Page 27 of The Bookshop By the Loch

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I’d also received a couple of tentative email enquiries from frustrated writers, who were trying to secure representation with agents or get published, who had seen my magazine and press adverts for editorial services and wanted to improve their manuscripts.

I made a note to get back to them with more information and details of my rates.

Then I began pulling together ideas for the shop’s official relaunch. I had just under three weeks till the re-opening and I knew the time would vanish in the run-up.

I decided to put any thoughts about that muppet Tobias Black to one side. Fingers crossed; I wouldn’t have to have any further dealings with him. Maybe he’d have second thoughts about moving to Bracken Way, seeing as he couldn’t get his ruthless hands on Book Ends for himself.

And like Trevor had pointed out, there weren’t any vacant business premises he could snap up at the moment anyway, thank goodness.

I told myself to stop thinking about that grouchy man and instead, switched my attention to more arrangements for our opening event. I thought the idea of laying on glasses of champagne would be a nice touch.

Once I’d made notes to discuss that with Mrs Hegarty, whose brother-in-law owned an upmarket wine and champagne business in Perth, I rang Trevor and arranged to meet him down at Book Ends that afternoon, to begin sorting out books we could sell at a fifty per cent discount.

The interior of the bookshop was slowly morphing into what I envisaged. The joiners were hard at work, putting the finishing touches to the floor-to-ceiling shelves and solid, wooden platforms had materialised in each window, to support the book displays.

The bookshop office was now gleaming with snow-white paint and was far airier.

After rummaging through several boxes of books in there, Trevor and me identified a large assortment of books for our first wave of sales, which he admitted hadn’t flown off the shelves.

They included everything from guidebooks and obscure memoirs to old cartography publications and autobiographies from Z-list celebrities.

I’d mentioned to John what we were doing and so he very kindly donated a huge pasting table for us to erect outside Book Ends. It was handy that we had the first of two bank holidays coming up this month, which we could use to entice people to peruse the books we were selling on discount. John’s table would be perfect for arranging our first batch of tomes on. There were more where they came from, judging by the other cardboard boxes Trevor had lined up in the office!

Monday morning rolled around, so I got ready, snatched some toast and tea and then took myself down to Mrs Hegarty’s tea room for opening time, ready to discuss our champagne requirements with her for Book Ends’ official re-opening. I was hoping we could secure a discount!

Then it would be straight across the road to help Trevor set up the discounted books for sale. It was going to be a hectic bank holiday Monday.

It was still a little too early for the ardent shoppers and day visitors yet. There was a languid atmosphere and only the odd dog walker and keen fresh air enthusiast were about. Another hour or so and Bracken Way would be buzzing again.

A big grin flashed across my face as I spotted John painting the windowsills with slicks of the dove-grey paint. I’d made arrangements with Mrs Hegarty to have her brother-in-law supply us with bottles of champagne and glasses for the re-opening. Another job done!

One of John’s younger colleagues, a tall, gangly lad with a ginger buzz cut, was gliding the same shade onto the shop door.

“Good morning,” I grinned at them. “It’s going to look so gorgeous when it’s finished.”

John stretched out his back. “I wondered if you were going to tell me I’d missed a bit.”

“As a matter of fact…” I teased.

John suddenly slapped his forehead. “Och, before I forget Lexie, Trevor popped by a short while ago. He said he’ll be back soon to help you set up. That cranky nephew of his was with him.”

My buoyant mood evaporated.

Had Tobias managed to talk his uncle into selling the shop lease to him, after all?

John’s voice broke through my concerns. “Trevor asked me to give him a ring when you turned up.” He pulled his phone out of the front pocket of his overalls. “Is that ok?”

I struggled to look calm. No, stop it, Lexie. You’re jumping to conclusions. “Yes, John. Of course, it is.”

John stepped a few feet away and rang Trevor. After a few verbal exchanges, he rang off. “He said they’ll be here in about ten minutes or so.”

“Ok. Thanks.” They? Oh, great. So, it sounded like Forrest Grump was coming along too.

I hovered outside Book Ends for a few minutes, appraising its new paintwork in progress, but was unable to concentrate on anything except speculating what Trevor wanted to discuss.