Page 42 of The Cotswold Christmas Bookshop

They talked about their Christmas plans; Jonathan and Miriam were heading off to Bristol to spend it with his sister, and Isla told them how they would be hosting her mum’s sister and husband on Boxing Day. They talked about the food they would eat and what they might be doing on New Year’s Eve, with them all agreeing they preferred a quiet new year at home than actually going out to celebrate.

After they’d finished their meal, and despite them all protesting they were far too full to even look at the dessert menu, they were coaxed by Giovanni to have a pudding, although seeing what was on offer, they didn’t take much persuading. Jonathan chose an affogato, Miriam chose a lemon torte and Isla went for the home-made tiramisu, which was every bit as delicious as it looked. Then when Isla thought Jonathan might ask for the bill, the waiter came and took their order for coffees and Giovanni insisted on them having a digestif too. It would have been rude to refuse so Isla joined the others in accepting a limoncello and she relaxed back in her chair, her tummy completely full and her mood mellow.

‘Right,’ said Jonathan, as he finished the last of his coffee, and took a deep breath as though bracing himself for what he was about to say. ‘You were asking about our plans?’

‘Well, only if you want to share them with me,’ she said. ‘I hope I didn’t put you on the spot earlier.’

‘No, of course not. You must realise that you are part of the Finch’s team, a central part of the team these last few weeks. We’ve not said anything sooner because it’s taken us a long time to get to the point where we are firm in the decision we’ve made.’

‘Although that could change on a whim!’ said Miriam breezily, which elicited a disapproving stare from Jonathan over the top of his glasses.

Ignoring his wife’s flippancy, he continued. ‘As I mentioned, we are so grateful to you for all the help you’ve given us recently. It came at the perfect time, allowing us a bit of distance from the shop and the freedom to reflect on what it is we want to do with the rest of our lives. To be honest with you, I think it’s done me the power of good, health wise. Miriam’s noticed the change in me, haven’t you, love?’

Miriam duly nodded.

‘When I wake up in the mornings now, my first thought isn’t the shop and all the jobs I have to do, but instead I can focus on the day stretching out in front of me. I can savour the moment. We can take our time over a cup of coffee instead of having to rush out of the house. Now we have time to stop and smell the roses, as they say.’ He gave a chuckle. ‘I haven’t needed to worry about the shop because I’ve known it’s been in very safe hands with you. I can’t tell you what a weight off my mind it has been.’

‘I’ve been happy to help,’ said Isla, although she had hoped that her stint working at Finch’s might have given Jonathan and Miriam a renewed appetite for running the business. In fact, it seemed to have had entirely the opposite effect.

‘We’ve decided we want to get a dog in the new year. I’ve always wanted one, but we’ve never been in a position to take on the responsibility before, what with working in the shop every day. It wouldn’t have been fair on a dog.’

‘We’re going to get a Golden Retriever puppy,’ explained Miriam, clapping her hands together joyfully. ‘We’ve found a reputable breeder who is expecting to have a litter in March, so we’ve put our names down for one. It’s very exciting.’

‘We’ve got lots of plans,’ Jonathan continued. ‘We want to buy a motorhome as well and tour the UK, taking the dog with us.’

‘That sounds wonderful,’ said Isla, feeling a sadness rise up in her body. She was pleased for Jonathan and Miriam – it was wonderful to hear them sounding so enthusiastic and full of renewed vigour, and she had to admit, Jonathan was looking so much better – but their positivity was for another type of lifestyle entirely. The break had obviously been hugely beneficial for Jonathan, but what he was telling her could only mean one thing. ‘So, you’ve decided to sell the shop?’ she said, almost afraid to ask.

‘It hasn’t been an easy decision, but yes. We’re going to close down the business and sell the shop and flat.’

‘Oh…’ There it was. The stark truth delivered coolly. There were so many questions Isla wanted to ask, but she needed to keep a check on her emotions. The last thing Jonathan and Miriam wanted was for Isla to break down in tears in the middle of the restaurant. ‘Could you not sell the business as a going concern?’

‘We did consider that, but then quickly discarded the idea. It is the family name above the door and I would never want someone else to take over the shop, in our name, who might steer it in a completely different direction to one that wouldn’t fit with our core values and ethos. We would have no control over that.’

Isla nodded, understanding completely.

‘Of course, if it was someone like you taking over the shop then we wouldn’t have any such concerns, but how would we know what a new owner’s intentions might be?’ said Miriam gravely. ‘We couldn’t take the risk!’

Isla noticed how Jonathan’s brow furrowed and how the deeply etched vertical lines between his brows appeared as he gave a disapproving glance to his wife.

‘In the new year, we’ll let people know our plans, close down the business and put the property on the market.’

The way Jonathan spoke about it so matter-of-factly sent a cold shiver down Isla’s spine. They’d had some time to get used to their decision, but for Isla, she wasn’t sure she would ever get used to the idea of Finch’s not being a fixture in Bramlingham.

‘The thing is, you still won’t have any control over who buys the building and what the new people might do with it. They could turn it into a vape den or a gaming studio. Who knows?’ Isla leaned across the table, her voice filled with emotion.

‘I’m sure it won’t come to that. There are certain rules and regulations about the type of businesses that are allowed to trade in Bramlingham.’

‘That’s something at least, I suppose.’ She played with her glass of limoncello before taking a sip, its sharpness making her shudder. ‘It seems such a shame for everybody, though: the community, all our lovely customers, Heathcliff the cat. I suppose they’ll have to buy their books online now.’ There had been a lot of meaningful glances going on between Jonathan and Miriam, which Isla couldn’t make sense of, although she knew her comments weren’t helping at all. She took a deep breath, brushing her own feelings to one side. ‘Sorry if I don’t sound pleased for you. I do understand and I am really happy for you. You have both given so much of yourselves to the shop. You deserve to have a long and fulfilling retirement. And the money from the sale of the business will no doubt allow you to do that.’

‘It isn’t about the money,’ said Jonathan fiercely. ‘It isn’t about that at all.’

‘No, of course not,’ she said, thinking how she’d clearly put her foot in it. She gave an apologetic smile, not wanting to upset Jonathan any further. He gathered himself and addressed her more kindly this time.

‘Now, we wanted you to be the first to know of our plans, Isla, but can we ask you not to whisper a word of this to anyone until we make the official announcement in the new year? We don’t want rumours spreading unnecessarily. Obviously, we’ll be telling Penny as soon as we have details of the timeline so we can give her as much notice as we possibly can, but again, if you could keep it to yourself for the time being. Closing a bookshop down that has been established for years doesn’t happen overnight. It will be a couple of months before we finally shut the front door for good.’

Poor Penny. Isla knew that Penny had an inkling that her job might be in danger and now her worst fears would be confirmed. It wouldn’t be easy to find another part-time job that offered her the same sort of hours and in such a lovely workplace too.

‘Your secret is safe with me,’ Isla said, zipping her mouth tight with her fingers, but feeling desperately sad and guilty about it as she said so. Not only would it be a terrible personal loss for Isla, but it would also impact on so many other people too. The shop’s customers, suppliers, the neighbouring traders, Penny, Henry, Heathcliff and the entire local community. Jonathan and Miriam might not realise it yet, but they were making the wrong decision. Isla was certain of that, but frustratingly, it seemed as though she was powerless to do anything to stop them.