The Winter Garden

by Heidi Swain

  ‘I’m intrigued,’ I said, looking at Kate, who was shaking her head. ‘I take it it involves the garden.’

  ‘To a certain extent,’ Luke said mysteriously.

  ‘But we’re still pushing ahead with the plans for the Winter Garden?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve already ordered most of what you had on that list.’

  ‘Oh, my goodness,’ I laughed. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to buy everything!’

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘we want to make an impact, don’t we?’

  ‘We do,’ I agreed. ‘And we’ll need to make a decision on the final layout before it all arrives.’

  ‘I’m thinking more of a wintry path through the entire garden now,’ he said, his gaze drifting off, ‘with highlighted points of interest including the sculptures of course, rather than one focused area. What do you think?’

  Given that he had ordered so much of what I had suggested, I thought we could create enough of a spectacle to do that.

  ‘As long as it isn’t too patchy,’ I pointed out, erring for now, on the side of caution. ‘We wouldn’t want to just dot things randomly about.’

  ‘We can always buy more plants,’ Luke said enthusiastically.

  I wondered if I would be able to convince him to divert some of the garden budget in the direction of refurbishing the glasshouses or, if he couldn’t run to that, possibly buying a new one. With the number of plants I could then raise under glass, it would pay for itself in no time.

  ‘All right,’ I agreed, ‘that sounds great.’

  ‘We’ll talk more over supper, yes?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  ‘Luke!’ called Graham. ‘Can you give us a hand moving these tables?’

  Luke gave Abigail back to Kate and rushed off again.

  ‘He’s in his element,’ she said, watching his retreating back. ‘It’s such a weight off his mind having you here, Freya,’ she added, turning back to me.

  I understood that. A garden could be a burden, especially one the size we were working with, as well as a blessing.

  ‘This summer has been an endless round of just trying to keep on top of everything,’ Kate further explained, ‘but now he can stand back and look at the bigger picture.’

  ‘I don’t know how he’s managed to do as well as he has,’ said Chloe.

  ‘Because he’s had you helping,’ I told her. ‘You obviously love the garden too, Chloe, and you’ve worked so hard today.’

  I hoped that didn’t sound patronising. I hadn’t meant it to.

  ‘I do love it,’ she said. ‘It’s a sort of solace, isn’t it? The repetition of pulling up those weeds today let my mind wander and my thoughts drift. Gardening really is soothing for the soul.’

  I couldn’t have put it better myself.

  * * *

  A little later, Chloe headed home and I wasn’t all that many paces behind her. I thanked Ryan for looking out for Nell, who was saying a reluctant goodbye to her new best friend, Gus, and together we walked back through the garden to lock up the office.

  There was no noise coming from the studio but there was a light on and another shining, in what Chloe had told me had been turned into a flat, above. I’d really had enough introductions for one day, but felt it would have been a missed opportunity to just walk by and not say anything.

  The door to the studio was open and I peeped inside, pulled up short by what I saw. The place was filled with towering piles of what looked like, to my eyes at least, junk. It was an indoor scrap metal yard with something big being built on a plinth at the centre of it and some smaller pieces lined up on a workbench at the back. Intrigued, I took a step further in, with Nell still next to me and cocked my head to try and work out exactly what it was that I was looking at.

  I still hadn’t worked it out when I heard heavy footsteps thundering down the stairs which ran up the side of the wall at the back.

  ‘Hello!’ I called, as feet clad in heavy, dust-covered work boots descended and were swiftly followed by a pair of long, solid legs, encased in ripped, oil-stained jeans. ‘I’m Freya,’ I said, my introduction trailing off as a maroon linen shirt followed the bottom half and then a face sporting a beard and framed by long dark hair which was loosely tied back, topped the vision off.

  The guy, Finn, I guessed, looked like every inch a Viking and his expression was every bit as fierce. All that was missing was an axe.

  ‘What the hell?’ he shouted as he jumped down the last few steps, making the floor shake.

  His deep voice resonated around the space and I replaced my former idea of him wielding an axe for Thor’s mighty hammer. There was enough electricity in the ether to make the air crackle.

  ‘You can’t bring a bloody dog in here!’ he thundered.

  Nell whimpered, turned tail, shot through my legs and pelted straight out of the door.

  ‘Oh my God, Nell!’ I called after her, completely taken aback and panicking that I was going to lose her if the garden gate was open. ‘We just wanted to say hello,’ I shouted angrily over my shoulder before taking off after her, ‘and happy moving-in day!’

  Chapter 8

  Thankfully I managed to spot and catch Nell as she was doubling back around the lawn. She looked as panicked as I felt and was panting heavily. Graham happened to be ferrying the last of the things to the green when he spotted me trying to calm her, and kindly offered to lock the sheds and pop the keys through my letterbox.

  I didn’t tell him what had caused Nell’s sudden sprint, because I didn’t think I could explain without sounding irate and the last thing I wanted to infer was that having only just laid eyes on Finn, I already disliked him, even though I did.

  A little later Lisa kindly dropped around some food and after that I heard the Guy Fawkes party in full swing on the green. I was thankful that there weren’t too many bangs and cracks nearby, otherwise my poor companion would have slipped into a further decline. She barely touched her tea and her sleep was fitful that night, the slightest movement by me in the bed, instantly rousing her.

  The next morning, and for the first time ever, she refused to budge from her basket and I spent the day working alone in the garden and quietly seething. There was no one at the studio, no one who could be stirred by my early morning hammering on the door anyway. Given the strength of my annoyance, that was perhaps for the best.

  After work, I checked the cuttings I had liberated from Broad-Meadows and took a reluctant Nell for a brief wander around the green. She was still wary, but thankfully calmer after her peaceful day at home. I spoke to her gently as she sat on the threshold of the bathroom while I soaked to prune-like proportions in the tub ahead of supper with Kate and Luke.

  I had just pulled on my dressing gown when my phone started to vibrate on the nightstand.

  ‘Peter,’ I smiled, when his face appeared on the screen. ‘You’re up early.’

  It must have been about five in the morning in New Zealand.

  ‘Big work day,’ he smiled back, ‘and I wanted to get a run in early.’

  ‘I don’t know where you get your energy from,’ I told him, stifling a yawn.

  ‘The more exercise I get, the better I feel,’ he laughed. ‘You should try it.’

  ‘Hey!’ I retaliated, ‘I get exercise all day thanks to my job, and so would you if you got your hands dirty on a project once in a while.’

  ‘So, how’s the job going?’ he asked. ‘You’ve been on my mind this week. I know you said you’d call when you were settled, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Is everything all right?’

  I wondered how Mum would interpret his kind enquiry as I filled him in on how things were panning out and finished up with the details of what had happened when I went to introduce myself to Finn.

  ‘He sounds like quite a character.’

  ‘That’s not quite how I’d put it,’ I frowned, picturing the supersized god in human form barrelling down his staircase.

  ‘Well,’ Peter pointed out, ‘a
s you’re practically living in each other’s pockets and going to be working together, you’re going to have to find a way to get along, aren’t you?’

  I refused to admit that he was right.

  ‘I’m sorry, Peter,’ I said, noticing the time, ‘but I have to go. I’m having supper with my bosses tonight.’

  ‘No doubt you’ll be talking shop all evening.’

  ‘No doubt.’

  ‘I better get going too.’

  ‘I hope your big work day goes well.’

  ‘Thanks,’ he said, as he leant towards the screen to cut the call off.

  ‘Oh, and Peter,’ I quickly added, before he was gone.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Thanks for calling.’

  ‘No worries, mate,’ he said, in the worst attempt at a New Zealand accent I’d ever heard.

  ‘Still not nailed the lingo then,’ I laughed, as he shook his head. ‘And isn’t that an Aussie phrase?’

  He stuck his tongue out and signed off.

  As I was running a little late, I gave my hair a quick blast with the dryer and left it loose before picking out one of my fancier, by which I mean, not workwear, tops and teamed it with a clean pair of jeans before heading off, leaving Nell looking decidedly put out, which suggested she was definitely beginning to feel better.

  ‘Wow,’ said Kate, when she opened the door to let me in. ‘You look amazing. My goodness, Freya, your hair is long, isn’t it?’

  ‘Too long,’ I told her, quickly offering the wine I had carried over in an attempt to brush over her compliment. ‘I didn’t know what we’d be eating so I thought I’d bring one of each.’

  ‘You really didn’t have to,’ she told me, taking the bottles of red and white, ‘but thank you.’

  ‘You’ve given me a home and a job and now supper,’ I said seriously, ‘the least I can do is supply the wine.’

  She shook her head and laughed as I closed the door behind me.

  ‘And you’ve restored my other half’s sanity,’ she pointed out. ‘I think that’s already a fair trade. No Nell,’ she noticed as I shrugged off my jacket.

  ‘No, not tonight.’

  It was warm in the house and the sitting room, which I hadn’t seen before, had a fire burning brightly in the grate and was lit mostly by candlelight. It wasn’t the grand, formal room I had been expecting and I felt my shoulders relax. I could already tell it was going to be a lovely evening, getting to know my new employers better and talking about our vision for the beautiful garden. My creative flame had almost been snuffed out when Eloise died and Jackson then stamped on it, but now, thanks to Luke’s enthusiasm for the Winter Garden, I could feel it warming up again, poised to burn just as brightly as before.

  ‘No Nell?’ queried Luke, echoing Kate.

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘She had a bit of a scare yesterday and is still feeling a bit unsettled. I thought it best to leave her at home.’

  ‘I have a horrible feeling,’ came a voice from the shadows, ‘that might be my fault.’

  There was no mistaking who the voice belonged to and I let out a long slow breath. So much for my prediction that it was going to be a great night. I wasn’t much in the mood to spend an evening with the giant who had terrorised my four-legged best friend.

  ‘Your fault, Finn.’ Luke frowned. ‘How so? Have you two already met?’

  The Viking stepped into the light, towering above us all and making Jasmine, who he scooped up and held comfortably in his arms, look as tiny as her sister.

  ‘We’ve sort of met,’ I said, keeping my eyes on Luke. ‘I went to introduce myself last night, but Finn bawled at Nell and me before I got the chance to say hello and Nell made a run for it. You know how sensitive she is.’

  The words were out before I could check them and everyone’s eyes, including Jasmine’s, swung back to Finn. So much for my recent conviction to not let my mouth move faster than my brain.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, setting Jasmine down again. ‘I really didn’t mean to scare her.’

  ‘Then you shouldn’t have shouted,’ I pointed out, unwilling to accept his apology, even if it did sound heartfelt. Clearly, I was on a roll. My love for Nell had awoken the lioness in me. ‘You scared us both.’

  I took my first proper look at him and found, like me, he had left his hair loose, but the sides were plaited to keep it off his face and surprise, surprise there was Thor’s hammer hanging on a leather thong around his neck. Son of Odin, the god of thunder, really was standing among us.

  ‘I didn’t mean to,’ he said, taking a step closer to me. ‘It’s just that I panicked. I hadn’t cleared the studio floor all week and I was worried she’d stand on a shard of metal or something. The studio is no place for a dog with soft padded paws.’

  ‘I see,’ I swallowed, taken aback by the kindness in his eyes.

  ‘I just didn’t want her to get hurt,’ he said, his voice softer but still deep.

  ‘Well, there was still no need to shout,’ I said. My tone sounded curt when pitched against his. ‘If you’d just asked me to wait outside at normal volume, then she wouldn’t have run off and ended up cowering in her basket all day, would she?’

  ‘Oh, poor Nell,’ gasped Jasmine.

  I had forgotten that she and Kate and Luke were listening.

  ‘She’s feeling a bit better now,’ I said for Jasmine’s benefit, definitely not Finn’s.

  ‘You’re right,’ he said, still staring down at me.

  When I risked a closer look, I could see that his eyes were curiously grey, but speckled with dark, almost black, flecks. I struggled to look away, momentarily mesmerised by what I had intended to be just a fleeting and accusatory glance.

  ‘I shouldn’t have shouted,’ he agreed.

  ‘And you didn’t even come after us,’ I swallowed. ‘You didn’t even come to see if I had found her.’

  ‘I was going to,’ he said, sounding even more remorseful, ‘but I thought it might make the situation worse. I thought she’d carry on running if she saw me again and you were obviously angry.’

  I opened my mouth to respond.

  ‘And with good reason,’ he quickly added. ‘But I did find Graham a few minutes later and he said that you and Nell had gone home. I did think of checking on you both, but then I realised I didn’t know where home was.’

  At least he’d gone some way to finding out if we were all right. That was something I supposed.

  ‘I’m living in the square,’ I said, clearing my throat. ‘In Harold’s old house.’

  He nodded. ‘I’m really sorry we’ve got off on the wrong foot,’ he then said, holding out a bear-sized hand for me to shake, ‘especially as we’re going to be working together. Can we start again, Freya?’

  I looked at Kate, who was nodding encouragingly and Luke, who seemed to be holding his breath. It was just as Peter had pointed out; given the circumstances, Finn and I were going to have to get along.

  ‘All right,’ I told him, ‘as long as you promise not to shout at my dog again, and sweep the studio floor every now and again just in case she ventures in. Not that I think she will.’

  ‘Deal,’ he grinned, his face transformed, as he grasped my hand in his.

  There was no mistaking the lightning shock of feeling which transferred from his fingers to mine. Under any other circumstances, I would have considered it a cliché, but as I was in the presence of a Norse god, the sensation felt thoroughly fitting. I didn’t know if he felt it too, or if it was completely usual for him. His beguiling grey eyes might have been smiling, but they gave little away.

  ‘Why don’t you tell Freya what it is that you do, Finn?’ suggested Luke when he finally began to breathe again, ‘and I’ll pour us all a drink.’

  ‘Just a small glass for me, please,’ said Finn.

  Kate offered us the sofa and we sat at opposite ends, Jasmine jumping up on Finn’s knee, the second he sat down. I got the impression that he was someone she knew well and certainly felt comfortable
with.

  ‘Where’s Abigail?’ I asked Luke as he handed round glasses.

  ‘In bed already,’ Jasmine answered for him. ‘She was really tired and grumpy at teatime so she’s had an early night.’

  ‘Which means she’ll be up at dawn,’ said Luke, rolling his eyes.

  ‘Fortunately, we’re used to early starts,’ said Kate with a smile, before ducking out to check on the food.

  There was a beat of silence and I quickly filled it for fear that it would grow into something insurmountable.

  ‘So, Finn,’ I said, after taking my first sip of the crisp and chilled white wine, ‘what is it that you do?’

  ‘I’m a builder by trade,’ he told me. ‘I work with my dad and brother, half-brother, that is, in the family firm.’

  That didn’t exactly strike me as a job that would warrant a studio.

  ‘So, where does the studio come in?’ I asked.

  I couldn’t help but notice the colour rising in his cheeks.

  ‘Finn’s an artist,’ said Luke. ‘With an amazing talent.’

  Finn shook his head.

  ‘You are, mate,’ said Luke, slapping him on the shoulder. ‘If only you’d believe it. I’m just going to see if Kate needs a hand.’

  Finn looked at me and puffed out his cheeks. Without Luke to speak for him, he had no choice but to carry on.

  ‘I make things,’ he said quietly, ‘out of things that no one else wants.’

  That went some way to explaining the scrap metal.

  ‘Luke mentioned sculptures,’ I said, trying to help him along.

  Clearly, he wasn’t used to talking like this. His self-effacing nature made me warm to him a bit.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘He’s asked me to make a few pieces for the garden. I think he wants the two of us to work together on that. I’ll create them and between us we’ll find the best place for them.’

  I didn’t mention my former vision of gnomes. Finn was definitely not a gnome type of guy.

  ‘Did you go to art college?’ I asked.

  I could just imagine him surrounded by adoring students, seductively splattered with clay and paint.