Page 14 of Match Point in Crumbleton
Andy stuck his tongue out at his sister, and Cath laughed. He had a sudden, mad desire to keep making her do that for the rest of his life.
‘Anyway,’ said Heather, ‘Cheswell’s part in the town’s history tends to get glossed over a bit.’
‘But why?’ said Cath, clearly intrigued.
‘Well,’ said Heather, ‘he had all these grand plans, but they all ended up being half-arsed because he kept running out of money. Everything he tried to achieve was done on a budget. I mean… look at the City Gates.’
‘I love them,’ said Andy. ‘It’s all those little quirks that make Crumbleton unique. I know people always want to make out that the town is ancient - medieval at the very least, and there are some seriously old parts like the cobbles outside the museum, but—’
‘Oh, not with the stones again!’ said Heather, rolling her eyes. ‘You know what? On that note, I’m going back to work.’
Andy grinned at his sister as she beat a hasty retreat.
‘Don’t mind her,’ he said to Cath, who was looking mildly alarmed. ‘It’s a running joke.’
‘Er… okay,’ said Cath.
‘Anyway, as I was saying… people tend to want Crumbleton to pretend to be something it’s not, but there’s tons of history here if you know where to look.’
‘Well thanks, it’s definitely good to hear some of the history,’ said Cath. ‘Especially the bits that aren’t in the books. I’ve clearly got a lot to learn about the place.’
‘I’ve always found the best way to learn about a town is through its people.’ Andy quickly closed his mouth feeling like a total plonker. What was he doing, lecturing a curator on how to do her job, when his job was mending cobbles and cutting grass?! ‘Sorry! I don’t know what I’m talking about.’
‘Yes, you do,’ said Cath. ‘I totally agree. I—watch out behind you!’
Andy turned to see the first car of the day trundling up the hill towards them.
‘Damn,’ he muttered. ‘I’d better finish up here and get out of the way before someone tries to illegally park on me.’
‘Well, thank you for the company,’ said Cath. ‘Will you say thanks to Heather for the fruit slice too? I didn’t get to pay—’
‘It’s on me,’ said Andy quickly. ‘Like I said, it’s your welcome to Crumbleton cake.’
‘Oh, but—’
‘But nothing,’ said Andy with a smile. ‘There’ll be plenty of chances to return the favour.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Cath.
‘And if you need a hand with anything, I’m on that list of numbers of yours. Andy Morgan.’
‘In that case, Mr Morgan,’ said Cath with a warm smile that made his knees do something funny, ‘I’ll probably speak to you in about ten minutes.’
CHAPTER 7
CATH
‘It’s a miracle!’
Cath didn’t know who she was talking to. She was working alone in the empty museum… but she couldn’t let this moment pass without marking it somehow.
Her first box of the day was officially empty!
Day two at her new job was going well so far. Of course, it helped that she’d actually been able to let herself in without having to call for assistance. Andy’s wiggle-trick with the old key seemed to be a sure thing. It also helped that—unlike yesterday—she knew exactly what she was walking into. The museum was still an absolute disaster zone, but at least she was prepared for it. Plus, she now had a bit of a plan.
The previous day had been… overwhelming.
After leaving Andy and Heather at the bakery, Cath had returned to the museum, but she didn’t manage to get much done. She’d found it impossible to figure out where to start. By the time lunch rolled around, she’d called it a day and headed back to the flat.
