Page 62 of Tricks & Treats at The Cosy Cornish Bakery

‘Until he went off with the younger woman.’

‘Until then.’ Chloe checked for any of Hannah’s usual sarcasm but could detect none. She fingered a strand of glossy brown hair. ‘Should have gone blonde.’

‘Is the younger woman blonde?’

‘Oh yes,’ Chloe breathed out, trying not to sound bitter.

Hannah shrugged. ‘Well, they’re supposed to have more fun.’ She gave a short laugh. ‘And the glasses, I assume you’ve got contact lenses now?’

Chloe nodded. ‘Yup. State of the art. Had some eye-wateringly expensive dental treatment a few years ago, too. And a touch of filler. You can do amazing things to your appearance if you’ve got the money.’

‘Figures,’ Hannah said, some of her old rancour returning. ‘I was crap at school,’ she added. ‘You’d long gone by the time I was taking my GCSEs. Couldn’t pass an exam to save my life. Think Mum kept going on at me cos she expected me to be the same as you.’ Hannah let the kettle reboil and poured the water into the teapot. ‘But, unlike you, I discovered boys early. I liked them and they liked me. Left school as soon as. Had a rare old time bumming around doing casual stuff like in the bar at The Smugglers. Pinky gave me a job in the caff once but I didn’t last long.’

‘What did you do?’ Chloe asked, fascinated. She’d never had a conversation with her sister like this.

‘Told this cow of an emmet to shut up complaining and that we only had two types of hot drink: tea and coffee. She didn’t take it too well. Said I was insolent.’ Hannah shrugged looking unrepentant. ‘Which I was.’

‘I would have thought Pinky would admire you for that sort of comment,’ Chloe said. ‘He’s not got a great love of tourists himself.’

‘Oh, he didn’t bin me off,’ Hannah said airily. ‘I walked out. Told the bitch to get herself to Rock or St Ives where they’d have her sort of thing and charge the fancy prices an’ all.’

‘What did you do then?’ Chloe asked, trying not to laugh.

‘Met Tyler. Dad died. Life got serious. Realised I didn’t want to work in the bakery and deal with morons like her all the good long day. Tyler persuaded me to retake English and maths at evening classes and I got myself the job at the estate agents.’

‘So you can pass exams,’ Chloe pointed out. ‘And you’ve far more patience than me. I would have thought people selling and buying houses aren’t the easiest to cope with either.’

‘Ain’t that the truth. But something gets into some folk when they come down here on holiday from up country. It’s like they leave their brains behind. Get into trouble in the sea, leave litter everywhere, think the place is a theme park and not somewhere people actually live. At least my buyers and sellers are only stressed. And you know how nosy I am. I love a chance to mozie round other people’s houses, especially if it’s a nice five-bed up on the Bodmin Road.’

‘True.’ Chloe laughed.

‘Then the kids came along and it all went crazy.’

‘They’re great kids, though.’

Hannah pulled a disbelieving face.

‘I mean it. I could help Maddy with her maths if you like.’

‘You sticking around, then?’

‘Possibly.’ Chloe sent a thoughtful look towards the front room from where the TV was blaring and Ziggy was howling along to Scooby-Doo. ‘I haven’t found another job and I might stay to keep an eye on Mum.’

‘And the bakery? Heard good things from Pammy about what you’re doing.’

‘Have you?’ Chloe’s brows rose in surprise – at both the compliment and the source. She changed the subject. ‘Why would Mum do it? Play us off against each other, do you think?’

‘No idea. Get me to work harder at school like my ever so clever big sis?’

‘Get me to provide her with yet more grandchildren?’

Hannah blew out a breath. ‘Who knows. Maybe she doesn’t realise she’s doing it.’

‘Or maybe she knows exactly what she’s doing and it gives her great pleasure.’

‘Cynic.’

It wasn’t the first time Chloe had been called that. ‘Truce, then?’