Summer in the Orchard (Little Somerby)

by Fay Keenan

  ‘He does seem quite sound,’ Meredith mused. ‘So, what are you going to do?’

  Matthew paused. ‘I’m not sure yet. I do feel like we need to make it up to him for not having Granddad in his life. It’s just a question of how we do that. I think Granddad would have wanted to make amends for not being there for him.’

  ‘I think you’re right,’ Meredith said. ‘And I’m sure whatever you and Uncle Jonno decide will be the right thing.’ She glanced at her watch.

  ‘Somewhere to be?’ Matthew asked.

  ‘Oh, I said I’d meet Joe later,’ Meredith said. ‘He’s invited me over for a movie and a pizza.’

  ‘You’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Joe Flanagan lately.’ Matthew looked intently at his daughter. ‘Are you two, er, an item?’

  Meredith laughed. ‘Dad, you’re so twentieth century! We’re seeing each other, if that’s what you mean.’

  ‘Well, I hope you’re not seeing too, um, much of each other,’ Matthew replied. ‘You’ve only just come out of your relationship with Flynn, remember?’

  Meredith tossed her head impatiently. ‘Is that your very roundabout way of telling me to be careful?’

  ‘You’ve got it,’ Matthew replied. ‘Although I know you will be, of course. I just don’t want to see you getting hurt again.’

  ‘Thanks, Dad,’ Meredith replied, giving Matthew a soft smile. ‘I’m OK, honestly.’ And, as she said it, she realised that she was mostly telling the truth. She was a whole lot more OK now than she had been at the start of the summer. ‘But I need to get in the shower and then get going. I’ve got a lunchtime shift at The Cider Kitchen before I meet Joe later.’ Reaching up on tiptoes to kiss Matthew’s cheek, she then wandered out of the kitchen.

  ‘Don’t be too late back tonight,’ Matthew said.

  ‘I won’t,’ Meredith called over her shoulder. Film and pizza with Joe was just what she needed after the revelations about Alex. She shook her head. Just when she thought she had a handle on her family, something new arrived out of the blue and flummoxed her. All the same, though, it was good to know she hadn’t been imagining things when she’d noticed Alex’s resemblance to Matthew; she just wondered why she hadn’t put two and two together before. ‘Granddad, you have a lot to answer for,’ she muttered as she went into her bedroom. She wondered if Jack Carter was looking down on them all and feeling relieved that, now he was gone, he didn’t have to face a barrage of questions. Joe would never believe it when she told him.

  40

  Lily didn’t need to say anything when Sophie appeared back at her door. Enfolding her in her arms, Sophie smelt the comforting scent of her grandmother’s Penhaligon’s Bluebell perfume and her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘Come and sit in the living room,’ Lily murmured, handing Sophie a tissue as they broke apart. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’

  Sophie walked through the hallway, wondering how she’d ended up so near and yet so far from Alex. She wished she’d had more time to tell him how she felt; how, even though he’d kept things from her, she did understand why he’d done it. She hadn’t realised she’d been living on such a knife edge since losing the baby and splitting with Mark; that she’d been avoiding anything that would actively make her feel. When she’d met Alex, he’d bridged a gap in her heart that she hadn’t truly realised existed; and now he’d gone, and that gap felt unbridgeable, especially after the way they’d parted. Grabbing her phone again, which she’d plugged into her car’s phone charger on her weary way back from the airport, she tried his number; yet again, it went straight to voicemail. So much for having the phone switched on all the time, she thought in irritation, then realised it was most likely because he was thirty odd thousand feet in the air.

  Suddenly feeling in need of some air herself, she wandered towards the French windows that led out into Lily’s back garden. The bees were drinking lazily from the honeysuckle that rambled amiably over the stone wall between Lily’s land and next door’s cottage, intertwining like a lover’s caress with the clematis, which was just coming to the end of its flowering. In the rows of flowerbeds that lined the walls, the Old English roses that Lily loved so much were pouring forth their scent in their full glory, perfuming the air and consigning the honeysuckle to the background. A riot of colour, their thorns were poised to plunge into unwary fingers. Sophie reached out and took hold of one of the stems, and as the sharp pinprick pierced her flesh she hoped it would give her some relief from her aching heart. She wished so fervently that she’d had the chance to see Alex one more time before he left but it was too late. She didn’t even have an address for him in Vancouver. Looking down at the bead of blood on her finger, she watched as it spilt.

  ‘Careful, it’ll get infected.’ A low voice emanated from the direction of the gate at the back of Lily’s garden, the one that led out onto High Street. Sophie tore her hand away from the stem of the rose, the blood from her finger dripping onto her jeans. She was rooted to the spot; all she could stammer out was, ‘I thought you’d gone.’ Sophie couldn’t bring herself to turn around, afraid that if she did, he’d disappear. ‘I must be imagining things.’

  ‘I promise you, you’re not.’ His voice was drawing closer, but his footsteps down the garden path were slowing, sounding more and more hesitant. Sophie could feel the atmosphere between them building, the tension pulling her to turn to look at him. But she couldn’t do it. He had to come to her.

  ‘Gran told me you’d taken the next flight back to Vancouver via Schiphol.’

  ‘I was booked onto it. But then Matthew Carter came round and I changed my mind about running away.’

  ‘But why tell Gran you were leaving?’ Sophie shook her head in confusion.

  ‘I didn’t.’ Then, she heard him draw in a sharp breath. ‘Oh, God, I was so messed up yesterday afternoon before Matthew came to find me, I booked a flight and used Lily’s printer in her study to get a hard copy of the details. I’d ruined things with you, Jonathan had bawled me out and I just wanted to get home. I must have left the extra copy of the booking on the printer. She must have seen it and put two and two together this morning. She probably assumed I’d cleared out early as I shoved my suitcase under the bed, out of sight. I packed everything up before Matthew came over, after writing you that note, of course, which probably made no sense after all the drinking.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘And when I saw you hugging Mark goodbye on your doorstep—’

  ‘Oh, God,’ Sophie groaned. ‘He came round last night, I was half-cut, too, and I let him in. He comforted me, that was all. Nothing happened, I swear.’

  Alex smiled ruefully. ‘It wouldn’t have mattered if it had. After all I’ve put you through, I’d have understood.’

  ‘There’s no way I’d ever get back together with Mark,’ Sophie said. ‘He caught me at a vulnerable moment and was a shoulder to cry on, that’s all.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter.’ Alex shook his head. ‘What matters is you and me.’ He edged closer to her, as if he was terrified she’d bolt.

  ‘So where did you go this morning, then?’ Sophie asked. ‘If you weren’t planning on getting on that plane.’

  ‘I just crashed out last night, and then I got up this morning without changing and went to the churchyard. It sounds odd but I wanted to talk to Jack. After I’d been there a while, I started walking, and ended up on the other side of Crook Peak.’ He laughed. ‘It’s taken me this long to walk back!’

  That all made sense, Sophie thought, especially since Alex’s phone kept going to voicemail this morning. Signal was intermittent on the hills.

  Alex was only a couple of feet away now. Sophie could see his dark hair in her peripheral vision, but still she couldn’t turn and look at him. ‘Now that’s all explained, can we please talk about us?’ he said softly.

  ‘Us?’

  ‘Yes. Us. You and me. And exactly what that means. To me, at least.’ Alex stepped off the path and stood alongside Sophie, still hesitant, it seemed. The blood dripped fr
om her finger. She started as a warm hand reached out and wrapped a tissue around it, stemming the flow and holding her hand in his.

  ‘Aren’t you going to look at me?’ Alex asked softly, still holding her hand.

  ‘I don’t think I can.’ Sophie laughed nervously. ‘I still don’t really believe you’re here.’

  ‘I promise you, Sophie, here beside you is exactly where I’m supposed to be.’

  Sophie’s hands were suddenly trembling so much that the tissue slipped from her fingers. As it fluttered to the floor, she could bear it no longer. Turning around, she saw Alex standing in front of her, a look of nervous anticipation in his eyes.

  ‘Oh, Alex.’ She flew into his embrace. As his arms enfolded her, she felt as though she was coming home.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Alex murmured into her hair. ‘For everything. Can you forgive me?’

  Sophie broke apart from him and looked up into his open, sincere and handsome face. ‘I wish you’d told me the truth,’ she said softly. ‘And although I was angry that you kept things from me, I think I understand why you felt you had to do it. It must have been one hell of a decision to come here, knowing that Jack was your father, and incredibly difficult to keep that secret. And although I wish you’d told me from the start, I guess I can see why you didn’t. So yes. I do forgive you. And, Alex…’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I love you. So, so much. It took the threat of you leaving to make me realise that.’ She reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his eyes.

  ‘Oh, God, Sophie, I love you too.’ He pulled her close again, and his lips met hers briefly before he continued. ‘Even when I booked that flight I knew, deep down, I couldn’t get on it.’

  Sophie swallowed. ‘I can’t say it didn’t hurt that you didn’t come clean with me about who you really were,’ she said slowly. ‘But Gran talked some sense into me about why you might have felt you had to keep it from me. She, of course, had you sussed from the start.’

  ‘I don’t doubt that,’ Alex said dryly. ‘She’s the sharpest person I’ve ever met.’

  ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’ Lily, standing at the French windows, smiled. ‘Hello again, Alexander.’

  ‘Hey, Mrs Henderson.’ With his arm still around Sophie, they both turned to face Lily.

  ‘I take it you two are reconciled?’ Lily’s eyes twinkled.

  ‘You make us sound like a lovestruck couple in one of your novels,’ Sophie said, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

  ‘I call it as I see it,’ Lily replied. ‘Would you like that tea? Or perhaps you’d prefer something a little stronger.’

  Sophie smiled back up at Alex. ‘I think the tea will be fine.’ Hand in hand, they headed back into the house.

  41

  August fled rapidly, melting seamlessly into September, and before Meredith knew it, it was the end of September and time to return to York for her second year of study. In the weeks since she and Joe had grown closer, the ache in her heart over Flynn had slowly receded, replaced by a warmth of feeling that, while she was still wary of calling it love, was certainly making her very happy. Now, though, at the prospect of leaving Joe, her heart felt sad again. Joe went to pick up Meredith’s bag from where it lay beside her on the station platform at Weston-super-Mare, but Meredith got there first. As their hands touched, she smiled, remembering vividly the pleasure his touch and his kisses had given her over the summer. ‘It’s OK,’ she said softly. ‘I can manage.’

  Joe shook his head. ‘I want to make sure you and your belongings get safely on that train.’

  They both straightened up again, and there was a brief, expectant pause between them.

  ‘Look, Meredith…’ Joe started. ‘It’s meant a lot to me, this summer with you.’ He ran a nervous hand through his hair and swallowed. ‘I never expected that so much would happen between us.’ His clear blue eyes were serious and sincere, the light reflecting off the strawberry-blond highlights in his hair.

  ‘It’s meant a lot to me, too,’ Meredith replied, but Joe raised a hand to quiet her.

  ‘Let me finish, please, Merry.’

  ‘O-OK,’ Meredith stammered, unsure where he was going to go.

  ‘The thing is…’ He paused again, glanced at the clock. There was only a short time before the train was due. ‘I know you’re still not over him. And that’s all right,’ he said hurriedly as Meredith started to object. ‘No, honestly, it is. I want you to know that I’ll be here, if you come home at Christmas and you want to look me up. And we can go for a drink, or just have a chat, or whatever. I don’t want to pressure you. I know you’ve got a lot to work through, and you’re going back to York where all your friends are, and your new life. You need to be able to enjoy it with no strings, without worrying about what I’m thinking or doing. You need to be free to do that.’

  Meredith smiled. ‘This sounds like a break-up,’ she said softly.

  ‘No,’ Joe said. ‘It’s not that at all. It’s me giving you a choice. And telling you that this summer was the best summer I’ve ever had; being with you was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt. But the reality of the situation is that you’re there, and I’m here, and I don’t want to trap you into something that you don’t want. Not while you’re still healing.’

  Meredith’s eyes filled with tears. Joe had been so kind to her over the weeks she’d got to know him; he’d healed her more than he would ever know. Standing on tiptoe, she placed the gentlest of kisses on his lips, increasing the pressure as his lips parted. The warmth of his mouth was both a sadness and a pleasure.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said softly as they broke apart again. ‘For everything.’ She wanted to say more, but the words just wouldn’t come.

  At that moment, the train’s familiar diesel rumble approached, and the platform announcer’s tinny voice sounded over the ancient tannoy.

  ‘Take care,’ Joe said, as, ignoring Meredith’s hand once again, he reached for her bag.

  ‘You too,’ Meredith said as the train drew to a halt and the doors began to open.

  As Joe boarded the train and lifted her bag into the luggage rack, Meredith waited for him to disembark again before she got on.

  ‘I’ll text you,’ she said as he lingered, unwilling, herself, to say goodbye.

  ‘Let me know you got back OK,’ Joe replied. ‘I’ll see you soon.’

  Meredith nodded. ‘Definitely.’ Feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of loss, she reached forward and placed a hand to Joe’s cheek, before kissing him gently again. Whether it was a kiss goodbye this time, she wasn’t sure, but it was a kiss that would remain with her for a long time.

  Carriage doors were closing, and the guard was drawing nearer. Meredith stepped away from Joe, up into the train, and hastily dropped the window, unwilling to break contact with him completely.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said as the train’s engine started again.

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Being you.’ She reached out a hand and grabbed his. ‘I will see you soon.’

  As the train began to pull out of Weston-super-Mare station on the first leg of its long journey back up north, Meredith finally let go of Joe’s hand, feeling a mixture of emotions. Time would tell if Joe Flanagan was her future; for now, the cherished memories of a warm summer would sustain her through the turning leaves and snowfalls of a Yorkshire autumn and winter. For a heart thumping moment, she was sure Joe was calling something after her as the train moved, but above the noise of the engine it was difficult to tell. The words forming on his lips and the expression in his eyes made it look as if he’d said I love you, but it was probably a trick of the autumn light.

  *

  A similar scene was taking place in the echoing entrance hall of Bristol Airport. Standing by the escalators as Alex handed over his plane ticket and passport for checking, Sophie swallowed hard. In a couple of months’ time she’d be joining him at the farmhouse in British Columbia for a holiday, but the time between then and no
w seemed endless. As Alex strode across the airport to rejoin her, she smiled. That slightly bow legged lope of his would be walking through her dreams between now and the time she saw him again.

  ‘All set?’ she said softly.

  Alex nodded. ‘I wish you were coming with me.’

  Sophie smiled. ‘Me too. But this is the busiest time of year for cider makers, as you’ll find out in a year’s time when Adelaide’s starts really flying. As soon as the last crops are off the trees, I’ll be on the next plane to British Columbia, I promise.’

  ‘Won’t stop me missing you,’ Alex murmured, dipping his lips to meet hers in the next in a long line of goodbye kisses that had started the previous evening, extended into the night and meant neither of them had ended up having a great deal of sleep.

  Sophie’s knees grew weak. ‘I’ll miss you too,’ she said between kisses. ‘Call me when you get there?’

  ‘Of course.’ Alex smiled into the kiss. ‘And Skype, and FaceTime… Christ, I’m going to miss you.’

  They clung to each other, trying to draw strength from the closeness that would soon be divided by an ocean and four and a half thousand miles. As the announcer’s final call for Alex’s flight echoed over the PA system, they broke apart.

  ‘I’ll see you soon.’ Sophie smiled.

  ‘You’d better.’ Alex smiled back as he went to pick up his carry on bag. They ascended the escalator together, clinging onto every last second. At Passport Control, Alex pulled her into his arms for one last time, murmuring, ‘I love you,’ into her ear before a final kiss. As Sophie watched him go through security, and then eventually disappearing from view, she was yet again assailed by a mixture of love and longing. She certainly had some thinking to do before she met with him again, and this time it really was going to change her life.

  42

  ‘Now, whatever you decide, you need to make sure you’re deciding it for the right reasons,’ Lily said, a week later, as she and Sophie settled in the garden chairs with cups of tea. ‘I mean, a tall, dark and handsome stranger is one thing, but crossing continents is quite a move to make.’ The autumn sunshine was still very strong, but the leaves had started to turn on the tall beech trees at the bottom of Lily’s garden, gilded by the sunlight into a liquid bronze. A slight breeze lifted the hair on the back of Sophie’s neck as the distant rumble of a plane taking off from Bristol sounded in the skies above. With a pang, she recalled where she was last weekend; she’d pulled over into one of the laybys near the airport to watch for the departure of the KLM flight, and as it had soared into the sky, taking Alex away from her, she’d felt kicked in the gut with longing.