Page 92 of Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

But she needn’t have worried. By mid-morning the place was packed with locals wandering about and purchasing lots of goodies.

‘Is it always this busy?’ Lily managed to ask Skye at a brief interlude later in the morning.

‘Every month,’ said Skye, looking proud. ‘It was all Will’s idea. He got it up and running.’

‘Excuse me, but is there a drinks stand or somewhere to get a cup of tea?’ asked a lady nearby.

‘I’m afraid not,’ said Skye.

As the lady went away, Skye looked at Lily and shrugged. ‘We have mulled wine at Christmas, but I suppose we should think about something else for the rest of the year.’

They were then interrupted by someone else asking about one of Skye’s decorated lanterns, so Lily left them to it. She walked through the main avenue, past the stalls, and found her feet leading her to where Jack was sorting out some wiring inside the dairy house.

‘Looks like the weather will hold,’ Lily told him.

‘Thank goodness,’ said Jack. ‘Because I don’t think it’s quite ready for anyone to use as a shelter yet.’

‘Have you tried the cake?’ she asked, as he carried on fixing a light switch onto the wall.

‘Not my thing,’ he replied. ‘Although I’d kill for a coffee right now.’

Lily frowned. ‘You’re the second person who’s just mentioned the lack of refreshments. I wonder if we need to set up an extra stall next time.’

Jack nodded. ‘Sounds like a good idea.’

‘Of course, if it rains…’ she began, her voice trailing off as she stared around the large room.

‘What?’ said Jack.

‘A tea room!’ said Lily, with a wide smile.

Jack raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought you weren’t supposed to be taking on any more work.’

‘But it’s just lying here, empty,’ she told him, waving her arm around the room. ‘What do we need?’

‘Electricity,’ he told her. ‘Tables, chairs, someone to serve, food. All of it.’

But Lily could only see the possibilities. ‘A tea room! That’s such a good idea! Oh my God. I must go and tell Annie.’

But Jack reached out his arm to stop her leaving. ‘No, no, no way,’ he said, shaking his head.

She gave him a winning smile and kissed him briefly on the cheek, before ducking under his arm and rushing out of the door.

She came across Rose almost immediately.

‘Rose!’ she said, rushing up to her. ‘We’ve just had the most amazing idea.’

However, Rose wasn’t listening to her. Instead, she was glaring across the courtyard.

‘Whatever’s the matter?’ asked Lily.

‘That man!’ hissed Rose. ‘The bare-faced cheek of him coming here!’

Lily looked across at a well-dressed older man walking about from stall to stall, although he didn’t appear to be buying anything.

‘Who is it?’ whispered Lily.

‘That,’ spat Rose, in a white-hot fury, ‘is Eric Thatcher! And with him is that grubby Councillor Roberts.’