The Garden of Forgotten Wishes - Trisha Ashley Page 0,81

his face clouded suddenly and he told us that someone had stolen a copy that morning and he had his suspicions about who it was.

‘It seems an odd thing for anyone to take, really,’ I said, thinking that even in small rural villages, you couldn’t get away from shoplifting. It sounded, oddly, as though this was someone local and known to the shopkeeper …

19

Full House

Outside Toller’s general store, we bumped into the tall, rangy figure of Cressida Lordly-Grace, dressed in what was probably her everyday garb of riding breeches, boots and waxed jacket.

‘Hi, Cress,’ said Treena. ‘Marnie told me you lived in Jericho’s End. I just never happened to bump into you when your mum called me out to see her dogs, so didn’t make the connection.’

Cress looked faintly alarmed. ‘She didn’t mention there was anything wrong with Wu and Wang this morning – but I do keep telling her not to feed them cake and biscuits!’

‘It’s OK, I’m not here on an official call-out this time. I came over with a friend and thought I’d catch up with Marnie – she’s my adopted sister, you know.’

‘Oh, right,’ Cress said, looking relieved, probably because she’d been worried about the expense of Treen’s professional house calls. She looked interestedly at me. ‘I didn’t realize you were sisters. What a coincidence that I should know Treena.’

‘It’s a small world,’ I agreed, though I hadn’t realized quite how small, or how overlapping the coincidences were going to be, before I got the job here.

‘Mummy’s out of sherry, but so are Toller’s, unfortunately,’ Cress said, explaining her presence. ‘I might be able to buy a bottle in the Devil’s Cauldron, though.’

‘We’re on our way there for lunch,’ I said. ‘Treena’s friend Luke is the archaeologist who’s going to be in charge of the dig at the ruins after Easter and he’s looking over the site, then joining us for lunch.’

‘Would that be Luke Ridgeway?’ Cress exclaimed. ‘He rang me yesterday evening to ask if I could give him a room until they finish in September. Of course, I told him we’re just a B&B and don’t do lunches or evening meals, but he said that wasn’t a problem.’

‘He did mention he was going to look for somewhere to stay in the village,’ Treena said. ‘Risings will be very handy for the site, if you can take him.’

‘I’ve said I will. It’s a regular booking and he’s going to pay weekly, up front,’ she said cheerfully.

‘Why don’t you join us for lunch, too, Cress?’ I suggested. ‘Ned said he might come.’

She looked wistful. ‘I wish I could, but I won’t have time. I’ll need to drop the sherry in for Mummy and then dash off to give an advanced dressage class at the riding school at two. But I have got time for a cup of coffee, first.’

‘Won’t you want anything to eat?’ I asked. ‘A quick sandwich?’

‘No, we’ve got two lots of B&B guests and I find when I’ve cooked all those greasy breakfasts, I don’t feel hungry for hours. Gosh, it’s amazing how much food people can put away when they’ve paid for breakfast. They really want their money’s worth!’ she added. ‘And Mrs Laidlaw, who takes over when I have to go to the riding school, was late … and then, to top it all, Mummy suddenly reminded me about her sherry, which she needs because a friend is coming over later. So it’s all a bit of a scramble today.’

‘Well, have a cup of coffee and chill for half an hour before you rush off,’ Treena suggested.

We found Luke already there and Treena introduced him to me and to Cress, his future hostess.

He was like a taller, older version of Harry Potter, though with hazel eyes, instead of green, and an engagingly boyish smile.

He went to order our lunch and Cress’s coffee, and she and Treena fell into horse talk, as was entirely inevitable.

Cress told her how she kept her own horses at Brow Farm behind the house, where she rented two paddocks and some stabling.

‘It’s very convenient, because I can slip out for a hack whenever I get the chance. There are some great rides locally,’ she added. ‘If I can’t get up there, one of the boys from the farm sees to the horses for me.’

‘It sounds a perfect arrangement. The riding school looks after Zephyr very well, but it’s extremely expensive.’

‘Well, there’s room for a couple more horses with mine – you could move her up here,’ suggested