Blueberry Wishes (7 page)

After the door had shut behind him, Saff, Grace and I were just silent for a while. We were in shock, I think.

Finally, Grace said, “Look, Saff, it's not that everything's been forgiven and forgotten…”

Saff flopped down on the sofa and I put my arm round her. “I know,” she said. “I wish I hadn't said all that now, but when I saw you all… Well, this anger just boiled up inside me. I really thought I was fine with Dad now. It just came out of nowhere.”

“You probably just
wanted
to be fine so much that you really thought you were,” I said.

Saff shrugged. “I guess I feel much more angry about everything than I realized,” she said.

“Must have been hanging out with all those stage-school kids tonight,” Grace joked, “bringing out your inner drama queen.”

She was only trying to make Saff smile, but Saff said, “Maybe it was, in a way. Seeing my friends again made me realize just how much I miss my life here. And then coming in and seeing Dad there with you two, like everything was okay, when he'd taken all that from me, taken everything from all of us…”

“He couldn't help his business failing,” I said softly.

“I know, but he
could
help lying about it, and having an affair, and leaving Mum, and forgetting to mention that the house was about to be repossessed.” The anger rushed into her voice again.

“We're
all
still upset about what happened,” said Grace. “It
is
a big deal, Saff, to all of us. No one's taking it lightly. We're just trying to find a way to move on, that's all.”

“I know,” Saff mumbled. “And I know Dad's trying really hard to make things up to us. Oh, I wish he hadn't gone off like that. I really want to talk it over with him.”

We waited up for a while, but Dad didn't come back. It got cold and we couldn't find the heating control, so just after half ten we all climbed into the saggy old bed with the scratchy brown cover and snuggled together.

Saff and Grace fell asleep after a while but I couldn't because, for a start, they were taking up all the space and I was hanging off the edge, but mainly because I was worried about Dad. Just as I was about to wake my sisters and suggest calling the police or something, he crept back in.

“Dad!” I gasped with relief. “Thank God! You've been over an hour! I was starting to think all sorts…”

“Sorry, love,” he whispered. “Once I started walking, I couldn't seem to stop. I just had to clear my head, that's all. I'm still struggling… But I know you girls are too. It's no excuse.”

I slid out of the bed and tiptoed over to him. I gave him a big hug and he hugged me back. “Look, Saff didn't mean those things,” I began.

“Yes, she did,” he said flatly.

“Well, okay, she did, but she didn't mean
only
those things. Look, talk to her in the morning.”

Dad gave me another hug. “What would I do without you, Abs?” he said.

“You don't have to worry about that, because you'll never
be
without me,” I told him.

“Oh, love…” he began, but then there didn't seem to be any more words, so we just smiled at each other in the orange glow from the street light outside.

Now I knew that he was safely home I just felt so exhausted I
had
to sleep. Saff and Grace had expanded into the entire bed space by then, so Dad insisted I have the sofa. He lay on the rug instead, using his jacket for a blanket, claiming that the floor was the best thing for his dodgy back anyway.

“Night, Dad. I love you,” I told him, already half asleep.

“I love you too, Abs,” he said. His voice went a bit wobbly, and in my mind I could see the tears sliding down his cheeks.

Well, as you can imagine, things were a bit awkward on Sunday morning. Dad seemed determined to be cheerful, though, and when Saff tried to say sorry again, he just brushed it off. “I really want us to enjoy the time we have together,” he said. “I've been so looking forward to it. Let's just have a lovely morning, okay?”

“Okay,” said Saff, looking relieved.

“So,” said Dad, “your coach isn't till half two, is it? There's a whole big, beautiful city out there – what would you like to do?”

“Shopping!” cried Saff. Predictable.

And then of course we all got carried away, suggesting lunch out in the West End, a movie, a trip on the London Eye…

“Well, that's all out of budget,” said Dad, “but I know where we can have just as much fun for free. Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Saff demanded.

“Surprise,” said Dad, winking at her. He pulled up his cuff to check his watch and his silver cufflink chinked against it. This was our old dad back again – smart, savvy and completely in control. “Grab your stuff, there's a bus in ten minutes.”

Dad kept the surprise to himself all the way into town and we were really excited when he herded us off the bus at Covent Garden. As we linked arms in a big line and headed into the crowded piazza, Dad said, “
Et voilà
– all the shops, entertainment and delicious food you could want. Well, window-shopping, street theatre and Cornish pasties, anyway.”

“Great idea,” I told him, as Saff dragged me off to look in Oasis. We tried on half the shop and had a real laugh even though we couldn't afford anything, while Dad and Grace browsed in the bookshop just down the street. Then we met up and got steaming coffee and pasties, and ate them while watching this brilliant sword swallowing-juggling-comedy act by the church.

After that, we walked round the different levels of the piazza, looking in all the little shops and stalls, and of course we spent ages in Lush. I was in heaven surrounded by all the gorgeous products.

When we came out, we found Saff waiting outside for us, eyeing up a lad and giving him her most flirty smile. He was just coming over when Dad appeared in the shop doorway, immediately clocked what was going on and gave him such a death-stare that he pretty much
ran
in the other direction.

“Oh, thanks very much, Dad!” said Saff, pouting.

“No one looks at my princess like that,” Dad grumbled, still glaring at the boy as he disappeared round the corner.

Well, Saff couldn't help smiling, and she only pretended to be put out for about two more seconds before taking Dad's arm and leading him off to look in the window of Ted Baker. I smiled too, glad that things were okay between them again.

As Grace and I followed behind, talking about which things we'd liked the most in Lush, I felt a huge wave of happiness inside me. I just loved the buzz of London so much and clearly my sisters did too.

But I didn't love it as much as Totnes, I realized. In fact, I was already starting to look forward to seeing Marco the next day at school, and Summer and Ben. And to me and my sisters all squashing up on our revolting brown sofa and getting an update from Mum on how things had gone at Rainbow Beauty while we'd been away.

I'd already started thinking about how to package the men's shower gel for Massimo too, and I was keen to get started on working out exactly the right combination of essential oils to make it really deep and rich. I couldn't help smiling to myself. Here was the whole of London spread out in front of me, and it was great – but it wasn't
home
, not any more. Home was our shabby little flat. Home was Rainbow Beauty, and Cavendish High, and Marco and my friends. Home was gorgeous, slightly crazy Totnes.

We were all a bit quiet on the coach, and I thought maybe Grace and Saff were still going over what Saff had said to Dad, like I was, and wondering when they'd see him again. We cheered up as we walked back to the flat, though, imagining Mum's face when we told her about the visit to Beau and what Massimo had said about our new range, and about him reordering the lime and ginger scrub, and actually
commissioning
me to come up with a men's shower gel. We burst in at about nine, brimming with chatter, only to find Mum sitting at the kitchen table, staring into space, looking ragged with exhaustion.

“I
knew
I should have stayed to help you,” I cried.

“Don't be silly, love,” she said. “I'm just tired, that's all. I'm glad you went. Now, tell me everything.”

Grace started talking through our new orders and what Massimo had said, and Saff asked if there was any supper going.

“Oh, I haven't even thought about eating,” Mum said. “Sorry, girls. I don't have anything in. I could probably rustle up a bit of cheese on toast…”

“You stay there,” I told her. “Saff can get it.”

“Oh, yeah. Saff can get it!” my sister grumbled, opening the fridge anyway. “Saff who's been busy all day, looking fabulous and being irresistible to boys!
I'm
the one who's exhausted.”

Mum barely smiled at that, and then only nodded along as Grace told her about the shower gel costings. Although my sisters seemed to have taken it at face value that she was just tired, I started to get an uneasy feeling. For a start, she looked all pale and trembly, and like she was about to burst into tears at any minute.

“Mum, if something was up, you'd tell us, wouldn't you?” I said.

She sighed deeply and tears sprang into her eyes. “Oh, Abbie…I was hoping to keep it to myself until tomorrow at least, but…I saw this today.”

She pushed the local free paper towards me. It was folded over at a full-page advert for the Haven Spa. “Half-price body treatments,
plus
free manicure,” I read, and nearly choked with shock.

Saff gasped. “They've copied our promotion, pretty much!” she cried. “Right, this is war! Let's match their offer. No, let's better it! That will show them where they can stick their—”

“We can't afford to,” Grace cut in.

“Anyway, they've done a price promise,” I said, handing the paper across to her. “Just to make sure we can never compete with them on that score. Look.”

Saff read, “
We pledge to match or better the prices of treatments and the promotional offers of any other beauty establishment within a three-mile radius.
They're talking about
us
! This is a direct attack!” she cried. “We need to go down there, Mum. Have a word with them. They can't
do
this!”

Mum sighed. “I understand how you feel, love,” she said, “but technically they haven't done anything wrong. They're just promoting their business.”

Saff sighed sharply and was about to say something else when Mum added, “And we'll just look silly if we go and fling accusations about. Promise me you'll stay well away from there.”

Saff didn't answer for ages, but Mum kept eyeballing her until she huffed, “Fine. I promise.” But she didn't look at all pleased about it.

“The paper came out on Thursday, so that explains what happened,” Mum said then.

“What?
What
happened?” Grace demanded.

Mum sighed. “Things went very quiet on the offer front on Thursday afternoon and it was the same on Friday. I didn't say anything to you girls, because I thought it was just a lull, and that lots of people would walk in without booking. But they didn't.”

“But you said things had been fine!” I cried. “I asked you, both nights, and you said!”

“Why didn't you tell us?” Grace murmured.

“I would have, but I didn't think there was anything to worry about,” Mum insisted. “I thought I'd have a busy Saturday, with Emily rushed off her feet doing the free manicures, and everything would be fine. But only one more lady rang up to book in on Friday. And I didn't get any more bookings on Saturday, so it was very quiet in the end. And two of the bookings didn't actually turn up, which was even worse. I got everything ready and then felt awful as the minutes ticked by and I realized they weren't coming. And then I've been here on my own all today, worrying and wondering about that blooming Haven Spa.”

“Poor you. It must have been awful,” I said.

Mum sighed. “It gets worse, I'm afraid… I went for a walk round town this afternoon, to clear my head, and I saw that they've put their offer posters right over our leaflets—”

“They can't do that!” Saff gasped. “Right, I don't care. I'm going round there—”

“No, you are not!” Mum cried. “I know how you feel, though. I was furious too. I mean, it wasn't just on the trees and lamp posts – they'd done it on the noticeboards where there was plenty of room for both. That was deliberate, nasty sabotage.”

I thought of all our hard work – Marco trudging round town with the leaflets, Ben going up to Dartington specially and Summer happily taking a stack to put round the village near her house. It really did feel like the new spa was personally attacking us. Grace still hadn't said anything. She just looked pale and shocked.

“If they're going to be so aggressive, I'm just worried that…” Mum began. Then she waved her hands in the air, blinking fast. We waited for her to carry on, but she shook her head and let the tears roll down her cheeks. My heart lurched and I put my arm round her.

“You're worried that they won't stop until they've put us out of business,” Grace said flatly.

Mum nodded, sniffling. “I've had to dip into our rent fund already, just to pay that supplier invoice that was due,” she murmured. “I thought I'd easily be able to find the money from the week's takings, but there wasn't enough left after all. I've cut our housekeeping budget, and only ordered the minimum of the new supplies we need for Rainbow Beauty, but still…”

“Dirty tactics, that's what this is,” Saff grumbled.

“They won't wreck everything we've worked for,” I said firmly. “We won't let them. We've got the London orders coming, remember? And as for Rainbow Beauty itself, we just need to come up with a new idea to get people through the door. Not another offer that the Haven Spa will beat or match, but something different – something that plays to our strengths.”