Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited Book 1)

by Lucy Daniels

  Mandy felt slightly breathless as she walked with Maurice back to the cottage. From a dream of rescued animals enjoying the view across the meadow, suddenly she was discussing dimensions and building materials.

  ‘Will you come in for coffee?’ she said as they crossed the back garden.

  ‘That would be lovely,’ Maurice replied, and kicking off their boots, they went inside. Mandy put some milk into the microwave to heat up and when the coffee was ready, they sat down at the kitchen table.

  Maurice pulled out some brochures for ready-made outbuildings and laid them in front of Mandy. ‘What sort of timescale would you be looking at?’ He picked up his mug and took a sip.

  Outside the window, Mandy saw Adam’s car draw up. He had been out on what was hopefully the last call of the day. Mandy hoped it had gone well. ‘I’m not sure yet,’ she replied as the back door swung open. ‘It isn’t just up to me.’

  Adam pulled off his boots and walked into the kitchen. He glanced from Mandy to Maurice and then at the brochures before turning his gaze back to Mandy.

  ‘What isn’t just up to you?’ His voice was steady, but there was a deeper line than usual between his eyebrows that warned Mandy not to be flippant. She could feel herself going red. She hadn’t said anything to her father about Maurice coming. It had been Paul who had spoken to his friend and, somehow, everything had happened faster than she had intended.

  ‘The rescue centre,’ she said. ‘Dad, this is Maurice Frederick. He’s a friend of Paul’s from York. He’s an architect specialising in low-profile commercial properties. Paul suggested he come over and have a look around.’

  ‘Did he?’ Adam’s frown deepened. ‘Well, it’s very good of you to come, Mr Frederick, but I think you might be on a wild-goose chase. We haven’t made any firm decisions as to whether there is even going to be a rescue centre.’

  ‘Oh.’ Maurice looked from Adam to Mandy, eyebrows raised.

  ‘Mr Frederick, meet my father, Adam Hope,’ Mandy said, and the architect got to his feet and held out his hand. To Mandy’s relief, her dad did at least shake hands, though his smile was perfunctory.

  ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Adam told Mandy. ‘I’ll be in the sitting room. I’d like to talk to you when you’ve finished.’ He nodded to Maurice and stalked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  Mandy’s legs felt weak and she sank back into her chair. When she glanced up, the architect was looking at her sympathetically.

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘I know everything is still only at the planning stage. Paul told me and I didn’t make a special visit here, I was out this way already. I’ll make some preliminary plans based on what we’ve talked about, and if and when you want to move on, give me a ring, okay?’ He walked round the table and patted her on the shoulder. ‘I’d better be off,’ he said. ‘Friday afternoon traffic.’ He smiled. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’ Sketching a wave, he opened the back door and stepped outside.

  For a moment, Mandy was alone with her thoughts, then she stood up and walked into the sitting room. Adam was in his chair, a newspaper propped in front of him.

  ‘Dad?’ The newspaper dropped.

  ‘Mandy?’ His voice was cool.

  ‘Why did you have to embarrass me like that?’ Mandy stared at her father. ‘That man was a friend of Paul’s and he was doing me a favour. He already knew nothing was definite.’ To her dismay, she realised her legs were trembling.

  ‘It didn’t sound like that,’ her father replied. ‘If I hadn’t come in …’

  ‘If you hadn’t come in, nothing would have happened.’ Mandy tried to keep her voice as expressionless as his. ‘He came over as a friend. I wanted to hear what he had to say.’

  ‘We talked about this before.’ Adam’s voice remained quiet, but she could hear the anger behind his words. ‘You can’t keep going off half-cocked. Any new venture needs to be properly planned. Not only that, your mum and I have spent many years building up Animal Ark. It belongs to all of us. Any new projects must be discussed. You can’t waltz in and start making solo decisions.’

  ‘I wasn’t,’ Mandy said hotly. ‘And …’ There were so many things she wanted to say. This project was so important to her. Last time she had spoken to her father about the rescue centre, he had told her she had to do some preparation. Now here she was, trying to do some, and he’d blown her off again. ‘Oh, never mind,’ she snapped, glaring at him, willing him to soften.

  Adam shook his head. ‘Just talk to us,’ he said. ‘That’s all I ask.’ He lifted his newspaper back in front of his face.

  Mandy studied the rug on the floor, then with a last glance at her dad, she walked out of the room and headed upstairs.

  She had been planning to go to Leeds this evening. She might as well head off now, she thought. There was no work waiting to be done. Throwing her toothbrush and some clean clothes into her overnight bag, she was soon on the road. She hadn’t felt as if she had missed Leeds at all, but suddenly it felt like a refuge.

  When Simon opened his front door, she clung to him. His arms reached around her and he patted her back – as if she were a troubled Labrador, she thought.

  ‘Hello, you,’ he said, sounding surprised. ‘I wasn’t expecting you till much later.’

  Mandy hung there, wondering what to say. She could hardly tell him the truth about why she was early. She wanted to discuss her new ideas at an appropriate moment, perhaps over dinner.

  ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway.’ Simon saved her from having to reply. ‘Since you’re early, we should be in time to catch the crowd. They were heading out to the Master Don. Would that be okay?’

  The Master Don was a stylish new bar in the east end of Leeds. Mandy had been there a few times with the younger staff from Thurston’s. It would be fun to see them again. There would be plenty of time to talk to Simon later.

  ‘Sounds good,’ she said. ‘Just let me get changed.’ Running upstairs, she pulled a new bright red shirt from her bag and slipped it on. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she was pleased with the way it showed the curve of her waist and set off her pale blonde hair.

  Simon raised his eyebrows when she came back down. ‘Interesting choice,’ he said. ‘I certainly won’t lose you in the shadows.’ He paused, looking down at the bunch of keys he had grabbed from the hall table. ‘Shall I drive, or should we take the bus and get a taxi home?’

  ‘Bus and taxi, I think,’ said Mandy. ‘That way, we can both have a drink.’ Perhaps, if everything went well, they would drink something bubbly to celebrate their new joint venture. Breathless, she reached out and hugged Simon again.

  ‘What was that for?’ he asked. ‘Not that I’m complaining …’

  ‘Just …’ Mandy stopped. ‘Just because,’ she said.

  The Master Don was filled with chat and music. Displaying his usual sixth sense, Simon led Mandy to the furthest corner from the entrance, straight to where their friends were sitting.

  Momal spotted them and waved as they emerged from the scrum. ‘Mandy!’ she called. ‘How lovely to see you.’

  Jenny beckoned to them. ‘Come and sit down,’ she said, shuffling up the bench seat to make room. Mandy slid into the booth and Simon sat down on the far side of the table. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and looked around.

  ‘Anyone for a drink?’ he said. There were nods from everyone. Having sorted out two fresh orange and lemonades, a pint of Special and a gin and tonic, he deposited the laden tray on the table and sat back down.

  ‘Just the four of you tonight?’ he asked, looking round the table.

  Saloni took a sip of her juice. ‘Peter’s on call,’ she said. ‘Samantha will be along shortly.’

  Simon raised his eyebrows. ‘Did she cope with rewiring that jaw?’ he asked.

  ‘She was finishing up when I left,’ said Jenny. ‘Not that the owners seemed grateful. They were just annoyed by how much it was going to cost. They should think themselves lucky they managed to find a
vet who would tackle it at all.’

  Simon nodded. ‘In the old days, that cat would have been put to sleep,’ he said. ‘If I had my own practice …’ he glanced at Mandy, ‘… I’d encourage all my owners to take out decent insurance for a start.’ Lifting his pint, he took a long draught.

  Solani made a face. ‘Too many people don’t think about how they’re going to pay their fees when they get a pet. Especially cats. Remember that woman last week?’ She looked along the table. ‘The one whose Siamese had jumped from the fifth-floor balcony? “I thought there wouldn’t be any vet’s bills because the cat couldn’t go outside,” she said.’

  ‘Yes.’ Jenny pulled a face. ‘Poor cat had to be euthanased. You were quite willing to try surgery on its hind legs, weren’t you?’ She looked at Simon.

  ‘I was.’ Simon ran one hand through his fair hair. ‘It was just a young thing. Probably would have healed well.’

  ‘I guess tower blocks aren’t something I have to think about any more.’ Mandy couldn’t help but feel a bit out of touch. A few weeks ago, she would have been in the thick of the conversation. Now, though she was interested to hear what had been happening with her former colleagues, it no longer felt so personal.

  ‘Hello there!’ A voice sounded from a couple of feet away. Mandy turned to see Samantha approaching. ‘How are you, stranger?’

  ‘I’m fine, thanks.’ To her embarrassment, Mandy noticed that Samantha was wearing the same shirt she was. Although she had been pleased with herself earlier, she couldn’t help thinking it looked better on Samantha’s curvy, doll-like proportions.

  Samantha flicked her long black hair over her shoulder and patted Simon’s arm. ‘Shove up, Si.’

  He grinned up at the newcomer. ‘Always so polite,’ he said, and shuffled along the bench to make more room. Mandy tried to suck her hips in as she squashed up against Jenny.

  Samantha squeezed in, tucking her bag under the table. ‘Good job I didn’t eat that extra sandwich at lunch,’ she joked, smoothing her slim thighs.

  ‘How did your jaw go?’ David looked at Samantha over his gin and tonic.

  ‘So-so,’ she replied, wrinkling her nose. ‘It took ages to get the wire tight enough to be stable, and it was awkward getting the angle because of the root of the canine. And then it took ages to stitch the gum.’ She twisted a paper napkin on the table in front of her, and Mandy felt a stab of sympathy. She knew what it was like to have a frustrating surgery where you just couldn’t do your best for the animal.

  ‘I don’t know how you manage with that tiny see-through thread,’ Momal said. ‘I can hardly see where the stitches are by the time you’ve finished.’

  Mandy had finished her drink. She found herself wishing that Samantha had offered to buy a round before sitting down. Apart from her, nobody seemed to have drunk much.

  ‘Anyone want a refill?’ she asked.

  ‘Not yet.’ David was only halfway through his.

  Jenny smiled. ‘Thanks anyway.’

  ‘You must have been thirsty,’ Samantha teased.

  Mandy tried to grin but it felt like she was just baring her teeth. Of course she was drinking faster than the others. They were all talking about things that had happened at Thurston’s. She couldn’t exactly chip in about Sam Western’s lame cow or the possibly – but possibly not – neglected sheep in Lamb’s Wood.

  Across the table, Simon was deep in conversation with Solani. Mandy looked down at her empty glass, wondering if she could go to the bar to buy a drink only for herself, but it seemed rude. Beside her, Jenny was talking to David. Her eyes wandered to the next table. Two men were sitting across from one another hand in hand. Mandy suddenly wished that James and Paul were here. They wouldn’t forget to talk to her. When she looked back round, Simon was watching her and when he caught her eye, he leaned forward.

  ‘Would you like to go somewhere quieter?’ he suggested. ‘I know we have a lot to talk about.’

  Mandy beamed at him. ‘That would be great.’

  They struggled up from the crowded bench and said their goodbyes. Samantha made a big show of sliding into the space that Simon left behind. ‘Just keep telling yourself it’s all muscle,’ she told him, reaching up to pat his waist.

  Mandy raised her eyebrows. ‘Simon’s not fat!’ she exclaimed.

  Simon looked from one to the other. ‘Ladies, ladies. Much as I love being fought over, even a sturdy chap like me needs to eat. Come on, Mands.’ He put his hand on her back and ushered her to the door.

  ‘Phew, that was busier than I expected,’ he puffed as they emerged in the fresh air. ‘Now, my long-legged girl, could I interest you in a table at the Talisman?’

  Mandy frowned. ‘We won’t get a table,’ she said. ‘Not on a Friday night.’

  ‘You underestimate me.’ Simon looked pleased with himself. ‘I’ve already booked.’

  Mandy reached up and kissed his cheek. Sitting in the Master Don, she had been wondering if they would be stuck there all night, but for once, he had surprised her. And in a few minutes, she would be able to surprise him.

  ‘To us!’ Simon held up his glass. He had chosen an expensive Sancerre, which Mandy privately thought tasted like elderflower cordial. They had decided against starters and Mandy had ordered salad with a red onion and goats’ cheese tart for her main course. Unlike Samantha, she had had several sandwiches for lunch.

  Mandy raised her own glass, then took a sip. ‘To us,’ she said and took a deep breath. There would never be a better time than now. ‘I’ve been thinking,’ she said, ‘about your clinic and my animal rescue centre.’

  ‘Oh yes?’ Simon smiled. His eyes were warm in the candlelight. The waitress appeared with their plates. ‘Thank you,’ Simon murmured as she set his meal down.

  Mandy waited for the waitress to leave before ploughing on. ‘You know we’ve been talking about property in Leeds,’ she said, ‘and how expensive it’s going to be …’ Simon looked at her expectantly. ‘Well,’ Mandy went on, ‘I think I might have found an answer.’

  Simon held his knife and fork over his chicken breast.

  ‘How would you feel,’ Mandy said, ‘if I could get my parents to donate some of the land behind Animal Ark and I could build the rescue centre there?’

  Simon blinked. ‘A rescue centre at Animal Ark? But what about our clinic? What about us? Have I done something wrong?’

  Mandy shook her head. ‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘It’s just we … I hadn’t realised how much a clinic in Leeds would cost. It will take ages to get started with animal rescue if we go ahead here, and you’ll have to wait a bit with your orthopaedics, too.’

  Simon put down his knife and fork. ‘But we’ve been planning this for ages.’ There was a cold light in his eyes. ‘What has made you change your mind?’

  Mandy grasped the stem of her glass with a hand that was shaking slightly. She hadn’t changed her mind. It was he who had been pushing forward with his ideas, never giving her a chance to tell him what she wanted to do.

  ‘My mind hasn’t changed,’ she said. ‘I know we talked about working together in Leeds, but when we started discussing it, it was all way in the future. When I moved to Welford, you wanted to bring everything forward, but it seemed a bit soon. I’d always thought we’d have more time to save up.’

  She could see the muscles working in Simon’s jaw, but she pushed on. ‘Setting up the rescue centre at Animal Ark wouldn’t just save us money, either. It would mean I’d have my parents close by for support. Going back to Welford has shown me how much I love working with them, and how much it means to them for me to be close by.’

  ‘You’d have me for support wherever we were,’ Simon pointed out tightly. ‘Am I supposed to take over your parents’ practice for my clinic, then?’

  Mandy felt herself going red. ‘Of course not. Instead of Leeds, we could set up your clinic in York.’

  ‘York?’ Simon’s frown deepened. ‘Why would that be better than here?’

 
‘It’s close enough that we could run both projects together and live in Welford. Paul even suggested a name for my centre …’

  ‘Paul?’ Simon’s eyes bored into her. ‘What on earth has Paul got to do with this?’

  There was a tight feeling in Mandy’s chest. ‘I was talking to him and James about the clinic,’ she said, thinking back to their joyous, fizzing conversation. ‘It was James who suggested if we wanted to have a rescue centre as well as a clinic, we could set up in both York and Welford.’

  ‘Really?’ Simon’s voice was suddenly filled with anger. ‘You’d rather talk to random people in Welford instead of coming to me if you weren’t happy?’

  I wasn’t unhappy! And James and Paul aren’t random people! Mandy was shocked by his change in tone. ‘James isn’t random,’ she objected. ‘He’s one of my best friends.’

  ‘But I was here if you needed me. On the end of the phone. Why didn’t you come to me instead of him?’

  ‘I didn’t go to him,’ Mandy protested. ‘I started telling him about the clinic. James wants the best for both of us. He asked me about the rescue centre and I said it was going to have to wait. He made a suggestion that would allow both of us to have what we wanted.’

  ‘But we had talked about our plans.’ Simon’s voice had become quieter, though Mandy could hear the underlying chill. She had to lean forward to hear him. ‘I thought we wanted the same things. Are you saying that you wanted something different all along?’

  ‘No, of course not. But I …’ Mandy stopped. She had always wanted to open a rescue centre. She had never hidden it from him. He was twisting her words.

  Simon was shaking his head. ‘I don’t think we should talk about it here,’ he said. ‘Even if you like sharing our plans with all and sundry, I don’t think our fellow diners want to hear.’ He picked up his knife and fork and began cutting up his chicken.