by Heidi Swain
‘It doesn’t really matter,’ I said, stroking his chest. ‘To be honest I’m feeling rather smug.’
‘Smug?’ said Jake. ‘What do you mean?’ He sounded thoroughly bewildered.
‘Well, Annie has never had any qualms about having me in the house, has she?’
As soon as I said it my mind flitted back to the unopened letters and I wondered if Jake was thinking the same. Perhaps if she knew what I’d discovered hidden in the dresser she’d think differently.
‘No,’ he said, ‘she hasn’t.’
‘Jake,’ I said, ‘about those letters. I wasn’t snooping through her stuff.’
I didn’t want him thinking I was in any way the same as Holly and therefore I didn’t mention that I had been searching for the cottage keys either.
‘I know you weren’t snooping,’ he said, kissing the top of my head, ‘and besides you came straight to me. It wasn’t like you opened them or sneaked one away.’
‘Of course not,’ I told him, ‘I was just worried. I am still worried. Jake?’
‘Mmm?’
‘You know we’re going to have to deal with them at some point.’
‘I know,’ he yawned, ‘I know, but not now, eh? Let’s give it a couple of weeks and see if Annie mentions them.’
I wasn’t altogether happy with the idea of letting more time pass, but I had no choice but to agree.
‘OK, we won’t worry about them for now. Are you very tired?’ I asked, running my hand down his chest and under the covers.
‘You know the bed squeaks,’ he warned.
‘I do,’ I grinned, ‘but the floorboards don’t, do they?’
Chapter 23
The next couple of weeks were busy on the farm. Three of the chicks had grown beyond all recognition and, for a while, the smallest, which I had named Tiny T, seemed to be finally catching them up, until one morning I discovered the little bundle lifeless in the corner of one of the nest boxes. The once bright eyes were forever closed and the tiny beak firmly shut.
The blow had been hard to take and although I tried outwardly to tough it out, inside I was devastated. Not even Annie’s sensible ‘survival of the fittest’ speech could rouse me. Privately I buried the little soul beneath the hedge in Annie’s garden and marked the spot with a smooth flat stone.
While all this was playing out, at the other end of the yard Blaze was enjoying the new found freedom of the paddock. Kicking up his heels in the warm sunshine he was already testing his mother’s patience and everyone agreed it was doing Pip no harm at all to have a taste of her own medicine.
According to Jessica and Harriet, Holly was still in Wynbridge but after the unmitigated success of the May Fair and the fabulous write-ups in the local press I was on cloud nine and, to begin with, barely gave her continued presence a second thought.
‘How do you fancy a trip to the pub tonight?’ I suggested to Jake a couple of days after I had buried Tiny T. ‘It seems like ages since we met up with everyone.’
I was still madly in love with life on the farm, but given what had happened, I didn’t think a change of scene would do either of us any harm. Also, as it had been a while since we’d ventured into town I didn’t want people thinking that we were hiding away or avoiding Wynbridge just because Holly was still in the area.
I was more than capable of handling myself, and her, for that matter. No, it was actually Jake who seemed reluctant to leave the confines of the farm and face his demons. So far he had managed to head me off every time I mentioned clearing the cottage, asking Annie about the letters from the bank or suggesting a trip out, but he couldn’t hold out much longer, could he?
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ he shrugged, rubbing his eyes. ‘I’m actually pretty whacked.’
To be fair he did look tired but I wasn’t prepared to let him off again. It was time to change tack.
‘Fair enough,’ I smiled, purposefully checking my purse was in my bag and reaching for the truck keys, ‘I’ll just have a quick shower, then head off.’
‘You’re still going then?’ he questioned, sounding surprised.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘you don’t mind, do you? I’ve hardly seen Jess and Harriet since the fair and Henry’s going to be there as well,’ I wheedled.
‘Oh, all right,’ he reluctantly gave in, ‘I’ll come, but not for too long, OK?’
As always on a Friday night the crowd in The Mermaid was filled with an unbridled sense of excitement and optimistic expectation for the weekend to come. Everyone was determined to get their two days of heady freedom off to a flying start.
The second I closed the pub door I spotted Jessica and Harriet pointing wildly towards the end of the bar and, coupled with watching the colour drain from Jake’s face, it didn’t take me many seconds to scan along the row of bar stools and spot the skinny ex-girlfriend from hell.
I took advantage of the fact that she hadn’t yet spotted us and had a long look at her. Physically we were polar opposites: I was dark, she was blonde; I was slim (but only just. How I had managed to put on weight doing a far more physical job was beyond me), whereas she was thin. And last, but not least, I was beginning to feel increasingly tense whereas, if her shoulders were anything to go by, she looked infuriatingly at ease. I needed to nip this feeling in the bud.
‘You go and grab a seat,’ I said to Jake, pointing him towards Jessica and Harriet, ‘and I’ll get the drinks in.’
‘Are you sure?’ he said, worriedly.
‘Absolutely,’ I smiled, giving him a little shove.
I squeezed my way through and finally, after some careful manoeuvring, ended up exactly where I’d planned, between Holly and Charlie the bee man.
‘Hello, Charlie,’ I smiled brightly, ‘can I fill that up again for you?’
‘Oh hello, Amber,’ he smiled back, his round face already ruddy, ‘thanks. That would be most appreciated.’
I ordered the drinks from Jim, but it was Evelyn who I was really hoping was going to give me the opportunity to have a bit of fun. I could feel Holly’s feline green eyes appraising me but I was determined not to give her the satisfaction of returning her steely gaze. I was just about to head off with my tray when Evelyn came to my aid.
‘Hello, stranger!’ she laughed. ‘Long time, no see. Where have you been hiding yourself?’
‘Oh, you know me, Evelyn,’ I quipped, ‘I like to be with Jake on the farm doing my bit and getting stuck in. This is such a busy time of year and he likes to have me close to hand.’
The twinkle in Evelyn’s eye told me she knew exactly what I was up to and that she was more than willing to play along.
‘I know,’ she nodded, ‘and I also know that you’re just what that place needs, someone who is prepared to muck in and get their hands dirty.’
‘Well,’ I sighed, ‘I love it there just as much as he does and of course Annie has made me feel so welcome. I’m a lucky girl,’ I smiled, ‘and I’m looking forward to helping the place go from strength to strength.’
‘Good for you,’ said Evelyn firmly, ‘that’s the attitude. I know there’s some folk round here, folk that were actually born and bred here, who would rather see the orchards ripped up.’ She shook her head at the thought. ‘Funny that an incomer such as yourself can see the value of the place, when others can’t.’
‘Well, you know me, Evelyn,’ I said, carefully lifting up the tray, ‘stick me in my Boden blouse and patterned wellies and I’m good to go!’
Round One to me, I smiled as I headed over to the others and relayed the conversation. Everyone except Jake was roaring in their seat by the time I’d finished retelling my tale, which needed no fabrication or embellishment to hold them enraptured.
‘You shouldn’t wind her up,’ he mumbled, ‘you don’t know what she’s like.’
‘Sly, vindictive, manipulative,’ I reeled off, ‘shall I go on?’
‘I just don’t want any aggro,’ said Jake, quickly draining his glass. ‘I don’t want her to have any reason
to retaliate, for Harriet’s sake as much as ours.’
When I had looked at Harriet she had been laughing along with everyone else but having Jake put me in my place did make me feel rather foolish. I’d had my moment; perhaps it was time to put my claws away. After all, no real good could come from lowering my behaviour to Holly’s level, could it?
‘So, barbecue at ours next weekend then?’ Jessica confirmed as we were beginning to think about making a move later in the evening.
‘Yes,’ the rest of us chorused.
‘I’ll do some puddings,’ I offered.
‘And I’ll bring salad and drinks,’ Harriet chipped in, ‘and how about . . .’
She stopped mid-sentence and we all twisted round in our seats to see what or who had stopped her.
‘I saw you were getting ready to go and I just wanted to come and say, well, I don’t know what I wanted to say really.’
I had to hand it to her, Little Miss High and Mighty had sheepish and vulnerable down to a tee. Holly stood behind the sofa, wringing her hands together and looking as if she was about to burst into tears.
‘Come on,’ said Jessica, pulling Henry to his feet, ‘time to go.’
‘Please don’t,’ said Holly, ‘just give me a minute? Please, there’s something I want to say, need to say really,’ then added with a look of intense regret, ‘should have said ages ago actually.’
Jessica sat back down with a thud and pulled Henry back down along with her.
‘I know I have absolutely no right to come over here,’ Holly began, her eyes darting around the group, ‘and even less to talk to you, Jake, and you, Harriet,’ she added softly, ‘but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.’
Harriet harrumphed in disgust and began pulling on her jacket.
‘Harriet,’ said Holly, ‘I really, really mean it. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I’ve been away and what I did to you, the way I treated you, my oldest friend of all people, was utterly despicable.’
Harriet looked at her, but didn’t say anything.
‘And you, Jake,’ Holly continued, looking down at him, her eyes brimming with tears at precisely the right moment, ‘I’m sorry for what I did to you and the farm. I had no right to expect you to change or leave the place. You’ve always loved being there but I thought that I could make you love me more. I was selfish and deluded and I’m sorry I betrayed you, and Annie.’
I began to wish I could disappear into the sofa as I felt Holly’s eyes finally alight on me.
‘I know you’ve moved on now,’ she said to Jake while looking at me, ‘and Amber, I know you love the farming life and I wish you all the happiness in the world at Skylark Farm. Don’t make the same mistakes that I did, will you?’
‘I have no intention of making any mistakes,’ I told her.
‘I don’t expect any of you to forgive me,’ she smiled, addressing the group again, ‘and if I was in your shoes I would have told me to bugger off by now, but I wanted to say that I really am sorry for what I’ve done and I want you all to know that. And for the record, Amber,’ she added, ‘I don’t know what people have been telling you about what I’ve been saying, but I think you look very pretty in your Boden blouses and wellies.’
A stunned silence fell as she left us and went back to the bar. I knew without any shadow of a doubt that the voice I’d heard in the loos at the May Fair was Holly’s and I was just about to say as much when Harriet spoke up.
‘Did that really just happen?’
Her tone was incredulous but there was a smile on her lips that I hadn’t expected to see.
‘Did she really just come over here and apologise?’
‘I think that’s the gist of it,’ said Henry, equally as shocked.
‘Well, I shouldn’t get too carried away,’ said Jessica briskly, ‘I can’t imagine for one second that she meant a single word.’
I was relieved to finally hear one voice of reason.
‘But you don’t know her like we do,’ Harriet said, shaking her head, ‘does she, Jake?’
Jake said nothing.
‘Holly doesn’t do apologies, Jessica, not ever and she certainly wouldn’t lower herself to come over here and say all that without good reason.’
‘Oh, I bet she had good reason all right,’ retaliated Jessica defensively.
‘I don’t know,’ said Harriet thoughtfully.
‘Oh come on,’ said Jessica, again pulling poor Henry to his feet. ‘Have you forgotten what she did to you, Harriet? Have you forgotten the way she treated Jake? I know I don’t know all the gory details, but surely you can’t think that she meant any of that little sob story?’
Harriet shrugged and stood up.
‘All I’m saying is that I’ve never heard her apologise before and of course I haven’t forgotten what she did, but what just happened was a bit of a shocker to say the least, wasn’t it, Jake?’
‘Just a bit,’ he said, ‘just a bit.’
I couldn’t help feeling somewhat panicked by both Jake and Harriet’s reaction to this unexpected turn of events and began to wonder if Holly had just played the ultimate master stroke.
‘So you do believe her then?’ Jessica demanded, the tension cranking up a notch.
‘I don’t know,’ Harriet shrugged. ‘Time will tell. I guess.’
Chapter 24
The way Holly managed to worm her way back into the group’s affections was pure genius. In fact, there were moments in the weeks that followed where even I was tempted to lower my guard and play into her pristinely manicured hands. However, still convinced deep down that she was as clever and cunning as the fox Annie feared, I privately stood my ground and clung fast to the belief that she had an ulterior motive. However, with everyone else seemingly bewitched, I didn’t dare mention my reservations for fear of turning myself into the villain.
The week following the night of her out of character apology was relatively prickle-free but after that I noticed there was an increasingly steady drip, drip of Holly into our lives. She started, predictably enough, with Harriet.
‘Hello, Harriet!’ I called from my vantage point in Annie’s little garden.
‘What are you doing up there?’ Harriet laughed, her hand flying up to her heart when she spotted me precariously balanced near the top of the ladder.
‘Come and see,’ I told her as I climbed carefully down. ‘I’d appreciate an expert opinion.’
‘Not bad,’ she nodded as she surveyed my most recent handiwork. ‘Actually,’ she said, taking a closer look, ‘not bad at all.’
‘I know it’s probably the wrong time of year to be cutting back and tying in roses, but this brute of a thing was completely out of hand and I was sick of catching my sleeves on it every time I came in here. What do you think of the rest?’
‘I think you’ve done a beautiful job,’ she said as she looked about her. ‘I can’t remember the last time it actually looked as good as this. Crikey,’ she laughed, pointing at the lawn, ‘I’d forgotten there was a path through here.’
The winding brick path through the lawn was just one of the many gems I’d discovered when I’d decided to rescue Annie’s little garden from the rampant and unruly clutches of Mother Nature. I’d found the borders enclosing the lawn were crammed full of cottage garden plants. There were hardy geraniums and irises, Alchemilla mollis and old-fashioned highly scented pinks. Amid the general chaos of the crowded yard and outbuildings, it felt like a most welcome oasis of calm.
‘What does Annie make of all your hard work?’ Harriet asked as I poured us both a glass of refreshing elderflower cordial.
‘She loves it!’ I admitted. ‘She hasn’t spent an evening with us in the house since I rearranged the table and chairs and cut the grass and she’s been making Jake take photographs of everything! But I have to say, I’ve enjoyed it just as much as she has. It’s been fascinating learning all the names of everything.’
‘You’ve really turned things around here, Amber,’ Harriet said ge
nerously, ‘and I don’t just mean in this little garden. I admire you, you know. It can’t have been easy.’
‘Easier than you think,’ I confessed. ‘I was more than ready for a change when I moved here.’
My body emitted a little tremor as I remembered the noise and bustle of the city and the seemingly endless commute. Once upon a time it had suited me well, but Skylark Farm was where I felt I genuinely belonged. My heart was well and truly sold on life in the country.
‘You all set for tonight?’ I asked, keen to forget all about my former existence.
Harriet didn’t say anything, but drained her glass and put it on the table.
‘Do you want another?’ I offered, holding up the bottle.
She nodded and I poured her a refill.
‘Actually,’ she said, picking up her glass again, ‘that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘You are still coming, aren’t you?’ I demanded. ‘Don’t tell me you’re working late again! We’ve already changed the date once.’
‘No,’ said Harriet shyly, looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen her, ‘I’m not working. I’ve got a date.’
‘I’m not sure blowing out arrangements with friends for the sake of a date is allowed,’ I pouted.
‘It’s with Rachel,’ she said, her expression suddenly as soft as her romantic heart.
‘Oh,’ I said, ‘well, that’s completely different.’
‘I thought you might say that,’ she grinned sheepishly.
‘Are you nervous?’ I asked, suddenly remembering the anguish that outweighed the optimistic excitement that wove its way around and through the potentially life-changing first date.
‘Terrified,’ she admitted, turning deathly pale. ‘I haven’t managed to eat a thing all day.’
‘Oh you silly sod,’ I laughed, trying to make light of the situation and allay her concerns, ‘you’ll be fine. It’s about time you two got together.’