began tumbling gently from above. The whole effect was magical, and another rousing cheer went up.

Florrie looked at Ed who feigned wiping sweat from his brow. ‘Fingers crossed all goes smoothly for the second window,' he said.

‘I'm sure it will.' She wrapped her arms around his middle and gave him a squeeze.

‘Are you ready for the next one?' Jack asked, a laugh in his voice as the crowd cheered their reply. ‘Wonderful! Come on, you can count down with me again. Five, four…'

Jack pressed the button and the curtain in the second window began to move before grinding to a halt. Everyone watched in silence as Jack tried the remote once more. Again, nothing happened. ‘Ey up, looks like we're going for a little added dramatic effect.' Jack chuckled, glancing back, his eyes searching for Ed.

‘Bugger,' Ed said under his breath, his smile falling. ‘It worked perfectly when I set it up.'

Florrie glanced at him. ‘What can we do?' she asked worriedly.

He hurried round to the front of the display, slipped inside the curtain and did a spot of tweaking. Moments later he said to Jack, ‘Give it another go, see if that's fixed it.'

Jack nodded. ‘Right then, folks, let's see if Ed's worked his magic.'

Florrie and Ed looked on, holding their breath as Jack pressed the button. This time the curtain began to move. Florrie caught Ed's eye, relief washing over the pair of them.

‘Looks like he's fettled it.' Jack beamed out at the sea of faces as another chorus of delighted ‘Ahhs' rose up followed by an appreciative round of applause.

Like the first display, everything was created in miniature, but this one had been designed to replicate a cosy living room decorated for Christmas in a vintage style. It had stirred warm feelings of nostalgia inside Florrie when she'd first set eyes on it.

A squishy chair with a thick, woollen throw over its back sat before an open fireplace that had the remnants of a fire in its grate. Beside the chair was a small table upon which an open book had been left, cover side up, next to an antique lamp. Bookcases were tucked into the spaces either side of the fireplace, their shelves bulging with an array of winter-themed reads. Opposite the chair was a sideboard set with yet more books and a tray bearing a crystal glass containing the dregs of "brandy", a slice of half-eaten Christmas cake and a plump carrot complete with a bite taken out. In the corner was a Christmas tree, decorated with tiny baubles and topped with a star, a pile of presents stacked beneath. A black Labrador, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Gerty, was sitting beside the chair. It was wearing a surprised expression as it gazed in the direction of the fireplace where a pair of snow-covered black boots, trimmed with white faux fur, appeared to be disappearing up the chimney. As if that wasn't enough, snowy footprints, sparkling with frost, led from the hearth and across the rug to the sideboard. There were garlands swagged along the wall and a pair of embroidered Christmas stockings hanging from the fireplace, with yet more books peeking from the tops. Like the first display, Ed's attention to detail was impeccable, and although this window couldn't have been more different to the first, it was no less magical for it. Indeed, Florrie had wished she could climb right in and snuggle down into the armchair as she watched Santa climb up the chimney when Ed had first shown her the display.

Ed reached down and flicked another switch. In an instant, the embers in the grate suddenly began to flicker, while over on the sideboard, the table lamp emitted a warm glow. The multi-coloured fairy lights on the Christmas tree twinkled enchantingly, and Father Christmas's boots started bobbing up and down the chimney, while the Labrador's head cocked to one side, its ears lifting as it looked on. The children at the front gave a gasp of joy as a tiny toy mouse scurried over the floor.

Yet more cheers and applause follow, echoing around the square.

‘Everyone loves it, Ed.' Florrie beamed up at him. ‘Just as I knew they would.'

He glanced down at her, smiling. ‘Does this qualify for inclusion in The Happy Christmas Memories Project?'

‘It most certainly does.' She nodded, taking in the joy shining in his eyes.