Note: I do go into the intricacies of the English legal system in this chapter, only a little and all should be explained within the dialogue and narrative, but if anyone wants any more info or clarification, just drop me a PM. I studied law at sixth form and should be able to answer most general queries. Oh, and as always: thanks to the guest reviewers!
Carrot Cake
Chapter Four
"You did what?" Belle exclaimed. It was the middle of the Friday lunch rush and she was standing by the coffee machine, one hand on her hip, the other holding a jug of steamed milk, and her expression was, she hoped, extremely ferocious.
"I gave him your shifts," Ruby said airily before turning her attention back to the customers. "Hello, what can I get you today?"
As much as she wanted to upturn the milk over Ruby's head, Belle settled instead for stamping her foot in indignation.
"You should be thanking her!" Emma called from behind the kitchen partition. "Nothing would ever have got done if we'd left you to your own devices!"
"Belle! Two cappuccinos and a green tea! Exactly," Ruby continued, seamlessly picking up the conversation again. "You were never going to make the first move, so I made it for you. Hello, what can I get for you today?"
"Ruby!" Belle exclaimed, but there was nothing else that she could say. Hopefully Ruby's actions would have done more good than harm.
"What's she done now?"
Belle looked up to see Granny coming through in the door.
"I've been sorting Belle's love life out for her," Ruby replied. "What are you doing here, stranger? You shouldn't be in till tomorrow."
Granny only came into the café at the weekends, working the Saturday and Sunday mornings and lunch rush. It was unusual to see her during the week unless there was a problem.
"Well, I thought I'd let you girls know the bad news hot off the press," she said, holding up a sheet of paper. Belle could just make out the word 'vacancy' at the top of the page. "It's happened I'm afraid. Astrid's handed in her notice."
"Oh." Belle, Ruby and Emma were suddenly subdued. They'd known that this day would come eventually, ever since Astrid had first started at the café. Her husband had to travel a lot for his job and they moved frequently. It was inevitable that Astrid and Leroy would only be in the area for a couple of years or so, but it was still a blow. Ruby, Emma and Astrid had been at Granny's since its beginning; Belle had joined them eight months later when Granny had decided that it was time for her to take more of a backseat. Even though Astrid only worked a couple of days a week and could be a liability when handed a sharp knife or precarious stack of plates, the four waitresses had become like a family. One of their number was suddenly leaving, and they'd have to get used to working with someone new in her stead.
"Where's she going?"
"Somewhere in Kent," Granny replied. "She said she'd be in later and give you all the details. The thing is, we've only got a fortnight before she leaves, so I've had to get cracking, as mercenary as it sounds." She brought the advert sheet over. "I thought you'd want to see it. I won't put it up yet, it's unfair to Astrid to be advertising her job less than an hour after she's given it up." Granny put the paper on top of the cake display and Belle and Ruby looked at it as Emma continued to serve.
Vacancy, it read. One experienced part-time serving/kitchen staff member required for immediate start. Seven shifts, roughly twenty hours, flexible. Apply with CV within.
"I wasn't going to mess with Emma's shifts because I know she's got to work around her little boy, but I hoped you two wouldn't mind."
"Of course not," said Ruby and Belle, almost in unison. Granny stayed to chat, but only for a moment as the queue was beginning to build up. Once she was gone, all three waitresses looked at each other.
"Well, that's a kick in the teeth," Ruby said, summing up everyone's mood remarkably succinctly. The rest of the day passed in a whirl of despondency – Astrid came in at closing time with tears in her eyes, and Ruby and Belle couldn't give her enough hugs.
"It's always the same," she sniffed. "I should be used to it by now but I'm really not. Every time we move I make a bunch of new friends and then I have to leave them behind."
They were just saying goodbye for the evening (Astrid worked the Saturday lunch rush so Ruby would see her again the next day, and at any rate, she was intending to work her notice until her replacement was found) when there was a little knock on the door. Belle looked round. It was Ashley, beaming, holding a huge bouquet of flowers, her partner Sean standing behind her looking a little bewildered. Ruby rushed to the door to let their friend in.
"They remembered!" she squealed. "Well, they probably forgot, but Kathryn must have whipped them into shape."
"Oh, Ashley, they're lovely." Belle sniffed the flowers.
"I've got these flowers, and a card, and a couple of other bits, and Fox gave Sean a cigar for after the birth."
She put the flowers on the nearest table and held out the bag of presents towards Belle, Ruby and Astrid. Belle plucked out the card and studied the signatures inside, trying to identify them. Ashley tapped a squiggle near the bottom of the page.
"That's the one you're looking for in particular," she said, and gave her a little grin before going back over to Ruby and Astrid. Belle looked at the signature, trying to make out a first name, but it was near illegible. The message above wasn't much better.
All the best to you, Sean and the little one. Enjoy the break from us lot.
She read the other messages and handed the card back to Ashley, who was being told Astrid's rather more sombre news.
"We're having a party," Ruby announced suddenly.
"Since when?" spluttered Belle.
"Since now," said Ruby. "I'll run it by Granny. We'll invite everyone round to our living room and give Astrid and Leroy a proper send-off."
"Thanks, Ruby, but…" Astrid began, but Ruby was not the sort of person to be swayed once her mind was made up about something. Belle rolled her eyes at Ashley, who was getting ready to go again.
"Enjoy your maternity leave," she said. "And make sure you bring him or her in to see us."
"Well, I'll probably see you at this party if it goes ahead." She raised an eyebrow. "Ruby's quite set on it, I think. Bye all." There was no response. "Oi! Party planner extraordinaire! We're off!"
Ruby and Astrid said their goodbyes to Ashley and Sean, and the three waitresses locked up the café, stepping out of the precinct and walking along the bus stop round the corner. Leroy was waiting to take Astrid home.
"Where've you been?" he asked. "I thought you were only popping in to give them your bad news."
"We got sidetracked," said Ruby cheerfully. "But she's here now."
"Honestly, I'm amazed you lot get any work done, you're that busy chatting." Leroy shook his head in despair.
"I'm offended," said Ruby with mock indignation. "Well, we'd better get going. See you at the party, Leroy!"
"What party?" asked Leroy as he Astrid continued down the street towards the car park.
"Ruby's decided to throw us a 'sorry you're leaving' party," Belle heard Astrid explain.
"Do I have to go?"
"Of course, you old misanthrope. It's in our honour! But I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. It may not come to anything."
Ruby rolled her eyes.
"I have no idea why everyone has so little faith in my planning ability," she said.
"Possibly because the most frequent words to come out of your mouth are "oh, crumbs, I'm late'," Belle pointed out, hailing her bus.
"But if I'm hosting in my living room, I can't be late!"
"Trust me, Ruby, if anyone can find a way, you can."
Ruby was still protesting as Belle boarded the bus.
X
The café didn't open until nine o'clock on Sunday mornings but Belle's bus timetable meant that she could only arrive half an hour early or three hours late. Granny was there when she got in, bustling about in the kitchen and checking stock. They'd already had one person interested in the job and the advert had only been up since start of business the previous day.
("August Wayne Booth," Granny said, passing his CV to Belle. "Looks like he jobs in cafés when he's got writer's block. At least he's got all his food hygiene certificates.")
Ruby came in at lunch time.
"All right, help is on the way," she said, coming behind the counter. "You go home and rest your bunions."
"Cheeky monkey," Granny muttered. To Belle, she added: "She was round at the psychiatrist's house yesterday morning on the pretence of asking after his dog."
"I was in there ten minutes!" Ruby exclaimed. "I happened to be passing! That I got a date out of it is neither here nor there!"
Belle raised an eyebrow and Granny looked equally unconvinced.
"You're going to scare him away if you aren't careful," the older woman warned. "You get these ideas in your head and you rush into them, my girl."
Ruby looked pensive, and Belle was fairly sure that she had never seen her friend seem so worried.
"Do you really think so?" she asked Belle, who shrugged.
"I think that Archie is rather different to the men you usually date," Belle said, trying to put it tactfully. "Just… bear that in mind."
"I know." Ruby sighed. "But he's lovely, and intelligent, and he makes me laugh. Not like the army of Steves I've dated in recent months. And he loves dogs!"
"Ruby, I think it's now very obvious that you want more than just one date from this young man." Granny patted her granddaughter's arm. "And I am certain that young love, or at least young infatuation, will find a way. Now all we need to do is get Belle on the way with hers."
"Ruby, how much have you told her?" Belle groaned. "Soon the entire precinct will know!"
"I tell my grandmother everything," said Ruby proudly.
"Oh yes," Granny added, an unmistakable twinkle in her eye. "I know all about your adventures on Mr Gold's desk. You bring him his coffee and he shows you his briefs…"
"That's barristers, Granny," Ruby corrected. "Barristers' instructions are called briefs. Mr Gold is a solicitor, he doesn't have them." She grinned. "He has boxers."
Belle was seriously considering smacking her head against the cake display case but was prevented from such a drastic course of action by the arrival of some customers.
"I've never understood the difference," Granny muttered once the rush had died down.
"What, between briefs and boxers? Honestly, Granny." Ruby tutted. "Mind you, Grandpa used to wear Y-fronts so I can't say I'm wholly surprised."
"No, you rascal, between barristers and solicitors!"
"Barristers spend all day standing in criminal courtrooms talking the hind legs off a donkey whilst wearing silly wigs. Solicitors sit in offices doing all the actual work." Belle whipped round to see Mr Gold standing at the counter, a wry smile spreading over his features. "Well, it's slightly more complicated than that. Sometimes we have to go into court too, but at least we don't have to look ridiculous whilst we're at it." He turned to Belle. "Good afternoon, Miss French."
Belle was momentarily lost for words, the shock of seeing him in the café rendering her mute. Her mind frantically scrabbling for something, anything to say, since 'Good afternoon, Mr Gold, what can I get for you today?' appeared to be completely beyond her, she blurted out the first thing that came into her head.
"You're wearing a suit."
Mr Gold looked down at his attire and back at Belle.
"Yes, I am aware of that."
"But it's Sunday!"
"Yes, I am aware of that, too." Something in his expression made Belle very sure that he was laughing at her on the inside.
"I think what Belle is trying, and failing, to say, is that it is unusual for men to wear suits on Sundays," Ruby said. "In fact, your appearance has found her at such a loss for words that we may have to ask you to…"
"Ruby Lucas, there is a stack of washing up to be done in the kitchen," said Granny sternly, steering Ruby round the partition. "Let's get on with that and stop scaring away custom."
Belle rested her head in her hands, elbows planted firmly on the counter. It was official. Ruby had just ruined everything (not that Belle herself had been making any real progress), and she was going to murder her friend, Mr Gold as a defence lawyer or not.
"Is she always like that?" Mr Gold asked. Belle risked a glance up at him. He looked more amused than anything else, so perhaps all was not lost.
"Yes. I'm sorry. Can we please start this conversation again?"
The solicitor laughed.
"Of course. Good afternoon, Miss French."
"Good afternoon, Mr Gold. What can I get for you today?"
"I'll have an Earl Grey and some carrot cake, please."
Belle rang it up and counted his change. So far, so good.
"Take a seat and I'll bring your tray over," she said, getting the carrot cake out of the display unit and cutting a piece, allowing herself a small moment of pride when the wedge didn't fall over on the plate. She was just getting the tea when she heard Ruby's voice whisper from behind the partition.
"Earl Grey… carrot cake… Miss French on a plate with whipped cream on the side…"
The cup Belle was holding slipped in her grasp and upturned.
"Ruby!" hissed Granny. "There's helping things along and there's what you're doing. Give the girl a chance to impress her man!"
"What am I doing?" Ruby whispered back. "He likes her, she likes him, I don't see that making this very obvious fact even clearer to them can do any harm!"
Belle picked up the cup, arranged the tray and carried it past Granny and Ruby with her head held high.
"I'm taking my break now," she said as calmly as she could. She could do this. She hadn't asked anyone out for over a year but, like riding a bicycle, it wasn't a skill that one simply forgot with time. As she slid the tray onto the table, however, and Mr Gold looked up at her, she wasn't quite so convinced.
"Thank you, Miss French."
"You're welcome." Just say it, her mind told her crossly. "Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all." Mr Gold gestured to the chair opposite him. "I'd be honoured."
Belle sat down and watched him fiddle with his cake fork, turning it over between his fingers but never actually letting it get anywhere near the cake. It was in that moment that she realised he was just as nervous as she was, and that knowledge helped her relax, if only slightly.
"So, Miss French," he began. "You don't work on Thursdays."
"There's no need to stand on ceremony," Belle said. "You can call me Belle. And no, I don't work on Thursdays."
"I was wondering, then, if…" He dropped the fork on the table and his next words seemed to be spoken all in one breath. "If you'd like to have dinner with me. Next Thursday. Provided you aren't doing anything else, of course…"
He tailed off as Belle picked up the fork and handed it back to him. She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks.
"I'd like that very much, Mr Gold," she replied.
The relief was instant, almost as if a door between them had been unlocked. The attraction had been acknowledged and found to be mutual, and with that, the nerves began to die away. The first step, that most daunting part, had been made.
Mr Gold smiled.
"There's no need to stand on ceremony. You can drop the mister."
"Gold." Belle raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have a first name?"
He shook his head, smirking slightly.
"You do," Belle said. "It begins with R. It says so on your panel."
"Seven o'clock?" he asked, ignoring her query.
"Sounds perfect. If you don't tell me, I'll start guessing. Robert? Richard? Ronald? Rory? Raymond?"
"Shall we meet in the cathedral green?"
"Yes. Rawdon? Rudolf?"
Gold raised an eyebrow as she continued with every name beginning with R she could think of, including some female ones when inspiration ran dry.
"Why don't you just skip straight to Rumpelstiltskin and be done with it?" he asked. Belle looked at him.
"Seriously?" His expression was completely deadpan. "Seriously?"
"No, of course not seriously, but you can call me it if you like."
Belle folded her arms. Two minutes ago, they were practically too scared to talk to each other, like a couple of teenagers. Now they were teasing each other… also like a couple of teenagers.
"What have you got against your first name?"
"I don't like my first name, and I don't see why I should put up with everyone calling me by it. Everyone I know has always just called me Gold. With or without the mister."
"I'll still call you Gold, but I can't exactly tell my father that I'm going out with a man who won't tell me his name."
Gold sighed and pulled a business card out of his pocket, sliding it across the table towards her.
"It's on there."
Belle studied the card and looked up in indignation.
"I guessed that!"
"I know you did."
Gold poured some tea into the cup and had it halfway to his mouth before Belle noticed that the rim was chipped, no doubt from where she had dropped it earlier, and her hand shot out to stop him.
"It's chipped," she said in response to his raised eyebrow. He shrugged.
"You can hardly see it."
"Yes, but if you cut yourself on it and half your face falls off due to infection, you can sue the café. And you're a lawyer, you know about suing people."
"I have done it several times on other people's behalf," Gold agreed.
"I get you a new one." Belle rose to leave but his voice arrested her.
"Stay put, Miss French. I'll buy it."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'll buy it." Belle thought she had misheard, but no, Gold was taking out his wallet. "How much for a cup? You must buy them in bulk and get wholesale discount, add that to the damage…" He looked up at her, and Belle was certain that her mouth was hanging open. "Well, you'll have to throw it out anyway so I might as well liberate it. I can't sue you if it's mine." He held out a five pound note.
"I'm the one who broke it," Belle protested, "Ruby was distracting me…" Gold's expression was unwavering and she accepted the paper, making a mental note to put it in the till. "More money than sense," she muttered.
Gold shrugged.
"I can't think of anything useful to spend it on right now."
"Belle!" Ruby was waving from the counter, where a queue was starting to form. "Break's over, I need help here!"
Reluctantly, Belle got up to go and assist her friend.
"Thursday, at seven, cathedral green. Where are we going to eat?" she asked.
"I haven't decided yet."
"BELLE!"
"All right, I'm coming!" She paused. "Till Thursday, Mr Gold."
"Till Thursday, Miss French."
Belle rushed back behind the counter, feeling as if she was walking on air.
To be continued