both he and my first love were still regularly featuring in my recurring Cinderella dream, which was definitely a nightmare now that one prince had dumped me and the next dumped on me by making out with my stepsister!
I supposed the whole Cinderella thing was going through my head all the time because I was working on ideas for the new shop, but it’s a pity you can’t turn your subconscious off at night.
Timmy and Joe came up to spend the weekend with Timmy’s parents in Ormskirk, and brought my desk and portfolios over early on the Saturday evening.
Aunt Nan had quickly become fond of Timmy’s partner, Joe, so their visit perked her up no end, especially discussing the design, layout and colour scheme of Cinderella’s Slippers. Timmy had a really good eye for colour and ambience and Joe was good on practical matters, especially lighting, since theatrical lighting was what he did for a living.
Aunt Nan retired to bed early, as she often did, and when I’d seen her comfortably settled the boys and I went to the Green Man to meet Bella, whose mother was baby-sitting Tia.
‘How do you think Aunt Nan is looking?’ I asked Timmy hopefully. ‘Quite perky?’
‘Frail,’ he said frankly. ‘She does love the idea of you and Bella making over the shop and keeping it going after she has gone, though. You can tell she’s tickled pink.’
‘She was knocked back a bit by the stroke, but she’s made a good recovery,’ I insisted.
‘But she often goes to bed in the late afternoon now, and she wouldn’t do that before,’ Bella said gently. ‘You have to accept that she’s fading away, Tansy.’
‘She’ll pick up again when spring arrives,’ I said stubbornly. ‘It’s only that she’s convinced herself her time is up, but if she gets really interested in Cinderella’s Slippers, I don’t see why she shouldn’t make her century.’
‘Well, we’ll all drink to that,’ Timmy said, but I could see they were just being kind. Deep down, I knew they were right: I was whistling in the wind.
We updated Bella on the ideas we’d discussed earlier with Aunt Nan and Joe said, ‘So now we’re all excited about the shop too!’
‘And I’ve just found a great designer online called RubyTrueShuze, who does lots of vintage-style wedding shoes. Some of them have really interesting trimmings made out of lace, feathers, pearls or crystals. They’re lovely and very different,’ I enthused. ‘I forgot to tell you about her. I’ve emailed her, to see if we can stock them.’
‘And you’re going to sell actual vintage wedding shoes too, aren’t you?’ asked Timmy. ‘Or vintage shoes suitable for a wedding.’
‘Yes, I thought they’d make a good publicity angle, though I don’t suppose I’ll sell that many of them.’
‘I know someone who makes lovely embroidered satin bridesmaid’s slippers for children, from toddler size upwards,’ Joe said. ‘She can match them to the colour of the dresses.’
‘That sounds interesting. I do need to stock bridesmaid’s shoes.’
‘She has a website – here’s her business card,’ he said, passing it across. ‘I brought it, in case.’
‘Things are really starting to come together,’ Bella said. ‘I can’t wait to open the new shop!’
‘We have to have a big closing-down sale and then a total redesign and restock, before then,’ I said, but I felt excited about it too – and it was a distraction from my broken heart.
Seth Greenwood and Sophy, who had been playing darts with the other Winter’s End gardeners, kindly stopped on their way out to ask how Aunt Nan was doing.
Sophy looked pregnant again to me, so maybe Aunt Nan was right about there being something in the water in Sticklepond! But if so, it was probably already too late for me, even if I tried to find someone else … which I wasn’t going to do.
Then all our plans for the new shop had to go on hold, because Aunt Nan had another small stroke and then went quickly downhill. She seemed to have suddenly released her grip on life and was preparing to coast down into death quite cheerfully.
I had to concede defeat.
I let my mother know that if she wanted to see Aunt Nan, she’d better plan a trip very soon, but the only reply was a get-well-soon e-card via my email address.
I displayed it on the screen to Aunt Nan as she lay propped up in bed, but with the jingly music turned down.
‘Well, I’m underwhelmed, to say the least, lovey! But I suppose it’s something that Immy managed to get her mind off herself for five minutes to send it,’ she said sardonically, then shut her eyes and went back to sleep again.
Aunt Nan no longer left her bed and Florrie’s daughter, Jenny, kept popping in to keep her comfortable, while the doctor, an old friend, came daily.
Towards the end she dozed most of the time while I sat by the bed, holding her hand. She woke occasionally, murmuring a few random comments, as though she’d been mentally running through a final to-do list while asleep. You’d have thought she was going on a long cruise, rather than leaving life for uncharted territory!
Well, uncharted to me: Aunt Nan seemed pretty clear what was on the other side.
‘Remember that I’ve always been proud of you, lovey, and I’ve been that pleased about your children’s books being such a success.’
‘I know, and they’ve certainly turned into a good little earner, providing I keep two new ones a year coming out.’
‘Money isn’t everything, but I’ve put a bit by for you. You’ll need something to live on while you get the new shop going.’
‘It could take a while to build up the new business,’ I admitted. ‘But I have some savings too, because I’ve always invested the foot modelling fees.’
‘Very sensible. But you want to keep that for a rainy day.’
‘I don’t think it can get much rainier,’ I said sadly, feeling the tears spring to my eyes.
‘Promise me two things, lovey,’ Aunt Nan said next time she woke up, after a tiny sip or two of Meddyg.
‘Anything!’
‘Bury me in my wedding dress and veil.’
I nodded, mutely.
‘And those wedding shoes you showed me, that you bought when you got engaged – wear them to the funeral.’
I couldn’t help laughing. ‘Aunt Nan, I’d probably fall over in heels!’
‘And you go on with your plans to turn Bright’s Shoes into Cinderella’s Slippers as soon as you can. What was that last advertising slogan you and Bella came up with?’
‘“Don’t trip down the aisle, float down it”?’ I suggested. ‘Or Joe’s: “If the shoe fits …” – That’s
