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.Maudie was at Sweet Treats.She had stoked the fire.She had measured the ingredients.She had turned the little sign to open.“I’ll look after the customers.I can stay another fifteen minutes,” she said.“Could I use your phone first? Please?”“Sure,” Maudie said.“Go in the back door.It’s on the wall by the fridge.” Nina didn’t see the odd look Maudie gave her, nor did she see Maudie’s gaze flicker uncertainly from the empty sweet plates to the pile of ingredients on the table, to the cast iron pot beside the stove.Her parents’ number, when she dialled it, had only a message.“This number has changed.” A new number was recorded.The voice was that of her father, not an automated voice message from the service provider.She called the new number, her hands clammy, knowing her voice would break when either of her parents spoke.There was a recording on the second phone too.A mono-toned voice said, “We are not available at present.Please leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” Nina did not even consider leaving a message.She could not think what to say.That she loved them? That she was sorry? It would be better for everyone if she were to turn up on their doorstep.They could welcome her in or shut the door in her face.It would be better by far than a faceless and awkward conversation across the airwaves.She put a fresh apron over her dress.There was work to be done.She’d best get on and do it.She’d call her parents again later.*The day sped by, busier than any day she’d experienced in Sweet Treats.At 1pm, Nina tried to call again.Still there was no answer.At 2pm she decided once more that she wouldn’t call them.She’d visit.At 5pm, as she closed the shop, she asked Maudie if she could borrow her phone one more time.“I’ll give you money,” she begged.“Have you got through at all?” Maudie said.Nina buried her face in her hands.“I wish I had,” she said.“I wish I had…” But she couldn’t finish the sentence.There were so many things she wished she’d done that she didn’t know where to begin.“My mother always said a burden shared is a burden halved.Makes sense to me.” Maudie spoke softly, so softly it seemed an age between the words leaving her mouth and Nina’s ears taking in the message.She took a deep breath.She had too many burdens, too many secrets, and not another person in the world could take the load from her.“It’s nothing,” she said brightly, but even she could hear the falseness in her voice.“Nothing at all.It’ll be better in the morning.”“Good,” Maudie said.“His lordship came to the shop this morning.Early.He wished to advise you that the rates are due on December 1.And he hand-delivered the rates notice for next year, so we can prepare, I suppose.”“But that will be the end of everything,” Nina said, staring at the astronomical number at the bottom of the page.Maudie nodded.“Oh well,” Nina said.“Won’t Miss Clapham be surprised when she comes back and Sweet Treats has gone.”“It will be a sad day in paradise,” Maudie said.“Have you heaped coals of fire yet?”“It’s not right, is it?” Nina said, suddenly furious.“One man can’t call all the shots.Where is the rest of the Council?”“Good question,” Maudie said, pleased to see Nina with a little fire in her veins.“He is the voice of the Council, I suppose.”“But why? Why does he want this little village to be erased from the map? It’s in the perfect spot for tourists.You’ve seen them – buses and cars and campervans, even cyclists on their great south to north cycling adventure.And the locals.I know the township is small, but there are farmers and tradespeople and families in the hills and valleys surrounding us.Where will they go for their shopping?” Nina paused, and the fury in her face subsided.“I suppose they’ll all travel to one of the Mayor’s growing towns.An hour to drive there, an hour to drive back.Not far in the big scheme of things, but every day?”“Perhaps it’s enough that Sweet Treats goes out with a boom?”“A boom?”“The fete is on November 30.”“Never mind any kind of boom,” Nina said.“Sweet Treats isn’t going out, full stop.Sweet Treats is staying right where it is, doors open six days a week.I won’t kowtow to the whims of one egotistical wee man.”“Well, go you!”Nina wheeled around to see Bryn leaning against the doorframe.Against the bright light, he looked a mere silhouette.Quite a nice silhouette.“What do you want?”Maudie laughed.“Oh so friendly,” she said.“You two crack me up.”Bryn changed the subject.“Those papers Mrs Potts brought in.You still got them?”“Yes.”“You read any of them?”“No.”“Wish you would,” Bryn said.“Read them myself a while ago.Something beneath the surface of the story that I can’t quite figure.Thought you might have an idea.”“I’ll read them tonight,” she said.“What am I looking for?”“It was a court case, sometimes on the front page, sometimes on page four.Three girls and a bloke, all un-named, but some connection to the art community.”It didn’t seem relevant to their situation at all, but Nina had agreed to read the papers, and as Mrs Potts and Bryn both seemed to think them important, she thought it best to indulge them.At that moment, Maudie let out a shriek.“I’ve just put two and two together!” she gasped.“No! No, no, no, no! Please no!” She groaned, and hit her forehead with her palm.“I used the papers to get the fire going.”“You.Have.Got.To.Be.Joking.” Bryn was icy
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