At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer

Author:Jenni Keer [Keer, Jenni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

22

Heading right at the T-junction took them to Morton Peverell and Ellery slid the car in front of the bustling tea room in the main square. The grocer’s van was parked in front of the general stores and Pearl had to remind herself that it was only a few short hours ago Mr Lane had kindly deposited her and her father at Highcliffe House.

They approached the café, which was trying to emulate the Lyons tea rooms of the big towns and cities, but on a more modest scale. Small circular tables, with neatly pressed crisp white tablecloths, were dotted about, and the staff wore black dresses with white Peter Pan collars, and lace-edged aprons.

Heads turned as the young couple entered in formal evening wear. Many of the customers were wearing pretty day dresses and summer hats, but no one else was frivolous enough to wear gold lamé before six o’clock, or indeed in a public space. Several pairs of curious eyes followed their journey across the room, before they seated themselves at a table by the large bay window.

A plump woman approached, her hair pinned up under a starched white cap.

‘Afternoon. What do you be wanting, my dears?’ she asked in her thick Dorset accent and licking the end of her stubby pencil in readiness.

‘A good old cup of tea,’ Ellery said, unfazed by the curious glances of the other customers.

‘And what do your wife be wanting?’

Whether the waitress was assuming that any couple driving around the coast together on such a splendid summer’s afternoon must be married, or whether her old-fashioned sensibilities wouldn’t allow her to contemplate that they weren’t, Pearl was unsure, so kept her ringless fingers on her lap, under the table. She felt uncomfortable people might think she was an unmarried woman – which she was. But Ellery embraced the pantomime.

‘Yes, darling, how remiss of me. What would you like?’ he asked, reaching out for her remaining hand and holding it briefly in his own.

‘Just a cup of tea, please.’

‘My wife would also like a cup of tea and, let’s be utterly reckless, could you throw in a couple of currant buns?’

The waitress nodded and scuttled off to fulfil their order, as he sat back in his chair, throwing one leg across the other and looking totally at ease. Pearl tugged nervously at her dress and bit at her bottom lip. All eyes were on her and suddenly their play-acting didn’t seem such a good idea.

‘Such a pretty little village,’ he said to no one in particular, and gazing out across the square.

She had to agree, but then the sunshine made everything look pretty, giving extra colour and life to the scene before her. They sat together in quiet contemplation and it wasn’t many minutes before they were presented with a pot of tea for two, and a couple of large currant buns, bursting with juicy black fruit.

‘Look at the pair of you, all glammed up. I’ll wager you’re on your way to the summer ball

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