Page 113 of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

Maddie bounds up to them. ‘Have you seen the children’s book nook, Theo? Come on.’

Theo doesn’t seem inclined to move.

‘I’ve not seen it either,’ Sheila says. ‘Shall we?’

Maddie is practically skipping as the four of them head towards the children’s section.

As they enter, Theo says, ‘Very nice. Well done, Maddie.’

Louise wants to punch him.

But Sheila more than makes up for his lukewarm response. ‘The wardrobe! The coats! Oh, Maddie. It’s like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I feel like I want to step inside.’

Maddie beams. ‘Then go ahead. Step inside.’

Sheila looks at her for a moment. ‘You don’t mean… seriously? Ooh, that’s so clever!’

She takes off her heels before stepping into the wardrobe and disappearing through the back.

‘Your turn, Theo,’ Louise says.

Theo seems reluctant. ‘I’m not sure I—’

‘Oh, Theo, you’ve got to see what your wonderful girlfriend has created on the other side. Go on, step in.’

‘Isn’t it for children?’

‘Isn’t there a child somewhere inside all of us?’ Louise fixes him with a stare. ‘Go on.’

Gingerly, he puts a foot into the wardrobe, then goes through the back, with Louise then Maddie close behind.

There is definitely a child inside Sheila, Louise thinks when she sees the author’s face as she regards Maddie’s recreation of Narnia. She’s enraptured, turning slowly, her eyes taking in every detail.

‘You created all this?’ she says. ‘How did you make Aslan?’

‘Old newspapers and chicken wire,’ Maddie says. ‘Do you like it, Theo?’

‘Very clever,’ he says, in a tone that suggests he finds it anything but.

Louise really wishes she could punch him.

And then someone else emerges from the wardrobe’s fabric back, saying, ‘Oh wow! Who made this?’

It’s Tom from the pub.

Louise wants to hug him. ‘Maddie.’

‘How on earth…? It must have taken ages,’ Tom says.

‘It did,’ Maddie says. ‘Days and days.’

‘Worth every minute.’ Tom is stroking Aslan. ‘Papier mâché?’

‘Yeah.’ Maddie is smiling at him.

‘We did that once at school. We made lanterns using balloons.’

‘I used a balloon to help with Aslan’s head,’ Maddie says.