‘Sam!’ she yelled into the mobile, trying to hear herself above the noise.
‘Do you know what time it is?’ she just about heard him reply in a sleepy tone. ‘It’s three in the morning over here.’
‘I don’t care!’ she shouted. ‘Listen to this!’
She held out the phone so that he could hear the noise. Through the glass on either side of the main door, she could see tiles and bricks falling onto the gravel driveway and splintering into a million tiny pieces. Presumably they were starting work on the roof.
She held the mobile back against her ear.
‘Great,’ she heard Sam say. ‘They’ve arrived.’
‘No,’ she told him. ‘It’s not great. It’s horrendous! They’re erecting some kind of scaffolding outside and drilling holes in the walls.’
‘Fine, fine.’ She just about heard him yawning above the commotion.
‘You don’t understand!’ she shouted. ‘It’s a war zone over here!’
Suddenly the racket ceased and all that could be heard was a chorus of wolf whistles. Spinning around, Annie found that they were directed at her.
Glancing down, she suddenly remembered that she was only wearing her tiny pyjama shorts beneath her massive fleece sweatshirt and that her legs were bare all the way down to the Ugg boots that she had slipped on before rushing downstairs.
‘What’s going on now?’ asked Sam into the sudden silence.
‘I forgot to get dressed,’ she whispered into the phone as she ran upstairs, blushing madly.
‘Er, what was that? What did you say?’ said Sam, sounding more awake than he had before.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she replied as she finally reached her bedroom.
‘Did you say…’ he began but she interrupted him.
‘I hope they know what they’re doing, that’s all.’
‘Of course they do,’ he told her. ‘Don’t worry. Look, the house needs an awful lot of work. It just needs time. Think positive.’
Annie hung up, desperate to believe him. Surely the extreme level of noise wouldn’t continue all morning.
But everywhere she turned, there were workmen. Some were upstairs, on the other side of the windows, building an immense structure of scaffolding. Others were smashing away at the cracked plaster in the hallway. Electricians wanted access to the electricity cupboards and boiler room. Plumbers were trying to work out how the ancient drainage system worked. But it wasn’t just the people that had taken over. There were toolboxes, bags and their contents scattered across the wooden floorboards like a gymkhana course that had to be negotiated if she wanted to cross between the east and west wings of the house.
Megan was equally in despair at the mess when she arrived for her usual Monday morning tidy-up.
‘All my dusting!’ she moaned, wiping a finger along one of the tables in the drawing room and finding it covered in white powder. ‘What was the point?’
Annie shook her head, too dumbstruck to reply.
Later on, after the builders had driven off at four o’clock on the dot, Annie could finally see what damage had been done. She stared around the entrance hall in horror. There were holes in the walls, some of the windows were broken, there were bits of ceiling hanging down. It was as if an earthquake had struck the place. Still stunned, it took her a while to realise that her ears weren’t ringing but her mobile was.
‘How’s it going?’ asked Sam when she picked up.
‘I’m not really sure,’ she replied in a daze, sticking out her foot to nudge a piece of cornice that had smashed down onto the floor. ‘It’s a bit of a mess.’
‘It always looks worse before it gets better,’ he said.
‘Well, it looks really bad so hopefully that means that it will be a good end result.’
Although personally, Annie couldn’t ever imagine any kind of result ending well, when it was already such a disaster zone.
‘I’m sure it will. Remember, think positive.’
‘Yeah,’ she murmured, watching a piece of wallpaper peel itself off the wall and fall onto the dust-strewn floor. ‘Positive. Right.’ But he wasn’t there to take responsibility. And Rose had just stared around the place in horror earlier in the day before rushing out.
So Annie was still fretting as she drove to the hospital to visit Arthur. She found him looking older and more frail than she could remember. The operation on his leg and the small stroke had certainly taken their toll on him.
‘But they’re talking about a physiotherapist coming to see me tomorrow to give me some exercises,’ he told her.
Annie was surprised. ‘So soon?’
‘I need to get back on my feet again,’ said Arthur, sounding determined. ‘How’s the house? Is everything OK?’
In that split second, looking at his pale face, she decided not to worry him. The doctors wanted him to be stress-free so she had to keep the whole nightmare of the builders as far away from Arthur as possible.
‘It’s fine,’ she told him with a wide smile. ‘Just the same as always.’
She felt guilty about lying, but when she saw his relieved face she knew it was the right thing to do.
They chatted about the tenants and other patients in the hospital for a while. Annie was pleased she could cheer up Arthur and was almost in a good mood until she arrived back at the hall. Getting out of the car, she stared up at the once beautiful house. Even in the darkening light, she could see that half a scaffolding tower had been erected, masking the Hall’s pretty façade. Gaping holes had appeared everywhere and there were lengths of guttering hanging down across the bedroom windows. It was a mess.
Annie suddenly felt very cross. This was their home. It had sheltered her from hurt and helped her heart heal over the past year. It may have let in the rain, cold and many draughts but that didn’t matter. It was her duty to protect Willow Tree Hall and everything inside it. She was a housekeeper, wasn’t she? Well no, she wasn’t. She had lied about it, but it was still her home and she loved it and the family to whom it belonged.
She was going to do everything she could to protect it.
*
But by Friday, Annie was back in the depths of despair at the worsening mess.
‘Look at it!’ she wailed to Megan, waving her arm around at the debris everywhere.
Megan nodded miserably as she took in the state of the place. ‘And what are the builders like?’ she asked, glancing out into the hallway where they carried on working. ‘You know, friendly? Likeable? Cheeky chappies?’ Annie shuddered. ‘A bit too friendly. I caught one going through my knicker drawer yesterday.’
Megan looked horrified. ‘What did you do?’
‘Grabbed my hairspray and told him it was mace. Kevin says he’s going to deal with him.’
‘Look, why don’t you escape and come shopping with me?’ said Megan. ‘There’s no point me doing any kind of housework this morning and it will get you away from all this. I need a new handbag that isn’t covered in crayon.’
Annie shook her head. ‘I can’t leave the builders alone here. The whole place might end up crashing to the ground.’
‘Yes, it’s a much better idea that you’re inside when that happens,’ drawled Megan in sarcasm.
‘You know what I mean,’ said Annie. ‘Right. Everything is being coated in dust at the minute, especially downstairs. I think we should cover everything up with sheets for now.’
‘I think that ship’s sailed,’ muttered Megan, drawing a finger along a nearby table which caused it to become completely covered with dust.
Annie sighed. Her friend was right. Her utter incompetence as a housekeeper was once more out there for everyone to see.
Suddenly the sound of a large crash came from the entrance hall. She rushed out and stared in horror as she realised that the small table upon which she had always placed the post was now lying in splinters on the floor. The ornate coloured glass vase that had stood on it was in pieces.
‘What happened?’ she asked, looki
ng around in dismay.
But all the workmen nearby merely shrugged their shoulders before turning back to their work.
Annie felt so upset. She was certain that Rose had mentioned that the vase had been in the family for generations. She should have placed it in a safer place before the builders had arrived. That’s what any other housekeeper would have thought to do.
She strode up to Kevin who was, as usual, outside on his mobile. Kevin preferred to manage his team from a seated position, preferably with a cup of tea in one hand. She tapped her foot impatiently whilst he finished his phone call.
Finally, he hung up. ‘You all right, love?’
‘No,’ she snapped. ‘I am most definitely not all right. Your men have broken a table and a vase in the entrance hall.’
‘Things always come a cropper when a job is this big,’ he replied, picking at a fingernail.
‘The cost will have to come off your bill,’ she told him.
That got his attention. ‘That’s for Mr Harris to decide, ain’t it?’ he replied, his eyes narrowing. ‘And he’s not here.’
Annie then tried to ask him for a schedule of work, but he immediately brought his phone up to his ear and ignored her. She tried to call Sam but it went straight to voicemail. She looked up to see Kevin smirking at her.
‘Fine,’ she said, spinning around on her heel to go back inside.
But she found Rose standing in the middle of the entrance hall in her coat.
‘Going out?’ asked Annie in a forced bright tone. Rose had spent every day away from the hall to avoid the builders. And who could blame her for that?
Rose glanced up to where one of the builders was carrying two suitcases downstairs which he then placed next to them. ‘Beryl’s asked me to stay with her for a while,’ said Rose, looking terrible weary. ‘You know I can’t concentrate on my crossword with all these handsome young men about.’
But Annie knew it was the noise and the mess that was taking its toll. Once more, she felt angry with Sam for putting them all in this position. She nodded, thinking she was glad that Rose would be safe and warm in Beryl’s cosy cottage but also knew that she would miss having her around.
‘I’ll still be popping in to see you,’ said Rose.
‘Of course,’ said Annie.
They had already made a pact not to let on to Arthur about the state of the house.
‘He doesn’t need to know,’ Rose had told her.
And with a warm hug, Rose left.
As a last resort, she tried to call Will but he didn’t have much time to listen.
‘Look,’ he shouted down the phone to her. ‘I’ve got problems with the builders over here. I’m sure it’ll all work out fine. I’ll be back by the end of the month. Everything will look better by then, I’m sure.’
Annie sighed as she finished the call. So now she had to protect Willow Tree Hall by herself.
She and Megan drove into the village supermarket where they filled up the ancient Jaguar with as many cardboard boxes as they could get in. Then they took them back to the house. There was a ton of old newspapers that she hadn’t got round to recycling. That would have to do, she thought.
‘We’ve got to pack everything away for safety,’ she told Megan.
‘Even the furniture?’ replied her friend with a grin.
‘No, we’ll have to cover that, but I’ll be damned if Kevin the bloody builder breaks anything else.’
At least it would be better late than never, she told herself. So they began to wrap each delicate ornament in newspaper and fill the boxes.
‘How will we know where it all goes when the building’s finished?’ asked Megan, frowning.
Annie tapped her chin in thought. ‘I’ll take a photo of each room,’ she said, bringing out her mobile. Once the pictures were taken, they carried on packing until a couple of boxes were filled. Then it was a question of where to store them.
Megan suggested under the stairs but even that didn’t seem safe enough for Annie. In the end, she decided to use the garage which was in a separate building. It was a triple size, thankfully, as well as being brick built and fairly secure, so that would have to do. But the old Jaguar would have to stay on the driveway for now to leave enough space inside.
Once Megan had left at lunchtime, Annie carried on packing up boxes and carrying them across to the garage all day until she suddenly they realised that the builders were leaving, once more on the dot of four o’clock. Then it was just Annie, who found herself alone once more. She flicked on the lights in the drawing room. Thankfully, it was now empty of anything fragile. She covered up all the tables, desks and furniture with old sheets, of which they appeared to have plenty. It was strange to see the place being hidden away. What with Arthur and Rose not being there either, the whole day had been very unsettling.
She made herself some cheese on toast for dinner and decided to carry on packing. She wouldn’t watch box sets of Game of Thrones that evening or play endless games of Candy Crush as usual. That evening she had a purpose. Besides, she felt a bit on edge at being in the big house on her own. She needed to keep busy.
The library could probably wait as there was no way she would be able to move the hundreds of books on the shelves by herself. The study was a mess and would need sorting before she could pack things away. So she concentrated on clearing the entrance hall of the remaining paintings and ornaments. She had just begun to take stock of the dining room when her mobile rang. It was Sam.
‘Sorry,’ he said, by way of greeting. ‘I’ve only just worked out the time difference.’
She checked the time and realised it was gone 11 p.m. ‘That’s OK. I’m not going to bed any time soon.’
She didn’t feel tired at all. Perhaps a little achy from all the carrying of boxes to the garage but she felt empowered. In control. On a mission to save Willow Tree Hall.
‘Really?’ he asked, sounding surprised. ‘Has the place been turned into a nightclub whilst I’ve been gone?’
‘Just a building site,’ she replied.
‘It’ll be fine,’ he told her.
His mocking tone of reassurance made her cross. ‘They broke the little table and glass vase in the entrance hall.’
‘The multi-coloured one?’
‘Yup.’
‘I see.’
Was she imagining it or did he finally sound rattled? ‘They don’t seem very professional,’ she said in a pointed tone.
‘Look, things get broken.’
Not anymore, she thought. Not whilst I’m here. And if he tells me to stay positive, I’m going to lob this phone through whatever windows are still intact.
‘It’s just bricks and mortar,’ he carried on.
‘Not to us!’
‘Fine.’ Any warmth had disappeared from his voice. ‘Well, it’s got to get an upgrade to make it habitable.’
‘And then what?’ she asked, hating the sulky sound that had appeared in her voice.
‘Then we’ll see,’ he told her before hanging up.
She rolled her eyes and looked around the room. Why couldn’t he bring himself to care about the place? What pain had it ever caused him?
*
Sam threw the mobile across the room in frustration.
He was acting like a schoolchild. What was wrong with him? Why did Annie make him react in this way?
But he knew it wasn’t really Annie. It was Willow Tree Hall and all of its memories. That was why he was grumpy. He shouldn’t take it out on her.
It had struck a chord with him that the multi-coloured glass vase and small table in the entrance hall had been broken. His grandmother had placed fresh flowers there every week.
It seemed a lifetime ago that they had all been happy and together. He had tried to make amends with Arthur by texting him each day for daily updates from the hospital. But the responses were mostly short and curt. Some things weren’t as easily fixed as a broken leg.
‘Who was that, baby?’
He looke
d up to see Cassandra standing by the balcony. He hadn’t heard his girlfriend come inside after yet another cigarette break outside. She leaned her slim frame against the glass door as she waited for an answer.
‘Annie the housekeeper. You know, at my grandad’s home.’
Cassandra fixed her blonde hair in the reflection. ‘Oh. Problems?’
‘Not at all.’ He didn’t have the energy to go into the whole history of Willow Tree Hall with her.
‘Because I’m sure my cleaner is stealing from me,’ carried on Cassandra, her steely blue eyes scowling.
‘It’s not that. She’s very professional,’ Sam found himself saying. He didn’t know why he was defending Annie of all people.
Cassandra tried to frown her way through her Botox. ‘Is she pretty?’
Sam sighed, used to the endless jealousy of his girlfriend. ‘No,’ he lied.
Anything for a peaceful life. If he told her about Annie’s big green eyes or curvy figure, Cassandra would go mad. Even now he was still trying to banish the thought of Annie dancing in those pyjamas out of his head. What a contrast to the elegant silk dressing gown Cassandra was wearing. In fact, the two women couldn’t be more different, although they could both be a bit volatile on the odd occasion. But where Annie was led by her heart, Cassandra was definitely led by her head.
However, she was a true professional, blessed with an amazing singing voice. He could still remember the first time he had heard her sing live six months ago. It had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He couldn’t believe it afterwards when they were introduced. To have such an incredible talent combined with her beauty was overwhelming.
In fact, she had asked him out. ‘I’ve always loved a British accent,’ she had told him.
But it was only after a couple of months that he had realised that her cool, calm exterior belied a bevy of nerves about her singing capabilities. He found her lack of confidence in herself endearing, at first. Recently, however, it had begun to wear him down. He had so much on his plate that he didn’t have much time to give Cassandra the constant reassurance that she needed.
A House to Mend a Broken Heart Page 10