by Suzanne Snow
Annie was dying to laugh as Sarah struggled to keep a look of horror from her face. Despite her determination not to go to the party, Annie thought it would almost be worth turning up just to irritate this silly woman, who clearly felt they were in competition for Jon. Annie had no intention of telling Sarah it wasn’t so.
Sarah shrugged, her flirtatious manner finally dissolving as she replied grudgingly. ‘I’m not sure.’ She glared at Annie, as though daring her to accept the invitation. ‘It’s rather late to alter the numbers.’
Annie was rapidly growing tired of being made to feel like a very unwelcome third wheel by Sarah and couldn’t think of anything worse than having to spend time at her party. The last thing she wanted was to waste an evening quarrelling over a man she had zero plans to get involved with in the first place. As far as she was concerned, Sarah was welcome to Jon. But just the thought of them together left her feeling strangely upset, and she replied more sharply than she intended, ‘I’m very busy with work and doubt I’ll be able to make it.’
Jon seemed not to notice the frostiness around him as he looked at Annie. ‘Oh.’ His eyes widened in surprise. ‘Couldn’t you take an evening off?’
Annie wished she’d taken this evening off as well and had stayed in the now-appealing solitude of her little cottage. She was beginning to feel as though she were stuck in a ridiculous pantomime as they hovered on the bridge debating her work commitments. Sarah managed a relieved smile at Annie as she relaxed, confident once again of Jon’s company without Annie’s. ‘There you are then, all settled,’ she said with satisfaction. But Sarah still didn’t have Jon’s attention as he frowned at Annie and Annie glowered back at him, thoroughly fed up with the absurdity of the entire conversation.
‘You really should come,’ he said almost pleadingly. In the end, flustered and feeling wrong-footed, she said that perhaps work could wait, and she might be able to make it after all. Her furtive glance at Sarah was rewarded as the older woman gave Jon a filthy look. He missed Sarah’s angry stare as he smiled at Annie.
‘Seven thirty for eight on Friday, then,’ Sarah snapped as she looked Annie up and down. She tossed her head again, sending the caramel hair flying. ‘It’s only casual, Annie. Please don’t feel as though you need to make a special effort to look nice.’ Sarah turned and marched away, barely managing to throw out a goodbye and clearly dismayed by the change to her carefully laid plans.
Jon grinned as Annie scowled next to him, still feeling the heat of Sarah’s critical glance at her skinny jeans and pretty Zara top. She was astonished he seemed so oblivious of the tensions he had unleashed, but Annie realised he was pleased she had agreed to come. They were alone once more and she blinked, wondering what he’d been about to ask her before Sarah had appeared.
Breaking the sudden silence, a mobile phone began to ring. He dragged it out of his blazer pocket with an irritated frown, flicking a glance of apology towards her as he answered. She waved a hand in a quick farewell as he spoke quietly and began to make her way home, not allowing him the opportunity to say anything further.
With her back towards him, Annie couldn’t see him watching her, but she knew that he was all the same. She hadn’t thought to leave any lights on, and wished now she would find Molly’s welcoming presence and ready cup of cocoa waiting when she reached the cottage so they could chat about what had just happened, instead of gloom filtering through the windows and dragging the coming darkness with it.
Chapter Seven
Annie spent most of Monday cleaning the cottage and familiarising herself with the Rayburn so she would be able to cook again properly, still irritated by her reluctant acceptance of the forced invitation to Sarah Holland’s party and trying to think of a good excuse to duck out. But it wasn’t only that. She was perturbed, too, by Jon’s comments to her last night and the suggestion that he would have said even more had they not been interrupted.
Thinking of Jon, an idea came to her as she worked and after a bath, she walked down to the post office to collect some shopping. Outside, distracted by the notice about the Best-Kept Dales Village’ competition and reminded of Sarah once again, she flinched when someone touched her shoulder. She spun around and looked into the smiling face of a woman around her age standing nearby, a striped handbag slung across her body.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump,’ the woman said cheerfully, pushing sunglasses into her hair to reveal warm brown eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Just a wild guess, but are you Annie?’
Surprised, Annie’s smile was puzzled as she moved away from the noticeboard to let a nearby couple get a better look. ‘Yes, I am. How did you know?’
The woman grinned, her expression open and warm. ‘I think you’ve met my husband, Charlie, the vicar. He told me that you’re very pretty with dark red hair and I thought it must be you. I’m Sam Stewart.’
‘That’s very kind of him,’ Annie replied, absurdly pleased by the compliment. ‘I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.’
‘Likewise,’ Sam said as she stuck out her arm. They both laughed as they shook hands, the formalities over. Sam seemed so friendly, and Annie realised that Sam shared Charlie’s warmth and ease with people and knew at once that she would like her. Sam’s short blonde hair was cut into a sharp bob and she was not quite as tall as Annie, an hourglass figure perfectly emphasising her subtle curves. She had several rings in each ear and a stud in her nose, and Annie spotted a tattoo on the inside of one wrist.
‘Have you got time for a coffee?’ Sam asked, slipping a hand to her back, and rubbing gently as she pulled a face. ‘I could really do with a sit down.’
Annie noticed the bump beneath Sam’s lavender summer dress for the first time, above a pair of bright red canvas Doc Martens. ‘That’d be lovely. You’re very welcome to come back to the cottage with me but it’s a bit of a mess, I’ve been cleaning all morning and not quite finished.’
Sam shook her head. ‘Another time,’ she said merrily. ‘Let’s go to The Courtyard instead. I know it’s horribly busy with the school holidays, but they do fantastic decaf lattes and we won’t have to do the washing up.’
Annie agreed. They walked along the high street side by side and, once they reached The Courtyard, quickly managed to find a small table for two, jammed into a corner overlooking the children’s playground beyond the window. Parents strolled inside to choose ice cream and enjoy a quiet moment while their children cavorted within sight. Paintings by local artists hung on the wall and Annie spotted some handmade jewellery that she planned to inspect more closely. She and Sam ordered lattes and homemade scones after Sam promised her that the scones were without equal.
‘Someone in the village bakes them,’ Sam whispered, leaning forwards with a mischievous glint in her eye. ‘The recipe has supposedly been handed down over generations and is top secret, locked in a safe somewhere. Charlie reckons they’re from Asda. He’s had so many cricket teas over the years and thinks he’s an expert.’
Annie hurriedly swallowed her mouthful of coffee, trying not to choke as they started to laugh again. They fell silent as the scones arrived and she dropped a dollop of clotted cream on top of thick strawberry jam, closing her eyes as she bit into the luscious sweetness. Sam had been right; the scones were superb.
‘When’s your baby due?’ Annie asked her politely, prizing the words out. Sam was the first person expecting a baby she’d met since the end of her engagement and Annie was trying not to be reminded of the discussions she and Iain had had about starting their own family, the familiar pain squeezing her heart.
‘First week in September,’ Sam answered, wriggling on her narrow seat until she found a more comfortable position. ‘We’re so excited, although I’m slightly nervous about the nights as I really love my sleep.’ She pulled a face, still smiling. ‘My maternity leave has already started as I teach drama at the college in town and we’ve just broken up for the summer. The baby is due only a few days after I would normally be back
at work, and of course, I could be early. Or late.’
‘You look wonderful,’ Annie told her truthfully, a note of wistfulness in her voice. If it was true about blooming in pregnancy then Sam was a perfect example, with clear skin and glossy hair framing bright and intelligent eyes. Annie blinked away her sudden sadness, refusing to let it spoil their time together.
Clearly pleased, Sam pushed her plate away, only crumbs left amongst a blob of jam. ‘Thank you, it’s really nice of you to say so. But I’d love to hear about you, Annie. I won’t ask how you’re settling in because you’ve probably had that from everyone else. Tell me about your job, I’ve heard that you’re a teacher too?’
Annie marvelled at the invisible way information seemed to travel through the village. Although she was certain that Elizabeth wouldn’t gossip about her, she wondered how everybody else seemed to know so much about her so soon. She and Sam nattered easily together as she talked of her new school and the move into the cottage, although Annie didn’t explain her reasons for returning to Thorndale. That would come later, she decided, unless the village grapevine got there first. Sam chatted about who was who, in between greeting people cheerfully whenever they stopped at the table to say hello. She introduced Annie to everyone and replied patiently when asked questions about Charlie, the next church service or seemingly endless parish business. Eventually they were alone again, their coffee finished, and Annie noticed how heavy Sam’s eyes had become.
‘Sorry.’ Sam covered a yawn with her fingers. ‘I’m getting very lazy and napping most afternoons. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go home. Those scones always have a soporific effect on me!’ Outside in the warm sunshine she turned to Annie. ‘It was so lovely to meet you properly, I really hope we’ll be good friends. I’d love to come and see how you’re getting on with the cottage – it always seemed so sad, standing empty all that time.’
‘I’d really like that too.’ Annie’s eyes fluttered past Sam to a tall, dark-haired man she had spotted beyond the green, and her heart thumped. But it wasn’t Jon and she hurriedly transferred her attention back to Sam, amazed how easily she had been side-tracked by the mere suggestion of him. ‘I’m around most days. Come whenever you like.’ They said goodbye and Annie returned to the house with her shopping, thrilled by the unexpected encounter with Sam and hopeful that a new friendship had indeed begun.
She searched through Molly’s old cookery books until she found the recipe she wanted and assembled the ingredients. Before long, a cake was rising gently in the main oven and she started to mix the frosting together. When the cake was cooled and topped, she went upstairs to change, stepping into a vintage, long green skirt and pale pink cardigan. Anticipation was dancing as she returned to the village, holding her cake tin, and hoping she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself. She’d heard through Elizabeth that the fell rescue members met every other Monday evening for training, and she was hoping to catch them at their HQ opposite the green. The barn doors were open when she arrived and she peered inside, hearing noise from the back.
‘Hello? May I come in?’
She had absolutely no idea if Jon was there or not, trying not to hope too much that he was and then a man with cropped steel-grey hair approached her, dressed in walking clothes and carrying a pair of ropes attached to a harness.
‘How can I help you?’ The man offered her a friendly smile and she saw his eyes drop curiously to the tin in her hand.
‘Hi, I’m sorry to bother you. There was a bit of confusion the other day when I parked outside the entrance by mistake, so I thought I would bring this to apologise. I didn’t mean to cause a problem. It’s just a banana cake with cream cheese frosting.’ Annie lifted the lid off the tin to show him, smiling as the man’s eyes lit up.
‘That’s very good of you,’ he said appreciatively, tossing the harness onto a desk and taking the tin from Annie. ‘You’re the lass with the white Mini, are you? I heard about that.’
Annie rolled her eyes, feeling foolish, and he laughed.
‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first and I don’t suppose you’ll be the last. But I think you’re the first one who’s ever bothered to bring us cake.’
‘I thought it was the least I could do,’ she replied, glancing casually around the room. Radios were stacked on a shelf and chairs were grouped around a couple of desks. A whiteboard was fixed to a wall, opposite a huge OS map of the area and Annie saw monitors and large backpacks in several different colours lined up on the floor. An A4 poster, stuck casually to a wall, was advertising the association’s family fun and open day in a couple of weeks.
‘Shame it’s only me here tonight, lass. I’m just sorting out equipment, some of the others have gone over to Clapham to train with them. But I’ll definitely let them know about you and they can call in for a piece of this if there’s anything left. Thank you.’ He rattled the tin gently.
‘Okay, great thanks.’ Annie didn’t want her disappointment to show and gave him a bright smile. ‘You’re very welcome, I hope you enjoy it. I’ll pop back sometime to collect the tin.’ She turned around and the man followed her outside into the warm summer evening, thanking her again as she set off across the green. She was soon back at the cottage, relief already replacing disappointment that she hadn’t bumped into Jon.
She escaped the village on Tuesday for the nearby town, spending time trying to choose wallpaper and staring longingly at modern power showers, thinking of the old-fashioned bath back at the cottage. She hated the idea of stripping away more of Molly’s life but knew that it had to be done eventually.
While she was in town, Annie gave into temptation to look through some of the clothes stores in case she stumbled across something fabulous for the party on Friday. She knew it wasn’t because of Sarah that she wanted to make the effort. Just for the evening Annie wanted to look amazing. She finally found the dress she’d been subconsciously seeking and, as she paid for it and the new shoes as well, tried to convince herself that Jon probably wouldn’t notice, even though she knew she was wrong.
Once her shopping was done, she sat down in a café and logged into the Wi-Fi to enjoy a coffee while she caught up with friends and read her emails. She had quite a few to get through. Kirstie had texted to say she was going away on a course for a few days and would be in touch when she got back. Annie opened WhatsApp and her heart did that silly flip again when she saw Jon’s name. She clicked on the message at once and laughed in astonishment, her coffee cup slithering precariously back onto the table.
Nice try, Armstrong, but you don’t get off that easily. I don’t like cake
She fired off her reply before she could properly consider her words.
What’s the matter with you? Everyone likes cake
She followed it with a rolling eyes emoji and the reply came back moments later.
Not me. Is there anything else on offer?
Such as?
Surprise me
Heart racing and lips twitching, Annie switched to her emails. This was flirting, absolutely, definitely, and she would be on dangerous ground indeed if she continued with it. But unable to dislodge Jon from her mind, she was still smiling as she made her way home, dreaming up ways to surprise him and wondering if she dared. She was unloading her shopping when she heard a car approaching from the Howards’ farm and looked up. She didn’t recognise the dark blue Land Rover until Jon jumped out, and her stomach toppled to her knees as she met his eyes, their message exchange flashing through her mind again.
‘Let me help you,’ he called, banging the car door behind him, and heading towards her. He took the bags from her. ‘Where do you want them?’
‘Kitchen please,’ Annie requested as she grabbed the rest and followed him inside. She hoped he hadn’t spotted her new dress carefully folded inside its tissue wrapping or, worse, the peach satin underwear next to it. He dumped the shopping on the table and she added hers to the pile, deftly separating food from everything else.
‘Coffee?
’ She made the request sound completely casual as she pointed to a chair.
‘Sure, thanks.’ Jon pulled the chair out and Annie switched on the Nespresso as he sat down. ‘I saw you coming home as I was leaving the farm. Elizabeth sometimes helps with the cooking at the youth centre and I called to see if she can step in on Thursday.’
‘And can she?’ Annie raised her voice over the noise of the machine. She’d found the espresso cups now and pushed one across to him, and he thanked her.
‘Not this time, they’ve got friends coming to stay for a long weekend.’
‘I see.’ The offer to help him was on the tip of her tongue. She loved cooking, and her summer spent au pairing in Italy for an extended family had left her undaunted by large numbers. But spending more time with a man who looked like he did, with those extraordinary blue eyes she was finding difficult to resist, was the opposite of everything she had arrived in Thorndale to do.
‘Thought it was worth a try before our administrator calls an agency.’
‘I could help, perhaps, if that’s any use to you?’ Annie joined him at the table with her own coffee, the willingness to help him dashing away the caution as his surprised glance landed on hers. ‘You helped me the other day, it’s only fair.’
‘Really?’ Jon didn’t bother to disguise his pleasure, his coffee already gone. ‘Are you sure? There’ll be around a dozen people, maybe more. Are you okay with that?’
‘Absolutely. I used to cook for at least ten every day when I was au pairing.’
He grinned at her, and she knew he was pleased. She promised to email him with the safeguarding details he needed, and he arranged to collect her around ten on Thursday morning. He also explained that she would only need to cook the early evening meal for the children and support staff, and they said goodbye. Reality kicked in then and she tried not to feel daunted by the prospect.