The Winter Garden

by Heidi Swain

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered.

  She was far too young to be a widow.

  ‘You’ve not been living in Norwich all that long, have you, Chloe?’ said Luke, kindly coming to my rescue.

  ‘No,’ she said, ‘what is it now? About eighteen months, I reckon. I moved here six months after Ade died. Completely against the advice of my mother, of course,’ She tutted, sounding more like herself again. ‘She wanted me to stay put. Same house, same town, same life, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to do it. Once Ade had gone, I realised I had nothing of the same life left and so I decided to build myself a new one.’

  ‘That was very brave,’ I told her.

  ‘My mother prefers to call it stupid,’ she told me, thankfully sounding far happier again. ‘She said I was making a mistake and that I’d regret it.’

  ‘And have you?’

  ‘Not yet,’ she beamed.

  ‘I can sympathise,’ I said, ‘on the opinionated parent front, I mean. My mum and dad have never been backwards in coming forwards when it comes to expressing their views about my life choices too.’

  Mum had been completely thrown when I told her I had a new job in Norfolk and that I wouldn’t be taking up her and Dad’s offer of a fresh start with an old flame in New Zealand. She had wanted details, but I told her the same as Peter; I’d fill them in properly as soon as I was settled.

  ‘That’s something we have in common then,’ Chloe laughed. ‘Not all that long ago we would have had long hair in common too, but I cut mine off. I didn’t do it myself,’ she hastily added. ‘I paid someone to cut it and I loved it straightaway but my mother thought I was having a breakdown. My Britney phase, she called it, and was all for staging an intervention.’

  Chloe’s mum sounded even more of a handful than mine.

  ‘Anyway,’ said Chloe, shaking her head, ‘sorry. I didn’t mean to overshare.’

  ‘You haven’t,’ Luke and I said together.

  ‘I think you two are going to get along very well,’ he carried on.

  ‘So do I,’ Chloe and I then piped up in unison, and we all laughed.

  Once Luke had loaded the dishwasher, we walked around the garden together and I assigned the pair a number of jobs to be getting on with straightaway. I also offered a list of prospective plants, bulbs and shrubs for Luke to consider buying, which he eagerly embraced. Given how mild the weather still was, should anything I’d suggested take his fancy, there was still time to get it planted.

  ‘And these three silver birch trees,’ I pointed out as we wove our way back towards the office, ‘they’d look even better if they had a wash and brush up.’

  ‘What?’ frowned Luke, looking up into the branches.

  ‘Are you being serious?’ Chloe laughed.

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘look at the bark. It’s such a beautiful colour and it would look even better if it was clean. The National Trust and RHS gardens are all doing it now,’ I added. ‘Google it tonight and you’ll see what I mean. If you fancy it, you could even illuminate them in different coloured lights once they’ve been cleaned up a bit.’

  Luke nodded and I got the feeling that I would find him out early the next morning with the power washer.

  ‘Warm water and a nice soft brush will do the trick,’ I told him, just in case he was really considering giving them a blast.

  With our schedule of work for the next couple of weeks agreed, Luke headed off to collect Abigail from Carole and then Jasmine from school, leaving me with Chloe.

  ‘I’m sorry I asked if you had any children, Chloe,’ I said to her, because it had been bugging me all afternoon. ‘I hate it when people ask me and I’m sorry if I upset you. I don’t know why I did it.’

  ‘It’s the ring,’ she said, holding up her hand. ‘It was a logical assumption.’

  ‘Even so,’ I apologised, ‘I am sorry.’

  ‘I keep telling myself it’s time to take it off,’ she said, staring down at it. ‘Because it’s not as if I haven’t come to terms with it all. It’s not as if I’m stuck in the past or anything, I’m living a completely different life here and a happy one at that, but I just can’t bring myself to take it off.’

  ‘Then there’s absolutely no reason why you should,’ I said firmly.

  ‘You know what,’ she said, linking her arm through mine, ‘Luke was right, you and I are going to get along, Freya.’

  I felt the same way too. My own new life was going to be very different to the one I was used to, but it was going to be fun working with other people for a change, and I was about to say as much, but was distracted by a sudden blast of music in the courtyard.

  ‘What on earth’s that?’ I frowned.

  I hadn’t thought I’d seen a radio in the office, so I was certain I hadn’t left one playing but the sound definitely wasn’t coming from the house. It was too far away, even if the volume had been cranked right up.

  ‘It’s coming from over there,’ I said, setting off at a pace with Nell still shadowing me as she had been all afternoon. ‘You don’t think someone’s broken in, do you?’

  ‘What, and alerted everyone within a ten-mile radius by blasting them with music?’ laughed Chloe, rushing to catch me up.

  She had a point.

  ‘It’ll be the artist guy in the studio,’ she told me.

  ‘What studio?’ I frowned, coming to a stop.

  I couldn’t remember seeing an artist’s studio.

  ‘It’s in the space next to the machinery store, and it’s not what you’d generally think of when describing an artist’s studio. It’s much more rough and ready.’

  I was intrigued. ‘Let’s go and have a look,’ I said, setting off again.

  ‘Best not,’ said Chloe, catching my sleeve.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I’ve been warned that he’s not all that keen on being disturbed,’ she told me, making me feel even more curious. ‘You’ll meet him soon enough because he’s moving in too.’

  ‘Is he?’

  ‘Yes, he’s converted the space above into a little flat. It’s a bit basic, but from what I’ve heard he was desperate. Luke thinks he’s an absolute find.’

  She had to raise her voice as the sound of a grinder rent the air making Nell whimper.

  ‘What sort of an artist is he?’ I asked, pulling Nell close.

  ‘Some sort of sculptor I think,’ Chloe frowned, ‘I’m not all that sure, to tell you the truth. I’ve never seen any of his stuff.’

  We had reached the door now and could see the glass panels were lit up in a shower of sparks.

  ‘Looks exciting though, doesn’t it?’ Chloe grinned, wide-eyed.

  ‘Noisy,’ I said back, covering Nell’s ears.

  If this guy was making the sculptures that Luke had suggested he wanted to display in the garden, then I would have bet good money that they weren’t going to be common garden gnomes.

  I knew I should have felt relieved about that, but listening to the combined racket of music and grinding metal, I didn’t feel soothed at all.

  Chapter 7

  All was calm and quiet when I went back over to the garden early the following morning and I was soon so immersed in my work that I forgot all about the noisy artist and the fact that, according to Chloe at least, he was set to become another new neighbour.

  ‘Morning,’ she beamed, as she hopped off her bike early on the Thursday morning. ‘How’s it all going?’

  ‘Good,’ I told her, trying to stifle a yawn.

  ‘Tiring?’ she ventured.

  ‘A bit,’ I admitted. ‘It’s been a hectic few days.’

  And if I was being honest, I had found some of it rather overwhelming. I was immensely grateful that Luke, Kate and Prosperous Place had landed in my life right when I needed them, but the move to the city, the late-night clanking of the water pipes and the general busyness made me miss Eloise and the tranquillity of Broad-Meadows. I knew it was early days, and that it would soon settle down, but it was challeng
ing nonetheless.

  ‘I found city life exhausting when I first arrived,’ Chloe said reassuringly, ‘and I hadn’t taken on anything like you have here. Give yourself time,’ she smiled, ‘and be kind to yourself.’

  ‘I’ll try,’ I promised.

  ‘Good,’ Chloe continued, happy to have said her piece. ‘Now, where’s my bucket and hoe? I’ve been chasing these weeds in my sleep!’

  By the end of the day Chloe had emptied endless buckets. I surreptitiously watched her, deadheading nearby and doing a little light pruning as I worked through the herbaceous border a short distance away. I was relieved to note that, not only was she a hard worker, she also did the job properly. There was no pulling off of leaves and leaving the root behind in her haste to make things look better. The weeds were completely eradicated.

  ‘I’ve been meaning to ask,’ I called after her, just as she was making off with another load towards the end of the afternoon, ‘what’s the composting set-up like here? I haven’t seen any bins.’

  ‘We’ve got bays, rather than bins,’ she told me, ‘and they’re behind the wall at the back of the Grow-Well.’

  ‘That’s something else I haven’t seen.’

  ‘What?’ she gasped. ‘Not any of it?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘not yet. Luke and Kate haven’t had a minute to show me and I haven’t wanted to just venture over there on my own.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Chloe, looking at her watch. ‘I’ll take you now. Everyone will be starting to gather to get ready for the bonfire party tonight.’

  I’d forgotten all about that. There had been an invitation to the celebration which was taking place on the green, waiting for me on the doormat when Kate and I got back on Monday. As lovely as it was to be included, I wouldn’t be going because I couldn’t leave Nell. She was bound to quake when the fireworks were let off and I wasn’t sure I was up to meeting everyone all in one go. That said, given what Chloe had just announced, I was about to be introduced to them en masse anyway.

  ‘Don’t look so worried,’ she told me, waiting until I caught her up. ‘Everyone’s really lovely.’

  The Grow-Well was amazing. There were productive, packed raised beds, a tidy bothy, a few hens in a large run, fruit trees trained around the walls, a small glasshouse and an area set aside for socialising which included a long table, vast barbecue and brick-built pizza oven. It all looked far better than I had been expecting and a stark contrast to certain other parts of the garden.

  ‘This is incredible,’ I said in awe, once Chloe had acquainted me with the clever composting system.

  ‘Thank you,’ glowed Graham, as he caught my words, ‘and I’ve been meaning to come and find you to say that if you ever need an extra pair of hands in the rest of the garden, you know where I am.’

  ‘There’s every possibility that I might take you up on that offer,’ I told him.

  ‘Do,’ he insisted. ‘Luke doesn’t want anyone to feel obliged to lend a hand but I’m more than willing.’

  ‘Duly noted.’ I nodded. ‘I’m certain extra help will come in very handy the nearer we get to opening the garden.’

  ‘Let me introduce you and Nell to everyone properly,’ he then offered, making my heart race.

  Nell was practically welded to my side. She had coped better than I had expected with the changes so far though and I hoped this extra new experience wouldn’t be a step too far for her.

  ‘Thanks, Graham,’ I said, as I took in the many unfamiliar faces. I hoped it wouldn’t be too much for me too.

  Lisa, John’s wife, was present along with their brood of three and Heather, who lived in the first house in the square, and who also had three children, was with her. We had just started to chat when Kate arrived, back from the school run with the girls, and we were soon joined by more of the men.

  Ryan, at about nineteen, was the youngest of the guys and he lived with his sister, Poppy, in the house on the right of mine. That, I remembered, was the one that Kate owned.

  ‘We were working the day you moved in,’ Poppy smiled. ‘Otherwise we would have come and joined the welcoming committee.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ I swallowed, thankful that they hadn’t been around to further swell the numbers.

  ‘I daresay you had a houseful even without us, didn’t you?’ Ryan grinned.

  ‘Something like that,’ I smiled back.

  Next there was Jacob, a teacher and also Poppy’s partner. He lived in the house on Poppy’s other side and finally Neil. He and his husband, Mark the baker, lived in the last house as you left the square which was next to Lisa and John.

  ‘Right,’ I blinked, struggling to fit the names and places to all the faces.

  We were missing Heather’s husband Glen, as well as John and Mark and Harold of course, who was still considered as much a part of the team as he had been when he lived there. Which was only proper given that he had been born and raised in the square and had more connection to the place than the rest of us put together.

  ‘So,’ said Carole, ‘have you got the measure of who lives where now, Freya?’

  ‘Not really,’ I said, biting my lip.

  ‘Heather and Glen in the first house,’ she said, holding up her hands as if she was driving around the square’s one-way system. ‘Then me and Graham, Jacob in the third, Poppy and Ryan next, then you, then Lisa and John and finally Mark and Neil.’

  ‘I see,’ I nodded. ‘That’s kind of what I thought.’

  Lisa started to laugh. ‘Simple, right?’

  I shook my head and pulled a confused face. By that point, it wasn’t a difficult expression to muster.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Lisa giggled, ‘you’ll soon get the measure of it. We won’t make you learn the kid’s names today.’

  ‘I already know Abigail and Jasmine.’

  ‘Just six more to go then,’ she nudged.

  I knew she meant well, but it really was a lot to take in and, as welcoming as everyone was, I did still feel very much the new girl and rather a meek country mouse, now I was faced with my tightknit town cousins.

  ‘Where’s Nell?’ I said, suddenly realising that I couldn’t feel her warm body pressed to my leg. ‘She was here a minute ago.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Chloe soothingly, ‘she’s with Doctor Dolittle over there.’

  My eyes darted to where she was pointing and I realised that Ryan and Nell had separated from the group and moved, with another dog, a little further away.

  ‘He’s a whizz with animals,’ said a girl standing next to me. She sounded utterly in awe, or was it love? I couldn’t be sure. ‘I’m Tam, by the way.’

  ‘My eldest,’ Lisa elaborated, ‘and the other dog with Ryan is Gus. He actually belongs to Colin, who owns the bookshop, but Ryan’s kind of adopted him. Gus, I mean, not Colin!’

  I was amazed to see leggy Nell and the stocky little French Bulldog nose to nose. Nell, with her tail wagging, looked far more relaxed than I felt. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one making friends today, but I got the impression that she was taking it in her stride whereas I was still a bit nervous. For the first time ever, I envied her a little.

  ‘Are you coming to the party tonight, Freya?’ asked Heather, as she wrestled to clip one of her children into a double buggy.

  ‘Now then,’ said Lisa sternly, giving her friend a hand as I looked between the two boys and realised that Heather had twins. ‘Stop messing about.’

  Heather straightened back up, letting Lisa take over.

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘afraid not. I know she doesn’t look it right now, but Nell’s of a rather nervy disposition and she’s had a lot to cope with this week.’ We both had. ‘I don’t want to leave her so I’m going to have to give it a miss.’

  ‘We aren’t having fireworks,’ Heather told me. ‘Just a bonfire and some sparklers. We recently decided not to have fireworks in the square. There are more than enough organised displays around and about.’

  I was relieved to hear that.


  ‘But that doesn’t mean someone won’t be letting them off in the next street along,’ Lisa pointed out having secured the truculent boy back into his buggy.

  ‘That’s true,’ Heather agreed.

  ‘You do right to stay with Nell tonight,’ said Lisa. ‘I’ll bring you round a hot dog later.’

  Her attention was then pulled away from me by the arrival of Luke, who everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to.

  ‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said. ‘I’ve been helping Finn move some of his stuff.’

  ‘That’s the artist guy I was telling you about,’ said Chloe as she wandered back over to stand with me. ‘Have you heard any more from him?’

  ‘No,’ I whispered back. ‘Is he properly moving in today?’

  ‘Sounds like it.’

  ‘And I’m sorry I wasn’t here to introduce you all to Freya,’ Luke carried on, pointing me out and making my face flush. ‘I take it you’ve all met her now.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Lisa, ‘leave the poor girl alone.’

  My hands automatically reached for my plait.

  ‘Great,’ said Luke, clapping his hands together. ‘Let’s crack on then.’

  Graham and Carole then stepped up and started telling everyone what to carry and where to and Luke made his way over to me and Chloe.

  ‘Sorry I hadn’t managed to bring you over here sooner,’ he apologised to me, ‘but it’s been a bit of week. And I’m sorry I haven’t done much in the garden either.’

  Kate joined him and transferred Abigail from her arms to his.

  ‘That’s what I’m here for,’ I pointed out, ‘and you made a great job of the silver birches.’ That was one job he had been keen to embrace.

  ‘Thanks,’ he smiled. ‘You were right, they do look good.’

  ‘We’re hoping you’ll join us for supper tomorrow night, Freya,’ said Kate.

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Luke, ‘I almost forgot, I want to talk to you about positioning these sculptures and I’ve found some great historical plans and papers about the garden in the attic.’

  ‘And have you told Freya about your other idea?’ Kate pressed.

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘not yet. I haven’t had a chance and actually, I don’t want to tell anyone until I’ve got it all a bit clearer in my head.’