The Winter Garden

by Heidi Swain

  ‘You’re lucky,’ he said, sounding envious. ‘I wish I could say the same. I never used to mind it, but now, the thought of the long dark winter stretching ahead does nothing for my spirit.’

  ‘Luke’s been diagnosed with SAD, hasn’t he?’ I said, looking over to where my boss appeared to be getting ready to say something.

  ‘That’s right,’ said Graham, ‘and I’m seriously thinking about visiting my GP to find out if I’m the same. I always enjoy helping out here, of course, but sometimes it’s just not enough. Luke has been very proactive since his diagnosis and seems far happier as a result. As you know, that’s been his inspiration to create the Winter Garden.’

  ‘It’s going to be a bright beacon of hope on those dull days that you hate so much, Graham,’ I earnestly told him. ‘I can promise you that. There’ll always be something cheering to see. My planting plan practically guarantees it.’

  Graham appeared rather buoyed up by the idea and I hoped Mother Nature wouldn’t let me down. That said, if flowers, bulbs, bark and unexpected sweet scent weren’t all enough to inspire happy thoughts, then Finn’s clever sculptures hidden around the place certainly would be. I refused to allow myself to look back to where he and Chloe were standing. I knew they were still together because I could hear Finn’s deep voice and Chloe’s light laugh working in perfect harmony.

  ‘And don’t forget, it’ll soon be Christmas,’ I reminded Graham, as much as myself. ‘We’re on the countdown now.’

  ‘That we are,’ he smiled. ‘Are you a fan of the season?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, thinking of all the decorating and present-buying, mulled wine and general over-indulgence. ‘Yes, I am.’

  Living in the city was going to make shopping for Christmas so much easier and guarantee me access to as much over-indulgence and as many seasonal treats and traditions as I could wish for. The isolation at Broad-Meadows had made for a much quieter celebration than the one I imagined I would be facing here. I had always loved the peace and tranquillity that came with spending Yuletide with Eloise, but I was delighted, and rather surprised, to find that I was very much looking forward to finding out what noel in Norwich had to offer.

  ‘What about you, Graham?’ I asked, feeling my heart flutter at the thought of it all. ‘Do you like Christmas?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ he smiled, ‘I do. It’s such a highlight.’

  ’Right,’ said Luke, shouting above everyone’s chatter and cutting mine and Graham’s conversation off before I had a chance to mention helping me in the garden. ‘Can I have your attention please?’

  Everyone quickly fell silent and gathered around him. Chloe and Finn were practically opposite me now. Chloe waved and mouthed ‘hello’ and Finn looked surprised to see me when Chloe nudged him and pointed me out. He waved too and I smiled back, but admittedly, not all that warmly.

  ‘Thank you all for hanging on this afternoon,’ said Luke. ‘I know you’ve all been working hard this morning and it’s getting chilly now, so I won’t keep you for too long.’

  Carole and Poppy moved quietly between us all, handing out mugs of frothy hot chocolate. It smelt delicious and I gratefully wrapped my gloved hands around the warm mug.

  ‘As you know,’ Luke continued, ‘thanks to the arrival of Freya, plans for the creation of the Winter Garden are now well underway.’

  Everyone turned to smile at me and I smiled briefly back before turning my attention to gently blowing the froth on my hot chocolate. When I looked back up again, Finn was still looking at me, so I trained my eyes on Luke.

  ‘And even though there will be plenty to look at this year,’ he explained, ‘the garden will still be very much in its infancy.’

  I was pleased he understood that. Instant gardening, the sort you saw on television makeover shows, was not something I could apply to this project at Prosperous Place. There would, as Luke had just pointed out, be plenty to admire this year, but it would take a few seasons for the planting to really come into its own and look as spectacular as it already did in my head.

  ‘And therefore, I’ve decided to organise something else for people to enjoy in the run-up to Christmas and possibly beyond. Something inspired by mine and Kate’s visit to see her family in Wynbridge last year.’

  ‘Does this have anything to do with the Winter Wonderland you mentioned last week?’ asked Graham.

  ‘It does,’ said Luke. ‘The grounds at Wynthorpe Hall, which is a large country estate, were set up with all sorts of activities for locals to enjoy in the gardens and woods and I want to do something similar here. There’s no room for reindeer and we couldn’t cope with a constant stream of visitors, so I’ve adapted the Wynthorpe Hall extravaganza and what I’m suggesting is four weekends of workshops and demonstrations, happening outside and in the house too, called Winterfest.’

  ‘Winterfest,’ Graham whispered next to me, trying the word on for size.

  ‘What I’m imagining,’ said Luke, warming to his theme, ‘are six, possibly eight workshops initially, one on a Saturday and another on a Sunday, based around nature, food and the winter season, happening both in the garden and indoors, that folk can sign up to take part in.’

  ‘That sounds like a wonderful idea,’ said Heather.

  ‘I agree,’ added Poppy.

  ‘So, where do we come in?’ asked Graham.

  I could tell from his tone that he was keen to play a part.

  ‘Well,’ said Luke, biting his lip as he looked around at his neighbours and friends, ‘I know I said I’m going to organise it, but I’m hoping that some of you might consider running the workshops.’

  ‘Us?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kate, stepping up to stand next to Luke. ‘We know that it’s a big ask, especially in the run-up to Christmas, and that everyone’s time is limited, but you’re such a talented bunch, that we’re hoping you’ll consider sharing your skills and helping us come up with a programme of events.’

  ‘We haven’t got long,’ said Luke. ‘I had been looking to book demonstrators and instructors but they’re either too expensive, too far away or already booked.’

  ‘When are you hoping to start?’ someone else asked.

  ‘November twenty-eighth,’ Luke announced, wincing a little as he said it.

  ‘But that’s just three weeks away,’ gasped Carole.

  ‘I know,’ said Luke. ‘I know.’

  The level of chatter amongst the group began to rise.

  ‘Why have you left it so late?’ called the unidentified voice again.

  Luke shrugged and Kate shook her head.

  ‘It’s impossible,’ said Lisa. ‘You’ll never get anyone to sign up in time.’

  ‘If we can come up with a programme,’ said Luke, ‘I can use my media contacts to spread the word and I’m hoping Ryan will help out with the Grow-Well social media accounts to share the news even further.’

  ‘You can rely on me boss,’ Ryan called back, giving Luke a thumbs up.

  ‘I’m going to leave the idea with you over the weekend,’ shouted Luke, but I wasn’t sure anyone was still paying attention.

  I listened to the excited chatter around me, especially from Graham who was already mulling over who could possibly do what, and the penny dropped. I looked back to Luke who grinned at me and winked, confirming what I had just worked out.

  This was his way, I realised, right down to leaving it all until the last minute to give everyone, but especially him and Graham, a sense of purpose and something to focus on as the weather shifted from autumn to winter and the darkness crept in. If I did end up asking Graham to help me too, he certainly wouldn’t have time to worry about, or even notice, the shorter days!

  ‘Graham and I aren’t the only ones who feel it,’ Luke said, once he had made his way over to me, ‘and I’m hoping some other locals who struggle will sign up to take part and feel better for doing it. I’m not expecting to turn a profit from the venture, but the mental health benefits are going to be far better than a healthy bott
om line.’

  ‘But why now?’ I asked.

  ‘Why not? Don’t you think it’s a good idea?’

  ‘I think it’s a wonderful idea,’ I told him, ‘but surely it would have been better timed to have it after Christmas. January and February can be pretty depressing, especially once the celebrations are forgotten and the twinkly lights are packed away.’

  ‘I never said this was going to be a one-off,’ Luke pointed out. ‘If we can pull it off, then I’m planning to keep it going right up until the equinox in March. I won’t be asking everyone to give their time again after this initial launch, unless they want to, of course, but if we can generate enough interest then Winterfest can run all winter long, especially the outdoor events.’

  ‘Like I told you,’ said Kate, with a smile as she linked her arm through Luke’s, ‘he’s full of ideas.’

  ‘He certainly likes to keep busy,’ I laughed.

  ‘Oh yes,’ she agreed.

  What with the Winter Garden and Winterfest, Luke was going to have his hands full for the next few months.

  The pair moved off to talk to some of the others and I listened to the excited voices and flurry of suggestions that were beginning to come to the fore. I was in no doubt that there would be enough ideas to fill Luke’s initial proposed weekends and probably sessions to spare. Which would be good if it did continue after the festive season.

  ‘What do you think, Freya?’ asked Finn, striding over, with his hands in his jeans pockets and a thick woollen scarf wrapped around his neck.

  That he looked gorgeous was annoyingly my first thought.

  ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ I told him, sniffing my half-empty mug in an attempt to stop the woody scent of his aftershave assaulting my senses.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ he asked, pinning me with a look.

  ‘Me?’

  My eyes momentarily flicked to his face.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘you, Freya. You’re the gardening expert. Surely, you’re going to offer to do something.’

  I absolutely was not. There was no way I was going to stand up and instruct anyone to do anything.

  ‘Have you come up with anything yet?’ Chloe beamed, as she bounced over to join us.

  Clearly Luke’s plan had got her well and truly fired up, unless talking to Finn had put the smile on her face and the glow in her cheeks.

  ‘Finn’s going to offer to teach people how to make bird boxes and hedgehog homes out of wood offcuts, aren’t you?’ she enthused, digging him somewhere near his ribs with her elbow.

  She wasn’t quite tall enough to do it properly.

  ‘I’m thinking about it,’ he said, lowering his voice in case Luke got wind of the idea before he was ready to officially air it.

  ‘It’s a brilliant idea, isn’t it?’ Chloe said to me, her eyebrows raised. ‘Just what Luke will be hoping for.’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘great.’

  Perhaps she would offer to step up and work as Finn’s trusty assistant and they would fall in love over the woodpile. I let out a long breath, absolutely hating myself for even entertaining such a mean thought. That wasn’t the sort of person I was at all. It was no business of mine whether or not they got on, and given everything Chloe had been through, she was entitled to a little romance. If that was even what was brewing.

  ‘Well,’ said Finn with a sniff, looking crestfallen as he let his shoulders drop, ‘it was just a thought.’

  He strode off again and Chloe turned to me and frowned.

  ‘You might have sounded a bit more enthusiastic,’ she tutted. ‘He sounded really shy when he asked if I thought it might be a good idea, but I told him it was brilliant and that you’d probably snatch his hand off if he offered to make some for the garden. I bet he won’t even mention it to Luke now.’

  ‘I hardly think he’s going to care about what I think,’ I said, feeling my face flush as I watched him walk out of the Grow-Well without a backwards glance.

  He hadn’t stopped to talk to Luke, but that was probably because he had to be somewhere or had something else to do. I was certain his departure wasn’t anything to do with me.

  ‘Well, whatever,’ said Chloe, ‘you could have been a bit kinder. That was the first time I’ve spoken to him and he was really reserved to begin with. I got the impression that it took a lot for him to even come out here.’

  She was right, I could have been kinder. I usually prided myself on being kind and consequently felt every bit as bad as I deserved to.

  ‘He said you’d had some sort of falling out when you first met,’ she carried on, making me feel even worse, ‘but he was pleased to have it sorted because he thought you were really lovely.’

  Given the speed at which he’d just left, I thought it was pretty safe to assume that he wasn’t thinking that anymore.

  Chapter 10

  I made my excuses and left soon after Luke’s announcement. Everyone was still happily chatting away as the hot chocolate mugs were rinsed and the last of the tools were cleaned and locked away. Nell was none too happy about being wrenched from her friends, but it was gearing up to rain and I wanted to get back to the house.

  ‘Thanks for coming over, Freya,’ said Luke when he spotted that I was about to go. ‘I know it’s your day off, so I really appreciate it. It was kind of you to find the time.’

  But not nearly kind enough, according to some, I couldn’t help thinking. And justifiably so.

  ‘Any plans for the rest of the weekend?’ asked Kate.

  ‘Absolutely none,’ I told her, ‘it’s going to be bliss.’

  I kept my head down as I walked by the studio. Finn hadn’t come to find me after our clash over Nell the week before and I had no intention of making the current situation worse by drawing his attention to it. I was sure Chloe had got the wrong end of the stick and he hadn’t left because of me at all. At least, that was what I told myself.

  I was hard-pushed to reach the state of ‘bliss’ I had told Kate my plans to do nothing would transport me to. In fact, I couldn’t seem to get within miles of it. Having the chance to sit down and do nothing for two days always felt like a good idea in the middle of a busy working week when my muscles ached and there was rainwater trickling down my neck, but the reality didn’t quite live up to expectations. When the opportunity for a lazy weekend did finally fall at my feet, the hours felt far longer than sixty minutes and I soon became bored.

  Consequently, on Saturday afternoon I ended up changing the bed, catching up with the washing, vacuuming, dusting and scrubbing. Not that anything really needed doing. Kate had given the place a more than thorough autumnal spruce up, and it wasn’t as if I’d been at home long enough to conjure too many dust motes, but the activity did go some way to occupying my mind.

  By the time I had decided to take Nell for a walk, the light was fading and it had started to rain heavily. I pulled the curtains, then fired off a quick text to my father telling him my first working week had gone well and Mum needn’t worry about airing out my old room, before cooking a less than comforting frozen pizza and taking myself off for an early night. I didn’t message Peter to tell him about my change of heart about Finn because there didn’t seem much point.

  * * *

  I woke early on Sunday, refreshed from a surprisingly good night’s sleep and feeling pleased that the skies had cleared and the sun was back. There was a reply from Dad on my phone which suggested that he and Mum were appeased by my message, which was a relief, and I threw back the duvet, determined to make the most of the day and not waste a second of it by striving to reach nirvana by doing nothing.

  ‘Come on,’ I called to Nell, once I had tamed my hair into some sort of submission and was dressed. ‘Let’s go for a wander.’

  The early morning air was chilly but invigorating, with the sun already shining, and our walk was long and brisk. Nell could easily keep pace with me and the grin on her face told me that she was enjoying stretching her legs every bit as much as I wa
s. There weren’t too many people about either, so our progress was unhindered and we returned to the square panting but both feeling much revived.

  I had let my mind wander as I pounded the pavements and even though I still had no plans to offer to run any workshops for Luke, I did unpack a few boxes containing various craft projects that I had enjoyed during my time at Broad-Meadows. I wasn’t going to be tripped up again by having nothing planned for the weekends and had just finished setting everything out on the table when the doorbell went.

  My first thought was that it might be Finn and I checked the state of my hair in the hall mirror before answering. I was annoyed that that was who my thoughts had immediately sprung to. I had no idea why he would go to the effort of seeking me out, and I was further annoyed by the sense of disappointment which hit when I deciphered the silhouette on the doorstep and realised it wasn’t him, but two of my new neighbours.

  ‘Good morning, Freya,’ smiled Carole, when I opened the door.

  ‘Morning,’ I smiled back.

  It didn’t escape my notice that she had a very official-looking clipboard tucked under her arm and I wondered what I was about to let myself in for.

  ‘Hi,’ added Poppy, who was standing just behind her, ‘we’re sorry to disturb you on a Sunday.’

  Her tone was genuinely apologetic and I wondered if she had headed out with Carole to soften the older woman’s intrusion into the generally lazier start most folk enjoyed on the seventh day of the week.

  ‘That’s all right,’ I reassured her.

  ‘Only we spotted you heading out earlier, so we knew you were up,’ Carole said approvingly. ‘Any chance we could just come in for a minute?’

  ‘Of course,’ I said, opening the door to let them and Gus, who was standing next to Poppy, inside. ‘Would you like a cup of tea? I was just about to boil the kettle.’

  ‘That would be great, thanks, Freya,’ Poppy smiled.

  I led them into the front room and by the time I returned with the tray of tea, Gus and Nell had stopped play fighting and were settled in a heap in front of the fire. The two women were keenly eyeing the bits and pieces I had set out on the table.