Make yourself a cup of tea, sit down and enjoy this wonderful short story, The Silver Ring written by author Lucy Diamond. Read all about Clare's eventful day, The Honeypot cafe and the charm of her gran's silver ring.
It was as she was cycling home from town that Clare noticed something was missing. She’d stopped at a traffic light and was just lifting her right hand to tuck a stray tendril of hair into her bike helmet when she saw it was gone: her grandmother’s silver ring, which had been on her fourth finger at the start of the day. But where was it now?
A car beeped behind her and she realised that the lights had changed. Wheeling her bike to the pavement, she searched through her bag. Had the ring dropped off in there maybe? It was a little on the big side, she’d been meaning to get it resized, but life had been so busy lately – she was still finding her feet in her new home town, getting to grips with her new job, learning to manage alone, after she and Ben had split up.
“Sounds just what you need,” her gran had said, when Clare visited a few weeks earlier and told her about all these changes. Then she’d opened her jewellery box and sorted through the trinkets before offering Clare the shining silver ring, set with three tiny white opals. “I’d like you to have this,” she said. “It’s always brought me good luck. I met your grandad the first time I was wearing it – you can’t get luckier than that, eh?”
Clare loved the thought of wearing a piece of jewellery that had meant so much to her grandmother – yet now it seemed as if she’d already lost her gift. She couldn’t believe it! When today had been the first day, since moving, that she’d felt as if she could make a home here, that she could cope. She’d cycled into the pretty old town centre and enjoyed browsing around the shops, picking up a bunch of gorgeous bright cornflowers from the florist, some new potatoes and asparagus from the open-air market, before choosing a couple of books from the friendly bookseller on the square. Best of all had been the treat of a pot of tea and a slice of honey cake from a sweet little café, before she headed homewards again. The café was light and airy, with a cheerful couple serving, plus an adorable Border terrier that had come over for an ear-scratch from Clare. Okay, so she’d been too shy to actually speak to anyone, apart from the dog, but she’d felt, for the first time in ages, as if happiness might be on the horizon again.
She sighed now, feeling her earlier good mood slip away. Typical, Clare!, she heard Ben jeer in her head and had to work very hard to push him away. Then she turned her bike around and began retracing her steps, peering at the ground in the hope of seeing a tiny silver glint. Oh, please let her find the ring!
Back in town, the florist hadn’t seen the ring anywhere – but she did remember noticing it on Clare’s finger, at least. The market stalls were closing up and nobody she asked recognised the description of the lost ring, although one fruit seller obviously felt sorry for her because he gave her his last punnet of strawberries and refused to take any money for it. The bookseller hadn’t seen the ring either but promised to look out for it when she closed up. “By the way, at the end of the month, our shop book group is discussing one of the novels you bought earlier,” she added, passing Clare a leaflet. “You’d be very welcome to join us.”
This lifted Clare’s spirits at least. A new start was all very well but she’d felt quite lonely since moving here. Maybe joining the book group would help her get into the swing of things. “Thank you,” she said, tucking the leaflet in her bag. “I’d love to.”
Her last stop was the café. Called The Honeypot, its cream walls were decorated with a bumblebee print, and pots of homemade honey lined the shelves of an old pine dresser. “Ahh! You’re back!” said the man, smiling as she walked in. He was sweeping the floor, the customers all having left for the day. She could see his wife loading a dishwasher in the kitchen beyond. “I was hoping you would. Did you lose something by any chance?”
“Yes,” Clare said, her heart quickening with sudden hope. “My gran’s ring. Is it here?”
He put down the broom and went behind the counter. “This one?” he asked, holding up the silver ring.
Clare was flooded with such a wave of relief, she almost wanted to cry. “Yes!”
“It was on the floor, by the table where you were sitting,” he said, giving it back to her. “I just found it a few minutes ago.”
Her fingers felt shaky as she slipped the ring back in place. “I’m so glad,” she said happily, reaching down to pat the dog who had come over. Then something occurred to her and she laughed. “I wonder if it came off when I was petting your dog?”
“Brodie? He’s my sister’s dog. This is my sister’s place actually, I’m just helping out for the day,” he explained.
Clare’s heart gave an unexpected skip. His sister, not his wife, she thought. Interesting!
He reached out a hand. Now that her panic was over, she noticed how handsome he was; the dimple in one cheek, the warm brown eyes and big smile. “I’m Charlie by the way,” he said.
“Clare,” she replied, blushing as his fingers closed around hers. Thank you, Gran, she thought as he held her gaze just a fraction longer than necessary. In searching for the lost ring, she’d spoken to more new people than she had done all week, she realised. What was more, she’d gained some free strawberries and an invitation to a book group – and she was now talking to the nicest man she’d met in a long time. If this is the lucky ring at work, then count me in!
This lovely story from Lucy Diamond has sure lifted our spirits and we hope it has lifted yours too. Let us know in the comments below!