by Heidi Swain
‘No,’ she said, ‘you’re all right. We’ll leave you to it.’
‘I’ve packed plenty,’ I told her. ‘Stay and tell me how things are going with the wedding.’
‘Shall we?’ she said to Henry.
‘Well, I am a bit peckish,’ said Henry, running an appraising eye over the containers I was setting out.
‘As long as you’re sure,’ said Jessica, ‘this one eats like a horse.’
‘I’m sure,’ I told her, passing Henry a plate. ‘How did the marquee meeting go?’
‘All sorted,’ announced Jake. ‘The guys have suggested setting up at the orchard end of the field so if the weather is good—’
‘Which of course it will be,’ I cut in for Jessica’s benefit.
‘Which of course it will be,’ added Jake, ‘then the guests will be able to walk through the orchards in the evening without having to negotiate the rest of the field.’
‘And also,’ said Henry, helping himself to a spoonful of avocado salad, ‘that will mean that the cars can all be parked nearer the field entrance, although we’re not expecting too many vehicles as most people are planning to walk down from the church, assuming—’
‘Don’t say it,’ said Jessica. ‘I’m beginning to get paranoid about the weather. Everything else is going so well at the moment that the only potential disaster I can see is if this glorious weather breaks.’
‘It won’t,’ said Jake, reaching for a cup, ‘not for weeks yet. Where’s the cordial?’
‘In the river,’ I told him, ‘the string’s under the stone.’
‘Oh clever you,’ he said, kissing the top of my head as he went to retrieve it. ‘Anyone would think she’s always lived here, wouldn’t they?’
‘I would,’ said Jessica.
‘And me,’ joined in Henry, ‘I can’t imagine Skylark Farm without Amber here to keep it on the straight and narrow!’
‘Thanks,’ said Jake, ‘so what have I been doing all these years?’
‘Jogging along,’ said Jessica, ‘nothing more, nothing less. Amber here is the one who has stirred things up.’
‘Thanks, guys,’ I said, feeling my face glowing as red as Henry’s.
‘And with that thought in mind,’ Henry said, ‘might I have a word with you before we go, Amber, in private?’
‘If it’s about flashing my undies,’ I told him, ‘then I absolutely promise not to do it at the wedding.’
‘No,’ he said, turning red again, ‘nothing like that.’
‘So how is the guest list shaping up?’ I asked Jessica, leaving Henry to regain his composure. ‘Everyone present and correct, I hope.’
‘Yes,’ she said, rolling her eyes, ‘finally. Some people have really taken some chasing, I can tell you.’
‘And what about Holly,’ I asked tentatively, ‘has she confirmed yet?’
‘What?’ Jake choked.
‘Oh, I forgot to tell you,’ I said, ‘Holly and Jess are best buds now! Having bonded over diet recommendations, she was granted an invitation to the reception.’
Jessica threw me a filthy look before answering, while Henry sniggered behind his napkin.
‘No, I didn’t have to chase her,’ she said haughtily. ‘And yes, she is coming. She RSVP’d straightaway actually. Apparently she’s out of the country until a couple of days before the big day and, unlike some, didn’t want to forget about replying.’
‘So much for learning the ropes from Daddy,’ I said to Jake, ‘so much for her professional attitude.’
‘Oh, all right,’ said Jake, ‘can we please not have this discussion again?’
I looked at him and laughed. I liked the way that when it was mentioned in front of friends it was a discussion, but when I was bending his ear in private about offering Holly the right to make the cottage bookings it was an argument!
‘Fair enough,’ I said, slipping my shoes back on. ‘Come with me a minute, Jess. I’ve got an idea for the wedding I want to share with you.’
‘Don’t be long,’ Henry called after us, ‘I’ve got to get back to work.’
‘So,’ I said, ‘what do you think?’
‘Perfect,’ smiled Jessica, clapping her hands together, ‘absolutely perfect.’
‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Jake because he always laughs when he knows I’ve found an idea in a magazine.’
Jessica held out her hands and held up the glass jar I handed to her, admiring its simplicity.
‘So if we start collecting jars now—’
‘Any size,’ I reminded her.
‘And I get some lengths of ribbon and lace to tie around the necks—’
‘And tea lights to go inside.’
‘Then these can be dotted around the tables in the orchards and light up the path to the marquee.’
‘Exactly,’ I said, ‘you can pass them all on to me if you like. I don’t mind making them and if I start now it won’t be one of those rushed last minute jobs that turn into a nightmare.’
‘Oh, we won’t be having any of those,’ Jessica said sternly, ‘rushed last minute nightmares are simply not allowed.’
‘Of course,’ I smiled, ‘message understood. Now, why don’t you go and get Henry so we can have our little chat before he has to go back to work?’
Henry’s ‘little chat’ turned out to be quite a big ask in the end and more akin to the work I had done in London than feeding hens and painting walls at Meadowview Cottage; for the first time since moving I wished I had my contacts book and old phone with me. I was going to have to call in some favours to pull this one off, but Henry was desperate.
Right up until the last minute he’d thought the honeymoon was sorted. He’d even forked out a massive deposit which now seemed to have gone AWOL along with the company he had booked through. He knew where he wanted to take his bride and what they were going to do when he got there but beyond that, having already had his fingers burnt, he was feeling pretty clueless.
‘You’re my last hope,’ he had said, wringing his hands together. ‘Well, I don’t mean that exactly.’
‘I know,’ I told him, ‘don’t worry. Just leave it with me.’
‘I knew you’d be able to sort it,’ he said, already sounding relieved and more than happy to pass the dilemma on.
Personally I wished I shared his confidence but I was determined not to let him and Jessica down, whatever the cost.
Chapter 42
Henry’s little favour ended up taking far longer to arrange than even I could have imagined when I offered to take it on, but of course with no internet at the farm and access limited to The Cherry Tree Café and library opening times it was inevitable that my progress was going to be hindered. With the phone signal at the farm being so intermittent more often than not I ended up driving to a layby up the road just to check my emails, and only then if the wind was in the right direction and the truck was parked in precisely the same spot.
A few days after our clandestine chat, with the wedding looming ever closer and Henry’s blood pressure and stress levels rising so rapidly that it was looking increasingly doubtful that he would have the stamina to attend the ceremony, I was almost there. I just needed one final push and some peace and quiet to check everything over and make sure every little detail was in place.
‘I’m just going to town!’ I called up the stairs to Jake. ‘I should be back around lunchtime.’
Annie was sitting at the kitchen table eagerly seeking out titbits of gossip from the local paper.
‘You don’t mind, do you?’ I frowned as I gathered my things together and looked guiltily at the dozen or so boxes crammed into the kitchen. ‘I promise I’ll take all these down to the cottage tonight.’
‘Don’t worry, dear girl,’ Annie told me with a dismissive wave of her hand, ‘it can’t be helped. There’s no rush. I’m sure whatever you’re helping Henry with is important otherwise you wouldn’t be running yourself ragged trying to sort it, would you?’
‘It is imp
ortant,’ I told her, grateful that she was being so understanding. ‘Thanks, Annie.’
‘But what about this lot?’ moaned Jake, stumbling into the kitchen with a frown firmly etched on his face. ‘You can’t just leave it all here now you’ve got something more exciting to do, Amber. What if Annie trips over one of these boxes?’
‘Excuse me,’ said Annie, twisting round in her chair and staring sternly at Jake over the top of her glasses, ‘if anyone around here is likely to trip, it’s you. Flying about the place with your size tens and snapping people’s heads off before you’ve even said good morning! Whatever’s the matter with you?’
‘I just want to see the cottage finished,’ he said sullenly. ‘I thought it was supposed to be done by now.’
‘So did I,’ I said, glancing up at the clock, ‘but Henry—’
‘Henry nothing,’ Jake cut in. ‘I asked him what’s going on when I saw him yesterday and he said he didn’t know what I was talking about.’
‘Well, he would, wouldn’t he?’ I snapped back, annoyed that Henry couldn’t drop his guard just enough to keep me out of Jake’s bad books. ‘You know it’s all supposed to be a secret.’
‘Well, whatever’s going on,’ he continued, his tone loaded with sarcasm, ‘I can’t see why it’s taking this long. I know you like keeping busy but you can’t just flit from one thing to another without finishing anything.’
‘Helping Henry is taking this long,’ I reminded him, ‘because we have no internet here and precious little phone signal. You know that. And I don’t flit from one thing to another, thank you very much. This is just bad timing, that’s all. What’s with the attitude and loaded questions?’
‘Nothing,’ he said and moodily nudged one of the boxes with his foot, ‘nothing.’
‘Fine,’ I said, throwing up my hands and heading for the door. ‘I’ll see you later.’
Aside from the blip when I’d suggested hosting the May Fair, this was a side of Jake I’d rarely seen and I can’t say I liked it much. If I’d known that helping Henry was going to be such a problem then I never would have agreed to it, but I couldn’t back out. Everything was signed, sealed and practically delivered and if I abandoned Henry now it would all be lost and he’d be heartbroken.
‘I just don’t want you to get sucked back in,’ Jake blurted out the second my fingers touched the latch on the door.
‘What do you mean?’
‘This whatever you’re doing for Henry is related to your old job, isn’t it?’
‘Go on,’ I said, unwilling to either confirm or deny his suspicions.
‘And I can see what a buzz you’re getting from it.’
I didn’t have a clue where he’d got that idea from. Most of the time I was feeling dizzy, nauseous or increasingly panic stricken that I wouldn’t be able to make it all happen in time.
‘I’m not getting any kind of buzz,’ I told him. ‘Believe me.’
‘Look,’ said Jake, ‘I loved you when we lived in London, I really did, but I love you so much more here.’
‘I don’t understand,’ I frowned. ‘What exactly is it that you’re trying to say?’
‘Just that you’ve changed so much since you’ve been here and I know how much you love the farm and the truth is,’ he sighed, looking utterly miserable, ‘I’m just scared that something’s come along that has the potential to take you away. I don’t want to see you pulled back into the life you had before. The life you said you were ready to leave behind, remember?’
‘I’m not getting pulled back in to anything,’ I told him and crossed the kitchen to give him a hug. ‘And I’m not going anywhere either. My heart belongs to the farm,’ I said, looking right into his eyes, ‘and I promise you it always will. Please don’t be in any doubt of that. OK?’
‘OK,’ sniffed Annie, noisily blowing her nose, ‘I won’t.’
Jake and I pulled apart. For a minute I’d forgotten she was sitting there. Well, at least now they both knew just how deep my allegiance to the farm ran.
‘Look,’ I said, ‘I have to go. I’m hoping this will be the end of it today but if it isn’t please don’t question my commitment to this place, or to you for that matter. You’re stuck with me now,’ I said with a smile, ‘you both are.’
I drove to Wynbridge with a very heavy heart, disappointed that Jake had even thought about questioning my dedication to Skylark Farm and the exciting new projects we were beginning to see come to fruition. I loved him and Annie and the farm and everything associated with it. I had from the very second I arrived and not just because of all the glossy magazines I had been reading. I wished he would just take a second to remember that I loved it all even though he had kept his relationship with Holly, and the fact that they’d lived in the cottage, to himself for so long. I loved life at the farm so much that I’d made the gargantuan effort to get over and see beyond all of those things.
By the time I found a parking space both the library and The Cherry Tree were open, but choosing which one to go to was a complete no-brainer. The library might have been the quieter choice but it was definitely lacking in calorific comfort food.
‘Morning,’ smiled Lizzie brightly as she bustled about setting up for one of her crafting classes, ‘you all right? You look a bit down in the dumps.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said, trying to return her cheery welcome with a smile to match. ‘Just rather a lot on my plate at the moment and it’s a complete pain not having internet access at the farm. Although,’ I added, eyeing the counter display of freshly baked cakes, ‘this place does have its compensations.’
Lizzie, obviously used to the presence of so much creamy frosting, didn’t follow my gaze.
‘I don’t know how you manage without internet at home,’ she said, shaking her red curls in dismay. ‘I’d go mad if I couldn’t check Twitter and my emails every day.’
‘I guess I’ve just got used to it,’ I told her, ‘and I don’t have a Twitter account at the moment.’
‘Oh well,’ she sighed, ‘each to their own. Just give me two secs and I’ll get Jemma to come and take your order.’
‘Thanks, Lizzie.’
I set up my laptop and kept my head down, determined to get the loose ends tied up as quickly as possible.
‘Morning, Amber,’ smiled Jemma. She sounded as cheery as her best friend. ‘What can I get you?’
‘Morning,’ I smiled back, scanning the breakfast menu.
My stomach groaned loudly in response and I felt myself blush, knowing there was no way that Jemma wouldn’t have heard. Fortunately she was too polite to comment.
‘I know it’s really early,’ I said as I pushed the menu back between the cruets, ‘but do you think I could just have a mug of hot chocolate and a double chocolate muffin?’
Hardly the healthiest of breakfasts but it was just what I fancied and, as Harriet had joked, I did have a little space to fill in my bigger bridesmaid’s dress.
‘Of course,’ smiled Jemma, making a note on her order pad.
‘It’s all I’ve got the taste for,’ I said by way of explanation, not that she was expecting one. A new email pinged into my inbox and I eagerly scanned to see if it was the news I had been waiting for. ‘My appetite is all over the place at the moment,’ I added distractedly.
‘You aren’t pregnant, are you?’ whispered Jemma.
‘What?’ Instantly my eyes snapped from the screen back to her.
I couldn’t tell from her expression if she was joking or not. Her next comment suggested not.
‘When I was pregnant with my two I turned meal times on their heads,’ she said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be talking about. She tapped her pencil on her order pad and carried on wistfully. ‘Just for the first few months, it was pizza for breakfast and porridge for lunch and—’
‘No,’ I cut in, with a nervous little laugh, ‘no, definitely not pregnant.’
‘Oh well,’ she shrugged, ‘it was just a thought. Besides,’ she added
in a whisper, ‘you and Jake did take a turn around the Maypole, didn’t you?’
I didn’t answer and she bustled off to prepare my order.
With Jemma’s off the wall suggestion ringing ever louder in my ears I quickly fired off the confirmations Henry had failed to secure, typed up an itinerary along with all the details and links listing what he had to do next and sent the whole lot off to his inbox. It was done, finally, and I should have been relieved but I wasn’t. In fact the completion of the project barely registered.
I closed my laptop with a snap, left some cash on the plate, abandoned my half-eaten muffin, called the cheeriest ‘cheerio’ I could muster and headed for the chemist. Ordinarily so organised with little gold stars on my kitchen calendar and with my office desk diary acting as a reliable back-up, the arrival and demise of my period was monitored with military precision. Any more than half a day behind schedule and I would be drumming my fingers on my desk and willing it along, but at the farm I had none of those visual reminders and if I was being completely honest my awareness of my monthly cycle had flown out the window since the move.
I wracked my brains as I scanned the shelves trying to remember the last time I’d taken a trip down the ‘feminine aisle’, as my mother called it, but my thoughts were so addled I couldn’t even hazard a guess. Panic had well and truly gripped me by the time I rushed back to the car park with not one, but three pregnancy tests (just to be on the safe side) and feeling grateful that I hadn’t recognised anyone in the queue.
‘Oh great,’ said Jake, opening the truck door before I’d even turned off the engine, ‘you’re back.’
I quickly stuffed the transparent cheap and cheerful chemist’s carrier bag behind my laptop and jumped out, clasping it all protectively to my chest.
‘I’m really sorry about before,’ he said, his feet scuffing up stones on the dusty ground like a guilty child.
He looked about twelve and I knew he was genuinely sorry. To a certain extent I could even see his point.
‘It’s OK,’ I said, eager to make quick use of the bathroom. ‘Really, I understand.’
‘Promise?’ he asked sheepishly.