The Little Book Café: Tash’s Story. Georgia Hill
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Название: The Little Book Café: Tash’s Story
Автор: Georgia Hill
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Кулинария
isbn: 9780008281267
isbn:
Tash shifted against him. ‘That’s come out of the blue.’
‘Not really. I used to go every year before I met you.’
‘It’s funny. You’ve never really talked about then. Before me, I mean. Have you had many girlfriends?’ She twisted her head round to look up at him and caught his quizzical smile.
‘Never a very ladylike thing to ask, Natasha.’ He laughed softly. ‘I had my fair share, I suppose. What about you?’
‘Not the most gentlemanly thing to ask,’ she countered. ‘I was always too busy concentrating on work. Only had one boyfriend before you.’
‘Really?’ Adrian sounded pleased.
‘And at school I was always the fat one with glasses. Had my eyes lasered as soon as I could. None of the boys wanted to know until I was twenty-four and I’d lost three stone and the bottom of bottle specs.’ Tash giggled but there was an underlying note of hurt. ‘Then I had the satisfaction of telling them where to go.’
‘I bet you did. I really can’t imagine you fat.’ He pinched her thigh quite hard. ‘Who was this one boyfriend, then?’
‘Lee Styles. He got engaged to Amy Chilcombe last year but dumped her at the altar.’
‘How awful,’ Adrian murmured. ‘Who’s Amy Chilcombe?’
‘She’s running Millie’s new bookshop. The one where the book club was held last night.’ Tash could have sawed out her tongue with a blunt knife. The book club was a touchy subject. The Puccini ended and the room fell ominously silent. She tensed for Adrian’s inevitable quicksilver change of mood.
‘You still haven’t told me who was there.’ Adrian still sounded relaxed but Tash detected an edge to his voice.
‘Oh, you know, the usual.’ She felt the muscles in his arm stiffen.
‘I don’t know, actually. Tell me.’
‘Millie, Amy, Emma of course. Oh, and Biddy, and some snob called Marti and a few of her acolytes. She lives on the estate.’
‘Natasha please. Executive housing development. It’s hardly an estate.’ Adrian chuckled and then his mood changed. ‘Any men?’ This time there was definite steel in his voice.
‘Erm, a couple. A writer called Patrick Carroll or something and some bloke called Kit, I think.’ Tash said, deliberately vague.
‘Ah. And was that one of them walking back along the promenade when I picked you up?’
‘Dunno. Might have been.’ Tash hated how defensive Adrian made her feel.
‘Tall chap. Scruffy. Wearing a disreputable beanie.’
‘Sounds like the Kit bloke,’ Tash admitted. She’d have to tell him the truth; he had a way of finding out when she lied. ‘He helped Millie clear up.’ She waited for Adrian’s reaction, without daring to breathe.
‘Ah.’
Tash forced herself to relax. He’d taken it quite well.
Adrian kissed the top of her head. ‘And now, my darling, I think it’s time for bed.’
He made her dress up in the PVC nurse’s outfit. When she complained, he pouted and said that after all the trouble he’d gone to with dinner, it was the least she could do. But, apart from that, the sex was fairly normal. For once.
On her day off Tash decided to go for a walk. She hardly ever went for walks. It wasn’t something she and Adrian did. Meals in expensive restaurants or drinks parties with his business contacts were more their style. Or rather Adrian’s style. She missed the simpler pleasures she’d enjoyed before him. It was funny how life with Adrian had consumed her. She used to love walking her parents’ dog. She hadn’t seen them for ages, or Benji, their over-indulged Westie. So she decided – once Adrian had left for work, she’d go and have a coffee with her mother and borrow the dog for a few hours.
She waved Adrian off at dawn on a peerlessly beautiful August day. The house martins chattered above them as she saw him into his car. He was going on one of his regular trips to Manchester to reccie possible development projects and was grumpy. He hated going away.
Looking up at the birds, he grumbled, ‘We’ll have to clear the guttering before they nest next year. They’ve made a right mess. Put netting up. Bloody things.’
Tash smiled tightly. She handed him his briefcase as he squeezed into the Porsche. She wasn’t the only one putting on weight. ‘Drive safely.’
‘Will do, don’t want to risk any more points on the licence. Cops spot this car and think it’s fair game. I’ll give you a ring tonight.’ He slammed the car door hard, revved the engine and gave a loud toot as he went.
Tash winced as she saw curtains twitch in the house opposite. It was very early. She wished Adrian would be a little more considerate sometimes. Giving a conciliatory wave to her neighbour who had opened her bedroom window and glared, she fled inside. She tried to ignore the flush of freedom that a few days without Adrian always produced.
‘This is more like it,’ Tash chatted to Benji as he scampered up the hill. She’d driven to a local spot popular with dog walkers on the outskirts of Berecombe. Once an old hill fort, it had spectacular views over Chesil Beach and towards Portland. As it was still early, there were few others about and a cool breeze softened the hot day which promised.
It had been a good summer. The town was full to bursting with tourists and the place was revving up for Lifeboat Month. Some complained the grockles got in the way, that you couldn’t walk along the pavements and there was never anywhere to park but Tash loved the buzz. As she’d driven through town yesterday, on the way to the office, the bunting was being strung up across the main street; she adored its frivolity.
She wandered to the eastern side of the hill and perched on one of the benches, enjoying the sight of the sea, a smudge of silvered pink in the early morning haze. Benji nosed contentedly around at her feet. Tash closed her eyes. She felt very peaceful and curiously free. She had two whole days to herself. Adrian wasn’t back until Thursday. She concentrated on the sound of a bird, a skylark maybe, high above her and the snuffle of Benji’s nose as he discovered fascinating new smells. His sudden bark had her eyes open in a flash.
‘Hello there.’
A man was standing a little way away from her. He had his hand on the collar of the most enormous dog Tash had ever seen. It was grey and rangy with a noble head. Not unlike its owner. ‘Kit. Hello.’
‘I’m sorry. Did I disturb you?’
The Westie had his hackles up and had begun to growl. ‘Benji, stop that,’ Tash scolded and clipped the terrier back on the lead. ‘Sorry, he can be a bit of a grump with other dogs sometimes.’
‘Not a problem. Merlin can look upon dogs smaller than him as prey but he’s very laidback most of the time. May I join you, or СКАЧАТЬ