The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill by Annie Darling

Author:Annie Darling [Darling, Annie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2023-08-02T23:00:00+00:00

PART THREE

Chapter Seventeen

I t seemed to Sophy that as soon as her head hit the impossibly comfortable goose-feather pillow, the alarm on her phone chirped into life at a very ungodly six thirty. For the first time since she’d set it, Sophy wished she hadn’t ­chosen ‘Waltzing Matilda’ as her wake-up music. It was far too jaunty for this particular morning.

She’d actually had almost eight hours’ sleep, but it didn’t feel like it as she blearily made her way into the en suite and wasted several precious minutes figuring out the shower.

Charles hadn’t said where they were going but her fancy new cocktail frock was definitely not the right dress code for a Sunday morning. Instead she pulled on jeans and a jumper and was just doing up her trainers when there was a gentle knock at the door.

‘Are you up? Are you decent?’ Charles called out.

Sophy opened the door. ‘Barely up, barely decent,’ she said and she sighed because, of course, Charles looked box-fresh in the black suit of yesterday, this time with an impossibly crumple-free shirt the same colour as his blue eyes. ‘Do you own a pair of jeans? Trainers? A casual t-shirt?’

‘I have a certain standard of sartorial excellence to maintain,’ Charles said loftily. It was far too early for so many multi-syllabic words.

There wasn’t even time for coffee, though Charles apolo­gised profusely as he hustled her out of the house. It was cold, the air damp, and so early that the sun was still getting ready to shine.

But it was worth taking a minute to appreciate the beauty of the sun rising and turning everything gold as it rolled along the hills and peeked out from behind white tufty clouds that looked so perfect that they could have been painted on the sky. Sophy hardly even minded having to get up so early to be rewarded with such a vision.

‘It’s going to be a lovely day,’ Charles said, making it sound like a promise, and Sophy hoped so. Though she needed coffee really soon; as it was, her fingers fumbled with the seatbelt and, as the engine purred into life, she found it hard to keep her eyes open.

They drove out of Bath, pootling along small country roads, fields and hedgerows a green blur outside the window. Sophy snuggled down into her jumper but tried very hard to keep her eyes wide open. The last thing she wanted to do was fall asleep and have Charles hear her snore or, worse, see her dribble.

Thankfully it was only a short drive, not more than half an hour until they drove into a…

‘A cattle market?’ Sophy thought she might cry.

‘Not on Sundays.’

‘Charles, I get that you like surprises but if you don’t tell me exactly where we’re going, I’m going to throw myself out of the car.’ Sophy’s fingers were already curled round the door handle.

‘Flea market,’ Charles said quickly to save Sophy from an untimely death or at least a broken limb or two. ‘A huge car boot-cum-flea market that only happens once a month.

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