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Authors: Katie Fforde
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that keen to rush back to the library either. ‘Is it very boring, sorting out old books?’
‘No. It’s fascinating and I love it. But I mustn’t waste any more of your time.’
‘I’ll tell you when the soup is ready.’
Just as James turned to leave, Sian and Rory entered the kitchen.
‘I knocked and called but you didn’t answer, so we just came in.’ Sian looked at Fiona and then James. ‘I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.’
‘No, no, not at all. I was expecting you.’ She smiled and said, ‘This is James – James Langley, bookseller.’
‘Hi,’ said Sian, shaking his hand and adding, ‘Are you looking for first editions of James Bond with their dust jackets?’
James laughed. ‘No. I don’t think there’s anything like that here. But there are many other treasures.’ He turned to Fiona and said, ‘Would you mind if I used the desk? For my record-keeping?’
‘Use anything you think you need, of course!’ said Fiona. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like another coffee? The soup will be a little while yet.’
‘Don’t make soup specially!’ said Sian. ‘You’ve got enough to do. Rory and I have brought some pasties we made. They’ll be plenty for lunch.’ She looked at James. ‘And for you too, if you’d like.’
‘I brought sandwiches,’ James said to Sian. ‘But a homemade pasty would be far nicer.’
Sian chuckled. ‘Actually, you don’t know that. Rory helped with them quite a lot.’
‘Ah, the man Mrs Matcham would marry in a giddy minute,’ he said.
Fiona laughed. ‘That’s right! And do call me Fiona. Please. Otherwise I’ll have to revert to calling you Mr Langley, and you’ve been James in my head for a while now.’
A flicker of emotion crossed James Langley’s face and Fiona suddenly realised she’d said something that sounded significant. ‘I’ll make some coffee,’ she said quickly, ‘to keep you going until lunchtime.’
‘Well, I’ll just settle Rory with some toys and I’ll meet you at the barn, Fiona.’ Sian moved towards the door. ‘Don’t be long.’
Chapter Six
When Fiona caught up with Sian at the barn door, wearing a determined expression, she suddenly felt a bit weak.
‘Do we have to do it today? I know it was my idea but I can’t believe I suggested it on the same way as a dinner party.’
‘Well, you said you wanted it at least started before the dinner party. Why don’t we just do a bit this morning and then this afternoon we’ll concentrate on the house and the food?’
Fiona realised she wasn’t going to be able to get out of it and she was quite well ahead with her menu already. ‘OK, I’ll just find my boiler suit.’
‘Boiler suit, Fiona?’
‘It was my husband’s and I can still fit into it. It’s also very warm, and has had so much paint splattered on it, it’s practically waterproof.’
‘Get it on, then!’
‘And I’ll find some gloves. I’ve got loads of pairs.’
Soon the two women had the barn doors open and were staring at the piles of furniture that confronted them.
‘OK,’ said Sian. ‘We need to sort. A keep, sell, paint, chuck—’
‘Or burn.’
‘—areas,’ Sian finished, laughing.
‘Right!’ said Fiona, trying to sound decisive, but not moving.
Sian glanced at her friend and saw she was frozen in indecision. She picked up a table that turned out to be a nest of tables. ‘Keep?’
Fiona shook her head. ‘You know I hate nests of tables.’
‘Well, sell them.’
‘Who on earth would want them? And how would I sell them anyway?’
‘Just put everything you want to sell in a corner and get the local auction house along. They’ll at least get rid of it. If it’s got woodworm or anything, we can have a massive bonfire.’
‘Oh yes! That sounds fun.’ Fiona sighed. ‘I’d probably be happy to burn all of it really.’
‘Not at all!’ Sian was horrified. ‘You just don’t know what’s here, that’s the trouble.’ She paused. ‘Tell you what, if
‘No. It’s fascinating and I love it. But I mustn’t waste any more of your time.’
‘I’ll tell you when the soup is ready.’
Just as James turned to leave, Sian and Rory entered the kitchen.
‘I knocked and called but you didn’t answer, so we just came in.’ Sian looked at Fiona and then James. ‘I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.’
‘No, no, not at all. I was expecting you.’ She smiled and said, ‘This is James – James Langley, bookseller.’
‘Hi,’ said Sian, shaking his hand and adding, ‘Are you looking for first editions of James Bond with their dust jackets?’
James laughed. ‘No. I don’t think there’s anything like that here. But there are many other treasures.’ He turned to Fiona and said, ‘Would you mind if I used the desk? For my record-keeping?’
‘Use anything you think you need, of course!’ said Fiona. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like another coffee? The soup will be a little while yet.’
‘Don’t make soup specially!’ said Sian. ‘You’ve got enough to do. Rory and I have brought some pasties we made. They’ll be plenty for lunch.’ She looked at James. ‘And for you too, if you’d like.’
‘I brought sandwiches,’ James said to Sian. ‘But a homemade pasty would be far nicer.’
Sian chuckled. ‘Actually, you don’t know that. Rory helped with them quite a lot.’
‘Ah, the man Mrs Matcham would marry in a giddy minute,’ he said.
Fiona laughed. ‘That’s right! And do call me Fiona. Please. Otherwise I’ll have to revert to calling you Mr Langley, and you’ve been James in my head for a while now.’
A flicker of emotion crossed James Langley’s face and Fiona suddenly realised she’d said something that sounded significant. ‘I’ll make some coffee,’ she said quickly, ‘to keep you going until lunchtime.’
‘Well, I’ll just settle Rory with some toys and I’ll meet you at the barn, Fiona.’ Sian moved towards the door. ‘Don’t be long.’
Chapter Six
When Fiona caught up with Sian at the barn door, wearing a determined expression, she suddenly felt a bit weak.
‘Do we have to do it today? I know it was my idea but I can’t believe I suggested it on the same way as a dinner party.’
‘Well, you said you wanted it at least started before the dinner party. Why don’t we just do a bit this morning and then this afternoon we’ll concentrate on the house and the food?’
Fiona realised she wasn’t going to be able to get out of it and she was quite well ahead with her menu already. ‘OK, I’ll just find my boiler suit.’
‘Boiler suit, Fiona?’
‘It was my husband’s and I can still fit into it. It’s also very warm, and has had so much paint splattered on it, it’s practically waterproof.’
‘Get it on, then!’
‘And I’ll find some gloves. I’ve got loads of pairs.’
Soon the two women had the barn doors open and were staring at the piles of furniture that confronted them.
‘OK,’ said Sian. ‘We need to sort. A keep, sell, paint, chuck—’
‘Or burn.’
‘—areas,’ Sian finished, laughing.
‘Right!’ said Fiona, trying to sound decisive, but not moving.
Sian glanced at her friend and saw she was frozen in indecision. She picked up a table that turned out to be a nest of tables. ‘Keep?’
Fiona shook her head. ‘You know I hate nests of tables.’
‘Well, sell them.’
‘Who on earth would want them? And how would I sell them anyway?’
‘Just put everything you want to sell in a corner and get the local auction house along. They’ll at least get rid of it. If it’s got woodworm or anything, we can have a massive bonfire.’
‘Oh yes! That sounds fun.’ Fiona sighed. ‘I’d probably be happy to burn all of it really.’
‘Not at all!’ Sian was horrified. ‘You just don’t know what’s here, that’s the trouble.’ She paused. ‘Tell you what, if
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