Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café

Zoe pulled out a chair and collapsed onto it, looking morose. ‘Yeah, well, don’t know if I actually want to go.’

Millie paused while refilling the cupcake-shaped sugar bowls. Taking the seat opposite Zoe, she sat down and took the girl’s hand. ‘What’s all this about, then, my lovely?’

Zoe gave an enormous sigh. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Just think there’s more to life than batting off horny undergrads and saddling yourself with a humungous debt.’

Millie tried to keep a straight face. ‘Well, there’s certainly more to university than that.’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘But it’s what you’ve always wanted.’

‘Is it?’ Zoe looked up and Millie was shocked to see tears in her heavily kohled eyes. Usually the girl was breezily happy and uncomplicated. Her choice of alternative image being the notable exception.

‘Isn’t it?’ Millie hid her shock. Zoe was an extremely bright girl. University had always been the goal.

‘It’s what Mum and Dad want me to do. Have always wanted me to do. And Granddad.’

Arthur would be devastated. Zoe was his only grandchild and he doted on her. ‘You need to do what’s right for you, my lovely.’

Zoe pouted and moodily traced the flowery pattern on the oilcloth. ‘You didn’t go, did you?’

Millie resumed filling the sugar bowl. ‘No,’ she said carefully. ‘But that was different. I had the café.’

‘That your parents ran?’

Millie nodded. ‘Until they died.’ She bit her lip.

‘Aw, I’m sorry, Mil. For making you remember.’

Millie nodded. ‘Well, some things are difficult to talk about still.’

‘Even after all these years?’

‘Even after all these years.’

‘That A35. It’s a death-trap,’ Zoe said viciously.

Millie rose. ‘It is.’

‘There was another accident on it last week. Friend of Clare’s mother. But no one was seriously hurt.’

‘Well, road accidents happen all the time, don’t they?’ Millie clasped the bag of sugar to her as a shield. ‘Now,’ she said, with a forced brightness. ‘We’d better get ourselves ready; we’ll have a few frozen weekenders in, no doubt.’

‘Yeah, okay.’ Zoe got up and followed Millie to the kitchen. ‘Sorry.’

Millie turned to her in surprise. ‘Whatever for?’

‘For doing a downer on you.’

‘Oh, Zoe!’ Millie put the sugar down and gave her a hug. ‘You know you can talk to me. Any time. About anything.’

‘I know.’

‘Just think carefully about your future, won’t you? You’re such a clever girl. You could do anything and everything you want.’

‘Meaning university?’

‘Maybe university, if that’s what you really want, but so much more too.’ Millie released Zoe and gave her a grin. ‘Come on, let’s grab a coffee before the Saturday rush starts. I’ve made some millionaire’s shortbread. Fancy some?’

Zoe rolled her eyes and giggled. ‘Is the Pope Catholic?’

‘Is he? I’ve no idea. Pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of Plummy Aubergine, though.’ Millie tweaked Zoe’s fringe.

‘Showing your age, Mil.’

‘Cheek. I’ll have you know I still have a two in it. Just about.’

Zoe grinned. ‘Yeah, that’s what I mean. Pos-it-ive-ly ancient. Totally past it, girlfriend.’

Millie grabbed a tea towel and snapped it at Zoe’s rear. ‘You, young lady, may not live long enough to get as far as my shortbread. Into that kitchen and begin work this minute.’

‘Gawd. Thought the days of child slave labour died out with Dickens,’ Zoe said good-naturedly and skipped ahead of Millie and into the welcoming scents of a kitchen, which produced heavenly little squares of chocolate and caramel on shortbread.

Chapter 4 (#u08bb6896-9b2e-51e4-8a91-0d13b06c0a4b)

It was cold and still dark as Millie walked briskly up Berecombe’s steep main street to the post office. Millie was used to early starts. She’d been getting up at five all her working life. True, getting up at the crack of dawn was far more pleasant in the summer months. But even at this time of year she delighted in the muffled, secretive quality the town had when few others were around. She kissed each letter as she posted it, wishing it a safe and speedy journey to its destination, then turned and walked back down the hill. As she did, she passed the old bank building. The closing of Berecombe’s only bank had caused huge distress, especially among her older customers. Not used to online banking and unwilling to trust it, they were now having to go into Honiton or Axminster to do any banking business. More alarming for Millie, a lot of them, having made the journey, were staying on there for coffee and lunch. She’d lost quite a lot of trade that way. She bit her lip; she might have to rethink one or two things to keep her going through to the busy summer season. She just wished she knew what.

She paused to study the elegant Georgian facade. The building work had been going on for some time now and no one seemed certain about what was going to open. All sorts of rumours abounded. At the moment, its windows were resolutely boarded up and hostile- looking, giving away no secrets. She shivered in the sea fog that was yet to go out with the tide. It really had been a long, dismal winter. The promised snow hadn’t appeared but she hoped Arthur was right when he’d said spring was on its way. Walking fast, she clicked her tongue at Trevor to follow and made her way home.

As she unlocked the café, her best friend Tessa arrived, carrying a tray of freshly made breads.

‘Alright then, our Mil?’ she called out in her broad Brummy tones. ‘Got you a load of granary, a couple of white bloomers and fruit bread. That should see you through.’

Millie eyed it thoughtfully. She would have to freeze a lot of it. ‘Should see me through a few days the way business has been lately.’ She held open the café door and Tessa followed, putting the heavy tray down with a sigh of relief.

‘That bad, eh? Time of the year, though.’

‘Hopefully. Got time for a coffee?’

‘Always got time for one of your coffees, bab.’ Tessa plonked herself on the chair nearest the kitchen door and shouted through. ‘Looks crackin’ in here.’ Then she fell silent as her phone pinged and she scrolled through a message.

Millie came through with a cafetière and plate of biscuits and joined her. ‘Zoe touched up some of the paintwork on Saturday as we went a bit quiet. She’s a good girl.’

Tessa put down her phone and looked around. ‘Always loved this pink and blue theme Ken did.’ She watched as Millie poured the coffee.

Ken was Tessa’s artist husband. She had met him while on holiday, fallen in love and, three children later, was still in Devon.

‘How did his show go?’ Millie yawned and stretched out her long legs. She slipped off her Uggs and tucked her feet underneath each other. Glancing at Tessa she thought her friend seemed unusually tense.