‘We did, we needed the extra help and she was the perfect assistant.’
Felicity let out a shuddering sigh.
Rona tried to smooth the way. ‘Lorna was a beautiful girl, and what happened to her was a tragedy, leaving a little girl without her mother. Think about the bigger picture. Fergus was entitled to fall in love and find happiness again.’
Felicity knew her mum was right, but she couldn’t shake off the tiny jealous niggles in the pit of her stomach.
‘Where did she live?’ Felicity knew the question was irrelevant but couldn’t help wondering.
‘At first, she rented a room at the B&B and then moved into the cottage with Aggie and Fergus when she fell pregnant.’
Felicity was quiet.
‘Look, all I’m saying is, it was your choice to leave Heartcross. You are my daughter and I love you unconditionally, but please let Fergus get on with his life; he’s got Esme to look after now.’
‘I’m not here to cause any trouble, I was just a little shocked to discover that Lorna had passed away leaving Fergus with Esme.’
‘I know … but just tread carefully.’
Rona stood up, disappearing into the kitchen and putting an end to the conversation.
Felicity’s mind was a whirl; she had a feeling of dread at the thought of Fergus’s reaction if he saw her up at the farm but at the same time a tiny thrill of emotion passed through Felicity’s body, knowing that Esme was going to be there and maybe she could spend a little more time with the little girl without a mother of her own.
Chapter 9
Felicity traipsed up the snowy drive towards Foxglove Farm. The rooftop of the farmhouse sparkled in the wintery light and the bare oak trees that adorned the path glistened in the early morning sunlight. She huddled deep inside her coat with her hands stuffed firmly in her pockets and shot a quick glance towards the barns. She could hear the noise of hammering and an engine being fired up but she hadn’t set eyes on either Drew or Fergus yet.
As she rapped on the front door and waited she could hear the joyful banter of the children playing inside followed by footsteps. Isla soon appeared at the door, rosy-cheeked and wiping her hands down her pinny.
‘You look kind of flustered,’ smiled Felicity, as Isla flung the door wide open and ushered her into the hallway.
‘Am I glad to see you! It’s only 10 a.m. and I’m completely exhausted. We’ve baked cakes and played games. I’m ready for a rest.’
‘The cavalry has arrived,’ chuckled Felicity. ‘You can sit and put your feet up for a while. I’ll entertain the troops.’
‘Who is it, Mum?’ shouted Finn appearing at the top of the hallway quickly followed by Esme. As soon as Esme spotted Felicity she let out a squeal and ran towards her slipping her tiny hand inside Felicity’s. A tsunami of warmth rushed between them and Esme’s eyes sparkled as she led Felicity into the living room.
‘Hi Finn,’ said Felicity ruffling the top of his hair as she passed. He gave her a cheeky grin and ran back towards the living room.
‘Come and help us build a Lego town,’ said Esme, tugging on Felicity’s hand. ‘We are building Heartcross.’
Felicity followed Isla and Esme into the living room.
‘Wow! Look at this,’ exclaimed Felicity as her eyes scanned the floor. There wasn’t an inch of floor that wasn’t covered by a coloured brick of Lego.
‘What are we building?’ asked Felicity, gently pushing a pile of bricks to one side so she could sit down on the floor. She noticed Finn was already in the midst of building a fire station when Esme answered.
‘A teashop.’
‘A teashop,’ repeated Felicity.
‘Just like the one on Love Heart Lane.’
Felicity raised an eyebrow and smiled towards Esme. ‘That sounds like the perfect plan. Let’s get building!’
For the next twenty minutes, Felicity got to work building with Esme and Finn. Isla had brought out a tray of fairy cakes they’d already baked this morning with juice and a pot of tea. She now had her eyes firmly shut and had fallen asleep on the sofa.
‘What do we think?’ Felicity asked Finn showing him the white cottage they’d built with a teashop on the corner.
‘Teashops are so girly,’ he said, barely giving the building a second glance.
‘I love it,’ declared Esme. ‘But before we can begin to serve tea and cake we need to write our secret recipe book,’ she continued, completely ignoring Finn’s reaction and staring up at Felicity. ‘Just like Bonnie’s secret recipe book in the teashop,’ she added with a smile that melted Felicity’s heart.
‘She was a fantastic grandma,’ replied Felicity, meaning every word and squeezing Esme’s hand. ‘She taught me everything I know about baking cakes.’
‘My mummy was a baker,’ offered Esme. ‘Daddy told me she worked at the teashop, too, which means she must have known your grandma.’ Esme’s eyes met Felicity’s.
‘I believe so, my mum told me today.’
‘Daddy said she made the best cakes.’
‘I bet she did,’ answered Felicity with a warm smile noticing the sparkle in Esme’s eyes when she spoke about the mum she’d never known. Felicity felt a little pang in her heart because she felt saddened that Esme wouldn’t ever know her mum, but Fergus was clearly doing a good job of keeping her memory alive. She wondered what Lorna had been like. Was she similar to her in any way, looks or characteristics? What had attracted Fergus to her?
They both watched as Finn wandered over to the dresser and pulled out sheets of paper and a box of felt tip pens. ‘Here you go, use these to make your book,’ he said, before promptly sitting back down amongst the Lego bricks on the floor.
‘Shall we go over to the table?’ suggested Felicity, standing up as Esme followed her. Felicity watched Esme settle at the table and fold the paper in half. She set the coloured pens out in front of her then started on the design of the cover. Felicity watched as Esme wrote, ‘Esme and Felicity’s Secret Recipe Book.’ Esme caught her eye and smiled as she began to draw a delicious looking cake with a million love hearts scattered all over the page.
‘What’s the first recipe going to be?’ asked Felicity, while Esme pondered.
‘Carrot cake,’ she announced after some thought. ‘I loved Bonnie’s carrot cake.’
‘It was mouth-wateringly delicious,’ Felicity answered, remembering her grandmother’s carrot cake. ‘Good choice.’
Felicity helped Esme write a contents page then they listed all the ingredients they needed to make the cake. They laughed and giggled as they worked and with Finn still building his Lego village and Isla having a nap on the settee, Felicity was unaware that the back door to the farmhouse had been opened until she heard Drew shout through to the living room.
‘The workers are back for a cuppa, anyone want a drink?’
Immediately, Isla shot up at the sound of his voice. ‘I’m so sorry, I must have dozed off,’ she said apologetically to Felicity who was staring towards the door. She knew there was every chance she would bump into Fergus today but now she could hear his voice coming from the kitchen she felt anxious.
‘I’ll make you a drink,’ called Isla hurrying through to the kitchen, ‘The children have made cakes too.’
‘Cake!’ shouted Fergus. ‘Where is my little superstar?’ Felicity could hear his voice getting louder as he walked towards the living room; she shuffled nervously in her chair.
‘In here, Daddy,’ shouted Esme. ‘I’m just designing a secret recipe with…’
Esme didn’t finish her sentence.
‘With Felicity,’ interrupted Fergus, taken completely by surprise to see her.
‘I’ve come to keep Isla company, while the children are off school, give her a little respite,’ said Felicity, quickly.
‘Felicity has helped me to write all the ingredients … look!’ Esme proudly held up the book in the air for Fergus to see.
‘It’s looking mighty fine,’ he agreed.
‘If we don’t finish it, can you come again tomorrow?’ Esme’s wide eyes turned towards Felicity who faltered, not knowing how to reply.
‘Have you got a minute?’ Fergus looked over towards Felicity before casting his eyes towards the hallway.
She stood up and followed him, pulling the door shut behind her.
‘What is it?’ asked Felicity as she noticed Fergus swallow.
‘It’s obvious to anyone Esme has taken a shine to you, but I don’t want you getting close.’
‘I’m only helping Isla to entertain the children, Fergus.’
Fergus locked eyes with her. She noticed they were watery but he didn’t speak.
‘What is it I’m doing that’s so wrong?’ Her voice was low so the children couldn’t hear.
‘I don’t want Esme getting close to you.’
Felicity knew it probably wasn’t the best time but she wanted to push the conversation. ‘Why?’
‘Because Felicity, you’ll be leaving soon and I’ll have to deal with a little girl who will be upset, who will want to keep in touch and let’s face it…’
‘Let’s face what?’ she interrupted.
‘You can break my heart but you aren’t going to do that to Esme too.’ Fergus’s hurt floored Felicity for a moment. She had no intention of breaking Esme’s heart and felt saddened Fergus would even think that of her. His words turned over in her mind.
‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Fergus,’ she offered, touching his arm, but he pulled away.
‘All I want and need is a quiet life. I appreciate Rona still lives in the village and you will come back from time to time but…’
‘Actually, I might be staying around for a little longer than planned.’ Felicity had no idea why she’d just shared that information but the words were now hanging in the air.
‘What?… Why? I thought you were a city girl now.’
‘A girl can change her mind, can’t she?’ Felicity tried to make a light-hearted joke of it but the look on Fergus’s face suggested he didn’t find it funny.
‘So after all this time Heartcross becomes good enough for you again?’ The look on his face made her nervous.
She tried to betray no emotion on her face yet deep inside, her heart was hammering against her chest. ‘That was never the case, and you know there was more to it.’
They stared at each other for a minute before Fergus turned to walk back towards the kitchen, leaving her standing there.
She had hoped Fergus might have softened by now but he’d made it very clear he didn’t want anything to do with her.
Isla appeared and handed her a mug of tea. ‘Everything okay?’
‘Not really … Fergus and I have just had words and I kind of let slip I was thinking of staying around.’
Isla touched her hand tentatively. ‘He’ll come round; it’s a shock for him seeing you again after all this time.’
‘I’m not sure he will come round,’ sighed Felicity, following Isla into the living room and fixing her eyes on Esme who was still happily colouring away on her recipe book.
‘Do you think we could bake the cakes from our recipe book?’ Esme looked up towards Felicity the second she walked back into the living room.
‘I’m sure one day, if you ask my mum, she’ll let you bake them in the teashop.’
‘Really, just like my mum?’
‘Just like your mum.’
Felicity felt such warmth towards the little girl. She couldn’t imagine ever losing her own mum at such an early age. It was heart-breaking. Felicity watched her as she began listing the ingredients for the next recipe. Her brunette hair bounced just below her shoulders and her hazel eyes mirrored Fergus’s.
‘What if he doesn’t come round?’ Felicity looked at Isla but kept her voice low.
‘He will. Are you definitely thinking of staying on?’ Isla looked at her speculatively for a moment and Felicity knew right at that second that she’d made her mind up and wasn’t going back to London.
Isla was very intuitive. ‘You aren’t going back, are you? You’ve made up your mind.’
Felicity blew out a breath. ‘I don’t think I am. What’s there for me there now? A job I no longer like, night after night sitting on my own. Friends that are acquaintances, except Polly. Since I’ve been back…’
‘You’ve realised you’ve missed us all that much you never ever want to leave us again,’ chipped in Isla, with a warm beam on her face.
‘Something like that and…’
‘Go on.’
‘And like I said to you, it’s not sitting right with me that the teashop is closed. Maybe re-opening it can make it up to my grandma and Mum. I should have realised how difficult things were for them.’
‘It’s not sitting right with any of us, but it was a struggle for your mum to run it on her own … it would mean you sticking around for some time to help her.’
Felicity acknowledged that. But suddenly the idea of working in partnership with her mum to re-open the family business excited rather than scared her. She knew her grandma had made a decent enough living from the business and this would give her and her mum a new purpose, something to focus on. Felicity was genuinely excited by the idea.
‘So,’ said Felicity with a smile on her face, ‘once this snow has thawed and the trucks are getting back through, I’m going to suggest to Mum we re-open the teashop, together.’
‘And move back home into Heartwood Cottage?’
Felicity nodded. ‘Yes, it will also give Mum some company too, especially now she’s on her own.’
Isla gave Felicity a wide, reassuring smile. ‘I actually think it’s a perfect plan for you, and for Rona and then there’s me. I’ll have my friend back to lend a hand at the drop of a hat.’ She grinned.
‘Purely selfish reasons then!’
‘Absolutely! Everyone will be glad to have you home.’
‘Everyone except Fergus,’ said Felicity glumly, taking a sip of her drink. She couldn’t get him off her mind.
‘Look, don’t you go worrying about Fergus, we can work on him. He’s just hurting.’ Isla gave Felicity a warm, knowing look.
‘I hope so, because believe it or not, I don’t like the atmosphere between us. I really don’t want to see him upset.’
‘It’s going to be okay, Flick. Trust me.’
Isla’s words gave Felicity a glimmer of hope and her mouth lifted at the corners. If only she could turn back time and make everything better again.
Chapter 10
After the spectacular Lego town was finally built and the children had been entertained all day, Felicity kissed an exhausted Isla on the cheek and made the trek home back to the cottage. Everywhere was still a whitewash of snow but the sun had been high in the sky and thankfully the snow had started to thaw which meant the trucks and supplies to the village should be back on track in the next couple of days and hopefully the boiler in the cottage would be fixed too. On the whole, Felicity had enjoyed the day, except the conversation with Fergus of course, which had left her feeling glum. She shrugged off any residual guilt and tried to push it firmly out of her mind.
Swinging open the front door to the cottage, she shouted out to her mum. ‘I’m home!’
Rona appeared with a smile on her face. ‘Good day?’ she asked.
Felicity stood still. The cottage was cool but not as cold as normal and placing a hand on the radiator, Felicity was relieved to feel a blast of heat.
‘What happened here? We have heat!’ exclaimed Felicity slipping off her coat and kicking off her boots.
‘We do! Leo came late this morning and fixed the boiler. The snow seems to be thawing fast now on the other side of the bridge, so he left his car and walked up here.’
Felicity was thankful. Boiling kettle after kettle just to get a wash had already become tiresome.
‘I hate to ask—’ Rona handed over the invoice ‘—but this will need paying.’
‘It’s really not a problem.’ Felicity smiled at he
r mum.
‘Any plans for tonight?’ asked Rona, as she poked the log fire.
Felicity shook her head. ‘No why?’
‘Fraser and Meredith are putting on a pub quiz, trying to keep spirits high. Are you up for that?’
Felicity nodded, ‘Of course, but any chance of a hot shower first?’
‘Be my guest, the water has been heating all afternoon.’
Felicity disappeared upstairs towards the bathroom, while Rona pottered about in the kitchen.
Half an hour later, they traipsed down Love Heart Lane towards the pub. As they pushed open the door they could hear the welcome chatter inside. Allie waved from behind the bar and Felicity noticed Rory sitting next to Drew in the far corner, but she couldn’t spot Fergus. He was more than likely at home looking after Aggie and Esme.
‘Drink?’ Allie bellowed over the bar towards Felicity.
‘Two gin and tonics please,’ she replied.
Fraser was to the left of the bar in a small alcove, trying to rig up the microphone which tended to let out a high pitch squeal every time he blew into it.
Allie passed the drinks over the bar. ‘Whose team are you going to be on?’ she asked as Felicity swung a glance round the pub.
‘How many to a team?’ she asked.
‘No more than six,’ answered Allie.
Heather, Hamish and Julia looked as thick as thieves on one table. Hamish was a man of nonsense knowledge and as far back as Felicity could ever remember, had always been on the winning team of every pub quiz she’d ever been at.
‘I don’t mind sitting at the bar and keeping you company,’ offered Felicity thinking that was a better option but Rona was having none of it.
‘Where’s your community spirit? It’ll be fun, let your hair down.’
‘Okay, okay, whose team are we joining then?’ answered Felicity not wanting to disappoint her mum. But before they could make up their mind, Rory beckoned them over. ‘Come and join us, we need all the help we can get.’
Felicity chuckled. ‘Considering you’re a vet I’m sure you are going to know a lot more than I can offer.’
Love Heart Lane Page 10