Page 46 of The Cotswold Christmas Bookshop

‘Ah, it’s great that place. Probably my favourite restaurant in town. You know, you and I should go together sometime.’

‘Yes!’ She liked the way he threw the suggestion out casually as though there was a natural assumption that there would be further dates.

‘Right, I think we’re about ready,’ he said, a few minutes later, pulling plates out of the oven and serving up the food with a flourish. He was clearly capable and confident in the kitchen and Isla enjoyed watching him, the master of his own domain. ‘So, we have baked salmon with a honey glaze and a creamy dill sauce, sautéed potatoes and tenderstem broccoli.’

‘Wow, it looks incredible. I can’t wait to get stuck in,’ she said as Guy poured glasses of white wine.

‘Do you cook?’ he asked as he sat down to join her.

‘Not really. I can knock up a couple of pasta recipes, but it’s not my favourite thing to do. Although I really enjoy baking.’

‘Excellent. We will complement each other perfectly in the kitchen then with us both having our own areas of expertise.’ There he went again talking about a supposed future with her, although it didn’t annoy Isla in the slightest. It only teased and intrigued her, and she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her face.

‘Jon and Miriam were talking about their plans for their retirement,’ she told him. ‘It’s great to see them both so positive and upbeat after a pretty bad year health wise for Jon.’

‘Yeah, they really are a lovely couple. Everybody speaks highly of them in Bramlingham so they deserve to have a great future whatever it is they decide to do.’

She’d been hoping to draw Guy a little more, so that he might express a view on the sale of the bookshop, but she should know him better than that now. He was totally professional and discreet when it came to his business dealings.

‘I still feel so sad that Bramlingham might lose its only decent bookshop, though,’ she said, taking a sip of her wine as she rested her knife and fork for a moment. She’d thought she might feel self-conscious being at Guy’s place, but she’d had no need to worry because he’d made her feel completely relaxed and at home from the moment she walked through the door. The food was absolutely delicious, the wine was flowing easily and being with Guy felt effortless. She didn’t need to try too hard. She could be her authentic self, and he was charming and easy company.

‘Well, who knows what will happen,’ he added. ‘Nothing’s set in stone until the paperwork is signed, but the bookshop certainly represents a great opportunity for somebody.’

Isla had thought the same thing. It was a great opportunity for somebody. Somebody with deep pockets.

‘From your experience, what would you expect someone to do with the place?’ She tried to keep her tone light as though she was genuinely curious and not probing for information. ‘Keep it as a shop or something else, perhaps?’

However hard Isla tried to imagine Finch’s as a different retail outfit, she couldn’t visualise it. To her, it would always be the quaint bookshop at the end of the cobbled alleyway.

‘There are endless possibilities,’ he said with a careless shrug. ‘Certainly a specialist retail outlet of some kind, or it could be converted into flats.’

‘What!’ Isla sounded alarmed. She hadn’t even thought of that possibility. ‘But it’s a listed building.’

‘Yes, but that’s not to say it couldn’t be done. I’ve worked on several similar projects in the past.’

‘Really? That would be a travesty!’ She didn’t care what Guy might think of her opinion. Had it been his plan all along? To buy the building for himself, convert it into fancy flats and make an absolute killing? She felt an anger rise up through her body, and she crossed her arms grumpily.

Guy, clearly picking up on her shift in her mood, tried to reassure her.

‘It’s probably best not to speculate until we know what Miriam and Jon decide to do.’

That was the problem, though: the couple had made clear their intentions, which filled her with sadness.

‘Anyway, tell me,’ Guy asked, clearly keen to move the subject away from the shop. ‘What will you do if you decide not to take the job?’

She paused for a moment to put all thoughts of Finch’s out of her head. The decision was out of her hands. She needed to focus on the here and now, and her own future too.

‘I’m not sure,’ she admitted. ‘When I was made redundant, it was possibly the worst thing that had ever happened to me. My career was my whole life and I didn’t know who I was without my job. I realise now that was an unhealthy way of living, but coming home, spending time with the family and working at the bookshop has given me a different perspective. Maybe it was the universe’s way of telling me that I need to take a hard look at my life and make some fundamental changes.’

‘Exactly. Look on it as…’ He paused, a sense of mischief hovering on his lips. ‘I don’t know, an opportunity. I’m guessing you could use your skills and experience in a freelance capacity too, if that was something you wanted to do.’

‘It’s something I’ve thought about, working on a contract basis for publishing houses and authors. It’s the part of the job I love the most, working on a manuscript and making it shine, so that idea is a definite possibility.’

‘Or… you could write your second book?’

She looked at him quizzically.

‘Well, you told me about the book you wrote when you were a kid. I suspect you’ve learned a bit since then. You’re probably ready to write the sequel now.’