Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (13 inch ebook reader TXT) 📕

front of her. 'Tell you what,' said Geoffrey. 'Me and Edie will pretend to be punters. You run the auction. I'llhelp you.' Eventually Edie sent Flora to bed, having run her a bath andput Lily of the Valley perfumed bubbles in it. She was very glad to go. Herbrain had turned to soup and she felt moreconfused about the whole process thanshe had done before Geoffrey started. She climbed into the little narrowbed in Edie's spare bedroom and fell asleep almost instantly, knowing her hairwould be a sight in the morning and that she'd left her hair straighteners inthe cottage.

*

'Annabelle phoned,' said Louisa, as soonas Flora and Geoffrey arrived. 'Charles'sappointment is at twelve. He wanted tocome in this morning, but I told him not to. We don't need him and he'sin a lot of pain.'

‘Poor Charles,' said Flora, weakly.'Louisa, what time do you think Bob willfinish? I mean, um - how likely is it that I'll actually have to do someselling?'

‘Flora! Why don't you want to do it?You'll be great! And it's such good experience for you. After all, you are thesenior partner.'

‘NoI'm not! Not really, the thing with the will was just a sort of fluke.' She frowned. 'Anyway, I didn't thinkanyone knew about that.'

‘Oh, nothing's a secret in this place.'

‘Sotell me what time we'll get to the books that Geoffrey can't do?'

‘Well, Bob's very fast, so we'll getthrough his really quickly. Then Geoffrey. He hasn't done it for a while sohe'll probably be a bit slower.'

‘And if he's truly my friend, he'll spinit out until Charles gets here,' put in Flora.

‘Which means we should get to the booksat about two.'

‘Plenty of time for Charles to get back from anappointment at twelve!'said Flora, relief flooding over her. 'I suppose so,'said Louisa.

‘I do wonder why he didn't makethe appointment for earlier, though,' said Flora.

Louisa shook her head. 'Have you anyidea how difficult it is to get a dentistappointment in this town? They always keep one at about midday for realemergencies, otherwise you have to wait weeks.'

‘Oh.'Chastened, Flora went to check what else needed doing, grateful that shewould be too busy to worry too much abouthaving to conduct an auction. For once the words 'cheer up, it may neverhappen' seemed appropriate.

She was doing a stint in the little caféarea, selling rolls and cups of tea in between washing up. She liked it in there. You got to see all the punters, youcould overhear their opinions of the sale, but the work wasn't toostressful and was almost completely free of any decision-making. She'd justcoped with a little flurry of customers whenshe checked her watch. It was half past one! Where was Charles? The almost-octogenarian Bob was getting throughthe remaining furniture in record time. He'd once sold cattle at auction and hadn't lost the rapid delivery required,in spite of his bad heart.

‘Slow down!' Flora urged him from theback of the room when she'd abandoned thecafé, leaving any other customers tomake their own tea. She'd sold all the rolls already.

Virginia loomed up beside her.'Geoffrey's on next, then you.'

‘But where the hell is Charles?' Florawhispered. 'His appointment was at twelve, and it's half past one. He should beback by now!'

‘Stop fussing about where Charles is andjust focus on what you've got to do. I'm willing to bet that when you come down from the podium you'll be aching to goback up there again.’

Geoffrey apparently had only a few lotsto sell, either that or the time it took himto sell them whistled past so quicklythat Flora blinked and missed it. Virginia took her elbow and marchedFlora to the front of the building, just as he was finishing.

‘You'regoing to be fine,' said Louisa, as Flora, her legs shaking, climbed upbeside her at the desk.

Geoffreywinked. 'You'll need this,' he said, and put a gavelinto her hand. 'It's Charles's. He told me to make sure you had it.’

Flora clutched it tightly, willing theyears of experience it had gained with Charles to flash into her like a bolt of electricity. At the same moment she realisedthat Charles had never intended to be there, either because of thedentist, or because he thought it was good experience for her. She loved himand hated him in the same heartbeat.

Shethought about the time at school when she'd been the compere for the end-of-term show,how she'd held the audience's attention, in spite of being terrified. She thought of her drama classes, how she'd beentaught to think herself into the role. She thought of Charles, how she wanted to do well for his sake, and for Geoffreyand Edie and everyone else who'd beenso kind and welcoming to her. Sheglanced down at the ledger in frontof her, checked to see where the porter was standing, holding the bookup, and took a deep breath. She looked at everyone and waited until they wereall looking at her. Then she smiled - asbrave a smile as she could manage - and began.

‘A fine example of TheCaine Mutiny byHerman Wouk, nice edition, good condition,who'll start me off? A hundred pounds? No? Fifty then, yes! Fifty poundsI'm bid. Fifty-five? Yes? You, madam . .

She soon got into the swing of things.She found she had taken in Geoffrey'scoaching with regard to counting in threes, fives and tens, and withLouisa at her side keeping her on trackwith the book, and both phones in use,she found she was exhilarated. It was like spinning plates, trying tokeep all the balls in the air at the same time. She was surprised how quicklyshe learned to identify the bidders, to keeptheir attention. Virginia was manning one of the phones and having hercalm presence was an added support.

Halfwaythrough she noticed Charles, standing at the back. Butshe hadn't got time to decide how she felt aboutthis, she was too preoccupied with what was going on.

Sips of water kept her throat lubricatedwhen she thought her voice would fail andeventually, when Geoffrey came to relieve her, she realised she wasexhausted.

‘Ithought you couldn't do it because it wasn't ethical,' she said to himas he waited for her to give up her seat.

‘My books