The Little Orchard on the Lane: An absolutely perfect and uplifting romantic comedy

by Tilly Tennant

  Giles grinned. ‘I hope I’m not the mad old uncle!’

  ‘That’d be me!’ Asa called over.

  ‘Who’s got the ginger beer?’ Carmel asked.

  Asa wandered over. ‘I don’t have ginger beer but I do have pomegranate juice.’ He reached to give Carmel a peck on the cheek. Lachlan came over a second later looking vaguely alarmed at the sight of so many newcomers.

  ‘Giles, Sandra…’ He looked at Carmel. ‘Forgive me if I don’t remember your name.’

  ‘This is my mum,’ Posy said.

  Lachlan nodded. ‘We’ve met before, haven’t we?’

  ‘Oh, of course you have…’ Posy said, recalling now an awkward moment in the lobby of Karen’s guest house. It seemed like such a long time ago that she’d almost forgotten it.

  ‘I don’t think we were ever formally introduced though,’ Posy’s mum said. ‘I’m Carmel.’

  ‘Carmel…’ Lachlan stuck his hands in his pockets. ‘Right.’

  No ‘Pleased to meet you’, no shaking hands, just ‘Right.’ Posy was right – Lachlan was rude and he really didn’t care who knew it. And yet, there was still a part of her that looked at him with a pang of regret. How obnoxious did this man have to be to cure her of such unwelcome feelings?

  ‘Mum’s up from London for the weekend,’ she said, although she didn’t know why she was bothering to explain anything to him; it wasn’t like he cared.

  ‘So you’ll be wanting to call it a day now,’ Lachlan said, looking at Posy and Asa in turn.

  ‘Actually, we thought we might lend a hand this afternoon if you needed more help,’ Sandra said.

  Lachlan stared at her. ‘All of you?’

  ‘Well, Carmel had intended to come over to see Posy anyway and we decided we’d come with her. Now that we’re here we might as well stay.’

  ‘Don’t you have your own work at the orchard?’

  ‘Yes, but neighbours are neighbours and one good turn deserves another, and we managed to jiggle the schedule so that we had an afternoon to spare.’

  Posy didn’t know whether Lachlan was going to fly into a rage or burst into tears. Every conceivable emotion seemed to cross his face at once.

  ‘I couldn’t ask you—’ he began, but Giles cut in.

  ‘Of course you could. As Sandra says, neighbours are neighbours. Life is tough enough for growers; we have to help each other where we can.’

  ‘I don’t have enough equipment here with me.’

  ‘I thought you might not.’ Giles showed him a metal carry box. ‘So we’ve brought our own. It might not be just what you’d use but I think they’ll do the job.’

  Giles walked off without giving Lachlan the chance to reply. With the same critical eye that Asa had used earlier he walked the rows, looking at the vines.

  Sandra and Carmel turned to Lachlan.

  ‘Once he’s made up his mind there’s no unmaking it,’ Sandra said. ‘Might as well give in and let us help.’

  Lachlan still wore the expression of someone who really didn’t know how he was feeling.

  ‘Aye,’ was all he said before walking off to join Giles. Posy watched as they began to discuss the work, Lachlan pointing at different parts of the nearest plant and Giles nodding every so often.

  ‘That man… he really is a one-off, isn’t he?’ Carmel said.

  ‘Yes,’ Sandra agreed. ‘You have to wonder how he came to be that way.’

  * * *

  The mood was very much lighter by the time they finished lunch and began to work again. Carmel was like a little kid on a school trip, marvelling at the novelty of her situation, while Giles kept Lachlan company for most of it as they swapped wisdom and opinions on farming, the current market and the reliability of the weather.

  Strangely, out of every interaction Posy had ever witnessed Lachlan involved in, it seemed Giles got through better than anyone else. With him he was open and almost friendly. Maybe it was because the things they were discussing were practical things that didn’t require an emotional response, conversations where Lachlan could control the direction – and that was always a safe place. Posy even witnessed a brief chortle, and the only thing that would have been more shocking was if one of the vines had started to talk to her. Although, she was so sick of seeing them right now that at least it would have livened things up.

  In a strange way, though, seeing Lachlan get along with Giles made her envious and a little sad. She would never get him to open up like that. Maybe she ought to try talking about things that didn’t matter, like weather and soil acidity and natural pesticides.

  Asa and Carmel had become something of a double act too. They weren’t discussing farming but had somehow got to playing Snog, Marry, Avoid, passing judgement on male celebrities, and some of Asa’s replies had Carmel in fits of giggles, her own getting more and more daring in response until Posy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any more and was considering asking if anyone had earplugs.

  Sandra glanced across and smiled at them. ‘You and your mum certainly know how to cheer him up,’ she said to Posy in a low voice. ‘Sometimes I feel Giles and I have failed him.’ Posy looked at her with a silent question. ‘He’s told you about Drew?’

  ‘Yes,’ Posy said.

  ‘When he left we simply didn’t know what to do for Asa. We couldn’t give him what he needed and Philomena certainly never could – she didn’t even try to understand him and yet he worshipped her. He was devastated when she died, you know, even though she’d never really accepted his sexuality and made him feel guilty about it for as long as she lived.’

  ‘She sounds horrible.’

  Sandra turned and stared at Posy.

  ‘Sorry,’ Posy said. ‘But she does. She gave up on my mum and never tried to find her, denied my existence and she made Asa miserable because she didn’t like him being gay. I’m glad I never knew her.’

  Sandra was silent, and for a moment Posy thought she’d offended her. Perhaps her assessment had been rash and out of line, but she’d answered instinctively and from the heart and it was too late to take it back now.

  ‘She was a complicated woman,’ Sandra said finally.

  ‘And yet for all that she had Asa and Giles, who are lovely people,’ Posy said.

  ‘Yes. One has to wonder how they turned out so well.’

  ‘I wish I’d known my mum a little…’

  Sandra gave a small smile. ‘She was long gone by the time I met Giles so I never knew her either. She sounds like a character though, a real wild child. I don’t know where she got it from because it’s not a trait I see in Giles at all. Maybe Asa a little sometimes, but nowhere near in that league.’

  ‘It’s funny, I don’t imagine I’m much like her at all either,’ Posy said. ‘I think I’ve got more of my adopted mother in me than my birth one.’

  ‘I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a bad thing,’ Sandra said. ‘Carmel is a wonderful woman – you could be a lot worse than like her.’

  ‘I was a bit worried that she might be hurt at the idea I’d want to spend time getting to know you all here, but she’s been brilliant. I know it must scare her a little, the idea that I might grow to like life here better than I do with her in London, but I also know she’d never put those feelings before what I might want. I’m so lucky to have her as my mum.’

  ‘You are,’ Sandra agreed. ‘We didn’t want or need another addition to the family and we were terrified of where it might lead when we were forced to seek you out, but I’m so glad we did. Giles and I couldn’t have children but, if we had, I would have hoped they’d be like you.’

  Posy’s hand rested over a bunch of grapes and Sandra covered it briefly with hers and gave Posy a warm smile.

  ‘Of course,’ she added, ‘I would expect Carmel to put up a fight if we wanted to steal you away, but we’d never do that to her. That said, if you should decide you want to spend a little longer here in Astercombe…’

  ‘Sandra…’ Posy began. ‘I don’t suppose… well,
one day you could take me to the village and show me the house where my dad lived?’

  ‘John’s old place?’ She was thoughtful for a moment, and then she gave a small smile.

  ‘I suppose it makes perfect sense that you’d want to see it. Of course I can, though you could probably find it yourself easily enough if you wanted to – it’s right next to the stream, the little blue house with the bullseye windows—’

  ‘Sandra!’ Giles shouted. ‘Come and see this!’

  Sandra rolled her eyes and gave Posy an apologetic smile. Whatever else she was about to say would have to wait now, though it struck Posy that the house Sandra had described was the one she’d stared at during her first visit to Astercombe.

  ‘I’ll bet he’s found a two-headed earthworm or something – he’s not usually this excited about anything else.’

  Posy watched her walk the slope to join her husband and Lachlan looked up, momentarily catching Posy’s eye. He held her gaze and then seemed to realise what he was doing and looked away.

  In some ways, having so many people here made it easier for them, but in other ways it made things more difficult than ever. Lots of people meant they didn’t have time or privacy for an awkward conversation, but that same fact prevented conversations that they really needed to have, awkward or not. With all hands on deck the pace of work was much faster, and Posy wondered if Lachlan would even ask anyone to come back to the vineyard to help after today. She would, even though she really needed to pack for her departure. It was doubtful he’d ask anyway.

  As she watched him, deep in thought, she suddenly felt another pair of eyes on her and looked to see Asa studying her now. He made his way over.

  ‘You know he keeps looking at you,’ he said, his voice low. Posy didn’t react. ‘You must have noticed,’ Asa continued. ‘Considering how many times you’ve looked at him.’

  ‘He’s here in the field – I can’t not look at him from time to time.’

  ‘You know exactly what’s going on here as well as I do,’ Asa said.

  Posy stopped cutting at a vine and looked him square in the eye. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘even if I did, it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference. I don’t think he even knows how to be nice or show affection or any kind of humanity whatsoever, so I don’t know why he’s looking at me and I’m only looking at him because he’s so bloody annoying I’m dreaming about punching him in the face.’

  Asa chuckled. ‘So that told me! I didn’t expect you to get quite so riled. And for the record, the way he’s looking at you, I’d say that’s pretty damn human.’

  Posy snatched at the bunch of grapes she’d just cut free and left Asa to go back to his own vine.

  Everyone had an opinion about her and Lachlan but none of them really knew anything about it. And as she had no intentions of enlightening anyone, it would be better if they kept their opinions to themselves because they weren’t helpful at all.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Sandra had invited Lachlan to Posy’s farewell barbeque but none of them actually thought he’d come. Sandra thought that was a pity because she was warming to him, and Giles agreed that his ways might be brusque but he was a salt-of-the-earth, no-nonsense kind of fella that he could get on with.

  Posy could think of plenty of nonsense that he was, while Asa bemoaned that if only he’d make an appearance at their get-together it would give him something nice to look at.

  Lachlan didn’t show, of course, just as everyone had predicted.

  In the garden now as Giles filled the air with the glorious smells of chargrilled vegetables and meats stood Carmel, Asa, Sandra and Karen – who’d allowed herself an hour off to come and say goodbye to Posy and then would head back to Sunnyfields so that Pavla could have an hour to come over and do the same. Ray would stay on duty, as he always did, but as Posy had barely said two words to him the whole time she’d been in Astercombe she really didn’t think they needed any kind of goodbye anyway.

  Sandra had dragged over a vat of cider from the press that hadn’t yet been bottled, while Lachlan, as a thank you for their help in the vineyard, had dropped a crate of wine by the gates of Oleander House that morning before anyone had woken (another clue he hadn’t intended to come to the party). The guests were making steady progress through it all now.

  ‘So you start your new job on Monday?’ Karen said.

  Posy nodded.

  ‘How do you feel about it? Nervous?’

  ‘A bit,’ Posy admitted. ‘Mostly I don’t want to mess up because my friend put in a word for me.’

  ‘You’d have got the job on your own merit,’ Carmel said. ‘Marella might have brought you to her boss’s attention but he wouldn’t have taken you on unless he thought you were a good fit for his business.’

  ‘In that case,’ Posy said, ‘I need to prove he was right. Either way it’s a bit nerve-wracking.’

  ‘I wouldn’t like to be in the job market again,’ Karen said. ‘Too stressful by far. Give me a busy day at the B&B any time.’

  ‘Stress is different when you work for yourself, isn’t it?’ Carmel agreed. ‘It can be terrifying but the rewards are far greater.’

  ‘Burgers!’ Giles yelled across the patio. Posy grinned.

  ‘Do you think he might be trying to tell us the burgers are ready?’

  Carmel laughed. ‘Whatever led you to that conclusion?’

  They went over to get some food from the first batch. Posy had been saving herself all day and she was starving. Asa came up close behind and pretended to try and trip her up so he could be first in the queue and she giggled.

  ‘Out of the way, tin ribs,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen you hoover up food – there’ll be nothing left for us if you get in first.’

  ‘Cheeky cow!’

  It was a measure of just how far their relationship had come that they could share this banter. When Posy had first met Asa she hadn’t been able to work him out at all and she wasn’t even sure she liked him. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.

  Carmel gave them both an indulgent smile. Asa really was more like an older brother to Posy than an uncle, and perhaps Carmel saw it that way too.

  Burgers were accompanied by salad from Oleander’s garden, grilled halloumi, home-made coleslaw, guacamole and salsa. Even as everyone was groaning from the amount they’d eaten Giles added some hickory-smoked chicken wings to the grill, though it was unclear who was going to manage them. Even Asa had said he was full, and that was probably the litmus test for everyone else. Still, Posy went over and helped herself to one and forced it down, and even though she might regret it later she was glad she had because it was delicious.

  * * *

  The flow of food from the grill had started to calm a little and Asa took the opportunity of a lull to crack open one of Lachlan’s bottles. He held it aloft to call for attention. Once everyone was quiet he began to speak.

  ‘I just want to say a few words about my lovely niece,’ he began.

  ‘Oh God…’ Posy groaned. ‘Please don’t.’

  Everyone laughed and Asa – who was now very visibly drunk – took a swig from the wine bottle. ‘No, no… I have to talk and you have to listen. If you’re buggering off back to London it’s the least you can do.’

  Everyone laughed again and Asa, buoyed by the appreciation of his performance, continued.

  ‘Carmel,’ he said. ‘I’ll get to you shortly, love.’

  ‘I can wait, darling,’ Carmel said dryly, making everyone laugh again.

  ‘So,’ Asa carried on, ‘we all know that we’d never even heard of Posy before this summer,’ he slurred, ‘and boy, was it a shock when we did—’

  ‘Asa!’ Sandra hissed. Perhaps she was worried he was about to give away something entirely inappropriate that they’d really rather keep secret. He waved away her admonishment and carried on unperturbed, and Sandra looked even more nervous than she had a moment before.

  ‘None of that matters anyway.’ Asa swayed slightl
y before taking another swig of his wine. ‘Because even if we thought she’d be a hideous gold-digger we were wrong.’

  There was an audible, horrified gasp from Sandra. Posy didn’t know where to look. While she appreciated Asa’s sentiment the situation was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable. She glanced across to see a similar set of emotions playing across her mum’s face.

  ‘The fact is,’ Asa continued, ‘I love—’

  He stopped mid-sentence and the smile slipped from his face to be replaced by a sudden expression of shock. He stared at a spot beyond the patio and everyone turned to look.

  ‘The gate was open,’ the man said apologetically. ‘I couldn’t get any answer at the house. I hope I’m not interrupting anything…’

  Posy looked at Sandra, but before she could ask what on earth was going on Giles was striding across the garden towards the newcomer.

  ‘You’ve got a nerve showing up here!’

  And then, all at once, Posy worked it out. The man currently gate-crashing their party was Drew.

  * * *

  As Giles tried to herd Drew away, Posy craned for a good look. She needed to see what kind of man had managed to so utterly destroy her uncle. Whatever she’d been expecting, the reality didn’t really live up to it. Perhaps she’d been expecting someone like Lachlan – proud, haughty, impossibly handsome. Drew – if this was Drew – was soft-featured, sandy-haired, blue-eyed, slight of build and probably around her own age – certainly younger than Asa – and he looked almost ordinary. He didn’t arrive like a whirlwind of destructive emotional menace; he came with a soothing, gentle, polite presence that was instantly likeable. Or it might have been, had there not been such a complicated history.

  ‘Who’s that?’ Carmel whispered in Posy’s ear.

  ‘I think it’s the man who broke Asa’s heart.’

  Carmel knew something of Drew as Posy had mentioned his existence briefly in conversation, but Posy hadn’t told her just how much damage he’d done, so she looked slightly bemused now but didn’t ask anything else. Posy watched as Asa seemed to come to his senses. She’d never seen a man sober up so quickly. He dashed after Giles, who was ushering Drew into the house.