Birds of a Feather

by Cressida McLaughlin

  ‘Abby? You’re in, right?’ Tessa prompted.

  Abby chewed her lip, trying not to imagine what her mum would say when she told her the truth about Jack. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m in. Now, do Daisy and Willow want their faces painted? Destiny is world class – well, the best in Suffolk, at least. Come on, I’ll take you to see her.’

  Penelope was handing out the prizes and bringing the Spectacular to a close at four o’clock.

  Abby had organized a microphone, and Gavin had created a makeshift stage from a few pallets in an attempt to raise her above the crowd. That, along with her height, meant she could look imperiously over everyone, something that Abby knew from experience she excelled at.

  Abby handed her the relevant envelopes, and Penelope announced the winners of the prize draw, and gave Evan his gift – a high-end birdwatching kit that Rosa had sourced from one of her suppliers – as recognition of his dedication to nature, and as a means of highlighting the Fledgling scheme. The remaining crowd was exuberant, and the claps and cheers were slow to die down.

  Penelope thanked everyone for coming, and Abby was about to bring the event to a close when Councillor Savoury, resplendent in a grass-green dress and wide-brimmed hat, stepped onto the pallet-stage. She was followed, a few moments later, by Flick Hunter.

  Abby stared, mouth agape, and the audience started murmuring excitedly. Flick was wearing a short dress the colour of strawberries, her blonde hair tied away from her face in a thick, luxurious plait. She gave Abby a warm smile.

  Snapping out of her daze, Abby handed Helen the microphone and stood aside.

  ‘Thank you, Abby,’ Helen said. ‘I know this is a little unorthodox, but Flick and I wanted to congratulate the staff of Meadowsweet for hosting such a wonderful few days at their impressive and, dare I say, important reserve.

  ‘It is no secret that I have been fully behind this place since I was elected last year, and I know that resources are hard to come by, and that other, external factors have also had a bearing on its future. Events like this are vital, both in showcasing what is within arm’s reach of the public, and also in boosting profits so that all who work here, with passion and dedication, are able to continue their good work.’

  Helen took a breath and smiled at the crowd. Abby was treated to a spectacular eye-roll from Gavin and tried not to laugh. While it was kind of the councillor to show her support, Abby wasn’t sure what she had contributed to the reserve other than turning up to walks and events, and thought she was probably making her presence known, being seen to support the community, to boost her next election campaign. She was more interested in what Flick was doing alongside her.

  ‘Now,’ Councillor Savoury continued, ‘I am aware that Mrs Hardinge and her son Leo have spent the last year seeking investment for the reserve, to ensure it has a healthy future in what are troubling times.’

  Abby gasped, her heart skipping a beat. She looked at Penelope, who was studiously avoiding her gaze, and then at Rosa, whose dark eyes were wide with shock. The suspicions that had been bubbling away since she had been introduced to Leo on the night of the gala had suddenly been confirmed, seemingly as an aside, by someone she barely knew.

  Unaware of the significance of her words, Helen kept going. ‘I have long wanted to contribute something to Meadowsweet, and it was by happy accident that I ran into Flick Hunter at an author event in Meadowgreen library, earlier this year. It turned out we were singing from very similar song sheets.’

  Helen handed the microphone to Flick and she stepped forward, eliciting a few cheers from the crowd.

  ‘Hello, everyone,’ Flick said in her bright, confident voice. ‘I’ve had the most wonderful year in Suffolk, presenting Wild Wonders from Reston Marsh, and have fallen in love with the beautiful countryside here. I always knew Meadowsweet was on the other side of the marsh, but I didn’t have a chance to visit until the spring. I can see how dedicated the staff are, how much they care about protecting the wildlife, and we’re delighted to announce that the reserve has been awarded a conservation grant from the local council. This isn’t really my news to share, but I’ve also arranged with the production company of Wild Wonders to do a special, one-off show about Meadowsweet, to highlight the work of the team, and the changes the grant will make.’ She grinned and stepped back, and the audience threw themselves into a hearty round of applause.

  Abby forced herself to clap. She felt dizzy, as if this was a surreal fantasy brought on by working too many long, hot days in a row.

  Helen took up the mantle again. ‘There were a number of sites under consideration for the grant, but I championed the reserve and, with Flick’s support, was successful with my application.’ She turned graciously towards Penelope and handed her an envelope. ‘This is for Meadowsweet, to help it thrive.’

  Penelope stuttered a thank you, and as she opened the envelope and announced that it was a grant for thirty thousand pounds, Abby replayed Helen’s words in her head.

  Mrs Hardinge and her son Leo.

  She hadn’t misheard.

  Councillor Savoury, Flick Hunter and the cash injection received the loudest cheer of the afternoon, and then, realizing that was the end of the excitement, the crowd started to disperse. Abby watched as people drifted towards the car park, happy and sun-kissed, children ready for baths and bed, and tried to comprehend what had just happened.

  The council had given them thirty thousand pounds. Flick Hunter was going to host an edition of Wild Wonders at Meadowsweet. Leo Ravensberg was Penelope’s son. None of these facts seemed ready to sink in.

  She went to check on Marek and the volunteers who were staying to help with the initial clear up. Many of the stallholders weren’t leaving until the next day, and Abby had agreed to be there for that, along with Rosa and Gavin. She had just given Marek a hug when Penelope took hold of her arm.

  ‘Come to the visitor centre,’ she said. ‘Rosa, Stephan and Gavin are on their way.’

  ‘Is this about what Councillor Savoury said?’

  ‘Tush, girl. Can’t you wait a few more minutes? I don’t want to have to repeat myself.’ Penelope had a glint in her eye, her long fingers wrapped around Abby’s arm as they walked.

  The visitor centre was quiet save for a couple who were collecting membership forms from a tired but jubilant looking Rosa. ‘Thank you,’ she was saying. ‘We hope to see you again very soon.’

  Once the couple had left, Penelope checked the place was empty, then shut and locked the door. ‘To the café, everyone.’

  Abby widened her eyes at Rosa, and then noticed the sightings blackboard next to reception. It had the usual birds and butterflies on it; robin, heron, bearded tit, marsh harrier, peacock butterfly, dark green fritillary, and then at the bottom, someone had written: The Lesser-spotted Jack Westcoat.

  She gritted her teeth. For most of the day she had almost, almost forgotten about him, apart from when her mum and sister had accosted her, and also when a children’s author was telling a group of small, enraptured children about the hungry caterpillar, and then when she’d seen a faded toy hippo on the local air ambulance’s bric-a-brac stall. OK, so she hadn’t managed to put him at the back of her mind, but this was taking it too far.

  ‘Abigail Field, stop gawping and go to the café. I’ll join you in a moment.’

  Penelope shooed her through to the open space, bright with the early evening sun, the shimmering perfection of a cobweb glistening on the outside of the glass.

  ‘Thirty grand, huh?’ Gavin rubbed his hands together. ‘That’ll help pay for a few hide repairs. Not that I care about the reserve as much as I do that Flick bloody Hunter’s going to grace us with her delectable presence again! All my Christmases have come at once.’

  ‘It’s incredibly decent of her,’ Stephan said, sitting at one of the largest tables and pulling chairs out for the others. ‘Incredibly.’

  ‘That’s not the most shocking news, though, is it?’ Rosa said. ‘Leo Ravensberg is Penelope’s son
!’

  ‘He’s that agent bloke, isn’t he? Friends with your dreamboat Jack.’ Gavin turned to Abby and she nodded, still stunned by the revelation, even though she had suspected it for a while.

  ‘I wonder why she’s kept it secret,’ Stephan said. ‘Why she felt the need to pretend that she was alone, without family.’

  ‘Maybe councillor Savoury got the wrong end of the stick,’ Gavin suggested.

  ‘No, it’s definitely true,’ Abby said. ‘I know it is.’

  ‘How come?’ Gavin swivelled his chair round and sat on it backwards, fiddling with the cigarette shoved behind his ear.

  ‘Let’s wait and see what Penelope has to say, then I’ll tell you how I worked it out.’ She grinned when Rosa and Gavin groaned in unison.

  Abby decided that bright orange had been a good choice for their T-shirts, except perhaps for Gavin, who hadn’t so much tanned over the weekend as boiled, his nose dangerously pink.

  ‘You’re all great, you know that?’ she said, surprising herself as the words popped out. When three puzzled faces looked at her, she knew she needed to explain. ‘Whatever Penelope is about to tell us, whatever impact this grant has on the reserve, I want you to know that I think you’ve all been wonderful, that this year has been tough, and that Penelope was right to say I dropped the ball occasionally. But it never rolled too far, because you were all there to pick it up. I’m so grateful, and I hope we get to keep doing what we’re doing, here at Meadowsweet, for a long time to come.’

  Rosa’s eyes had become decidedly watery, and Stephan was examining something non-existent on the table top.

  It was Gavin, unsurprisingly, who broke the silence. ‘Well, I think you’re a fucking legend Abby Field, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’

  ‘Cheers, Gavin.’

  ‘Rousing pep talk,’ Penelope said, gliding in, sitting next to Gavin and placing a bottle of champagne, its sides slick with condensation, on the table. ‘I almost couldn’t have said it better myself.’

  ‘Penelope, jeez.’ Gavin turned the bottle round to read the label.

  ‘Five glasses please, Stephan,’ she said.

  Stephan got up and hurried towards the kitchen, bumping into a chair on the way.

  Abby felt dangerously on the edge of hysteria. Champagne?

  ‘Have you finally lost it, Penelope?’ Gavin asked. ‘This is good stuff.’

  ‘No, Gavin, I have not lost it, as you so eloquently put it. But I felt we deserved a little something after all the hard work of the last three days – and the months leading up to it. I have to say, however, that wasn’t quite the ending I was expecting. Helen Savoury knows how to steal the limelight. Gavin, if you’d do the honours,’ she said, once Stephan had returned with the glasses.

  He did, and soon their straight-sided juice glasses were brimming with bubbling, golden liquid.

  ‘I am sorry,’ Penelope continued, and those words alone were enough to send anxious glances shooting around the table, ‘if I haven’t been the easiest person to work for over the last year. As you know, it’s been a trying time, and I’ve had to face up to a few home truths. The nature reserve is Al’s legacy, and so to see it on the verge of closure has been almost unbearable. Despite all your best efforts – and I do mean best, Abby, despite what I might have said before – there was no chance of us turning Meadowsweet into a profit-making business without some significant changes that I was unable to afford. Selling Swallowtail House was the inevitable choice, but I tried to hold off for so long, believing that our efforts could somehow make enough of a difference. It was mine and Al’s home, and that was equally precious to me, even though the thought of living in those rooms without him was too difficult to contemplate.’

  She stared at her glass and Abby shifted in her seat, knowing the others would be equally disquieted at the honesty which was in part, she was sure, forced by Helen Savoury’s revelation. Stephan, who was best qualified to speak, filled the silence.

  ‘It’s an impossible choice,’ he said. ‘Do you stay where you used to be happy, but which now also has heartbreaking memories, or do you let go and allow yourself a completely fresh start? I chose to stay where Mary and I spent our best years, but I still wonder if I made the right decision.’

  ‘It was a much more sensible one than mine,’ Penelope said. ‘I didn’t stay in the house, but I couldn’t let it go either, and it has stopped me from being prudent where the reserve is concerned. Even without Wild Wonders on our doorstop, this would always have happened. Swallowtail House, as I’m sure you know by now, has been sold, and I’m confident the new owner will restore it to its former glory, as well as bringing it into the twenty-first century, something it is in sore need of.’

  ‘Can you tell us who’s bought it?’ Rosa asked. ‘Although, maybe that’s not fair – we should give them a few days before the Meadowgreen gossip starts doing the rounds.’

  Penelope smiled and shook her head. ‘All in good time,’ she said. ‘There’s a lot of work to be done before the house is fit to live in, but they have a suitable alternative while the necessary repairs are carried out. But I’ve let the house go, I have more money to put into the reserve, and along with Councillor Savoury’s very generous grant – which I didn’t know about – and Flick Hunter and Wild Wonders set to bring some much-needed publicity to Meadowsweet – something I was aware of – I’m planning on making some improvements over the next few years. Of course, I’ll need your input and imagination to make my thoughts a reality.

  ‘And in the meantime,’ she continued, ‘we’ve had over a hundred Fledgling applications, and that’s only those that have registered online since Friday, so there are more to come. Abby, we’ll need a way for members – young and old – and visitors to have their say on the changes we’re making, so that they truly feel the reserve is theirs.’

  ‘Of course.’ Abby pulled out her trusty notebook, but Penelope put a hand on her arm.

  ‘You won’t forget that, I’m sure. This isn’t a brainstorming session, it’s a thank you, to all of you, for keeping this place afloat when, in all honesty, the solution was there the whole time. I was simply too stubborn to accept it. And so it’s also an apology, that I have kept you in the dark, had you labouring under somewhat false pretences – though in many ways this year has been wonderful, and has shown me what’s possible.’

  ‘What made you change your mind about Swallowtail?’ Stephan asked.

  ‘A number of things,’ Penelope said. ‘We had run out of road, and Mr Philpott was forcing me to make a decision about the future of, essentially, the whole estate. But I was also given a pep talk by someone who has my best interests at heart, who coaxed me out of my blind determination to hold on to the past, and made me realize that it’s the future that’s important. For far too long I’ve held onto a secret, something I spent years believing was a mistake, but which was one of the most wonderful things I’d ever accomplished. Now, I no longer have the option of keeping quiet. He forced me to face the fact that my stubbornness was making me wretched, not to mention harming Meadowsweet. He convinced me that it was time to let go of Swallowtail House.’

  She gave them a rueful smile that made her seem entirely approachable and, Abby realized, so like Leo it was scary.

  ‘Your son,’ she said, keeping her gaze on Penelope.

  ‘So Councillor Savoury hadn’t got the wrong end of the stick?’ Gavin asked. ‘I thought she was being a fruit loop.’

  ‘No, Gavin,’ Penelope said. ‘She was not being a fruit loop. Over the course of the last year I have spent a lot of time with Helen, and she has had the pleasure of meeting Leo, though her idea of discretion leaves a lot to be desired.’

  ‘Is it – is he Al’s?’ Rosa asked tentatively.

  ‘No,’ Penelope admitted. ‘I had him when I was eighteen. A flirtation with a boy who lived near us in London that went too far. Ironically, I met Al here, in Suffolk, not long after Leo was born. My parents decided that I should have my ch
ild away from London, that a few months convalescing in the countryside would be the most practical solution. I doubt they expected me to find my future husband, and once I’d met Al, they made me promise not to tell him the truth, for fear that it would end any potential match. By the time Al and I realized we were serious about each other, it seemed impossible to backtrack, to change the foundations of our whole relationship.’

  ‘What happened to Leo?’ Rosa asked.

  ‘He was given up for adoption.’

  ‘Jesus,’ Gavin muttered. ‘And Al never found out?’

  ‘No. There were physical signs, of course, but even though I met him soon after the birth, it was a long time before things … progressed, and I was able to keep from him what I needed to. If he ever suspected anything he never raised it with me.

  ‘I lived with that lie our whole marriage. After he’d died and I’d moved out of Swallowtail House, once the shock and grief had started to fade, I searched for my son. And I found him. We’ve had a relationship ever since, exchanging emails and phone calls, and I visit him whenever I’m in London. He has accepted me, though of course I didn’t raise him. But tracking him down felt like a betrayal to Al, and while I reasoned with myself that it was justified, somehow getting rid of Swallowtail House was not.

  ‘I told myself I could have Leo in my life if I held on to Al’s family home. I couldn’t live in it, and yet I couldn’t fail him by letting it go.

  ‘But then I had to choose between the reserve and the house.’ Penelope’s gaze was firmly on the table, as if she was talking to herself rather than her stunned employees. ‘And while I initially tried to keep both, in the end, there was no contest. The reserve gives pleasure and purpose to so many, not just you and the other staff and volunteers, but the visitors and locals, not to mention the wildlife that lives here. The house can start again with someone else, but the reserve is too important to me; to all of us.’

  ‘Hear, hear,’ Gavin said quietly.

  ‘And it was Leo who gave you the final push?’ Abby asked.