‘At the end of the month,’ said Annie, with a worried look. ‘The restorer is busy until then. I just hope it’ll be ready for New Year’s Eve.’
‘I’m sure it will,’ Skye told her.
It would be quite a setting, she thought.
Annie’s eyes lit up. ‘We’ve really splashed out on the wedding planner. Well, actually, she’s less a planner and more a creative artist. Or so she tells us. Anyway, she did the wedding for Destiny from Love Island this summer. And for that footballer whose name I can’t remember. Their wedding receptions were absolutely stunning. Here, let me show you.’
Annie brought out her phone and began swiping through various photos. Skye nodded admiringly but thought that the weddings looked particularly over the top. Walls of flowers, lots of candelabras and rows of pearls hung everywhere.
‘That one’s a bit much,’ said Annie with a grimace as they looked at one lurid pink themed marquee. ‘But it was the bride’s favourite colour, so why not, I guess.’
‘So what have you decided for your wedding?’ asked Skye.
Annie giggled. ‘I didn’t decide anything at all! I mean, I’ve got no style. Look at me.’ She looked down at her skinny jeans and sweatshirt before shrugging her shoulders. ‘So we let Victoria the wedding creator give us some ideas. The one that seemed most appropriate was what she called the regal look. Like this.’
Annie showed Skye some more photos of heavy purple and gold velvet material draped over walls and tables.
‘She thought it would go really well here, especially with Sam being a future earl and all that.’
‘Looks great,’ lied Skye.
But as long as Annie was happy then what did it matter?
‘Now, what about that power shower I promised you?’ asked Annie. ‘Will you make the stairs?’
‘Oh yes, please,’ said Skye, gratefully. ‘I feel a bit revolting, to be honest.’
They were just heading back into the entrance hall when there was a knock at the front door.
Annie opened it to a very attractive man holding a medical bag.
‘Dr Goodman,’ she said, sounding surprised. ‘Is it time for Arthur’s blood pressure appointment again?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ replied the doctor.
Annie let the man into the hall. He smiled when he saw Skye and walked across to introduce himself.
‘Hello,’ he said, nodding at the crutches. ‘Looks like someone’s been in the wars recently.’
‘Dr Goodman, let me introduce Skye Jackson,’ said Annie. ‘She’s a friend of the family.’
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Call me Jamie.’
He had nice eyes, thought Skye. He was the same height as her with dark brown hair and eyes.
‘Hello,’ she replied, her cheeks flushing.
‘What happened?’ he asked, looking down at her foot.
‘Just a sprained ankle,’ she told him. ‘Two days ago. The hospital gave me painkillers and the crutches. I’m hoping to be rid of them soon though.’
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘Tell you what, let me deal with Arthur and then I can check you out.’
‘There’s no need,’ said Skye, her voice coming out in a squeaky pitch.
‘It would be my pleasure,’ he told her.
‘I’ll take you through to Arthur,’ said Annie, before looking at Skye. ‘You go into the drawing room and I’ll bring the doctor in afterwards.’
Skye went into the drawing room, trying to do everything she could think of to calm her burning cheeks. A handsome doctor? She thought Summer had made them up and that they were some kind of urban myth. But out here in the countryside, well, a small amount of male attention would perhaps be a nice boost to her fragile ego.
She rearranged her top, desperately wishing she was wearing something better. She had succumbed to her normal cheap black leggings which were a wardrobe staple. Everything else came from the local markets or charity shops. She had a good eye for a bargain and if the clothes didn’t fit then she had enough sewing skills to adjust the sizing.
She quickly let her hair down out of its ponytail so that it didn’t look too severe. Then she realised that was too obvious and put it back up again.
What she really wished was that she had had a shower so that she felt clean and was hoping that her perfume offset anything else.
‘Here you are,’ said Annie, bringing the doctor with her after what felt like a very short time. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ She then gave Skye a small wink before walking out.
‘So, you’re a friend of the family?’ said Jamie, sitting on the sofa next to her after Annie had left the room.
She nodded. ‘That’s right.’ Well, if Annie had said so then it must be true, she thought.
‘So, let me see your foot. Is it still painful?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ Skye told him as she brought up her bad ankle in front of her.
She tried not to flinch as he gently took it in his hands and placed it on his knees. Thank goodness she had managed to get vaguely clean, she thought as he slid the sock down to reveal the skin underneath. The ankle was still black and blue with the bruising but she thought that the swelling had perhaps gone down slightly. It was still an ungainly awful sight though.
Luckily, the doctor had seen it all before and took it in his stride. ‘At least the skin isn’t broken,’ he said. ‘So, are you staying with the family long?’ he asked, looking up at her with his deep brown eyes.
‘Only for a week,’ she told him.
‘Do you think you might have time for a drink whilst you’re here?’ he asked.
Skye had trouble speaking. Was he asking her out on a date?
‘Good morning,’ came a voice from the doorway.
Skye looked up to find Will scowling at them both. She was embarrassed that he had found her like that and then wondered why.
‘Good morning, Will,’ replied the doctor in a smooth tone. ‘I’m surprised to see you at home. Isn’t there a party you should be at somewhere?’
‘Not until later this week,’ said Will, still frowning. ‘Do you charge extra for unofficial examination of patients?’
Jamie turned to smile at Skye. ‘This one’s on the house,’ he said.
‘No wonder the NHS is broke,’ drawled Will.
He stared so hard at the doctor’s hands on Skye’s foot that she began to pull it out of his hold. But Jamie shook his head. ‘I haven’t finished your examination yet,’ he told her. He then turned his head to look back at Will. ‘It’s been a while since we last saw each other. I’m the Group Practice Manager now.’
‘Good for you,’ said Will, not sounding remotely pleased about it.
‘And you’re still building chalets in the Alps?’ asked Jamie.
Will’s eyes narrowed. ‘Not today, obviously.’
He then abruptly turned and left the room.
Jamie turned to look at Skye with his eyebrows raised. ‘Was it something I said?’
She shook her head. ‘I thought the only person he spoke to like that was me,’ she said, softly.
Jamie smiled. ‘Nice to know we have something in common.’
She felt the blush spread across her cheeks. ‘You two have met before?’
‘We used to play together as children. But that’s a while ago now. He stole my first girlfriend from me.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Skye.
Jamie smiled. ‘We were only twelve but you know how tough losing your first love can be.’
Skye thought she had never felt that kind of heartbreak over anyone, in a romantic sense.
He finally let go of her ankle so that Skye could slide her sock back over her bare foot.
‘Well, it all seems to be healing, but you must still take it easy. So are you coming to the village bonfire tomorrow night?’ he asked, getting up from the sofa.
‘I didn’t know there was one,’ she told him.
‘It’s always good fun. You should try and come along.’
‘I will, thanks,
’ she replied.
‘Good. I’ll look out for you,’ he said, smiling, and she thought again how attractive he was. ‘I’ll see myself out. Don’t get up.’
As Jamie left the room, Skye remained on the sofa and blew out a long sigh. A drink with an attractive man? When was the last time she had done that?
But the thought made her smile as she reached for her crutches to stand up once more.
19
The following evening, Will stood by the Range Rover and stretched his back. He was going to have to do something about that single mattress he was sleeping on in the lodge. It had only been four nights since he began to stay there permanently but his spine was already aching.
Next to him, Sam stared into the car boot, which was full of charcoal briquettes and bread rolls. ‘Do you think it’s enough?’ he asked.
‘I think it’s plenty,’ said Will, putting the last of the bags full of sausages from the butchers onto the back seat. ‘How many people are coming?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Sam, closing the boot. ‘I’m not on the committee, thankfully. Merely on barbeque duty.’
Will shut the car door and wondered when his brother had transformed from globe trotting music manager into a man who attended local meetings about village bonfire night celebrations.
They sat in the front of the car, Sam’s hand hovering over the ignition key. ‘So, we’ve got sausages, buns, ketchup and soft drinks. What am I forgetting?’
‘Beer,’ said Will.
Sam shook his head. ‘That involves messy licences. If anyone wants a proper drink, they can walk over to the Rose and Crown.’
‘That’s where you’ll find me,’ Will told him.
Sam started up the engine and they set off back towards home.
Cranley had a village store but it wasn’t up to the levels of catering that they needed, so Will and Sam had driven into Aldwych town nearby to stock up.
On the way home, Will stared out of the window and wondered where the year had gone. Suddenly the hedgerows were gold and red. Spectacular autumn tints were everywhere, the glorious colours spilling into every field and tree.
As the sun began to set, the sky grew a deeper pink. As always, on the hill coming into the village, Will craned his neck to see Cranley nestled in the valley below. There it was, a tiny English hamlet surrounded by rolling hills of green. In the centre was the ancient church of St Barnabas, its wobbly spire high above anything else in the village and bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. The main street only held the infants’ school and a couple of shops. At the end was the triangle of grass that was the village green, with The Rose and Crown pub at one end. In the surrounding tree lined avenues were rows of cottages of sand coloured stone, all tiny with chimneys. Most of the houses were built in the same bricks as the main property of the estate, Willow Tree Hall, which could just be seen peeping through the trees, surrounded by lush green fields and, out of view, the river.
It was quite a sight and one day it would all belong to his elder brother. Perhaps that was why it still didn’t feel like home, thought Will. It would never be his.
As the car passed by the village green, they both looked across to the large bonfire that had been built out of old pallets and various rotting branches from nearby trees.
‘Good thing it’s being held this week,’ said Sam. ‘They’re talking about quite a major storm next week.’
‘It’ll miss us as per usual. Anyway, it’s dry tonight, so you won’t be handing out soggy sausages,’ said Will, as his brother parked up the car.
‘The fairground’s all set up,’ said Sam, squinting as he stared over to the far side of the green.
‘And Grandad let you get away with it?’ said Will. ‘I thought he’d always hated them.’
As they got out of the car, Will thought once more of the bond that had been strengthened between grandfather and grandson in the past year.
‘Annie reminded him that there was always a fair on bonfire night when she was growing up,’ said Sam, opening up the car boot. ‘I think he’d forgotten.’
Will caught his brother’s soft smile whenever he spoke of his fiancée. Was he envious of Sam and Annie? What they shared and the ease by which their love had arrived? Yes. He knew he was.
Sam cleared his throat. ‘What about Maria? Is she a big fairground fan?’
Will gave a start. His brother had never mentioned Maria before. ‘No,’ he said slowly. ‘She’s more the caviar at the Ritz type.’
His brother nodded thoughtfully but didn’t say anything.
‘Look,’ began Will, ready to explain that it was more of a friendship with Maria but he didn’t get a chance to.
‘Good evening, boys,’ said a voice from behind them.
Only one person had ever referred to them as boys and continued to do so. It was Beryl who had once been the cook for the family but had long since retired.
‘How are you, Beryl?’ asked Sam, stepping forward to give her a hug. ‘I might need to call upon your burger tasting skills later, so I don’t give the whole village food poisoning.’
Beryl smiled. ‘You’ll be fine. How are you, William?’
‘All the better for seeing you,’ he replied, also receiving a hug.
‘Nice to see you out and about in the village for a change,’ said Beryl, nodding her approval.
‘I need to keep an eye on my brother,’ said Will, giving her a wink.
‘Well, that is your duty as his best man,’ said Beryl with a soft smile. ‘I received my invitation, by the way, Samuel. The whole village are thrilled to be invited. It’s all anyone is talking about.’
Sam smiled. ‘It wouldn’t be the same without you.’ He looked out across the green as people slowly began to arrive. ‘It’s important that everyone’s involved in our special day. We want to share it with all of Cranley.’
Beryl reached out and squeezed his arm. She hesitated before speaking. ‘How proud your parents would have been of you.’ Then with a teary nod of her head, she walked away.
Sam took a deep intake of breath. ‘Does it ever get easier?’ he said, his voice sounding choked.
Will knew he was talking about the upcoming anniversary of the accident. ‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ he said truthfully.
Then his brother appeared to rally himself. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘I’ll get the barbeque out if you grab the coal.’
As he followed Sam across the grass, Will noticed that the sun was now disappearing behind the nearby hills, the sky slowly turning a dark pink.
By the time night had fallen and the sky was black, Will realised that he had missed the lighting of the bonfire, so long was the queue of people wanting hot food. Most of them appeared to be tenants on the estate as nearly everyone was talking about Sam’s wedding.
But Will couldn’t fail to notice that their smiles slipped a little as they noticed him alongside his brother. He could feel their mixture of pity and disdain as they looked him over. He knew this was about the scandal with Maria over the summer, but he didn’t care.
Or, as usual, he certainly tried to give that impression.
Thankfully, Annie arrived to divert some of the attention away from Will. In between handing out paper napkins though, Annie would whisper to Will about various single women. ‘She’s newly divorced,’ she said, in a low breath. ‘And she’s really sweet.’
Will shook his head, not even bothering to look at the brunette who had just passed in front of him. ‘Not interested,’ he replied.
‘You’ve said that about every single woman in the village,’ she whispered. Then her face brightened up. ‘I know! Skye’s single,’ she said, waggling her eyebrows at him.
Will knew he had to nip that thought in the bud before things became even more awkward then they already were.
He looked at Annie. ‘Put it this way, I wouldn’t swipe right.’
She sighed and shook her head. ‘She’s lovely. I don’t know what’s wrong with you.’ Then she shrugged her s
houlders. ‘Oh well, I think Jamie, that nice doctor, is interested so that’s okay.’
Will looked at her. ‘You know that she’s planning on leaving in less than a week’s time.’
‘I thought that was your perfect timeline for dating someone,’ she replied, with a grin, before going to the other side of the barbeque to put her arm around Sam.
Will watched them for a while before looking away. He’d been all around the world searching for that special someone and knew for certain that they didn’t exist. Not for him, anyway.
*
Not wanting to keep intruding on their time, Skye had tried to decline the invitation to the bonfire night party, but the Harris family were an immoveable object when it came to taking part, she had found.
At least she had finally managed to have a shower.
Annie had shown her into one of the beautifully appointed guest bathrooms. The bedroom suite alongside was like a luxury hotel and Skye found herself inwardly groaning at the stupidity that this beautiful bedroom could have been hers to use whilst instead she shivered in the Airstream.
But the power shower took some of her self-hatred away as she let the jets of water wash away what felt like days of dirt. Finally she felt clean and presentable once more.
Skye was amazed at the amount of people that were about when they got to the green. It was quite a large crowd.
‘All these people live in Cranley?’ she asked.
‘A few come from the outlying villages as well,’ said Arthur. ‘But yes, the majority are our tenants.’
‘Hello, everyone. It’s a good turnout, isn’t it?’ said Annie as she came up to them. ‘Do either of you want a hot drink?’
Arthur shook his head. ‘Thank you but no. I will, however, go and ensure that my grandsons aren’t giving the whole community food poisoning.’
As Arthur left, Megan and Eleanor joined them.
‘Where are the kids?’ asked Annie, looking around.
Megan shuddered. ‘Neal’s trying to hook a duck for each of them, so I’ve got five adult minutes to enjoy. Here, we’ve got a drink spare.’ She held out a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Skye declined and let Annie take it.
A Way Back Home: Full of warmth, laughter, tears and a wedding! (The Willow Tree Hall Series) Page 13