by Fay Keenan
A discreet cough from the doorway made Anna and Matthew separate a few moments later.
‘Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude,’ Caroline said. ‘Should I have knocked?’
Anna laughed. ‘Don’t be daft. Come on in.’ She moved away from Matthew. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’
‘Thanks,’ Caroline said. Her dark red hair was still wet from the shower and she’d slicked it back from her face, which made her large green eyes all the more striking. Slighter than Anna and about four inches shorter, she had the Hepburnesque look of a dancer, but those who underestimated her based on her stature were always taken by surprise when she revealed the full force of her personality.
Anna glanced at the Aga, where the spring lamb stew for tonight was cooking nicely in the oven. ‘Dinner’ll be at about seven.’
‘I’ll just give Dad a ring,’ Matthew said. ‘I’ll be in the study if you need any help. I did invite him to dinner when we spoke this morning but he said he was pretty tired from yesterday. I hope you don’t mind, but Jonno asked if he could come after all.’
‘Oh, I thought he was busy,’ Anna said. ‘But that’s fine. We’ve got plenty of food. I’ll make sure I plate one up for Jonathan to take back to your dad for when he fancies it.’
‘I’m sure he’d love that,’ Matthew called over his shoulder as he headed for his study.
Was she imagining it, Anna thought, or was Caroline blushing slightly at the mention of Jonathan’s name? They’d seemed to be getting on very well during the wedding reception, although Caroline hadn’t mentioned anything to Anna when she’d been playing with Ellie earlier in the day. Caroline was notoriously cagey about her personal life, though, so for the moment she stayed off the subject. It was nice to have a little time alone with her former sister-in-law; to mention James’ name without having to be conscious of it. ‘Ellie loved spending time with you today,’ Anna said as she handed Caroline a glass of red wine. ‘She asked me when you were coming to stay with us again.’
Caroline smiled. ‘I really enjoyed spending time with her.’ Ellie was, after all, her only remaining family member and although Anna had remarried, Caroline would always regard her as a sister.
‘She’ll be at school this time next year,’ Anna said, pouring herself a glass of elderflower cordial from the bottle on the kitchen counter. ‘A little too much to drink yesterday,’ she said hurriedly. She didn’t like telling the fib but she supposed under the circumstances she could get away with it.
Anna sat down at the large, scrubbed oak kitchen table. ‘I know I’ve said this about a million times since you got here, but it’s so good to see you, Caroline. With everything that’s happened over the past few years, I needed to connect with my old life, with my old family. And I needed to see for myself that you were really all right with how things have worked out in my life.’
‘Oh, you daft cow!’ Caroline’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Of course I’m all right. How could I not be? You look so, so happy, and I can see that it’s this new life, your life with Matthew as a part of it that has done that.’ She reached out and squeezed Anna’s hand. ‘James wouldn’t have wanted to see you alone for the rest of your life, and neither do I. And you know what? I think James would have approved of your choice.’
Anna raised equally watery eyes. ‘That means a lot to me, Caroline.’
‘And I mean every word.’ Caroline gave Anna a shaky smile. ‘Now, are you going to refill my glass or am I going to die of thirst?’
Anna smiled back, then, unable to resist sharing the secret. ‘You’d better have one for me, seeing as I’m under doctor’s orders to show restraint.’
‘Why?’ Caroline asked. Then comprehension dawned. ‘Bloody hell. You don’t hang around in Somerset, do you? That ring’s not been on your finger a day!’
Anna laughed. ‘It’s been a few more weeks than that. Wasn’t exactly planned but still very welcome.’ She looked intently at Caroline. ‘Are you OK with that?’
Caroline shook her head. ‘You need to stop asking me if I’m OK with your life choices,’ she said gently. ‘It’s entirely up to you what you do. It always has been. James is gone. You don’t have to keep worrying about how I feel.’
Anna smiled sadly. ‘I know. It just feels… weird.’
‘I’ll admit it was a bit bizarre seeing you getting married to someone else,’ Caroline said softly. ‘But life goes on. Love goes on. And life’s too short to worry about things like that. So, I’m telling you to stop. Now.’
Anna smiled. ‘OK. So long as I can ask you a question.’
Caroline looked guarded. ‘Depends what it is.’ She’d kept a fair few things from Anna over the past few years, in an attempt to protect her, and so felt wary when Anna started to probe. If Anna even suspected half of what had gone on in the years since James’ death, she’d never look at Caroline in the same way again. There were some things that were best kept hidden.
‘Did you, er, get on well with Jonathan yesterday?’
Caroline shook her head and thought about brazening it out. ‘In what sense?’
Anna tried, and failed, to look innocent. ‘Well, Meredith spotted Jonathan sneaking out of the front door of the B&B early this morning when she was walking Sefton. She put two and two together I’m afraid.’
Caroline coughed into her wine glass. ‘News travels fast in this place, doesn’t it? Oh, OK, OK. He walked me back to the B&B and came up for a nightcap.’
Anna raised an eyebrow. ‘An all-night nightcap?’
‘It was a large cup of coffee,’ Caroline said, refusing to be drawn. ‘Nothing serious for you to start speculating about.’
‘As if I would,’ Anna replied. ‘I just thought you seemed to be getting on quite well at the wedding reception, that’s all.’
‘I’m not going to let you set me up with your new brother-in-law,’ Caroline replied. ‘You’re not being my sister-in-law again. I’ve only just got rid of you!’
‘All right, but from where I was standing…’
‘Shouldn’t you have been focussing on enjoying your own wedding, rather than what Jonathan and I were up to?’ Caroline chided, reaching for the wine bottle.
‘Oh, don’t worry about that,’ Anna said. ‘As a mother and a stepmother, I’m well practiced in splitting my attention fourteen ways at once. And I couldn’t help noticing…’
‘Give it up,’ Caroline said. ‘I’m not being your sister-in-law again, no matter how fit Jonathan is.’
‘So, you admit he’s fit?’
‘I’m not blind.’
‘You liked him, then?’
‘No comment.’
‘OK, OK, I’ll lay off. For now. But I will tell you that he could definitely do with someone stable in his life. He was only moaning the other day that he hasn’t put down any roots yet.’
‘He told me he was back living with his dad.’
‘Well, yes, he is at the moment,’ Anna said. ‘But to be honest, it’s probably better that he is. Jack thinks he’s in rude health but his heart’s been playing up for years so it’s good that Jonathan’s there to keep an eye on him.’
‘Hmm…’ Caroline raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘So, you don’t reckon he’s just doing it to stop himself from having to grow up?’
‘You couldn’t ever accuse Jonathan of being grown up, even if he had his own mortgage!’ Matthew said, catching the end of the conversation as he returned to the kitchen. ‘But who knows? Now he’s back on board with the family business perhaps he’ll start to act his age.’
‘Acting whose age?’ As if on cue, Jonathan came through the back door into the kitchen. Without missing a beat, he crossed the flagstones and kissed Anna on the cheek. ‘Hello, gorgeous. Hope you don’t mind me gatecrashing. I suddenly found myself at a loose end.’
‘Of course not,’ Anna said. ‘And you know Caroline, of course.’
‘Of course. Hi,’ Jonathan said, giving her a warm smile. He didn’t seem fazed by seeing her again so soon, so C
aroline was determined not to show that she was. She smiled up at Jonathan from where she was sitting.
Donning her oven gloves, Anna opened the top oven and pulled out a large Le Creuset casserole dish. Lifting the lid, she gave the stew a stir, tasted it and popped it back into the oven. Then, she grabbed a couple of foil wrapped sticks of garlic bread and popped them in alongside.
‘One of your creations or your husband’s?’ Caroline asked, keen to change the subject.
Anna looked fondly at Matthew on the way back to her seat. ‘Mine. Matthew can make a passable beans on toast and has been known to branch out on occasion into spaghetti bolognese, but he’s not what you might call at home in the kitchen!’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘Although you’re a pretty good cook, aren’t you, Jonathan?’
‘I pass muster,’ Jonathan said, helping himself to a glass of wine. ‘I don’t get much of a chance to practice these days, since Dad seems to be losing his appetite, but I can whip up a half decent boeuf bourguignon when pushed.’
A short while later as they were all enjoying the dinner, Matthew’s phone pinged and he glanced at it apologetically; then, as he read the message, his face softened.
‘Meredith’s got to Cornwall alright and says Flynn’s parents’ cottage is, er, “well amazing”’. His shoulders visibly relaxed and, as if his teenaged daughter’s text had given him permission, he poured another glass of red wine for himself and Caroline, then topped up his pregnant wife’s glass with some more elderflower cordial.
‘I’m glad she got there OK and she seems to be enjoying it,’ Anna replied. Sixteen year old Meredith had caught the train to Cornwall that morning and was due to be away for a week. Anna missed her already, but Flynn O’Connell, who was two years older than Meredith, was a nice lad. Last year, the relationship between the Carters and the O’Connells was under a lot of strain after Flynn crashed his car with Meredith in the passenger seat, resulting in Meredith being hospitalised with a potentially life changing head injury. However, Meredith’s recovery and the verdict of the accident investigators that Flynn wasn’t entirely at fault had done much to mend fences between the families. Matthew and Anna got on well with Flynn’s parents, who’d assured them that the teenagers would be in separate rooms all week. Anna wasn’t quite sure she believed that, but, she figured, not a lot could go wrong with attentive parents sharing the house, too.
Remembering her guest, she turned back to Caroline. ‘When we were talking earlier you mentioned you had some life changes in mind, but what with all the interruptions from Ellie and the clearing up from yesterday, we didn’t get the chance to have a proper natter about it.’
Caroline picked up her wine glass and cradled the bowl in her two hands for a moment, stalling for time while she gathered her thoughts. She had to think very carefully about how she was going to proceed with this. Too much information and Anna would start to worry; too little and she’d be suspicious. ‘Well, now you come to mention it, yes, I have actually.’
‘What have you been thinking about?’
‘I’ve been thinking about making a move away from the South East,’ Caroline confessed. ‘I mean, ever since Mum, Dad and then James died, and you came back here to live, I kind of keep wondering why I should stay in Farnham.’ She paused and looked at the married couple in front of her. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got good mates, but I’m bored with reaching for ever more ostentatious features to make a function different and memorable. Once the hundredth ice sculpture is dripping onto a plate at the end of the evening, it kind of loses its charm.’
‘So where were you planning on moving to?’ Anna asked. ‘I mean you’ve got no ties, so you could go wherever you wanted. Overseas, if you fancied it. How about back to Italy? You seemed to enjoy working out there before you got your current job.’
Caroline shook her head. ‘I did really like it, and it was great to be part of the hospitality industry over there.’ Caroline had spent a year as front of house in a small restaurant in Sicily before settling into her career as an events manager. ‘But one thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that you can’t take things like family for granted. I think it’s time I took care of what I still have, while I’m still able to appreciate it.’
‘It sounds like you’ve got something in mind.’
‘To be honest, I’ve been thinking of a change of scene for a while. Companies like the one I’ve been working for are streamlining to compete for more and more business. In fact, I was offered voluntary redundancy a couple of months ago, and I took it. I love the work, but the game is changing. I’d like to stay in the hospitality industry, but perhaps be a bit more my own boss; have more control.’ Caroline really didn’t want to go into the other, more personal reasons for a change of location; not when she’d just witnessed such a happy family event as the wedding. If she did ever come clean with Anna, it would be at the right time, and now was definitely not it.
‘Crikey,’ Anna said. ‘That’s quite a decision. I’d ask you if you’re sure, but it seems like you’ve made up your mind already! Not that I’m surprised.’ She turned to Jonathan and Matthew. ‘Caroline’s had a really successful career in hospitality. Her team has won awards so many times for the events they’ve staged, and she’s been up for awards herself as a manager. I remember that night at Goodwood when you invited me as your plus one to pick up the Manager of the Year award. I drank so much champagne I couldn’t get out of bed at all the following day!’
Caroline laughed. ‘Well, the event was sponsored by Moët! Yes, I remember that! James took the piss out of you so badly for not being able to handle good champagne; told me I was better off buying you Asti Spumante in future.’
‘So what are you thinking, then?’ Anna asked.
‘I’ve had enough of Surrey,’ Caroline said. ‘I’ve got a bit of money stashed away from my inheritance from Mum and Dad and the redundancy money, which I can live on while I decide what I want to do.’
Jonathan, who up until this point had been silent, suddenly chipped in. ‘So, you’re a free agent then, professionally speaking?’
Caroline looked quizzically at Jonathan. ‘Yes, I suppose I am. Why?’
Putting his knife and fork together and taking a last sip of his wine, Jonathan glanced briefly at his brother before continuing. Matthew raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Jonathan turned to Anna. ‘Darling, do you mind if I borrow Caroline for half an hour or so? There’s something I’d like to show her. I know it’s rude to swan off before the coffee but in this case, I hope it’ll be worth it.’
Caroline couldn’t quite meet Anna’s eye; if she had, she’d have burst out laughing. Instead, she looked at Jonathan. ‘Don’t I get a say as to whether I’d like to be, er, borrowed?’
‘Of course,’ Jonathan replied. ‘But I’m hoping on this occasion you might appreciate a short walk before it gets too dark.’
Remembering where she’d ended up the previous night after a short walk, Caroline flushed. ‘We will be coming back, then?’
‘I’ll have you back by the time the washing up’s done,’ Jonathan said. ‘If you don’t mind us skipping out?’ He turned back to Anna.
‘I don’t think you’ve ever offered to wash up yet, Jonathan Carter,’ Anna said, rising to clear the plates. ‘So why should tonight be any different? But make sure you’re back for coffee. We’ve got a mountain of raspberry pavlova from the wedding that needs finishing, too.’
‘I’ll have her safe and sound and back in one piece as soon as I can,’ Jonathan said. ‘But we need to crack on if we’re going to get over there before it’s too dark.’
Curiosity piqued, Caroline rose from the table and followed Jonathan out of the back door.
Cowslip Barn, Anna and Matthew’s home, was situated at the far end of the sprawling cider farm. Over the years, the industrial buildings had sprung up on the site, but the house itself was divided from them by rows and rows of different varieties of cider apple trees. As they wandered down the rows of neatly plant
ed trees, Caroline spotted a building in the distance, some way away from the industrial centre of the site. It had a newly tarmacked track running towards it that seemed to run around the back of the Royal Orchard. Clocking their direction of travel, Caroline asked what it was.
‘That’s our new venture,’ Jonathan replied. ‘A year ago, it was a knackered old barn that we used to store old kegs and bits of equipment, but while I was sorting out some of Dad’s paperwork, I found an application he’d put in to the council for change of use. He must have done it and then forgotten all about it. Permission was granted but about to expire, so I thought it would be a good idea to do something with it.’
‘So what’s it going to be?’ Caroline asked. They were wandering towards the building and as they drew closer, Caroline could see that the structure of the original stone and oak framed barn had been lovingly restored, with a new roof and some beautiful bifold glass doors installed on two sides.
‘It’s going to be a restaurant called The Cider Kitchen,’ Jonathan said. ‘Somerset is one of the best parts of the country for locally produced food. We’ve got cheese and strawberries from Cheddar, which is a World Heritage site, at least two major brands of ice cream, yogurts and, of course, countless mixes and blends of alcohol, including our own cider. It seems a logical step to showcase them, and since we’ve got the building here, it was a no-brainer.’
Caroline regarded the building. ‘You’re planning on opening to catch the summer season?’ she asked, looking through the front window of the barn. Inside was still bare although the walls had been plastered and, from the looks of it, a mezzanine level at the back of the building had gone in with an impressive light oak staircase. Wires hung from the ceiling for light fittings, and a door led off to one side, presumably to the kitchen.
‘Yup,’ Jonathan replied. ‘We’ve got a talented young chef lined up – a graduate from Weston College who’s been working at Carluccio’s in Bristol and comes highly recommended, and we’re currently putting together a front of house team. The contractors are working night and day to get the fabric of the building finished, so it’s just a case of sorting out the interior decor and finding a manager.’