He hadn't let her repay him, saying he was embarrassed to admit how much he'd spent on a lot of old mumbo jumbo. "From what you told me, it does seem perfect for her though."
It did. The cover was of powder blue leather; Jayne's favourite colour. The author's surname was Jayne and inside the book was a bookmark decorated with pressed primroses. Jayne had still been squealing with delight when she'd called to thank Leah. Even better, the recipe actually seemed to work and the burning ache in Leah's thighs and biceps eased considerably.
The chicken stew and dumplings followed by baked apple and thick Jersey cream further helped Leah's recovery.
Life in the countryside was pretty much living up to her expectations. She had a comfortable room, the comfort of her aunt Jayne, good food and no more tasks for the day. Already she was almost as relaxed as Tarragon who pretended to snooze in his bed, but occasionally opened one big brown eye to check for dropped crumbs. Leah had enough sense to know this break wouldn't be the same as the idyllic summer holidays she'd spent with Jayne, her grandparents and sometimes her own parents. Life on a smallholding in winter would be cold, muddy and hard work. Still there was a toasty fire in front of her and the promise of cowslip wine for now and the hope of working things out with Adam. It could be a lot worse.
Leah checked her phone and was pleased to see she'd received a text.
'Heard wot happened. Dont believe it. Call if want 2 chat.'
She stared at it for several moments until realising it was from her colleague Rachel, not her boyfriend. Why would Rachel call? Leah couldn't imagine wanting to chat to her about the problems she was facing. Still it was good to know not everyone assumed she was guilty. Leah made another attempt to contact Adam, but had to be content with leaving a message on his voicemail.
It was reassuring to know Adam had been mistaken and not everyone at work was shunning her. Maybe, after she'd enjoyed a few days with Jayne, all her problems would be resolved. The only potential fly in the ointment was the G-B Jayne had alluded to. Oliver Gilmore-Bunce was a client of Prophet Margin, the stockbrokers and investors she worked for, and a right pain even before he'd become the source of her current problem. The less Leah had to do with Oliver Gilmore-Bunce, the happier she'd be.
Jayne poured golden liquid into two tiny glasses. "They're liqueur glasses really, so we'll need a lot of refills, but they're so pretty, I just have to use them for cowslip wine."
"Is the wine really made from cowslips? I know there are always masses around the cottage, but I can't imagine you picking buckets of them."
"It really is made from cowslips... and a few other things. Actually, I buy a simple winemaking kit and just add a few cowslip flowers. Still tastes pretty good though, I think?"
Leak accepted her drink and took a sip. "Wonderful." She inspected the glass. It was beautifully decorated with a posy of cowslips.
"What lovely engraving! Where did you get them?"
"It's an etching actually, and I got them from a rather nice man who made them for me as a gift for services rendered."
"Aunt Jayne!"
"It's a very good story actually, but as you've called me Aunt again, you've made me feel too old to tell it you."
"Sorry," Leah said. She wasn't particularly sorry. If it really was a good story, Jayne wouldn't be able to resist telling her.
"So, what's the matter then?" Jayne asked after refilling their glasses.
Leah took a deep breath. Where should she start? "I've been suspended from work. There are discrepancies in a customer's account which they need to investigate and the computer records seem to show I've been defrauding him of tens of thousands of pounds."
"But you haven't?" She asked it as a question, but Leah knew she wasn't being accused.
"No."
"So they'll find out that it's all a mistake. I'm no computer or finance expert, but I'm sure that if you've not done something nobody'll be able to prove you did."
"No, I suppose not."
"Are you in a union or anything?"
"I do belong to a professional organisation and I've let them know. They'll ensure the situation is properly investigated and I'm not dismissed without cause. Prophet Margin have to keep me on full pay, so it's in their interests to get this resolved as soon as possible." Put like that, it didn't seem as though she was in too much trouble. True, embezzlement was a serious crime that could lead to imprisonment. It was equally true that she was innocent.
"And what's that Adam doing about it? He's a computer expert, supposedly. Didn't he go and tell them he knows you'd never do such a thing and show them where they'd gone wrong?"
Jayne was getting close to the real problem.
"No. I thought he might. He can't really though. He's in a separate section and can't get involved. He said it was better to be patient and that if they knew about us they'd just think he was biased or might believe he was involved or..."
"He didn't stick up for you at all?"
"Well, it's complicated."
"I bet. And what's that about knowing about you? Has he kept it secret that you're living together?"
"Not secret, just..."
"Complicated?"
It sounded weak, even to Leah.
"Your whole life seems complicated since you've met him."
"I know." Leah took another sip of her drink. It was only recently she'd admitted, even to herself, that her relationship with Adam wasn't making her happy. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do about that. "He wanted to keep his personal and professional lives separate."
"What? He's a computer geek, not a pop star."
Leah didn't reply as she'd often had the same thought. His insistence on keeping his distance at work might seem perfectly natural to him, but it hurt her. It felt as though he was almost ashamed of her.
"You expect him to stick up for your reputation when he's not honest with them?" Jayne continued.
"It wasn't like that," she mumbled. She wasn't even convincing herself. She longed to confess her worries to Jayne, but that meant facing up to the truth and she wasn't quite ready for that.
Adam said their relationship wasn't anyone's business but theirs. Business was the right word to use. Adam bought their flat as an investment; Leah wanted it to be a home. Adam wanted a pre-nup agreement before he'd commit to marriage. While Leah could see it was sensible, she didn't want to be planning the divorce before they'd even picked a date for the wedding.
Jayne said, "His weird behaviour is none of my business either. Your happiness is, so let's see what we can do to cheer you up."
"A refill might help," Leah suggested, holding out her glass.
Jayne took the hint. As that didn't seem enough to distract Jayne from probing deeper into Leah's problems, she got up and stroked Tarragon. She remembered that as a child, the only animals she'd heard Jayne say a bad word about were dogs. Even then she put the blame on irresponsible owners, rather than creatures who were just doing what came naturally.
"I was surprised when you told me you'd got a dog," Leah said, "But now I've met him it makes much more sense. He really is adorable."
"Useful too. I don't get other people's dogs wandering all over the place now. The owners see he's about and put theirs on leads. Tarragon actually helps round up the sheep. You saw that today."
"He was helpful, yes."
"Everyone needs a little help," Jayne said.
"That's why I've come to you. Is there any more helpful stuff left in that bottle?"
As Leah got ready for bed, she thought over what Jayne had said. Jayne trusted that as Leah was innocent then her problems would soon be solved. Leah was less sure. She might get her job back, but her hopes of a happy marriage and, eventually, children had never seemed further away. Leah wasn't going to let unhappy thoughts spoil her visit before it had begun, so tried to picture something pleasant as she went to sleep. For some reason, the image that came to mind was that of a tractor on a country lane and a curly haired driver waving to her.
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Chapter 2
Leah awoke to hear a cock crow and assorted animals calling either to each other, or for food. She groaned. She'd forgotten the peace of the countryside, whilst real enough in the evenings, was a complete myth at dawn. Still, she had slept right through the night which was something of a novelty in recent months. She reached out an arm for her phone. No messages and no missed calls. Of course not, it was too early. Leah turned over and went back to sleep.
When she woke for the second time, the world outside her window was again peaceful. Presumably Jayne was already up and had fed those animals which had been making a fuss. Perhaps she'd better get up too, lying awake thinking was something to avoid.
She groaned again as she got out of bed. Jayne's herbal bath oil had done a good job last night, but it hadn't been able to entirely prevent Leah's muscles stiffening over night. After a few stretches, she felt a little better. Her aches and pains were the result of unaccustomed work, not any actual injury. Although her hands looked as though they'd never even heard of a manicure, the blisters were now no more than faint red marks.
As she came out the bathroom, Leah heard Jayne moving about downstairs. She checked her bedside clock so she'd know what time Jayne was normally up and could avoid disturbing her normal routine. It was just after ten-thirty. Leah quickly dressed and went downstairs.
Jayne asked, "How do you like your eggs these days?"
"To be honest, it's so long since I've had a fried egg, I'm not really sure."
Jayne cracked eggs into the pan, sizzled them lightly, then added one to each plate already brimming with bacon, mushrooms, chipolatas, tomatoes and large slices of something golden brown.
"I thought I'd missed breakfast," Leah said as she squirted HP sauce onto her plate.
"I don't like it too early, so I feed the animals and milk Rosemary first. I can relax and enjoy it that way."
"So it really is half ten?" Leah asked as she cut open one of the crispy brown slices. She took an experimental nibble.
"Yes. I guess you slept well?"
Leah's mouth was now full of potato, fried until crisp in fresh butter so instead of speaking, she nodded in agreement.
"Not been doing that much lately?"
"No, but... "
"It's all right, lovey, you needn't talk about it if you don't want to."
"It's Adam. Things haven't been going too well." She shrugged. "I suppose everyone goes through bad patches?"
"Of course they do. Now enjoy your breakfast."
The ache in her muscles convinced Leah she'd worked off everything she'd eaten yesterday, so she blocked out all thought of calorie counts and ate.
"I'll wash up, you go and give Adam a call. Maybe he'll have some news by now."
"I keep trying. He doesn't answer."
"Use my house phone."
Leah obediently went into the hall and dialled Adam's number on Jayne's old fashioned cream and green phone. She thought if Adam was too busy to pick up when he saw her number flash up he was hardly likely to answer one he didn't recognise. She was wrong.
"Oh, Leah, hi. Sorry I didn't reply to your message yesterday, but things were crazy here and then the phone was flat. I don't think it's holding a charge properly."
"Ah."
The phone on his desk was evidently working, but maybe there was a good reason for him not having tried to contact her.
"So, everything all right with your aunt?" Adam asked.
"Yes. She's feeding me up and I've been helping with the sheep and mending fences."
"Good, good. Sounds like she needs your help. Perhaps you should stay there for a while?"
The idea was appealing. Her body had been worked hard, but her mind and emotions had been granted some much needed rest. "Yes. I feel less tense already. I did need a break, you were right. Maybe you could join us for the weekend?"
"Leah, we've split up, remember?"
"Adam, no! That's what I said, in the heat of the moment, but not what I meant. You must know that."
He hadn't liked it when she'd said that if he wasn't prepared to offer some kind of commitment and emotional support, she'd be better off without him. Perhaps that was because it was the first time she'd really stuck up for herself.
"It would appear that I no longer know what you want, or perhaps never had the ability to provide it."
"You do. I just wanted you to acknowledge our relationship rather than acting as though you're ashamed of me and I didn't think a pre-nup was exactly romantic and..." she broke off her explanation when she realised he was talking over her.
"Of course, if you decide to come back to London in the near future you can stay in the flat. We can make some arrangement."
"Arrangement? It's my home and of course I'll be back. I can hardly commute to work from Winkleigh Marsh."
"Maybe you'll get a job nearer there."
"I have a job! It was all just a misunderstanding. They'll realise that soon enough."
"Maybe if you were to pay in the missing money?"
"No way. That'd look as though I was guilty and anyway, you know I don't have that amount of cash."
He didn't reply.
"You actually think I could have done it, don't you?"
She could hear sounds from his office in the background, but he still didn't answer her.
"Adam?"
There was a click and the line went dead.
She replaced the handset with such force the hall table shook and a pot of pens fell off.
Leah returned to the kitchen where she saw Tarragon hanging his head and Jayne vigourously drying plates.
"You heard?" Leah asked.
Jayne nodded. "Some of it, yes."
"We rowed when he got back from work the day I was suspended. He twisted round my words until I said I didn't think we had a future together. I thought by now he'd realise it was just because I was upset and angry, but he won't even discuss it."
"The rat! I never liked him."
"You've never even met him." Leah didn't have enough fight left to put much indignation into her voice.
"No, but I don't like that he never came here. It makes me feel like he's got something to hide. What sort of live-in boyfriend isn't interested in meeting the family?"
Leah had no answer to that as it was a question she'd been pushing to the back of her mind for quite a while.
"Oh, lovey. I'm sorry," Jayne said. "Don't take any notice of a grumpy old spinster like me. What do I know? Things have a way of sorting themselves out. You're too upset to think straight now. We'll have a talk later and see what's to be done."
"Thanks, Jayne." Leah blew her nose.
"Come on now. Fresh air will do you good. We'll let the chickens into their new run and see how they like it."
"Yes, OK. Will I need wellies?"
"No, we'll stay in the yard this morning."
Leah changed into her trainers; she'd probably be working harder than she ever did in the gym. She'd only packed them because she didn't want Adam to get the idea she'd be letting herself go while she was away. His shocked face when she'd mentioned looking forward to the roast dinners and desserts with lashings of creamy custard Jayne would serve made her feel guilty even before she'd left, let alone taken the first delicious bite.
"You'd better use some of this too, on those soft townie hands of yours." She gave Leah a small pot of cream. "Put it on before you go outside or get your hands wet. I use it all the time and hadn't realised how well it works until I saw your hands."
Leah rubbed the greasy lotion into her chapped skin. It did feel as though it would be an effective barrier to the cold, dirt and wet.
The chickens seemed rather shy to start with, despite Tarragon doing his best to gently nudge them outside.
"Sit," Jayne commanded. "Give them time to get used to the idea, you impatient hound, you."
Once the bravest couple of hens stuck their beaks out into the sunshine, the rest followed. Soon they were all pecking at the fresh gr
ass and scratching in the dirt, abandoning the eggs for Jayne and Leah to collect.
"This is easier than I remember," Leah said as she filled her basket with warm eggs. "I used to have to fumble around under the hens and some of them pecked."
"That's because your parents usually left you with us at Easter. By then the chickens are going broody and want to sit on the eggs and hatch them."
"Ah. I always thought you made me get the eggs from the meanest ones, just to hear me squeal when they went for me."
"Might of done." Jayne gave a naughty grin.
"What? Ooooh you, you... You can wrestle your own sheep in future."
"Talking of which, I've got a good job for you now."
"Sheep?"
"No, not quite."
"Not quite in what way? Crikey, it's not Llamas is it? Those things scare me."
Jayne snorted with mischievous laughter. "I'd almost forgotten about that!"
"Was that another of your plans to make me squeal?"
"Well..."
"You really were a meany. I was only seven!" Leah did her best schoolgirl petulant pout.
"Yeah, it was a bit mean. Funny though and I swear I didn't know they were quite so defensive of their kids. I didn't know your little legs could go that fast either."
"Good thing for you they could. You'd have had a lot of explaining to Granny May if I'd got squished." She folded her arms and tried to look aggrieved, but soon smiled at Jayne's amusement. "One day, I'll get my own back."
"I seem to remember you did at the time. Those frogs didn't do a lot for my love life."
This time Leah giggled and Jayne tried to look miffed.
"So, what's this lovely job, then?" Leah asked.
"I thought we'd make a start preparing for the orphan lambs."
"That's really sad."
"The lambs?"
"Yes. They're lovely, but it's sad so many are still orphaned."
Jayne laughed. "I'd forgotten what a townie you are! They're not really orphaned, you chump. They're taken from mothers, who have three or four lambs, to give the others a better chance."
Escape to the Country Page 2