fancy ways and your new ideas and before we know where we are you’re cutting our throats.’
‘Cutting your throats? What do you mean?’
‘Where is he?’
‘Is someone wanting me?’ Jimbo emerged from amongst the bananas hanging along the rail above the vegetables. His face was devoid of expression. Harriet with a sinking feeling began to suspect he’d been up to something she knew nothing about.
‘Wanting you? I’ll swing for you before long. How dare you do it!’
‘Do what?’
‘You know full well what I mean. This – this is what you’ve done!’ She smashed her hand onto the letter she was holding and it nearly tore in half. ‘This letter is informing me that you have applied for planning permission for a restaurant in old Phyllis Henderson’s house, and a car park right on the corner. I’ll fight you every step of the way, every single step. If you open up I might as well say goodbye to my morning coffees and my ploughman’s lunches and my farmhouse soup. The damage to my business will be devastating.’
Harriet held out her hand. ‘Let me see this letter, please.’ As she read it her face grew stormy. ‘How dare you do this without consulting me? How dare you? Jimbo, I shall never forgive you for this. Have you bought it already?’
‘Now hold on a minute, Harriet. I’ve made an offer subject to planning permission. A chap’s got to make progress, he can’t just stand still.’
‘Stand still? A chap’s got to make progress? I’ll give you progress, Jimbo. Not one foot will I put inside that restaurant if this goes through. Not one foot. So think on that.’ She flung out of the door and the little bell, the delight of jimbo’s heart, rattled till it nearly fell off the door. Then the Charter-Placketts’ Range Rover crashed into life and roared off down Stocks Row as if it was the M4.
Betty was triumphant. ‘See, even your wife is against the idea!’
‘Leave Harriet to me, she’ll come round. If it all comes off I shan’t be doing ploughman’s or farmhouse soup so you’ve no need to worry about that. I’ll be catering for a different part of the market.’
‘Don’t try to sweet-talk me. It can only do harm. I know – I’ve been in the licensed trade too long not to know serious competition when I see it. I shall get a petition up and ask everyone to sign it. You won’t win this one.’ And Betty McDonald marched out of the shop, whereupon the poor bell had another fit as she smashed the door shut.
Jimbo chuckled to himself. He’d have that restaurant before he was much older, and it would turn out to be a right money spinner. It was definitely a box of sugared almonds under Harriet’s pillow night tonight. He’d soon have her eating out of his hand: it always worked. He smiled to himself as he served his first customers. The Charter-Plackett charm was up to full strength as usual.
As soon as Jimbo saw Harriet pull up outside he poured out two coffees from the pot brewed for the customers, put them on the counter with a couple of special chocolate biscuits and confidently awaited her entrance. But she didn’t come in. He played the waiting game while he served two more customers and then, to his amazement, saw Harriet dressed to kill driving past in the Volvo.
‘Sadie, Sadie!’ Jimbo shouted into the back where his mother-in-law was doing the mail order parcels. ‘Where’s Harriet going?’
‘Jimbo, I have no idea. She flew past me saying “I’ll kill him, so help me, I’ll kill him.” To whom she referred I have no idea. I assume she’s driven off to commit a murder. We’ll have to hope it’s no one we know.’
‘It could be me.’
‘You? Why, what have you done?’
‘Put in a bid for old Phyllis Henderson’s cottage and asked for planning permission for a restaurant. I thought it would be a lovely surprise for Harriet and yet she’s absolutely flown off the handle.’
Sadie finished addressing a parcel of Harriet’s Country Cousin Lemon
‘Cutting your throats? What do you mean?’
‘Where is he?’
‘Is someone wanting me?’ Jimbo emerged from amongst the bananas hanging along the rail above the vegetables. His face was devoid of expression. Harriet with a sinking feeling began to suspect he’d been up to something she knew nothing about.
‘Wanting you? I’ll swing for you before long. How dare you do it!’
‘Do what?’
‘You know full well what I mean. This – this is what you’ve done!’ She smashed her hand onto the letter she was holding and it nearly tore in half. ‘This letter is informing me that you have applied for planning permission for a restaurant in old Phyllis Henderson’s house, and a car park right on the corner. I’ll fight you every step of the way, every single step. If you open up I might as well say goodbye to my morning coffees and my ploughman’s lunches and my farmhouse soup. The damage to my business will be devastating.’
Harriet held out her hand. ‘Let me see this letter, please.’ As she read it her face grew stormy. ‘How dare you do this without consulting me? How dare you? Jimbo, I shall never forgive you for this. Have you bought it already?’
‘Now hold on a minute, Harriet. I’ve made an offer subject to planning permission. A chap’s got to make progress, he can’t just stand still.’
‘Stand still? A chap’s got to make progress? I’ll give you progress, Jimbo. Not one foot will I put inside that restaurant if this goes through. Not one foot. So think on that.’ She flung out of the door and the little bell, the delight of jimbo’s heart, rattled till it nearly fell off the door. Then the Charter-Placketts’ Range Rover crashed into life and roared off down Stocks Row as if it was the M4.
Betty was triumphant. ‘See, even your wife is against the idea!’
‘Leave Harriet to me, she’ll come round. If it all comes off I shan’t be doing ploughman’s or farmhouse soup so you’ve no need to worry about that. I’ll be catering for a different part of the market.’
‘Don’t try to sweet-talk me. It can only do harm. I know – I’ve been in the licensed trade too long not to know serious competition when I see it. I shall get a petition up and ask everyone to sign it. You won’t win this one.’ And Betty McDonald marched out of the shop, whereupon the poor bell had another fit as she smashed the door shut.
Jimbo chuckled to himself. He’d have that restaurant before he was much older, and it would turn out to be a right money spinner. It was definitely a box of sugared almonds under Harriet’s pillow night tonight. He’d soon have her eating out of his hand: it always worked. He smiled to himself as he served his first customers. The Charter-Plackett charm was up to full strength as usual.
As soon as Jimbo saw Harriet pull up outside he poured out two coffees from the pot brewed for the customers, put them on the counter with a couple of special chocolate biscuits and confidently awaited her entrance. But she didn’t come in. He played the waiting game while he served two more customers and then, to his amazement, saw Harriet dressed to kill driving past in the Volvo.
‘Sadie, Sadie!’ Jimbo shouted into the back where his mother-in-law was doing the mail order parcels. ‘Where’s Harriet going?’
‘Jimbo, I have no idea. She flew past me saying “I’ll kill him, so help me, I’ll kill him.” To whom she referred I have no idea. I assume she’s driven off to commit a murder. We’ll have to hope it’s no one we know.’
‘It could be me.’
‘You? Why, what have you done?’
‘Put in a bid for old Phyllis Henderson’s cottage and asked for planning permission for a restaurant. I thought it would be a lovely surprise for Harriet and yet she’s absolutely flown off the handle.’
Sadie finished addressing a parcel of Harriet’s Country Cousin Lemon
Similar Books
