Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

W aving off her customer, Bea pulled her mobile from her pocket for the tenth time in as many minutes. Still nothing. Scott hadn't text or tried to call. Nothing.

Who was she kidding? Herself that was who. Why would he get in contact when she'd been the one to tell him to leave?

Picking up her cold coffee, she slumped her shoulders as she took a sip, the bitter cool liquid pooling in the back of her mouth. She hadn't slept a wink last night and she must have relived the conversation between her, Scott and Adam about a million times. How had things got to the point they had? Why had she tried to force the issue with Adam? If he'd come downstairs, asked to work at the counter and she'd just agreed then Scott wouldn't have seen how much it had bothered her. He wouldn't have felt the need to step in.

Not that he should have. Adam was her ex, nothing to do with Scott. She closed her eyes. She couldn't think straight. Hearing the door to the bookshop open, she quickly looked across, hoping it would be Scott. ‘Hi, Lyndsey. Did the kids go into school and nursery okay?'

‘Hi. Isaac did but Peony grumbled a bit. I have apologised for her behaviour in advance. If she'd anything like she is at home when she's tired then they're in for quite a day.' Lyndsey slipped her coat off. ‘You look shattered, why don't you go for a lie down? I can look after this place for a few hours.'

Bea shook her head. The last thing she needed was to lie there awake, trying to make sense of everything. ‘No, I might pop out though, if that's okay?'

‘Yes, of course it is. Are you going to see Scott?'

‘No, but I could do with getting something sugary. I'm going to pop over to Sadie's sweet shop. Do you want anything?'

‘No, I'm fine. Thanks.' Swapping her coat with Bea's, Lyndsey passed it to her.

‘Thanks, see you later.' Stepping outside, Bea stood still, letting the cool air wake her up a little before slipping on her coat. She could see Scott from here. His shop just across the green but the door was closed and without the A-frame outside she had no way to tell if he was in there or was out on a repair job.

She shook her head as she plunged her hands into her pockets. It didn't matter anyway. She wasn't quite ready to face him yet. With the events of last night still fresh in her mind and the fact he hadn't called or text her, she wasn't sure what to do, but one thing she did know was he hadn't made the effort to contact her and that told her all she needed to know.

Putting her head down, she made her way down the street towards Sadie's shop. She just needed something, anything sugary to get her through the day.

She stepped aside as she passed the café, keeping her head down as the door opened and someone joined her on the path.

‘Bea?' Enid's voice called softly behind her.

Stopping, Bea turned around and tried her best to smile and sound cheerful. ‘Hi, Enid. Have you…umm… started that new book yet?'

‘I'm a few pages in, yes. I like to read while I eat my breakfast you see.' Enid tilted her head. ‘Bea, love, you look like you've been crying.'

‘Oh, just a cold. That's all.'

‘Poppycock, you've not got a cold. Is this to do with Scott's interaction with your ex-husband yesterday evening?' Enid took a step forward.

Bea shrugged. Enid had been so kind and welcoming to her when she'd first arrived in Nettleford, she couldn't very well lie to her.

‘Come on in, we'll get a cuppa and have a little chat.' Enid pushed the café door open again, a blast of warm air gushing outside and engulfing them.

Bea looked to the café. It did look inviting, and she could do with a hot drink after the cold coffee she'd forced down earlier. Besides, what did she have to lose? ‘Okay.'

Pushing the flowery sugar pot across the table, Enid tapped it with her teaspoon. ‘Pop a couple of sugar cubes into your tea, love. It'll do you good.'

Doing as she was instructed, Bea dropped two cubes of sugar into her teacup and watched small droplets of tea run down her cup into the saucer after being displaced by the sugar.

‘Now, talk to me, love. Tell me what happened yesterday.'

‘You know what happened. You were there.' Picking up her teaspoon, Bea stirred and watched as the sugar dissolved, disappearing into the brown of the liquid.

Enid nodded. ‘I saw someone else on my rounds this morning. I ran into Scott on my way to the bakery. He was leaving to for a job. Told me it would take him most of the day.'

Bea nodded. Why did she need to know that? Picking up her teacup, she took a sip, the sweetness of the sugar sticking to her teeth.

‘And you're probably sitting there thinking what's she on about? Why do I need to know that?'

‘No, I…'

‘I'm telling you because if he doesn't pop round to smooth things over with you today, that's why. Because he's out.' She leaned back in her chair, the message delivered.

Bea frowned. ‘But he has a mobile. He could have text me or rung.'

Enid nodded slowly. ‘True, but there's something else too.'

‘There is?' What? He'd somehow conveniently lost his phone? Or dropped it and smashed it to smithereens?

‘That's right.' Leaning forward, Enid glanced around the café quickly before lowering her voice. ‘We spoke at quite a length about what happened yesterday and how he reacted and I think there may be a reason or two as to why things sparked so quickly between him and Adam.'

Okay, now Enid did have her attention. Not that she believed anything could excuse the way he spoke for her or the way he felt he'd had a right to jump in between her and Adam. ‘What did he say?'

‘Oh, love. He's been single for a long time now, since his ex left him.' She took a sip of her tea. ‘She left him for someone else. Her own ex.'

‘Really?' Bea frowned. What was she saying? ‘But that doesn't explain what happened yesterday or why he's not tried to contact me by phone.'

‘Doesn't it?' Enid tilted her head.

‘No, it doesn't. Me and Adam finished, not on great terms either, but I'd never try to stick my nose into Scott and his ex's business.'

‘I don't think he was trying to stick his oar in, so to speak. I think he just spoke up without thinking.' Enid shook her head. ‘I had to hold onto Alfred's arm to stop him striding over to the three of you and telling Adam just what he thought of him. he was being an eejit, plain and simple and Scott was just telling him so.'

Rounding her shoulders, Bea picked up another sugar cube with the tiny silver tongs and dropped it into her tea, watching it plummet to the bottom, the liquid no longer hot enough to dissolve the sugar crystals instantly. She hadn't realised Alfred had had the same reaction to Adam's behaviour. ‘Still, Alfred didn't act on it. Scott did. He shouldn't have.'

‘No, love. Maybe not.' Reaching across the table, Enid placed her hand over hers. ‘But remember Adam has been hanging around a lot recently and it's been getting you down. Maybe he was just trying to help.'

‘But he didn't know…' Bea shook her head. Scott had known how she'd felt about Adam being in the flat, she'd told him. ‘He did know. What's that got to do with his ex cheating on him though.'

Holding her hands up, Enid shrugged. ‘I can only guess but Nettleford is a small town, and everyone know everyone else's business. Perhaps he heard that Adam had cheated on you and so held that against him before he'd even met him?'

‘Adam didn't cheat on me.' Bea shook her head. ‘He didn't.'

‘Maybe not, but whether he did or not, if he'd heard Adam may have,' Enid raised her eyebrows, ‘then I'm sure that would be enough for him not to like the guy.'

‘I guess so.'

‘Right, well now I've said my piece, I'm going to have to leave you to it.' Enid tapped her watch. ‘I have Susan popping over in a few minutes.'

‘Okay. Thank you, Enid.'

‘You're welcome, love. And if it means anything, I think you and Scott make a lovely pair. He made a mistake, that's all.' Smiling, Enid stood up and tucked her chair under. ‘See you later, love. And remember whatever you decide to do, do it for you.'

‘I will. Thanks.' Bea watched her leave, before looking down into her teacup. The third sugar cube still hadn't dissolved, it was now clinging to the edge of the ceramic cup in a vain attempt to stay whole.