Page 46 of My Kind of Happy

Delphine tutted fondly. ‘I haven’t noticed, dear. And you shouldn’t be looking at your age.’

‘I might be old, but my eyes still know what they like, eh?’ She winked at me.

‘I’ve already met the man you mean,’ I said, enjoying their banter. This would be Laura and me when we were their age; it was a warming thought.

‘Oh!’ Maria hooted with laughter. ‘You also think he sexy, your face go red like roses.’

‘Anyway,’ I said swiftly, willing my cheeks to calm down. ‘As Nina said, I’m her new partner. I’m new to floristry, but I’ve loved flowers since my grandmother taught me how to make a daisy chain and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone’s favourite flower. What’s yours?’

‘Jasmine. The perfume on a hot day in Italy is like heaven on earth.’ Maria kissed her fingertips, adding darkly, ‘No point growing it here.’

‘And mine is violets,’ said Delphine dreamily and Maria patted her arm. ‘I adore them. But I haven’t come to buy today, I need your help, I’m afraid.’

She reached into a voluminous shopping bag and produced a jug of sprigs of battered lilac, interspersed with woody stems of waxy variegated leaves.

I buried my nose in the frothy flowers. ‘Mmm, divine.’

‘Yes but they keep flopping over.’ Delphine frowned.

I was confused. ‘And how can we help?’

‘She need your help,’ said Maria, folding her arms. ‘She fiddle with it all morning. I tell her to put more in, but it still looks like a doggy dinner.’

I gave Nina a bemused look; had she really brought her own flowers into a florist to be arranged for free?

‘I’ll just, er, leave you to get to know one another.’ Nina picked up my notepad and pen and disappeared through the arch.

‘So then I took them out again,’ Delphine continued. ‘But whatever I do, they don’t look right. I added the euonymus in to pad it out but that didn’t help either.’

‘Ah, I see.’ I blinked at her.

She gave a tinkling laugh. ‘I was just as bad with the tulips I picked. Nina made a splendid job of arranging those.’

I had to smile. The reason for the business’s failings were becoming more and more apparent with every passing day. Nina ran her business as an extension of herself. She was kind but completely uncommercial. She did what she loved and turned a blind eye to the bits she didn’t. Freddie would have adored her.

‘Let me see what I can do,’ I said, taking the jug from her. ‘Ah, I think I see the problem. I’d suggest a jug with a narrower neck.’

‘I tell her that,’ Maria put in.

‘Oh, shush,’ said Delphine. ‘This one matches my bedroom.’

‘In that case, let’s try this.’ I took a piece of flower foam from under the counter and cut it to size.

‘I never use foam,’ she said, leaning in. ‘I’ve always been a bit scared of it.’

I soaked it in water, fitted it into the jug and quickly arranged the flowers in it.

‘Santo cielo!’ Maria said, clapping her hands. ‘You come up trumpets again.’

‘Yes well done,’ Delphine agreed.

‘You’re welcome,’ I said, helping her to put the flowers back into her bag without damaging the flower heads.

Delphine might not have spent any money, but I had made an old lady happy and as Nina had already set a precedent, I could hardly have refused to help her out. Besides, perhaps she couldn’t afford to buy flowers every week.

‘Right,’ said Delphine putting her hood back up. ‘How about treating ourselves to a slice of cake and a cappuccino next door before braving the wind and rain again, Maria?’

‘I always say yes to cake,’ Maria answered, zipping her coat back up. ‘Ciao, Nina, ciao Fearne!’