Ten past two, Emma found herself humming and strumming the countertop. Holly was beside her, anxiously checking the door, Bev replumping cushions. A few people walked by, taking a quick look in, but carried on past. Finally, at 2.25 p.m., came the ambling figure of Mrs Clark, pleased to find the shop back open for her chocolate brazils, no doubt.

‘Hello, Mrs Clark. How are you today?’ Emma beamed from behind the counter. ‘Welcome to the new Chocolate Shop Café. What do you think? You are our very first customer. Would you like to take a seat?’ Emma gestured to the new window-seat areas.

‘My, this looks fancy.’ The old lady had a good look around her.

‘And,’ Emma continued, ‘as you are our very first customer a cup of tea or coffee is on the house.’

‘Well, that sounds very generous of you, and I don’t mind if I do. That hill up’s always a bit of a bugger.’

Holly and Emma gave each other a grin.

Mrs Clark spent some time chatting with them from the comfort of her window seat, enjoying a pot of English Breakfast tea and a mini brownie, which she said was ‘delicious’ and she bought herself her usual pack of milk chocolate brazils. After half an hour she was thanking ‘the girls’, saying how absolutely wonderful it was to have the new café area, that she’d see them again soon, and she then set off down the hill again.

Having someone in seemed to start a small flurry of customers, much to Emma’s relief. Stan and Hilda came in whilst Mrs Clark was still there, and sat down at the other table for tea and chocolate cake. Then a gentleman who said he was staying in a nearby B&B called in for a couple of bags of fudge to take on his six-mile hike.

Then Adam called with a bunch of red and white carnations for Emma to celebrate the café’s opening, in a dash as he was meant to be working, but he wished them all every success, giving Emma a hug and Holly a quick kiss on the cheek before speeding off again.

Danny from the pub dropped by, just to see how it was all looking and how his mate had done, and he couldn’t resist picking up a bar of milk chocolate. He nodded his approval at the two window-seat areas, and confirmed that the payment in pints had been greatly appreciated. Emma asked him to spread the word down at The Fisherman's Arms about the new café and gave him a little poster to put up in the pub about her launch night on Friday – all welcome.

Emma had popped out to the kitchen to load the dishwasher, when she heard the door jangle open and the sounds of chatter and laughter. She headed back to help Bev and Holly out, to find four of Holly’s schoolfriends there.