by Fay Keenan
Jonathan shook his head impatiently. ‘Caroline’s fine. Pissed off she can’t get into her clothes any more, and still suffering from morning sickness, but fine. Just let me pour this.’ Jonathan had filled Anna and Matthew in on Caroline’s pregnancy shortly after the twelve week scan had shown her fears about her former drug use were unfounded, and the family were looking forward to welcoming a new addition. The irony that they now also appeared to have a fully grown addition to the family in the shape of Alex Fraser was not lost on Jonathan, who was rapidly starting to regret his cavalier action at the gate.
‘Not for me, thanks, I’ve got a meeting with the charitable trustees this afternoon and I need my head on straight.’ The Carter’s Calvados had a deserved reputation for ruin if drunk in large quantities, and Matthew much preferred whisky, sacrilegious as it was to admit as a cider maker. Jonathan himself had steered well clear of Carter’s Calvados since the night of his father’s funeral, when he’d been rescued by Matthew on Wavering Down after getting blind drunk under a hawthorn tree in a thunderstorm. It was ironic, he thought, that yet again it was Jack who’d made him reach for the Calvados. Ignoring his brother’s refusal, Jonathan poured two large glasses.
‘Trust me. You’re going to need this one, trustees or no trustees.’ He hurried back to Matthew’s desk, passed his brother a glass and sat down heavily on the chair on the other side. He took a massive gulp of his Calvados and swallowed deeply.
‘Well?’ Matthew prompted. ‘I’ve not got a lot of time, Jonno.’
‘You might want to cancel that meeting,’ Jonathan said. ‘I don’t think you’re going to be in much of a mood for it when you hear what I’ve got to tell you.’
Matthew sighed. ‘Spit it out, little brother.’
‘You know how, when we were kids, just before Mum got ill the first time, Dad spent a summer abroad? Did he ever talk about why he was out of the country for so long?’
Matthew shook his head. ‘No, not really. As far as I remember, he was doing a kind of tour of international cider producers, gathering some ideas for apple varieties that might sit well with our heritage breeds. If I recall, he brought back some pretty good North American specimens and ended up trying to do some hybrids. I’m not sure if any of them actually took once they hit the Mendip clay soil, but to be honest I wasn’t really paying much attention at the time.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I was far more interested in rugby and girls aged thirteen!’
‘Well, it would seem he wasn’t touring the world as much as he led us and Mum to believe,’ Jonathan said. ‘In fact, he pretty much stayed put once he got to the North American continent.’
‘What are you on about?’ Matthew snapped. ‘I haven’t got time for your amateur dramatics, Jonathan.’
‘Dad spent three months in British Columbia,’ Jonathan said. ‘And it wasn’t just apples that got his attention. He met a woman out there. Things happened, apparently. Alex Fraser was the result.’
Matthew nearly dropped his tumbler of Calvados. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’
‘I’m afraid not.’ Jonathan poured another slug into his glass. ‘I mean, it’s not like he’s had a DNA test or anything, but it all makes a kind of sense. Dad was away for a long time that summer. Alex even looks a bit like you in the right light.’
‘That’s hardly conclusive,’ snapped Matthew.
‘OK, OK,’ Jonathan said, seeing Matthew’s look of irritation rapidly turning into something deeper. ‘Look. He might be a con artist with a sob story, but something tells me, from what we both know about Dad, and what Alex has let slip about himself, that he’s telling the truth.’
‘How and when did you find this out?’ Matthew, unable to resist the Calvados any longer, took a deep pull from his glass.
‘About ten minutes ago. That twat Mark Simpson was brawling with Alex by the gates, shouting the odds about Sophie Henderson. Alex and Sophie have become a bit of an item in the time he’s been over here. Mark’s her ex, and obviously isn’t too keen on Sophie spending time with someone else.’
‘Thanks for filling me in,’ Matthew said dryly. ‘But I still don’t see how you get from there to Alex being our brother.’
Jonathan shook his head. ‘Sorry. Anyway, then it came out. Mark made a leap that none of us have been able to see all summer, and called Alex out on it. Alex looked as though he was either going to pass out or punch him, so I stepped in.’
‘And he didn’t try to deny it?’
Jonathan laughed grimly. ‘To be honest, he looked as shell shocked as I felt. I don’t think, on reflection, he intended us to find out that way. Of course, that begs the question when, and if, he was ever intending to level with us at all.’
‘So, then what? Where’s Alex now?’
Jonathan paused, noticeably unsure what Matthew was going to say when he found out. ‘I sacked him and told him to get off the site. And preferably out of the country.’
Matthew nearly spat out his Calvados. ‘Don’t you think that was a little impulsive, even for you?’
‘And what would you have preferred me to do?’ Jonathan challenged. ‘Sit him down for a civilised cup of tea and a chat? Need I remind you, brother dear, that he’s been working here under false pretences all this time? God only knows what information he’s had access to since he’s been here, about you, me, the business. What makes you think he’s not some con man up to industrial espionage? Have you done a full check of the vats lately?’
‘I think you’re missing the point, Jonno.’ Matthew’s voice was low, resigned as he finished his drink. ‘If what you’re saying is true, and he really is Dad’s son… we owe it to him to at least talk to him. To find out where all this has come from. Yes, he should have levelled with us from the start, but I can sort of understand why he didn’t. I mean, this isn’t exactly an easy family to get involved with, even without the fact that Dad kept this rather large bombshell from us.’ He shook his head. ‘Can you imagine how it must have felt to land in the middle of that?’
‘He still should have been honest with us,’ Jonathan muttered. ‘And what makes you think Dad even knew about Alex? Even if he’d kept it from us while he was alive, surely we’d have found out when he died – there would have been paperwork, evidence… something.’
‘That’s a fair point,’ Matthew mused. ‘Do you… do you think, perhaps, that he didn’t know? That maybe Alex’s mother kept it from him?’
‘Why would she do that?’ Jonathan asked. ‘What would she have to lose by telling him?’
‘Honesty isn’t the easiest thing to practise, as you and I well know,’ Matthew said wryly. The brothers had a long and tangled history, which only in recent years had begun to resolve itself. Jonathan’s affair with Matthew’s first wife, Tara, Meredith’s mother, had torn the family apart, and it was only when Anna had come into Matthew’s life that the brothers had begun to reconcile.
‘Touché, big brother. But now what?’
‘Well, seeing as you gave him his marching orders, perhaps we’d better try to get him back in case he actually decides to act on them. If nothing else, he deserves answers, and, if you think about it, so do we.’
‘Christ, I wish Dad was here,’ Jonathan mumbled gruffly. ‘Although I’m buggered if I’d know what to say to him.’
‘I can think of a few things,’ Matthew said archly. He blinked, focussing his gaze on the bottom of his glass. ‘Do you honestly think he didn’t know?’
‘I can’t see Dad not acknowledging Alex’s existence if he did know,’ Jonathan said. ‘He might have been unfaithful, but if a child had come out of it, I think he’d have done his best by him or her. It wasn’t Dad’s style not to take responsibility. That’s what doesn’t quite add up.’
‘Maybe we need to get Alex back in, find out what he knows,’ Matthew replied. ‘We might all be holding pieces of the puzzle without realising it.’
‘We’d better hurry,’ Jonathan said. ‘In case he really does take what I said at face value and leave the
country.’ He put his tumbler down on the table. ‘He’s staying with Lily Henderson. I’ll nip round there.’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, given what happened at the gates,’ Matthew said. ‘Why don’t I head over there and talk to him? Although whether he’ll agree to open the door to me is a different matter. But we owe it to Dad to try.’
‘OK. Shall I meet you back at Cowslip Barn?’
‘Sounds good.’ Matthew stood up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. ‘If Anna’s there you’d better fill her in about all this before someone else does. And Meredith. Christ.’ He shook his head. ‘When I got up this morning I had no idea something like this was going to happen.’
‘I think it’s knocked us all for six,’ Jonathan said.
They headed towards the office door. Before he opened it, Matthew paused. Reaching out a hand to his brother’s shoulder, he squeezed it gently. ‘I’m glad we’re doing this together, Jonno.’
Jonathan swallowed, touched by his brother’s intimate gesture. There had been too many years when they’d been separated by time, distance and conflict, and Jonathan relished their rediscovered closeness. ‘Me too. I can’t imagine what Alex must have been going through this summer. I feel a right twat for bawling him out about it all now, and in public.’
‘It’s understandable,’ Matthew replied roughly. ‘It’s as much a shock to me as it is to you. But we need to make sure we play this right; find out what the truth is, and, if we need to, do right by him now. Even though he hasn’t been entirely honest with us, it’s important that we all are from this point on. Agreed?’
‘Agreed.’ And with that, they prepared to meet Alex for the first time as brothers.
34
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the revelations that her father and uncle had unearthed, Meredith hacked her pony Rosa out across country with Joe Flanagan on her friend Izzy’s pony at her side. She’d texted him the afternoon after Jack’s memorial party, and they’d agreed to meet on Monday, since Joe had a day off and Meredith wasn’t working until later that day. Meredith found herself missing Flynn less and less as the summer went on, and when Joe had kissed her on top of the cider vats, the memories of her ex-boyfriend had fled. She’d nervously suggested that he might like to come out on a ride with her, and been gratified when he’d said yes.
Now, pleasantly surprised that Joe could ride very well, she was admiring his excellent seat as the dappled sunlight cut through the woodland on Dolebury Warren, which lay just to the east of Little Somerby and was well within riding distance. The forest trail led up to a hillside dotted with crags of rocks and bundles of sheep, and was generally popular with dog walkers, riders and hikers, although today it was quiet. Joe knew the area well as his father’s house was atop one of the small roads that led through the warren. Over the years, Patrick had gradually acquired about three acres of land, which was both field and woodland, and the two were headed there for a bit of privacy and a picnic.
‘It’s so beautiful up here.’ Meredith sighed. ‘Rosa loves it too – she’s not great with land that’s too soft, and far prefers rockier terrain.’ She scratched the pony’s poll affectionately. ‘I think she’s got some Welsh blood in her.’
‘I spend a lot of time out here, just wandering,’ Joe replied, nudging his pony into a trot on the flat path between the wood and the warren itself. ‘But I’ve not done it on horseback for a long time.’
Meredith squeezed Rosa into a trot, and then sat back and let the pony have her head, allowing Rosa to stretch her legs a little on the generous terrain. Joe urged Sunlight, the pony he’d borrowed, to catch up with her, and for a few blissful minutes they cantered alongside each other, enjoying the refreshing feel of the breeze as they upped their pace.
Slowing down as the landscape changed and became woodier, Meredith turned back towards Joe. She felt wide awake and flushed by the exertion, and more alive than she had in a long time. ‘I so needed this!’ she called as he drew alongside her. ‘Thanks for coming out with me.’
Joe gestured towards an old stone outbuilding that marked the outer boundary of his father’s land. ‘Thanks for inviting me. Do you fancy stopping for that picnic lunch?’
Meredith nodded. ‘Actually, I am quite hungry,’ she said in surprise. She hadn’t been properly hungry for ages, but the fresh air and the riding had whetted her appetite for the sandwiches she’d made, and the leftover slices of Anna’s delectable Strawberry Line Gateau from Saturday’s service at the tea shop; they had quite a feast to enjoy in the saddlebags slung over Rosa’s back.
Joe leaned over in the saddle as they approached the five bar gate that marked the entrance to his father’s land. Shoving it open, he waited for Meredith and Rosa to come past then he closed it again behind them. ‘It’s secure all the way around, so the horses’ll be OK to graze for a bit. And you can choose your picnic spot.’
Meredith smiled. The sun was warm, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. ‘How about we tuck ourselves away behind the outbuilding?’
They slid off the ponies and Meredith loosed the saddlebags, then wandered over to the stone building about a hundred yards away. Out of habit, Meredith checked the state of the fences but they were in excellent repair, and so she had no worries about leaving the ponies to graze for a while. When Joe’s hand slipped into hers as they walked, Meredith felt a jolt of electricity. She’d been dying to kiss him again since their evening on top of the cider vats, and there was something in the air on this beautiful sunny day.
Setting out the picnic rug, they both fell on the food, neither having felt much like breakfast. Meredith laughed as a succulent piece of Anna’s gateau detached itself from the slice Joe was attempting to eat and a strawberry ended up on his lap. Swooping playfully, she took a bite out of it, and then put the other half to Joe’s lips. Joe swallowed it down, kissing her fingertips, which lingered at his mouth.
The pause between them seemed to extend to the horizon as both hovered on the cusp of something. Meredith slid her hand around the back of Joe’s neck, pulling him towards her for a deep, strawberry infused kiss. Freed up by the total seclusion the peace of the warren offered, Joe pulled Meredith into his lap, intensifying the kiss and murmuring as she straddled him.
‘You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this since Saturday night,’ Meredith whispered. ‘But I wasn’t sure how you’d react.’
‘You can be sure now,’ Joe replied. ‘Because I feel exactly the same. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’ Breaking their kiss, he raised a hand and stroked from Meredith’s collarbone to her neck, then dipped his head and kissed her mouth again. His lips were firm, and warm, and as the kiss deepened Meredith’s eyes closed in ecstasy. ‘After all, tree surgeons always say if you fall out of a tree, you should get straight back up it again.’
‘I’m not quite sure this is what they had in mind when they said that,’ Meredith murmured as they broke apart. She glanced to where they’d left the ponies. Rosa was nose to tail with Sunlight, the two of them nibbling each other’s rough patches by way of comfort. Flynn hadn’t liked horses, and it had been nice to hack out with someone who could actually ride. Joe had looked so natural in the saddle; Meredith respected the lines of a good rider.
‘Come here,’ Joe murmured. He pulled her down to him. ‘It’s all right,’ he continued. ‘No one’s going to burst in on us. Dad’s fenced off the land for three acres straight. I know you were hurt by Flynn,’ he said softly. ‘And I don’t expect this to go anywhere if you don’t want it to. Let’s just enjoy the moment.’
Meredith nodded. Never in a million years did she think she’d be sharing a picnic blanket with the son of her dad’s best friend, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered exactly what her father would say about it if he ever found out. But Joe had been so kind to her, shown her so much understanding, especially after the way Flynn had treated him in the past, that she was touched beyond belief. The air smelt so sweet, the
summer scents of cut grass, with the underlying fragrance of the newly ploughed clay soil giving an earthy undertone. Above them, the sky was stingingly blue and cloudless, and from the woodland nearby the songbirds chirruped lazily in the boughs. It was a moment for love, a moment to seize. Sitting up sharply, Meredith wrapped a thigh around Joe’s hips and brought her lips down to his.
‘You are absolutely right,’ she said between kisses. ‘But let’s get one thing straight. This is not a rebound thing.’ She broke away for a moment and looked down at him. Joe’s clear blue eyes were fixed on hers, one hand still in her hair from the kiss. ‘I thought you were fit from the moment I saw you up that tree in the Royal Orchard.’
‘And I’ve thought you were fit for much longer than that,’ Joe quipped. ‘But let’s not go there!’
And suddenly, feeling Joe’s lips on hers, Meredith knew that it was going to be all right. Surrendering to his kiss once more, allowing him to pull her back down to the blanket, she seized the moment.
‘Everything OK?’ Joe asked a little time later as he stroked her long dark hair.
‘Totally,’ Meredith replied, somewhat in amazement. ‘In fact, I can’t think why we didn’t notice each other sooner.’
Joe laughed. ‘You were out of my league, remember?’
Meredith sat up and looked down at him. Muscular arms, just smattered with a few freckles, were tucked behind his head, and he was staring up at the sky, a look of contentment on his face. His chest, broad and muscular from the hours spent doing such a physical job, was outlined against the tight blue T-shirt he was wearing. He was the total opposite to Flynn in so many ways; perhaps that was why she’d been so attracted to him. But she mustn’t think like that. This had been fun; more fun than she could have imagined, but she was taking things one day at a time.
Time. ‘Oh, shit!’ Meredith reached for her mobile phone. Glancing at the screen, she groaned. ‘Fuck. I’m late for work.’