advisor’s choice no doubt. ‘When
I reopen the shop I’m just going to be selling frocks.’
‘Selling? Frocks? Disgusting!’ Biddy snorted. ‘Where are we going to get our bits and pieces from now, then?’
‘Biff and Hedley Pippin are taking lots of the stock for their shop,’ Frankie said. ‘So if you catch the off-peak bus to go
into Winterbrook I’m sure you’ll find something really cheap to buy in there, and it all goes to a good cause.’
‘I likes the hiring, not the buying. I don’t want stuff cluttering up my maisonette. And the Pippins’ shop’s for animals.’
Biddy sniffed. ‘Bloody animal charity shop they run. I ain’t giving my hard-earned to no animals.’
‘Oh, dear, that’s a pity.’ Frankie decided she really, really didn’t like Biddy. ‘Please excuse me, I’m really busy, but now
you’re here, do stay and have a look round.’
Biddy snorted again. ‘Bet you’re charging an arm and a leg for it and –’
The rest of her disgruntled reply was lost in a gale of giggles from the far side of the shop where Frankie’s friends, Phoebe,
Clemmie, Sukie and Amber, were fitting a selection of woolly hats on each other.
Biddy tutted loudly and stomped away towards a tottering heap of mixed tops in vaguely unpleasant colours.
‘Whatever she wants,’ Frankie hissed at Lilly, ‘make sure she pays loads for it. Miserable cow.’
‘So speaks the entrepreneur of the year.’ Lilly giggled.
‘Guess who’s on their way over to give you a hand, gel?’ Brian’s eyes glistened as he and Biff folded several ancient and
rather pungent hacking jackets into a cardboard box.
‘Barack Obama? Bob Dylan? David Dimbleby?’
‘Nah, don’t be daft, gel. It’s a lady.’
‘Oh, OK. Cheryl Cole? Lady Gaga? Holly Willoughby?’
‘Never heard of any of them neither. No, it’s Maisie.’
‘Maisie?’
‘Maisie Fairbrother – you know – she lives in them little flats out on the Hazy Hassocks road. Rita left her all her shoes.’
‘Oh, yes. I remember Rita saying that Maisie loved shoes, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in here. In fact I don’t think
I’ve ever met her.’
‘Maisie don’t get out much,’ Brian said, nodding. ‘She can’t use public transport, see? Not with her trouble. But she felt
she ought to make the effort to help out seeing as she got all them shoes. I saw her earlier and told her what we was doing
tonight. She’ll be here in a trice, will Maisie. She was getting a taxi as soon as she’d had her Toast Topper.’
‘That’s very kind of her,’ Frankie said, wondering what sort of trouble Maisie had. Presumably it wasn’t the same as Dexter’s.
‘I’ll look forward to meeting her.’
‘Ah, you just have to take Maisie as you finds her, gel. Know what I mean?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Frankie, who didn’t. ‘Oh, steady with those … ’
She dived towards a couple of elderly women who were tottering towards the door with armfuls of clothing.
‘Here, let me help you. I’ll just open the door, shall I?’
The elderly duo smiled their thanks as they disappeared into the wild night. Frankie had to lean on the door to close it.
Blimey, the wind was strong …
‘You can’t keep me out like that,’ Dexter panted through the gap. ‘It’s been tried before.’
Laughing, Frankie opened the door. ‘Sorry, I didn’t notice you.’
‘And that’s not a phrase I’ve heard very often, either.’ Dexter, glistening with raindrops, grinned at her. ‘Sorry I’m late.
I got delayed.’
Frankie, attempting not to be impressed, again, by the devastating good looks, also tried hard not to speculate on what –
or who – might have caused the lateness. It was none of her business. And anyway, she didn’t care, did she? ‘It’s fine. It’s
good of you to even volunteer on your first night.’
‘Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ Dexter said, his eyes lingering on her for just a second too
I reopen the shop I’m just going to be selling frocks.’
‘Selling? Frocks? Disgusting!’ Biddy snorted. ‘Where are we going to get our bits and pieces from now, then?’
‘Biff and Hedley Pippin are taking lots of the stock for their shop,’ Frankie said. ‘So if you catch the off-peak bus to go
into Winterbrook I’m sure you’ll find something really cheap to buy in there, and it all goes to a good cause.’
‘I likes the hiring, not the buying. I don’t want stuff cluttering up my maisonette. And the Pippins’ shop’s for animals.’
Biddy sniffed. ‘Bloody animal charity shop they run. I ain’t giving my hard-earned to no animals.’
‘Oh, dear, that’s a pity.’ Frankie decided she really, really didn’t like Biddy. ‘Please excuse me, I’m really busy, but now
you’re here, do stay and have a look round.’
Biddy snorted again. ‘Bet you’re charging an arm and a leg for it and –’
The rest of her disgruntled reply was lost in a gale of giggles from the far side of the shop where Frankie’s friends, Phoebe,
Clemmie, Sukie and Amber, were fitting a selection of woolly hats on each other.
Biddy tutted loudly and stomped away towards a tottering heap of mixed tops in vaguely unpleasant colours.
‘Whatever she wants,’ Frankie hissed at Lilly, ‘make sure she pays loads for it. Miserable cow.’
‘So speaks the entrepreneur of the year.’ Lilly giggled.
‘Guess who’s on their way over to give you a hand, gel?’ Brian’s eyes glistened as he and Biff folded several ancient and
rather pungent hacking jackets into a cardboard box.
‘Barack Obama? Bob Dylan? David Dimbleby?’
‘Nah, don’t be daft, gel. It’s a lady.’
‘Oh, OK. Cheryl Cole? Lady Gaga? Holly Willoughby?’
‘Never heard of any of them neither. No, it’s Maisie.’
‘Maisie?’
‘Maisie Fairbrother – you know – she lives in them little flats out on the Hazy Hassocks road. Rita left her all her shoes.’
‘Oh, yes. I remember Rita saying that Maisie loved shoes, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in here. In fact I don’t think
I’ve ever met her.’
‘Maisie don’t get out much,’ Brian said, nodding. ‘She can’t use public transport, see? Not with her trouble. But she felt
she ought to make the effort to help out seeing as she got all them shoes. I saw her earlier and told her what we was doing
tonight. She’ll be here in a trice, will Maisie. She was getting a taxi as soon as she’d had her Toast Topper.’
‘That’s very kind of her,’ Frankie said, wondering what sort of trouble Maisie had. Presumably it wasn’t the same as Dexter’s.
‘I’ll look forward to meeting her.’
‘Ah, you just have to take Maisie as you finds her, gel. Know what I mean?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Frankie, who didn’t. ‘Oh, steady with those … ’
She dived towards a couple of elderly women who were tottering towards the door with armfuls of clothing.
‘Here, let me help you. I’ll just open the door, shall I?’
The elderly duo smiled their thanks as they disappeared into the wild night. Frankie had to lean on the door to close it.
Blimey, the wind was strong …
‘You can’t keep me out like that,’ Dexter panted through the gap. ‘It’s been tried before.’
Laughing, Frankie opened the door. ‘Sorry, I didn’t notice you.’
‘And that’s not a phrase I’ve heard very often, either.’ Dexter, glistening with raindrops, grinned at her. ‘Sorry I’m late.
I got delayed.’
Frankie, attempting not to be impressed, again, by the devastating good looks, also tried hard not to speculate on what –
or who – might have caused the lateness. It was none of her business. And anyway, she didn’t care, did she? ‘It’s fine. It’s
good of you to even volunteer on your first night.’
‘Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ Dexter said, his eyes lingering on her for just a second too
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