Shopaholic and Sister (Shopaholic #4)

“That’s… fab.” I rouse myself and smile. “I’ll always wear it.” I slip it onto my wrist and give Kelly a tight hug.

“I wish you weren’t going.” Kelly’s bottom lip sticks out. “Will you ever come back to Scully?”

“I don’t know,” I say after a pause. “I don’t think so. But listen, if you ever come to London, give me a call. OK?”

“OK.” Kelly brightens. “Can we go to Topshop?”

“Of course!”

“Should I start saving now?” Jim says ruefully, and we both start giggling.

A tinkle at the door interrupts us and we all look up to see Edie walking into the shop in her green head scarf, together with Lorna and the well-dressed lady from the night before. They’re all looking exceedingly self-conscious.

“Edie!” says Jim, glancing at his watch in surprise. “What can I do for you?”

“Morning, Jim,” says Edie, avoiding his eye. “I’d like some bread, please. A wholemeal and a bloomer.”

“Bread?” says Jim, looking dumbfounded. “But Edie… it’s ten o’clock in the morning.”

“I know the time, thank you,” she retorts stiffly.

“But… it’s full price.”

“I’d like some bread,” she snaps. “Is that too much to ask?”

“Of… course not!” says Jim, still looking dazed. He gets down the loaves and wraps them in paper. “That’ll be… one pound ninety-six.”

There’s a pause, and I can hear Edie breathe in sharply. Then she rummages in her bag for her purse and unclips it.

“Two pounds,” she says, handing over the coins. “Much obliged.”

I do not believe it. Kelly and I just sit there, goggling in silence, as the other two women buy three loaves of bread and a bag of sandwich rolls between them. Lorna even throws in a couple of Chelsea buns at the last moment.

As the door closes behind them, Jim sinks down onto his stool.

“Well. Who would have thought it?” He shakes his head in wonder, then points at me. “That’s you, Becky.”

“It’s not me,” I say, flushing a little. “They probably just needed bread.”

“It was you!” says Kelly. “It was what you said! Mum told me all about the meeting,” she adds. “She said you seemed a nice girl, even if you were a bit—”

“Kelly,” Jim puts in quickly. “Why don’t you make Becky a cup of tea?”

“No, it’s OK. I’m going.” I hesitate, then reach into my pocket and pull out the little Tiffany bag. “Jim, I wanted to ask you a favor. Could you give this to Jess? It’s something I bought for her a while ago. I know everything’s different now… but still.”

“I’m heading up to her house just now, to take a delivery,” says Jim. “Why not leave it there yourself?”

“Oh.” I shrink back. “No. I… I don’t want to see her.”

“She won’t be there. They’ve all gone off for the endurance hike. I’ve got a key to her house.”

“Oh, right.” I hesitate.

“I could do with the company,” Jim adds with a shrug, and picks up a sack of potatoes.

“Well…” I put the Tiffany bag back in my pocket. “OK. I’ll come.”

The clouds are growing thicker as we walk along the empty streets, and I can feel spots of rain on my face. I’m aware of Jim shooting me the odd concerned glance.

“You’ll be all right, back in London?” he says eventually.

“I guess.”

“Have you spoken to your husband?”

“No.” I bite my lip. “I haven’t.”

Jim pauses, and transfers his potatoes to the other shoulder.

“So,” he says easily. “How did a nice girl like you end up with a marriage in trouble?”

“It’s my own fault. I did some… stupid things. And my husband got really angry. He said… he said he wished I were more like Jess.”

“Did he?” Jim looks a bit taken aback. “I mean, Jess is a fine lass,” he hastily amends. “But I wouldn’t have… anyway, that’s not here or there.” He coughs and rubs his nose.

“That’s why I came up here. To learn from her. But it was a stupid idea.”

We’ve reached the end of Jess’s street, and Jim pauses for a rest before climbing the steep incline. The gray stone houses are glistening in the drizzle, stark against the distant misty hills. I can just see a flock of sheep grazing high up, like dots of cotton wool on the green.