Summer At Skylark Farm

by Heidi Swain

  ‘That’s the same spider that lived here when we did,’ said Holly, finally daring to make a dash for the door as I approached the offender with the jug. ‘I’m sure of it, but it was nowhere near as big back then!’

  In one smooth movement I knocked the spider into the jug and tossed it out of the window. Doubtless it would make its way back in at some point, but the terrified pair wouldn’t be bothered by it for the next few hours at least.

  ‘Thank you, Amber,’ said Holly. She was shaking all over and Jessica was laughing behind her.

  ‘Yes,’ said Jake with a shudder, ‘thank you, darling.’

  ‘You really are the perfect pair, aren’t you?’ Jessica laughed.

  Jake, not at all fazed that his phobia had been on display in all its glory for her to see, grabbed me round the middle and squeezed me tight.

  ‘Absolutely,’ he said, kissing me full on the lips. ‘She’s the yin to my yang, the left to my right, the black to my white—’

  ‘Yeah, yeah,’ said Jessica, walking away, ‘we get the idea. Don’t we, Holly?’ she added pointedly.

  ‘I’ll grab some boxes from the car,’ said Holly, following Jessica back outside.

  I decided not to dwell on how Holly and Jake had ended up on the bed together. I simply wrapped my arms tight around him, feeling content to be the other half of whatever pairing he came up with.

  Chapter 38

  The blessed absence of personal knick-knacks meant that Holly was packed by the end of the day. Jake was more than happy for her to take the few decorative items, along with most of the crockery and kitchen utensils. The fact that her father had arranged for a van to collect the larger pieces of furniture (including the bed, hurrah) ensured that the place had been purged of all things Holly by teatime. Less than eight hours from start to finish and at last I had the blank canvas I had been dreaming of.

  ‘So,’ said Jake after we waved Holly off, ‘what do you think now it’s empty? Do you still think it has potential?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ I told him enthusiastically as I went from room to room closing the windows and curtains. ‘I meant what I said earlier, I really love it and I know people will pay good money to come and stay here.’

  ‘But you’re forgetting one thing,’ he reminded me, looking around the empty kitchen, ‘we, or should I say you, are on an extremely tight budget.’

  ‘Oh believe me,’ I said, biting my lip, ‘I haven’t forgotten about that at all. I think the biggest expense is going to be getting those wretched conifers taken down.’

  ‘That won’t be a problem,’ said Jake, ‘I know someone who can do that, and in fact,’ he added, looking particularly pleased with himself, ‘he owes me a favour.’

  ‘Well, in that case,’ I smiled, ‘let’s go and have some dinner and you can telephone your chainsaw wielding friend and set a date.’

  Back at the farmhouse all was calm and quiet. Jake and I exchanged glances as we saw the table already set, with a large bowl of salad picked from the garden at its centre.

  Jake washed his hands and threw me the ‘watch yourself’ warning, reminding me to be on guard when Annie revealed what she had cooked. I knew that whatever it was, I was going to have to eat some of it. This was the first meal she’d cooked since her stint in hospital and I was determined not to let her efforts end up in the bin.

  ‘Don’t panic,’ Annie laughed, when she came in and spotted us loitering nervously next to the table. ‘Ham and pork pie from the butcher and some new potatoes. Nothing exotic! I love the pair of you too much to risk poisoning you.’

  We sat together around the table and piled our plates high. Evidently it was hungry work this house clearing malarkey.

  ‘So,’ said Annie, ‘how did you get on?’

  ‘All finished,’ said Jake, helping himself to more salad.

  ‘What, already?’ asked Annie, wide eyed.

  ‘There wasn’t actually all that much,’ I told her. ‘Quite a lot of clothes, which according to Holly were only fit for the charity bag now as they were so out of style, and a few bits of furniture. That was pretty much it.’

  ‘We didn’t live there long enough to transform it into a home,’ Jake shrugged, ‘and besides, Holly was hardly ever there. Neither of us made much effort to turn the place into somewhere we wanted to spend time together.’

  ‘She never struck me as a particularly home loving girl,’ Annie sniffed, then smiled warmly at me, ‘not like some. Anyway, that’s enough about her. Tell me, Amber, what’s next for Meadowview Cottage?’

  I told her about my plans to have the surrounding conifers felled to let in more light and take advantage of the striking Fenland sunrise and sunsets, and showed her the list I had started, detailing all the bits and pieces that I felt would suit the style of the place. Once she had finished reading it she passed it over to Jake.

  ‘This is all old-fashioned stuff,’ he said, looking up at me when he’d finished scanning the page. ‘Or should I say vintage?’

  ‘Yes,’ I nodded, ‘it is. I’m guessing the cottage was built in the fifties, early sixties perhaps, and I thought it would be great to fill it with bits and pieces from around that time, assuming I can find them. Vintage is very popular right now and the setting and style of the cottage will lend itself perfectly to the bespoke holiday experience.’

  I could easily imagine the boisterous and beloved Larkin family from The Darling Buds of May bustling about down there, eating gargantuan dinners and enjoying cocktails.

  ‘Sounds great,’ said Jake, ‘but it’s all pricey. Are you sure you can pull it off?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ I said, thinking of the auction and all the things I had seen there that would be ideal. ‘And I know just the place to go to start buying,’ I added mysteriously.

  ‘Well,’ said Annie, looking particularly pleased with herself, ‘before you part with any money, you might want to have a look in the loft.’

  ‘Really?’ I said, looking from her to Jake and back again.

  ‘Don’t ask me,’ Jake shrugged, shaking his head, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever even been in the loft. In fact, I don’t even know where the hatch is!’

  I couldn’t wait to have a look through what Annie had squirrelled away over the years. I hoped it turned out to be more exciting than the Christmas decoration box and TV aerial my parents kept in theirs.

  ‘I’ve been putting stuff in that loft,’ Annie carried on wistfully, ‘for more years than I care to remember and my mother before me and her mother before that. It’s most likely all junk, but you’re welcome to make use of anything that might be suitable. The loft space here runs under the eaves and it goes on forever. There are even some old pieces of furniture up there, although it’s all a bit cramped now. To be honest it’s probably high time someone had a good sort through it all.’

  ‘So where is the hatch exactly?’ I said, my fingers itching to get started and the backache I’d incurred after helping Jake and the van driver lift the sofas earlier now quickly shrugged off.

  ‘I’ll show you tomorrow,’ said Annie as she began to gather the dishes together. ‘You look tired out to me and there’s no rush.’

  She was right, of course, there was no rush and I knew that once I’d started I wouldn’t be able to stop. It was probably best to spend the evening refining my list and to start with fresh eyes tomorrow.

  ‘What did Jessica want?’ Jake asked as he carried the dishes that Annie had piled together over to the sink. ‘You never said.’

  I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten! After the furore with that blasted spider my exciting piece of news had been completely side lined.

  ‘You’ll never guess,’ I giggled, my face flushed with pride and excitement.

  ‘What?’

  I took a deep breath and bit my lip.

  ‘Oh come on,’ said Annie impatiently, drumming her fingers on the table, ‘out with it!’

  ‘She’s asked me to be one of her bridesmaids!’ I said in a rush, jumping up and d
own on the spot.

  ‘Well now,’ smiled Annie, ‘there’s a turn up for the books!’

  ‘I know,’ I beamed. ‘Harriet’s going to be old-maid of honour, as Jess put it, and she’s got a niece as her flower girl and now me! I’ve never been a bridesmaid before!’

  ‘There,’ said Annie, clapping her hands together, ‘how lovely is that? Perfect actually. You’ll both be all dressed up in formal wedding party outfits for the occasion.’

  ‘Both?’ I said, turning to look at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘While you were off with Jess,’ Jake explained, ‘Henry popped down to the cottage after looking in on Annie. I’m surprised you and Jess didn’t bump into him actually. Anyway he’s asked me to be one of his ushers.’

  ‘Oh wow,’ I laughed, ‘that is perfect then!’

  As I drifted off to sleep that night I couldn’t help thinking about how different everything had felt just twenty-four hours ago. The previous evening I’d struggled to nod off, filled with trepidation and dreading the thought of having to watch Holly and Jake pick through the remains of their life together. Whereas tonight, I couldn’t nod off because I was bubbling with excitement. Not only did I have Jessica and Henry’s wedding to look forward to, but also the prospect of filling the cottage with treasures that already belonged to Skylark Farm.

  Every time I thought the place had given me everything it could, I made another little discovery and living here became even more magical. Was this finally it, I wondered, or was there something else? Had I reached my limit or were there more surprises to come?

  Chapter 39

  Early the next morning I could hear Jake bustling about in the bedroom but I refused to acknowledge his fidgety presence for as long as I could.

  ‘So, are you coming then or what?’ he eventually asked when it became obvious that I wasn’t going to spring out of bed fresh faced and ready to go without a bit of coaxing.

  ‘Where?’ I yawned, refusing to open my eyes. ‘Where am I supposed to be coming to?’

  ‘Down to Meadowview Cottage, of course. Tony’s coming with his chainsaw to take the conifers down.’

  ‘Today,’ I said while opening one eye, ‘what, now? What time is it?’

  ‘Just gone seven,’ said Jake as he tried to pull off the covers.

  It was a move he’d practised before and I clung on tight.

  ‘It isn’t as if we have to worry about disturbing the neighbours, is it? Come on, lazybones!’ he laughed, reaching under the duvet and tickling my legs. ‘I’ve already done your chores as well as my own.’

  ‘All right,’ I gave in, ‘all right. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be there.’

  ‘Five,’ he grinned, ‘tops.’

  By the time I got dressed, piled my hair loosely on top of my head and bumbled down to the kitchen, I realised there was more to the way I was feeling than a restless night. However, as Jake was already revving the engine, there was no time to feel sorry for myself.

  ‘You all right?’ frowned Annie as she thrust a steaming mug into my hands after I’d pulled on my wellies.

  ‘Didn’t sleep,’ I told her, ‘too excited.’

  ‘Are you sure that’s all?’

  ‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘Yes, I’ll be fine in a minute or two.’

  ‘Well, when you come back I’ll show you where the loft is,’ she winked, accepting my explanation. ‘And don’t forget to grab some gloves from the porch if you’re planning on helping the boys.’

  ‘Gloves,’ I laughed, ‘I thought we’d agreed we don’t do gloves.’

  ‘That was before you were asked to be a bridesmaid,’ she said sagely. ‘Wouldn’t look good on the photos if you had hands like an old farmer, would it?’

  ‘No,’ I said, reaching for the smallest pair I could find, ‘I guess not. Will you be all right?’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ she nodded, ‘I’ve told Jake I’ll keep the dogs here with me. They’ll only get in your way and chainsaws can be tricky things.’

  Jake gave a blast on the horn and I rushed outside, mug and gloves in hand, ready to begin the day.

  If I didn’t know any better I would have said that Jake’s mate Tony, Treetop Tony to his pals, was probably a tree himself in a former life, a willow most likely. Tall, thin, with colossal feet in reinforced safety boots, but with a voice that barely rose above a whisper, he made short work of felling the first conifer and it soon became obvious when we stood back to admire the view that this was going to be the making of Meadowview Cottage.

  ‘I’m not a fan of taking down healthy trees,’ he told me when we stopped for a breather, ‘but these things are a menace. I bet they’ve never been checked or cut back since they were planted.’

  I didn’t know much about trees, practically nothing in fact, but I could see where he was coming from. The ground around the stumps was dry and dusty and there was nothing growing there. As far as I could see all these brutish things did was provide a windbreak and a wall of darkness.

  By lunchtime all that remained of the row out the front were a few uneven stumps, which Tony said he would level off when he’d finished out the back.

  ‘Will they grow again?’ I asked, no doubt showing my ignorance, but curious nonetheless.

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘that’s it for them. Done and dusted. Personally I wouldn’t plant anything where they’ve been. If you want to create a garden then bring the boundary further in, otherwise you’ll spend a fortune trying to enrich the soil and forever digging out the roots.’

  I felt a bit sad that I had been the one to instigate the conifers’ demise but stepping over the threshold into the cottage soon soothed my guilty conscience. The moment I entered the kitchen at the back I could see just how dramatic the change in light was.

  The front of the cottage faced west so the sitting room and one of the bedrooms would benefit from the sun later in the day while the kitchen, bathroom and second bedroom would enjoy the sunrise. I thought about Tony’s suggestion of creating a garden. Which plants would work well with the vintage theme, I wondered? Perhaps I could ask Harriet and Rachel to help me out with some ideas.

  I walked from room to room revelling in the transformation and as I stood quietly, before the sound of the chainsaw ripped through the air again, I swear I heard the cottage sigh. For the first time, literally in decades, it could breathe again.

  ‘Would you mind if I went back up to the house?’ I asked Jake later that afternoon. ‘Annie has promised to show me the loft and to be honest I’m shattered.’

  Jake looked at me for a long few seconds then pulled off one of his gloves and felt my forehead with the back of his hand.

  ‘You do look tired,’ he said, ‘I’ll run you back up in the truck.’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘don’t worry. I can walk easily enough. I just don’t think I can drag any more of this stuff about.’

  ‘All right,’ he nodded. ‘You are pleased, though, aren’t you? I mean, personally I think it’s a minor miracle, but is it how you imagined it would look?’

  ‘Even better,’ I told him. ‘I guess this is how it all would have looked when the place was first built, and I know you’ll probably think I’m being silly but I’m sure the cottage is pleased as well.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, when I went inside it felt to me as if the place let out a huge sigh of relief. Does that make sense?’

  ‘Not really,’ he laughed, ‘but it does sound like the sort of thing you and Annie would say, so you’re probably right!’

  Annie was asleep in her chair next to the range when I got back to the house. The dogs, docile at her feet, barely moved as I lifted the latch and slipped quietly in.

  ‘Some guard dogs you are,’ I smiled at the pair of them, remembering how just a few months ago I’d been totally resistant to the idea of sharing a house with them, never mind a bed.

  Unwilling to disturb her, I settled myself in the chair opposite Annie and had just begun to doze off myself when she sti
rred.

  ‘How’s it going down there?’ she asked, gingerly stretching her back and stifling a yawn. ‘I’ve been listening to the chainsaw going, surely he must be almost done by now.’

  ‘Yes, almost,’ I explained, sitting up straighter to stave off my own sleepiness, ‘just a couple at the back left now.’

  ‘They were tiny when we planted them,’ Annie told me, her eyes shining at the memory. ‘My father got them from the market in Wynbridge for pennies. They were only ever supposed to reach six foot but what with everything else that needed doing on the farm and with no one living down there they soon got forgotten. The poor little place has never been much of a priority around here. I’m pleased that’s going to change. It deserves a chance to shine.’

  ‘Well, I hope I can do both you and the cottage proud,’ I smiled.

  ‘Cottage,’ she said pensively, ‘I never really understood why it was called a cottage. Delusions of grandeur on my mother’s part most likely.’

  ‘I have to say I’ve been mulling over the name myself,’ I admitted, remembering how when I first saw it I couldn’t help thinking that the word cottage had never been less appropriately applied to a dwelling, but now I had explored the inside and got a feel for the place I felt differently.

  ‘Well, it’s hardly a cottage, is it?’ said Annie, echoing my first impressions perfectly. ‘It’s just a little bungalow really, nothing more.’

  ‘I suppose it is,’ I nodded, ‘but Meadowview Bungalow just doesn’t have the same appeal, does it? I think your mother was right to award it such a pretty name, delusions of grandeur or not.’

  ‘Yes,’ she conceded, ‘I suppose you’re right. Now, let’s go and have a look in this loft.’

  Annie called the space a loft but actually ‘veritable treasure trove’ would have been a more accurate description. Stooping through the tiny door, hidden behind the chest of drawers in Annie’s bedroom, was like stepping back in time, and if it wasn’t so crowded, I would have run up and down all day sifting through the treasures.