Love Heart Lane

by Christie Barlow

  ‘We can get the army involved,’ said Annie without any hesitation. ‘I’m in no doubt the supermarket in Glensheil will help out with supplies. I’ll get back to you sometime this afternoon,’ she declared before hanging up.

  Hamish and Drew were just finishing unloading the tins when Felicity walked back into the tearoom. They all looked up at her hopefully.

  ‘Annie Boyd will be getting back to me this afternoon,’ she said while tapping on her mobile phone and updating the Facebook page to let everyone know. ‘She said something about enlisting the army to help.’

  ‘Good, good,’ muttered Hamish. ‘The only upside to empty shelves is I can give them a damn good clean before they begin to get stocked again.’

  ‘Right you pair, you get out from under my feet.’ Rona shooed a tea towel at Hamish and Drew before flinging it over her shoulder.

  ‘We’re going!’ grinned Drew, quickly standing up.

  ‘Have you seen Fergus today?’ chipped in Felicity, trying to drop the question into the conversation without causing any suspicion.

  ‘He’s at home today with Esme, she’s feeling a little under the weather.’

  ‘Why, what’s the matter with her?’ quizzed Felicity while filling up the water jugs for each table.

  ‘Not sure, but I can cope up at the farm today,’ he answered before waving a hand above his head and disappearing out of the shop quickly followed by Hamish.

  ‘I wonder what’s wrong with Esme?’ said Felicity out loud.

  ‘It’ll be something and nothing,’ replied Rona, currently opening the tins of veg and pouring them into the huge stew pots on the stove.

  Felicity scrunched up her face. ‘A girl can get sick of stew, you know.’ She stirred the pot.

  ‘Needs must for now and at least it’s good wholesome food for the pensioners and a warm meal.’

  The door to the teashop opened and Felicity was expecting to see the smiles of Allie and Meredith but instead was surprised to see Fergus standing in the doorway holding Esme’s hand.

  ‘Good morning,’ chirped Felicity, throwing Fergus a smile before bending down in front of Esme. ‘A little bird told me you are unwell.’

  ‘Really?’ answered Esme wide-eyed.

  ‘Well, maybe Uncle Drew told me when he dropped off today’s supplies.’ She gave a hearty laugh, gently tickling Esme’s stomach. ‘Are you okay?’ She stood up and looked at Fergus.

  ‘Could you possibly look after Esme for me, say for about half an hour or so?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course,’ said Felicity without hesitation, thrilled that he trusted her to look after his little girl.

  Rona walked over. ‘What do you have there?’ she asked.

  Esme was proudly clutching her apron. ‘I’ve brought my apron, so I can help.’

  ‘Excellent, you go and hang your coat on the back of the door and I’ll help you tie it on.’

  Felicity watched Fergus who kept his eyes on Esme as she skipped off happily.

  ‘Where are you off to?’ asked Felicity.

  Fergus lowered his voice. ‘I’ve got an appointment with Dr Taylor. I’m taking your advice … I need someone to talk to.’

  Felicity gently touched his arm. ‘Take your time, Esme will be fine here.’

  ‘I know, and thanks Flick.’

  Felicity watched him walk down Love Heart Lane and her heart gave a little leap. Fergus had actually asked her to look after Esme. He was beginning to trust her again, letting her back in and as Esme walked towards her smiling, Felicity glowed inside.

  Rona was busy in the kitchen and Felicity took Esme by the hand. ‘Guess what my mum gave me this morning? A very special present that belonged to my Grandma Bonnie. Do you want to come and see?’

  ‘Yes please!’ said Esme with delight.

  Felicity led an excited Esme through the teashop into the living room and sat her down on the settee. She walked over to the dresser and grabbed the old recipe book.

  Esme’s eyes grew wide as Felicity passed the book to her and rested it cautiously on her knee. ‘Is this the secret recipe book?’ she said in awe, not taking her eyes off it.

  ‘Go on, open it, but be careful, some of the pages are very old and delicate.’

  Esme nodded, and gently began to turn the pages.

  The book contained every delicious recipe Bonnie had ever made, from Victoria sponge to blueberry muffins, from mouth-watering pies to scrumptious pastries.

  ‘I’m going to bake all these recipes in my own shop when I grow up,’ said Esme with such passion.

  She smiled up at Felicity and it melted her heart. A sudden surge of emotion flooded through Felicity. This gorgeous little girl had brought a new kind of happiness to her life, one she’d never experienced before. In the past she’d tended to shy away from children and had always felt tearful and maybe even jealous when she’d seen families laughing and joking and enjoying time together. But meeting Esme and getting to know her had changed things for Felicity. She enjoyed Esme’s company, her kind nature and the way the little girl made her feel gave Felicity some purpose in her life. Felicity realised that she couldn’t change the past and maybe now was the time to learn to love and focus on the things she already had in her life. It made her think about Fergus. No matter what the outcome of the DNA test, he would always be Esme’s dad. She was learning slowly what it really meant to be a parent and she had Esme to thank for that.

  ‘I’ve got an idea, how about we bake a recipe from the book this morning?’

  ‘Can we, can we really?’

  ‘Of course we can. Your Uncle Drew has already dropped off a supply of eggs and milk. What do you fancy baking?’

  Esme’s face turned serious while she thought for a moment. ‘Daddy said Mummy’s favourite cake was Victoria sponge.’

  ‘We can certainly bake one of those.’

  Esme passed the book back to Felicity before standing up and tightening the apron around her tummy. ‘I’m ready, Chef,’ she said, giggling, with a salute. ‘I’ve seen that on TV.’

  ‘I think we’d best bake in the cottage kitchen today as the gang in the teashop will already be preparing lunch for the villagers, is that okay with you?’

  ‘Yes, Chef!’ came the loud response once more with a huge grin.

  Felicity couldn’t help but smile. She sat Esme down at the table while she popped her head around the door to let her mum know what she was doing.

  Despite the concerns over the food shortage, everyone was being their best and brightest self. Allie was humming a tune as she laid out the cutlery on each table, Meredith and Rona were sharing memories of Bonnie while stirring the pots of stew and Felicity couldn’t help feeling the love and warmth in the room. She paused for a moment and leant against the doorframe listening to Meredith reminisce about the time over thirty ramblers turned up at the teashop unexpectedly, due to a charity walk, leaving Bonnie completely flummoxed. They laughed at the memory. Rona looked up and caught Felicity’s eye. ‘What’re your plans with Esme? Does she want to help serve the villagers?’

  ‘We’ve decided to bake a cake out of Grandma’s recipe book; we’ll do it in the cottage kitchen … if that’s okay with you?’

  ‘Of course,’ Rona nodded, giving her daughter a warm smile. ‘There are some baking tins in the pantry.’

  Felicity grabbed the ingredients and Esme’s eyes lit up when she walked back into the room.

  ‘We need the scales,’ said Felicity, taking them from the windowsill and placing them in front of Esme who was perched on the kitchen chair with a cushion under her knees.

  ‘Can you measure me out 225g of flour?’

  ‘I can, Chef,’ answered Esme with determination but then looking at the scales in wonderment.

  ‘Here, let me show you.’ Felicity carefully explained the numbers on the front of the dial before sliding the bag of flour towards Esme.

  ‘Go on, you can do this,’ encouraged Felicity.

  Esme tore open the bag only to find it m
ushroomed out into a huge snowstorm in front of her covering her face and hair in flour.

  ‘Yikes!’ exclaimed Esme, her eyes wide.

  Felicity burst out laughing. ‘Oh my! I’m going to be sending you home looking like a snowman at this rate.’ Esme couldn’t help but giggle when Felicity passed her a mirror. She fell about in fits of laughter.

  ‘Next we need the eggs.’

  Felicity cracked the first one and Esme mirrored her actions and dropped three more into the bowl.

  ‘Well done!’ cheered on Felicity. ‘You are a natural at this.’

  For the next fifteen minutes, with huge smiles on their faces, they laughed and sang while Esme beat the mixture with a whisk and then divided the mixture into two. She then spooned it into the cake tins.

  Felicity took them both and opened the Aga door. ‘I’ll pop them in here … we don’t want you burning yourself.’

  Esme watched with delight as the Aga door shut.

  ‘Not long to wait, but then we need to let them cool,’ confirmed Felicity, setting a timer on her phone.

  ‘Here, take these, we need to wash up.’ Felicity piled the dirty dishes on top of the worktop while Esme pulled the chair over to the sink, stood on it and turned on the tap.

  Felicity watched Esme as she busily set about washing up. She smiled to herself, feeling a flurry of happiness and a rush of affection towards her. She’d had the best morning and truth be told, didn’t want it to end but glancing up at the clock she knew Fergus would be back very soon to pick her up.

  After a quick drink and a biscuit, the timer began to beep. Esme jumped up with excitement and waited patiently by the Aga door while Felicity slipped her hands inside the oven gloves.

  ‘Ta-dah!’ exclaimed Felicity, sliding the cake tins out of the Aga and placing two golden sponge cakes on the cooling rack. ‘What a success!’

  ‘Wow! It looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g! And smells—’ Esme squealed sniffing the air ‘—like … like a proper cake.’

  ‘It is a proper cake! And we need to let them cool before we whip the cream and spread the jam on.’

  Felicity held her hand up for a high-five but taking her by surprise Esme flung her arms around Felicity and plonked a smacking kiss right on her cheek.

  ‘What was that for?’ asked Felicity, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

  ‘Because, I’ve had the best time.’

  ‘That’s good to hear, and are you feeling better now too?’

  Esme looked a little shifty. ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ she said, bringing her finger up to her lips and making a shush sound.

  ‘Of course, you can.’

  ‘I’m not really poorly.’

  ‘Any particular reason you would say you were when you weren’t?’ asked Felicity, screwing up her eyes.

  ‘Because I didn’t want to go to Finn’s, I’m fed up with playing with Lego and soldiers.’

  Felicity ruffled her tummy. ‘Well, I think you should probably tell your dad that, he’s worried you are feeling under the weather.’

  ‘Then do you think he’ll let me stay with you in the teashop?’ smiled Esme.

  ‘That’s always an option.’

  Esme turned and looked at the cooling cakes once more. ‘Do you think my mummy would be proud of me?’

  Felicity felt the tears prick the back of her eyes. ‘Without a doubt and once they’ve cooled we will finish it off … a special surprise for your daddy.’

  Felicity clasped Esme’s hands and with a lump in her throat, she led her back into the teashop knowing she was beginning to feel real love for the little girl.

  Time had flown, and it was suddenly midday and everywhere was a hive of activity. The villagers filed through the door, unravelling their scarfs and hanging their coats on the back of the chairs. Felicity smiled. Everyone seemed to have gotten themselves in a little routine and each day they sat in the same seats. She could hear the conversation from the table in the corner, most people chatting about Aggie’s appearance on TV. Suddenly the chatting stopped as an overcast shadow fell on to the teashop, taking everyone by surprise.

  ‘What’s that noise?’ Meredith asked, with horrified look. A loud whirring sound could be heard as she placed the bowl down on the counter and quickly moved towards the window, her eager eyes looking up to the sky.

  Rona clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘Look at that sight!’

  Felicity grabbed Esme’s coat and slipped her arms into it and led her outside the shop door. The breeze lifted Esme’s hair from her face as she too looked up at the sky.

  ‘Look at those,’ said Esme in amazement.

  The sky was filled with helicopters hovering in the air above the fields of Foxglove Farm. Felicity saw the pilot in the first helicopter hunched over the controls, lowering the aircraft, its blades beating the air. As it came lower, Esme covered her eyes, held her breath and watched through her fingers. The villagers joined Felicity, all standing on Love Heart Lane looking up at the sky.

  Everyone watched the magnificent sight as the helicopters lined up in the sky. Then the first one edged forward and began to descend, its side doors opening.

  Over the field Felicity spotted Drew’s farm truck bouncing over the uneven ground. She squinted and noticed Rory was alongside him, strapped into the passenger seat. They parked up and jumped out, bending their heads low, the gush of wind from the helicopter’s blades blowing their hair. Everyone watched as the helicopter hovered above Drew and Rory and a large box was lowered right to their feet where Drew took a knife and slit the rope. He gave the co-pilot a thumbs up and immediately the rope began to lift. Within seconds the door had shut, and the helicopter soared through the sky back towards the airbase in Glensheil. Rory and Drew lifted the box and loaded it straight into the back of the van. The next helicopter loitered over where Drew was standing and exactly the same happened again.

  ‘What are they doing?’ asked Esme, still staring up into the sky.

  ‘My guess, it will be food parcels. What do you reckon?’ Felicity turned towards her mum.

  ‘Absolutely!’ replied Rona, slipping her arm around Felicity’s shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze. ‘And that’s all down to you.’

  ‘All I did was make a phone call … Annie Boyd organised all this in record time.’

  Everyone watched until the last helicopter had flown off and was just a dot in the distance.

  ‘For a small village in the middle of nowhere, it’s never quiet here,’ exclaimed Meredith walking back into the warmth of the teashop and hanging up her coat.

  ‘Those helicopters were amazing,’ exclaimed Esme, slipping on to a spare chair just in front of the counter.

  ‘It was an incredible sight,’ chipped in Allie, who was standing behind the counter checking her mobile phone.

  ‘Yes, it’s definitely supplies of food! Rory has just texted me,’ she said, showing her phone to Felicity. ‘They are going to unpack the boxes at Hamish’s. Apparently, all the food has been shipped from the local supermarket in Glensheil.’

  ‘At least that’s one worry off everyone’s minds,’ replied Felicity, before turning towards Esme. ‘I think that cake will be cool now; shall we go and decorate it quickly before your daddy arrives?’

  Esme eagerly nodded and leapt out of the chair, skipping in front of Felicity as she led the way back to the cottage kitchen.

  Fifteen minutes later the cake was oozing with cream and strawberry jam and Esme proudly sprinkled icing sugar on the soft sponge to finish it off.

  ‘It looks absolutely delicious and you are BRILLIANT,’ said Felicity taking the cake into the teashop and placing it on top of the counter. ‘Wait until your daddy sees and tastes that.’

  ‘Did I hear my name being mentioned?’

  Esme squealed and ran to Fergus who lifted her up in the air. ‘You seem to be feeling better,’ he exclaimed in amazement, placing Esme’s feet firmly back on the floor.

  ‘That’s all because of Felicity.’

  ‘Do
es Felicity have a magic wand to make little girls feel better?’ he teased, giving Felicity a warm smile.

  Esme slipped her hand inside Felicity’s and looked up at her with the sweetest smile that melted Felicity’s heart.

  ‘I think I’ve managed to take Esme’s mind off feeling poorly.’ She winked down at the little girl, keeping her secret.

  ‘We’ve baked a cake.’ Esme dropped Felicity’s hand and took hold of her dad’s. She led him to the counter and pointed up at the cake.

  ‘You’ve not made that, have you?’ he teased.

  Esme put her hands playfully on her hips. ‘I have.’

  ‘I can confirm that Esme was chief baker,’ said Felicity, taking the cake down from the counter and placing it carefully into Esme’s hands. ‘Don’t drop it,’ she joked.

  ‘Daddy, you take it.’

  Fergus took the cake from Esme’s hands. ‘Well, I am impressed, very impressed but I have a very important question to ask. Can I be chief taster?’ Fergus kept his face completely serious.

  Esme looked towards Felicity. ‘What do you think?’ she asked before giggling uncontrollably.

  ‘I think your dad will make the perfect chief taster,’ replied Felicity with a wink.

  ‘This has been the best morning ever,’ said Esme, swiping her hands together in a triumphant way then wiping her hands on her pinny. ‘Can I come back and help you in the teashop until I go back to school?’

  Felicity cast her eyes towards Esme then Fergus, and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending more time with Esme, laughing and baking. Her eyes welled up with happy tears.

  ‘I’m sure you can’t be under Felicity’s feet in the teashop.’ Fergus looked down at his daughter.

  ‘She’s a hard worker, I don’t mind in the slightest.’

  ‘I have my own uniform!’ Esme pulled at her apron then tilted her head to one side and gave Fergus a winning smile. He switched his gaze towards Felicity and her heart jolted.

  ‘Well, if it’s all right by Flick and Rona, then it’s okay by me. But you have to promise not to get under anyone’s feet.’