Summer at the Little Cottage on the Hill_An utterly uplifting holiday romance to escape with

by Emma Davies

  She turned to look back at him now, still fast asleep, one arm lying protectively over the side of the bed she had just vacated. They had slept that way for most of the night, or at least for the few hours that had remained of it, and Isobel had added it to her, admittedly still small, but growing list of things she had done for the first time. In fact, yesterday had been a day of firsts from beginning to end; the first time she knew she was in love, the first time she had played in a band, the first time she had worn sparkly silver boots and not cared one jot if people stared at her, and the first time she had ever seen a man cry.

  The piece of music she had started to compose at Joy’s Acre had been finished over the last few days, just as Tom had said it would, in a mad tumbling rush, that poured from her with a speed that she had trouble keeping up with. Even so, her idea to test the water with it at the wedding had only been vague in the extreme, but once she had thought of it, it was one of the few things that had kept her going. Then of course she had got chatting to Ginger and finally realised it could be a real possibility. She had only mentioned it in response to a question about what she was currently working on, but he had been so interested in the concept that his suggestion to play a part of it had been immediate. And as soon as he mentioned it she knew exactly what part she would play…

  She didn't think it was a moment either Tom or her would ever forget. From the minute she started to play until her bow sounded the final note, she saw every emotion pass across Tom’s face. He was deeply moved, but it was his realisation of what it had meant to Isobel that brought tears to his eyes. In the four and a half minutes that it took her, she discovered she had always had the ability to play as if her soul was laying itself bare, it had just taken a very special person to give her a reason to do so. It had come as almost as much of a surprise to Isobel herself, and for a second she had faltered in her playing, just slightly. No one listening had even noticed, apart from Tom, that was, and as the tears sprang to his eyes, she knew she would play that way from now on. Always.

  She checked her watch. Despite the momentous events of yesterday, today was also a day that would hopefully be remembered by all at Joy’s Acre. She had no doubt that Maddie and Seth would have made copious preparations for Adam’s visit in her and Tom’s absence yesterday and would be totally organised for his arrival. It was time for Isobel and Tom to get moving. There were things both of them would need to attend to and they wanted the day to be a success as much as anyone.

  There were many and numerous ways in which she could wake him, and pretty much all of them brought a slight blush to her cheeks, but it was now approaching eight o'clock, which at Joy’s Acre would mean the day was already very much underway. As Adam was due to arrive at ten, it was quite possible that there would be a knock at her door sometime soon. Under the circumstances perhaps the sound of the kettle boiling might be the safest way to ensure that Tom got up and about.

  First on her own list of things to do was to go and find Seth. He would be busy, they all would, but she needed to get him on his own if her last little surprise was going to work. Going downstairs, she crossed to the window to see if she could spot anyone outside, but the garden was deserted. She knew Trixie would be hard at work in the kitchen, no doubt whipping up something tempting in the cake department, but the others could be anywhere. She wandered through to the kitchen, suddenly desperate for a cup of tea.

  There was groan from behind her just as the kettle was coming to the boil.

  ‘I am definitely too old for this shit…’

  Isobel whirled around to find Tom standing in his shirt sleeves, rubbing a hand over his face.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ she replied, eyebrows arched. ‘I think you performed very well last night…’ She let the sentence dangle.

  Tom caught the glint in her eye and broke into a broad grin. ‘Why thank you, ma’am. Glad to be of service.’

  ‘Well, don’t thank me, I’m sure the rest of the band were very grateful…’

  Tom’s face fell. ‘Oh, I rather hoped you meant—’ And then he stopped suddenly, realising he’d been totally played.

  ‘Isobel Hardcastle, you are quite without shame.’

  She giggled. ‘I know… great, isn’t it?’ She dropped her head then, suddenly feeling shy. ‘Morning,’ she said, looking up through her lashes.

  Tom’s arms went around her a second later. ‘Isn’t it though?’ he murmured into her neck. ‘Quite possibly the best one ever.’ He kissed her gently on the forehead. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ she breathed. ‘Everything’s fine…’ She pulled away slightly so that she could look at him better. ‘I don’t quite know what to say, Tom,’ she began. ‘I want to thank you, but that sounds rather trite, given what’s happened over the last day or so… You’ve given me so much, and I—’

  Tom put a finger on her lips. ‘No need,’ he said. ‘I think we understand each other perfectly.’

  And it was true, thought Isobel. There really was no need to explain. She had never felt more certain about anything in her life before.

  ‘I’m not quite sure what we do though,’ she said. ‘About us, I mean, and here… what we say…’

  ‘I wouldn’t imagine we’ll need to say anything,’ replied Tom. ‘If yesterday’s mercy mission didn’t spell out exactly how things are between us, then Maddie has probably had the binoculars trained on us since we got home last night…’

  The thought hadn’t even occurred to Isobel. ‘Probably… It’s not going to make it awkward for you, is it?’

  Tom cocked his head at her. ‘I think their response showed clearly enough how everyone here feels about things, don’t you? I would say we very much have their blessing, Isobel. Not that it’s needed, but then that’s always been the way of things at Joy’s Acre. We’re all in this together, and you’re as much a part of that now as any of us.’

  ‘Today should be about Maddie and Seth, and Joy’s Acre though, don’t you think? There’s plenty of time for us.’

  ‘So I need to go and cancel the Red Arrows’ flypast complete with skywriting then?’

  Isobel tipped her head on one side. ‘Hmm, maybe rearrange it for tomorrow…? Nice idea though.’

  ‘I thought so,’ Tom replied. ‘Seriously though, I think you’re right about today. And it’s very tactful of you if I may say so, generous too. I’ll obviously drag you off into the bushes the minute no one’s looking though.’

  ‘I would expect nothing less.’ She held Tom’s gaze for a moment longer. They really did understand each perfectly. ‘Right, cup of tea next, and then bagsy me first for the shower.’

  Isobel finally rooted Seth out in the barn. He was standing in the middle of the huge empty space staring up at the rafters.

  ‘Penny for them?’ she said.

  ‘How many have you got?’ came the reply.

  ‘Oh… not that many actually.’ She walked over to meet him. ‘I’ve not really ever looked in here before, not properly.’

  He smiled in reply. ‘It’s better than it was. A lot better. I’ve repointed all the brickwork, which is a massive job in itself, but some days the space just seems… I don’t know, overwhelming.’

  She followed his gaze up to the ceiling. ‘There’s no massive hurry for it though, is there, not for the moment?’

  ‘No, none at all really, in the grand scheme of things. I just thought I’d pop in here for a bit, that was all, before Adam arrives. I was enjoying a little daydreaming… wondering what we could do if we had an injection of cash.’

  ‘From a TV company perhaps?’

  He grinned at her. ‘Something like that…’ He drew in a breath. ‘Anyway, what can I do for you? You’re looking very well this morning…’

  She blushed. ‘I have a favour to ask actually. I need a bit of help, well from you and Tom, but I don’t want to ask Maddie. Could you just come over to the Thatcher’s Cottage for a minute, and I can explain?

  Seth gave her a quizzical look but led the
way out of the barn anyway.

  ‘The thing is, it’s a bit of a surprise for Maddie, well you as well, but more so for her, I think. I’m not really sure what the plan of action is for today, but I thought that Adam would probably be given a guided tour at some point. So once we’re done, would it be possible to keep her out of the cottage until then?’

  ‘Well, I can try… but she’s gone into major organisational mode as you might expect…’

  They had reached the cottage door. ‘There’s a lot riding on this for all of you, isn’t there?’

  ‘I’m trying hard not to think of it that way. After all, a week ago, none of this had happened, and we were all perfectly happy, going about our business, knowing that we’d get there in the end…’

  ‘But it has happened, Seth.’

  ‘I know… but the chances of anything coming of Adam’s visit are tiny. I don’t want to fall into the trap of pinning all our hopes on this, and then being massively disappointed when nothing comes of it. It could sour everything we have here.’

  ‘You’d feel like you’d all failed, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.’

  Seth looked at her as if a lightbulb had just gone on in his head. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s it exactly.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Perhaps I could get you to remind me of this conversation if it does all go pear-shaped.’

  ‘I’d be happy to,’ replied Isobel. ‘Although I’m sincerely hoping I won’t need to.’

  Isobel motioned for Seth to go on ahead of her. She wanted him to walk into the living room first, and was dying to see his reaction.

  It seemed like only five minutes later that they were all gathered in the kitchen. Seth had gone to wait for Adam, so that he could be escorted inside, and now they were all loitering in a state of high agitation, waiting for his arrival.

  Maddie had given Isobel an enormous hug as she entered the room, followed immediately by Trixie and Clara.

  ‘Now the day is perfect,’ said Maddie. ‘It wouldn’t have been right without you.’ She gave a joyous smile. ‘Or without you, Tom. I can’t tell you how pleased I am for you both, how pleased we all are. Even though it was a bit of a shock to have Isobel come banging on the door yesterday, in so many ways the timing couldn’t have been better.’

  Isobel drew away from Clara’s embrace. ‘I’m only sorry it was so last minute.’ She glanced at Tom. ‘I had quite a few things to put into place at home, and it meant cutting it rather fine, but the end result was more than I could ever have wished for.’

  Maddie nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile. ‘I hope you don’t mind, Isobel, but Tom has told us what you’ve been through… not the whole story, that’s between the two of you, but enough to know we needed to help. And Tom was so upset, not even knowing where you’d gone. We were all so scared we’d never see you again.’

  An involuntary shiver ran through Isobel. ‘When I saw my mother on the doorstep, I honestly thought it was all over, but you know, it was the very fact that she had come here that gave me the strength to do what I’ve done. She’d invaded the one place that was mine, where I had felt myself come alive again, and I was determined not to let her take that away from me.’

  ‘But your father’s illness?’

  ‘She made it up. I had to go with her when I heard that, I couldn’t take the risk that it wasn’t true. But in the end that was her downfall. Even I never thought she would stoop that low. And in doing so she gave me all the ammunition I needed to finally put my past behind me. I’ve consulted a solicitor, and although it might take some time to sort out my affairs, ultimately they will be my affairs, and no one else’s. I am free to do whatever I please.’

  ‘So how did your mother find you in the end? I still don’t understand how that came about.’

  ‘A stroke of luck on her part. A neighbour attended the wedding where I played in the string quartet. She bumped into my mother and mentioned it, that’s all. It didn’t take long to make a few phone calls and find out the name of the quartet and from there to find out where I was. I’d mentioned where I was staying you see, never giving it a second thought.’ She felt Tom’s hand slip into hers. ‘But I will never, ever be going back home—’ She stopped, correcting herself. ‘Be going back to that place again.’

  ‘And of course,’ added Trixie, ‘now that I’ve found someone else who shares my love of sparkly boots, we’re not going to let you.’

  The emotion in the room was palpable, and Isobel, who had been taught to hide hers all her life, embraced it, wiping her eyes and grinning at her sudden ability to cry happy tears.

  It was Isobel who spotted Adam first. Closest to the window she had the best view of the yard and gave an excited squeal, making everyone jump, and within seconds it seemed they were all shaking hands.

  Adam greeted her and Tom warmly and almost as soon as the introductions were performed he sat at the table, firing up his laptop. He told everyone at least three times that they should relax, and that today was meant to be very informal, but of course no one took the slightest bit of notice, and sat nervously waiting for him to speak. Isobel leaned up against the sink, one hand brushing against Tom’s and the other fiddling with a button on her dress.

  ‘So I guess I should explain how this all works before we go too much further, and then if you want to go ahead we can get down to practicalities before we both make a final decision.’ He glanced up fleetingly in between clicks on the keyboard.

  There was complete silence in the room. Tom looked at Isobel, and Clara stared at Maddie. Maddie frowned at Seth, who in turn threw a perplexed look back to Tom. No one wanted to be the one to ask the question, until Seth suddenly cleared his throat.

  Becoming aware of the expectant atmosphere filling the room, Adam looked up. ‘Is that okay?’

  Seth nodded. ‘It’s fine… but, perhaps I’ve missed something here… when you say final decision, what does that mean exactly? Sorry, that probably sounds like a really stupid thing to ask.’

  ‘No, not at all, it’s only that I want you to be sure before agreeing to go ahead with the filming. I’ll be honest, for me, today is really just about confirming what are fairly sound assumptions about this place but, although we obviously try and limit disruption, there will be some, I can’t pretend there won’t be. You need to be certain that you’re happy with everything that will be involved.’ He smiled, looking around the table.

  Isobel saw a quick glance flick between Seth and Maddie.

  ‘No, I’m sorry,’ continued Seth. ‘I’m still missing something. I thought today was just a bit of a chat, fact-finding, that kind of thing. Except you’re making it sound like you have plans in place…’

  Adam stopped fiddling with his laptop, and gave Seth his full attention. Then he turned his gaze on Maddie, who was smiling, but clearly confused.

  ‘But didn’t the email from Petra explain everything?’

  Maddie shook her head slightly. ‘Who’s Petra?’

  ‘My secretary, she’s the one who—’ He took in Maddie’s blank expression. ‘You didn’t get the email, did you…? I don’t believe it…’ He sighed, closing his eyes for a second. ‘I’m so sorry, she’s just about to go on maternity leave, and… well, let’s just say her mind is on other things.’ He groaned slightly. ‘You must think I’m totally deranged.’

  Seth grinned. ‘I was beginning to think I was.’

  Adam pushed his laptop to one side. ‘Right, well I’d better start at the beginning then.’ He took his glasses off, and rubbed one eye before replacing them.

  ‘My company has been commissioned to make a series of eight, one-hour films, focusing on four small rural businesses – so two hours essentially for each business – and these will be aired seasonally next year. We’ve just finished filming our spring slot, but I’m looking for a business to focus on for next summer… and from what I’ve seen and heard I’m pretty certain that Joy’s Acre fits the bill. I’ve been scouting out a few possibilities, but to b
e honest, none of them were really what I had in mind, so meeting Isobel and Tom last week was like a sign from the heavens… I couldn’t quite believe how easily it was all falling into my lap. You’d be perfect for defining the very essence of everything that’s great about the summer.’

  He paused for a moment to look around the room. ‘A romantic back story with Joy and her paintings, an idyllic holiday setting, beautiful gardens, home-grown and -cooked food, traditional craftsmanship and, of course, at its heart, huge entrepreneurial skill which has brought it all together. People absolutely love this stuff.’

  No one said a word.

  ‘And you’re a new business too, so even better.’

  It was Trixie who caved first, giving a small excited squeak which she tried to smother only to have it explode from its confinement in a strangled squawk.

  ‘Holy cow!’ she yelled, grinning at Isobel, and then the room began tumbling with questions as everybody wanted to know how this had come about.

  ‘Oh my bleepin’ God!’ she exclaimed.

  Adam grinned. ‘Now you’re getting it,’ he said. He looked over at Maddie, who was staring at Seth, a look that Isobel recognised well. It was the way she looked at Tom.

  ‘I have to say, Maddie, that were it not for your website, I might not have bumped Joy’s Acre quite so high up the list. Isobel and Tom did a very good job of piquing my interest, but that’s rather an occupational hazard, and often when I do a little digging, things fall flat. Only not in this case. Everything I saw on the site just seemed to draw me in deeper and deeper.’ He angled his laptop around so that she could see it. ‘This, for example, would work very well as a concept on film too. I love the whole scrapbooking idea. Please tell me you haven’t lied about any of this…’