Merry Mistletoe: Kindle Single (Tales From Appleyard Book 1)

by Emma Davies

  ‘I’ve been saving my money for us, putting it aside for our new life actually, if you’d bothered to ask.’

  ‘So how much have you saved then Mr Accountant? You’ve had your hands on my books these last few months, but how much have you saved for our future after you’ve bought that swanky new car, and had your weekends away with the boys? Not to mention that bloody cruise that was a monumental waste of money?’ Freya lurched to her feet too, keeping one hand on the table.

  Gareth glared at her as she held his gaze. ‘Jesus, what are you accusing me of now? I don’t have to stand here and listen to this.’

  ‘How much Gareth?’

  He threw the papers onto the floor and gave the chair back an almighty shove before stalking from the room.

  ‘Yeah right … I thought as much,’ muttered Freya sadly.

  She looked at Amos for a moment who was still pinned to his chair unable to move, and then slowly sat back down, her body deflating like a balloon. She rested her head on the table. ‘Oh, dear Lord,’ she said to no one in particular.

  25 Days to go…

  Amos certainly hadn’t slept much and he reckoned Freya had slept even less but somehow he missed her the next morning. She must have gone out at the crack of dawn. The house was still in darkness as he crept downstairs, checking as he did so that Gareth’s car was still in the yard. He didn’t suppose that he’d be up too early but one thing was for certain, Amos didn’t want to be anywhere near him when he did.

  Taking an apple from the fruit bowl and a hunk of the fresh bread he had made the day before, he slipped his jacket and boots on and softly closed the kitchen door behind him. He didn’t know how far it was to the Hendersons’ farm but he knew the general direction it lay in and he’d enjoy the walk at any rate. There was no doubt in his mind that Sam Henderson would be the only one up at this hour of the morning, and there were a couple of things that Amos wanted to chat to him about. He wasn’t quite sure why Stephen was so keen to buy Appleyard in such a hurry, but something about the whole thing didn’t smell right to him.

  He’d only gone a matter of a mile or so when he felt a familiar prickle on the back of his neck. He walked on a little further, the feeling growing stronger with each step until he had to stop by the side of the road and wait for the feeling to pass. If he concentrated hard he could usually sort out the ‘noise’ in his head until he understood its sound, but this time nothing he did could alleviate it. He leant on the farm gate for a few more moments feeling slightly nauseous when a movement in the field caught his eye, and suddenly he understood. In the distance a rider was putting a horse through its paces and without a second thought Amos braced his arms on the top of the gate and swung himself over.

  The field was large and it took him some while to reach them, the horse becoming aware of him first, slowing from a canter to a walk, and finally stopping altogether despite the best efforts of its rider. Amos could sense the confusion in the young man as his horse steadfastly refused to move, until finally Amos was close enough for him to register his presence. The rider raised a hand, in warning, not in greeting, but Amos paid him no heed. The huge bay stallion walked over to him, eventually standing quietly by his side.

  The rider shielded his eyes from the low morning sun as he squinted to get a better view.

  ‘By rights you should be dead by now, coming up on a horse like that.’

  Amos stroked the bay’s nose while it blew steamy breaths into his hand.

  ‘You’re Sam aren’t you?’ he asked. ‘Sam Henderson? Sorry, we weren’t properly introduced the other day.’

  The rider nodded, peering closer until a gleam of recognition appeared in his eyes. He slipped his feet out of the stirrups and slid down from the horse, rubbing its flank for a moment before turning back to Amos.

  ‘You’re the chap who’s been helping Freya aren’t you? You were with her at the mistletoe sales as well. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.’

  ‘It’s Amos. Amos Fry.’

  Sam shook his hand. ‘Well, Amos you either know a lot about horses or you’re a bloody idiot. Bailey here doesn’t normally take too kindly to strangers.’

  ‘I’m sorry I alarmed you, but Bailey and I seem to be getting along just fine,’ Amos replied as the horse nuzzled his hand. ‘I was on my way to see you actually, Freya mentioned you.’

  Sam grimaced. ‘Well I can imagine what she had to say, and none of it complimentary I’m sure.’

  ‘Actually it’s only your brother she dislikes.’

  He laughed. ‘Really…? Oh, well yes, he does seem to have that effect on people. Anyway, what can I do for you Amos?’

  ‘Have you spoken to your brother since last night?’

  ‘You must be joking, it’s only eight o’clock. My brother won’t be up for hours yet.’

  ‘Well in that case, perhaps we could walk a little and I’ll explain.’

  Amos eventually found Freya sitting in the dark on a gate at the far end of the orchard. He’d also found only one car in the yard upon his return and the scribbled note from Gareth on the side in the kitchen. She’d been crying of course.

  He peeled her icy hands away from the cold metal of the gate and led her unyielding into the house where the fire he had laid earlier was roaring. He placed a blanket around her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate in front of her and then went to sit in one of the armchairs opposite her, where he pretended to read for half an hour before she spoke.

  ‘I don’t know why I’m upset really.’

  Amos looked up at her. ‘It’s human nature to mourn something when it’s gone.’

  She ran a hand wearily through her hair. ‘It was stupid, arguing like that. I was tired and he was drunk, it wasn’t the best time to have a discussion.’

  ‘No, perhaps it wasn’t. But given a better time, would the words have been any different?’

  ‘No,’ she said slowly. ‘I don’t think they would.’ She let out a long sigh. ‘I think I’ve probably been feeling that way for quite a while, I just didn’t realise it until I opened my mouth.’

  ‘How long had you been together?’

  ‘Nearly four years. Too long probably. I harboured dreams once that he would ask me to marry him, and we could run this place together, but he never did, and as time went on it became obvious that he was never really interested. We don’t have all that much in common. I mean, he doesn’t even much like being outside. A long walk in the country is his idea of hell, but we’ve always got on quite well and he was very good to me when Dad died.’ She looked down at her mug of chocolate, swilling it gently. ‘I wanted someone to share in what we had here but that person was never going to be Gareth, I can see that now. I’ve let him down too. He thought I wanted the same things he did, but in truth I couldn’t live the kind of life he wanted either, a little piece of me would have died each day, until we ended up hating each other.’

  ‘Then you’ve made the right decision. Our choices in life aren’t always easy, but if they come from the heart they’re usually the right ones, I’ve found. Feeling sad for what has passed is normal, but it also frees you to face the future without the weight of hurt and disappointment. These things are often barriers to what lies beyond, and now, without them, you can be open to possibility once more.’

  ‘But what am I going to do Amos? It’s nearly Christmas and I’ve probably totally blown it with the Hendersons. I don’t want to bow down to Stephen, but I really could do with the money, especially after today.’ She took another sip of her chocolate, staring morosely into her mug.

  ‘But I didn’t think Gareth contributed financially from what you said. How will his leaving make things any worse for you?’

  ‘It won’t, but that’s not what I meant. I had a phone call from Merry today. She’s had an idea that might give me a way out of all this; without the cash, though, I might not be able to make it happen.’

  ‘That sounds like it could be good news?’

  ‘It is, yes. They’ve give
n me a repeat order for the hotel for the next four weeks, right up until Christmas. With that and what I make from the mistletoe sales it will keep me going through to January, but I will need to find something then, which is where Merry’s idea comes in.’

  Amos got up to throw another log on the fire. ‘Go on,’ he said, poking at the embers.

  ‘Well it seems like they’ve decided that trying to run two businesses might not be so easy with a small child; at some point they’re going to sell the florist shop. They’ve got someone in there at the moment covering for Merry but she wants to finish at the end of January anyway. To cut a long story short Merry has offered it to me to run for a few months while she’s busy with the baby with a view to buying it if I find it suits me. Well obviously I can’t be in two places at once, so I really need to be out of here early in the New Year. Tom has offered me a room at their hotel until I can find somewhere to live.’

  ‘So it sounds as if you have a plan?’

  ‘I might have. But like I said I really need to get this place sold. It’s very good of Merry to offer the shop to me but I can’t keep them hanging on, they need to make plans too. The extra orders are good news but they’ll take up a lot of my time as well, and I don’t see how I can possibly get everything done.’ She rubbed her eyes, feeling the roughness of the salt from her tears on her skin.

  ‘Seems to me as if you have no option really. You’ll have to speak to the Hendersons and see what happens; just take one thing at a time. As it happens I bumped into Sam this morning while I was out walking.’

  Freya sat up a little straighter. ‘You bumped into him?’

  ‘Well not exactly, he was out riding, but our paths crossed. We got talking and I happened to mention the deal that Gareth is supposed to have done with his brother. Not surprisingly, given the early hour, he hadn’t yet spoken to Stephen and knew nothing about it, but I’d say he was pretty curious. Perhaps you ought to have a chat with him.’

  Freya narrowed her eyes. ‘Just how exactly do you bump into someone on a horse Amos? What are you up to?’

  ‘Not a thing,’ he replied blithely. ‘But it did occur to me that it wouldn’t hurt to keep a closer eye on them than usual, just to check that things go according to plan. As it happens, what with Stephen being such a monumental waste of space, Sam is feeling a little busy right now and since the young lad who’s been helping him out has come down with glandular fever, when I mentioned that I might have a few hours spare if he needed any help, he rather bit my hand off.’

  ‘Amos,’ said Freya in a warning tone. ‘That’s downright meddling.’

  Amos said nothing, but stared into the fire, a small smile playing around his lips.

  24 Days to go…

  Freya really wasn’t looking forward to this meeting. It was the first time she and Sam had been alone together in the same room since … well, for a very long time, and in the few days since Gareth had gone she’d realised how much she missed having him around. She hadn’t thought they’d talked all that much, but even ‘Pass the butter please’ was better than no-one to talk to at all.

  Her dad had always told her how expressive her eyes were; big dark brown pools of her very soul he teased her whenever she had been trying to keep something from him. One look and anyone would guess what she was feeling, and now she was rather afraid that she was wearing an I’m-very-vulnerable, please-come-and-rescue-me air which was not the impression she wanted to give Sam at all. She was staring in the mirror again, despite having given herself a stern talking to. She had washed her hair, but that was all. Her face was resolutely devoid of make-up, and her curves were just… well, just plain curvy.

  She had wondered if Sam would come on his own, or whether Stephen would muscle in, unable to bear anyone other than him getting the better of Freya Sherbourne. But as it happened when she opened the door only Sam was standing there, looking very cold and, she was relieved to see, rather nervous.

  She made them tea, not because she wanted any but because it gave her something to do with her hands which suddenly didn’t know how to behave. She stumbled for a moment over asking Sam whether he took sugar. Giving it to him without would seem rather knowing and presumptuous and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to look him in the eye. Better to pretend he was a stranger and ask what he preferred, as long as he didn’t make some cute reference to it himself. Good grief, since when had making a cup of tea become so difficult? Fortunately Sam was the model guest and they managed to end up with a cup of tea each without incident.

  His attempt at conversation though was rather less successful as he complimented her on the homely quality of her kitchen. Normally a safe conversational bet designed to put the hostess at ease, but under the circumstances, probably the worst thing he could have said. Of course he then realised and didn’t know what to say. Freya flushed bright red and decided that a more forthright discussion was the only way forward.

  ‘Look, Sam, I’m sorry, but to be blunt I want to sell Appleyard, you want to buy it, so let’s just discuss the price and then we can hand everything over to the agent and solicitors.’

  ‘Erm, yes, good idea.’ Said Sam, nodding his head vigorously. ‘Right, well, I’ve had a chat to Stephen and as expected his memory of the offer he made to Gareth is a little sketchy, but the essence of it was that you would end up with an amount about fifteen thousand pounds lower than the asking price. I’m not sure how you feel about this whole cash business but it doesn’t sit right with me, so I’ve persuaded Stephen to bin that idea if that’s okay?’

  Freya nodded rapidly.

  ‘Now the bit you’re not going to like is that Stephen has, as usual, been shouting his mouth off to all his cronies and he’s found a chap who wants to rent this place. After all we won’t need to live in it, but this mate is going through a messy divorce and needs to move in pretty sharpish. On that basis Stephen’s agreed it would be only reasonable to offer you the full asking price provided that the sale can complete on the 10th of January. That’s possible apparently as neither of us has any other properties involved. We don’t need a survey and there shouldn’t be any issue over boundaries etc. You might remember our parents had them checked a few years ago when my dad bought the strip along your bottom field.’

  ‘Still, that seems awfully fast. I’m not quite sure I understand Stephen’s massive rush, especially at this time of year.’

  Sam sighed. ‘I imagine it has something to do with getting a mate out of a fix. You know how Stephen likes people owing him favours because he very often has to call them in. If I’m honest, there will probably be some sort of cash inducement involved as well, but I wouldn’t worry about that. If it suits you Freya, it’s still a very good offer.’

  Freya bit her lip, knowing the truth in his words. It would give her exactly what she wanted … and exactly what she didn’t want. She’d give anything to be able to stay at Appleyard but as it was clear she couldn’t do that, then she must accept that fate was sending her somewhere else. The plans she’d made seemed good ones, and she’d be foolish to miss the only opportunity she currently had.

  She nodded her head slowly. ‘I know Sam, and thank you. Submit your offer through the agent and I’ll speak to my solicitor later today.’ She offered her hand in the traditional manner.

  Sam gazed at it sadly before taking it in his own, the warmth of it sending him somewhere he really didn’t want to go. He rose to leave.

  ‘Before you go Sam,’ said Freya, also standing up. ‘Just answer me a question will you…? This all seems a bit Stephen this and Stephen that; what’s in it for you, besides a load more work?’

  It was a grimace really, more than a smile. ‘I keep a roof over my head Freya. And I get to stay doing what I love. Simple as that.’

  She nodded and walked him to the door, frowning gently at his answer that wasn’t really an answer. ‘Will I see you at the sales?’

  ‘Yes. We’ll be there next week. I’ll see you then.’ He walked a few steps down the path
before turning back. ‘I’ll miss you Freya.’

  Freya managed a tight smile before closing the door. She walked back into the kitchen, took down a letter she had tucked into the plate rack, and read it one more time, tears pouring down her face.

  ‘I’m so sorry Dad,’ she whispered.

  15 Days to go…

  Freya fished about in her handbag for some painkillers. Unusually for her she had the beginnings of a headache and today the noise was really beginning to get to her. It was the second week in December and the last sale was always the busiest as the selling season reached its peak, and she could hardly move for people. On the one hand this was great for business, but she was so tired she wished she could enjoy it more; the atmosphere was brilliant today. It would also be her last ever sale and she wanted to savour every little drop, remember every tiny detail to store up for the future. The last thing she needed was to feel unwell.

  She found a couple of tablets, and stuffed them in her mouth, swigging them down with the dregs of a cold cup of tea. She watched as a trio of Santa Clauses made its way across the yard and smiled in spite of herself. Even at the ripe old age of 35 she still felt that special kind of excitement that only came at Christmas. She sought out Amos in the crowd, trying to weave his way back to her, carrying his precious breakfast cargo.

  She didn’t know what she would have done without him these last couple of weeks. If she thought she’d been busy before, that was nothing compared to now, having added packing into the mix as well. Appleyard wasn’t a huge house, but it was big enough, and with just her and her dad living there, they had filled every corner of available space. Freya had never had any need to declutter before, and now she was having to sort through over thirty years of memories and the stuff of life. For the moment everything would have to go into storage and so the less there was the better. Given her current state of mind, however, it wasn’t a task that she was finding at all easy, and were it not for Amos she would have given up long before now. He knew when to buoy her up, when to give her space and when to just plain nag. He had been a real life-saver.