‘I need to meet them anyway and I’d like to help. I might not be good at any of the practical, renovation-type stuff, but I can help with a bit of the aesthetics, painting around the doors, painting the shop signs. I want this move to work, I can’t go back. Everyone thought I was an idiot for packing up all my worldly goods and moving hundreds of miles away but then they all thought I was an idiot anyway so…’ She shrugged as if she didn’t care what anyone thought, but he could see straight through that bravado. ‘I really want this to work. I want the village to be wonderful again.’
‘I want this village to be a big success too,’ he admitted.
‘Then let’s get started.’ Willow shrugged out of her jacket, clearly meaning to stay for some time.
Andrew stared at her for a moment and, as he got up to get his notebook and pen, he wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or annoyed that he’d opened the door.
* * *
Willow yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
‘Well, I think we’ve made good progress,’ she indicated the list.
Andrew nodded grudgingly. ‘Yeah, it’s quite extensive. But I know a good team who can help me if Kitty and Ken are willing. Thank you for your help.’
She smiled. She wanted to be able to give something worthwhile to the village. She loved making candles, she had a very successful online business and her candles made people happy so she wasn’t going to give that up, but even she could see that pretty candles were not what this village needed right now. So she was pleased to be able to help in some small way. And decorating the houses felt like a step forward too.
‘My pleasure. Right, I think I’m going to call it a night.’
She pulled on her jacket and was surprised to see Andrew slipping his on too.
He saw her surprise. ‘I’ll walk you back.’
She smiled at that gentlemanly gesture, but it was hardly necessary. She had walked home in the dark just fine the night before.
‘I don’t think I’m in fear of being attacked or mugged on my way home.’
‘No, but it’s pitch-black out there and the track is hardly smooth and bump-free. Plus I have a good torch.’
Willow nodded to concede that. She certainly didn’t want to break her ankle and there were parts of the track back to her house that were in almost complete darkness.
‘Oh, and take a cake with you.’ Andrew offered her a large round cake, wrapped up in foil.
‘I’m not going to eat a whole cake on my own.’
‘Take it anyway, I always make too much. You can invite your neighbours round for coffee and cake.’
She took it, a great big heavy slab of a thing, and tucked it under her arm.
They left his house and she noticed he didn’t lock the door behind him.
‘No key?’
‘Ah no, it’s not really that kind of place. You have one for your door, but I don’t think it’s necessary for myself.’
He flicked on his torch and a silvery beam spread over the track in front of them. Without the lights of the city she was so used to, she could see millions of stars in the inky canopy above them, twinkling like tiny crystals.
‘So what’s your story, why are you here?’ Andrew asked.
She didn’t know what to say to that. She wasn’t hung up over her break-up with Garry, she wasn’t pining over him or nursing a broken heart. Breaking up had been the best thing that ever happened to her. But she had come here for a clean slate, to get away from the comments and looks of pity. She certainly didn’t want to bring them with her.
‘I guess I’m here for a fresh start. What about you?’
He shrugged. ‘I suppose we all are.’
They walked on in silence for a while, probably both contemplating their own mistakes and experiences which had led them to being here.
‘That’s Elsie’s house,’ Andrew pointed to the little white cottage which was very badly painted. ‘That’s Joseph’s and that’s Dorothy’s.’
Willow nodded, trying to remember where they all were so she could find them if she needed to in the cold light of day.
She shifted the large cake into her other arm. Then she had a sudden thought.
‘Hang on a second.’
She turned and ran up the little path of Dorothy’s house. It was in complete darkness so she was either tucked up in bed asleep or still in the pub lamenting the loss of her favourite baker.
She placed the cake on the doorstep and ran back to join Andrew.
‘Didn’t want my cake after all?’ Andrew teased.
‘I think Dorothy’s need is greater than mine. She was telling me all about life in the village when she was growing up, especially how much she used to love the baker here and his amazing cakes. I take it we don’t have anything like that amongst the shops that are in use?’
‘We have a knitting shop, a post office, a cheese shop and an art-gallery-type shop. Not exactly huge, pivotal roles in the community. What is it you’ll sell in your shop?’
The stars above them had disappeared as they walked through the trees and Willow cringed a bit in the darkness. ‘I’m a candlemaker. Sadly, nothing huge or pivotal, I’m afraid.’
‘Ah, I didn’t mean…’
‘It’s OK, I know what you meant.’
‘Everyone has their role to play in the community, I’m sure you’ll be a valuable part of it,’ Andrew said, clearly trying to make her feel better about her contribution.
She didn’t have time to think about what she could offer the village as just then she saw Andrew stumble, the torch smashed into the ground and everything went black.
Eight
‘Andrew?’ Willow said, frozen in the darkness.
Silence. It was completely and utterly black here, the moon and stars above them not penetrating through the trees.
‘Andrew!’ Her voice was higher, filled with anxiety.
A groan came from nearby and she quickly rushed over towards the source of the sound, and then went flying as she tripped over him and landed with a thud on her front.
‘Crap, are you OK?’ Andrew said and she heard him feel around with his hand for her before it landed on her bum.
‘I’m OK, are you?’ Willow asked, frowning slightly that his hand was still on her bum. Either he hadn’t realised or he didn’t care. She really hoped he wasn’t the sort to try to take advantage of this situation.
‘I’m fine, I think,’ Andrew said, moving his hand around in what he probably hoped was a comforting way but he was now stroking her bum.
Suddenly he must have realised where his hand was because he snatched it away as if he had been burned.
‘Sorry.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘No it isn’t. I would never—’
‘I know, don’t worry.’ She rolled over and sat up. ‘Can you stand?’
She heard him shuffle around and grunt and then, judging from the sound of his breathing, he was clearly standing up.
‘Here, give me your hand,’ Andrew said, from somewhere above her.
She reached out and quite obviously grabbed him in the groin.
‘Ah sorry,’ Willow said.
She heard him chuckle and then burst out laughing and she started laughing too. This whole thing was completely ridiculous.
She clambered to her feet herself and realised that she was standing just inches away from him. She could feel his warmth, smell his wonderful tangy scent. The laughter died in her throat.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, clearly needing some connection with her in the darkness.
‘Sorry about all this, I just tripped over. I think we still have quite a way to go to get to your house, so we really need to find that torch. Unless you have one of your candles stashed about your person?’
‘And a means to light it,’ Willow said. ‘Sadly I don’t but if we can find our way to mine I can provide you with a lantern to get you back home. I don’t even have my phone with me as I left it to charge. I think that
torch is probably ruined, it looked like it smashed before the light went out. Look, there’s a clearing up ahead, it’s a lot brighter there and I can hear the sea so we can’t be that far away. We can make it.’
‘OK, hold my hand,’ Andrew instructed and her heart leapt a little as the warmth of his hand enveloped hers. They moved forward tentatively together, feeling around the ground with their feet for anything else that might trip them up as they inched towards the clearing. Finally they made their way out of the trees, and they could see Willow’s little cottage standing on the cliff tops ahead of them, glinting in the moonlight.
She smiled as Andrew continued to hold her hand as they picked their way down the rest of the track.
Andrew walked her right up to her door.
‘Here, let me get you a lantern to get back home,’ Willow said, letting go of his hand to push open the door. She flicked on the light and went to one box, pulling out a small copper lantern with a large white candle inside. These were very popular with her online customers, having that antique feel. She lit the candle and then closed the little glass door, before returning to Andrew who was still waiting on her doorstep. In the light of the house she could see he had a leaf in his hair and, without thinking, she reached up to remove it.
He stared down at her and, for the briefest of seconds, there was this… spark between them before he stepped back into the shadows.
‘Thanks for this,’ he held up the lantern.
‘No problem,’ she said, watching him as he walked out the gate. ‘And Andrew?’
He turned back to face her.
‘You might want to add some kind of lighting down that track to your massive list.’
She watched him smile and nod and then he disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
After a shower followed by breakfast outside in her garden the next day, Willow went off into the village to have a look at her new shop.
At the fork in the road, just outside the pub, there seemed to be quite the gathering of villagers, huddled together, with Dorothy holding court in the middle.
‘It was just there this morning when I got up, no note, no explanation. And let me tell you, it was the most delicious rhubarb cake I have ever tasted. Tangy and moist and fresh.’
‘Who do you think left it there?’ Julia asked, her pink candyfloss hair wobbling as she talked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Dorothy said smiling, although she looked like she had a fair idea.
‘Maybe it was Connor,’ Liz said. She nodded her head towards the pub. ‘He knows his way around the kitchen and some of his puddings in there are divine.’
‘Why would Connor leave me a cake?’ Dorothy said, rolling her eyes at the stupid suggestion. ‘I’m old enough to be his mother.’
Willow wondered if she should step forward and admit it was her but Dorothy seemed so excited by the mystery of it all that maybe she should keep her guessing for a bit longer.
‘Why does it have to have anything to do with age?’ Roger said, today sporting a dashing yellow polka-dot tie.
‘Because I think it was a token of love,’ Dorothy said, her face beaming.
Willow couldn’t help but smile at this wonderful optimism.
‘Maybe it was one of the newbies,’ Julia said, practically, clearly dismissing the love theory.
‘Maybe it was Andrew,’ Liz suggested. ‘I saw him carrying a load of rhubarb from the castle yesterday.’
‘Maybe Andrew is in love with you,’ Roger teased.
‘Andrew is not in love with me,’ Dorothy snapped.
‘Look, there’s Willow,’ Julia pointed in her direction. ‘She lives in Sunrise Cottage near you. It could easily be her.’
All eyes swivelled in Willow’s direction.
‘It wasn’t her, I know who it was,’ Dorothy insisted.
‘Ask her,’ Liz said.
Dorothy huffed. ‘Fine, I’ll ask her. Willy, Willy dear. Did you make me a cake?’
Willow moved closer to the group, ignoring the fact that Dorothy had got her name wrong again. She didn’t like lying but she could answer that question with complete honesty. ‘God no, I’m shocking in the kitchen. I couldn’t bake a cake if Jamie Oliver was standing next to me and telling me how to do it.’
‘Oooh, I like that Jamie Oliver,’ Liz said.
‘Give me Gordon Ramsay any day,’ Julia said, fanning herself.
‘I prefer that Paul Hollywood, with his twinkly eyes,’ Roger said.
‘See, it wasn’t Willy,’ Dorothy said, trying to bring the conversation back round to the mystery cake.
‘Who do you think it was?’ Willow asked.
‘I think it was Joseph,’ Dorothy said, dreamily.
‘Joseph?’ Julia said in surprise. ‘Why would Joseph leave you a cake?’
‘Because we grew up here together. He moved away, I got married, he got married, but I think he’s always had a thing for me. Now he’s back and we’re both young, free and single again, maybe he’s decided to make his move.’
‘Well, not exactly young,’ muttered Roger, which Dorothy clearly heard and decided to ignore.
‘His house is just opposite mine, so it would be very easy to leave the cake there. And I think he’s been giving me the eye.’
‘That’s probably cataracts,’ Liz said and Roger snorted.
‘Plus his grandfather owned the bakery here, I bet Sam must have showed him a thing or two about cakes growing up,’ Dorothy carried on regardless.
‘I still think it was Andrew,’ Liz said. ‘Everyone knows how kind he is. He probably heard you moaning on about wanting a bakery in the village and decided to make you the cake.’
‘I was not moaning,’ Dorothy snapped.
Right on cue, Andrew roared into the village on his quad bike. Willow wondered how the villagers would react to him ruining their tranquil little haven with the noise of its engine but he had clearly already won them over with his charm and likeability. If this was a cartoon, love hearts would be coming from all of their eyes.
‘Why don’t we ask him?’ Willow said, hoping he would play along.
Julia waved him down and he came to a stop and cut the engine.
‘Andrew dear, how are you?’ Liz fussed around him, removing imaginary bits of fluff.
‘I’m fine, thanks Liz.’
‘Did you have company last night?’ Julia said, her eyebrows wiggling mischievously. ‘I was walking my Colin and Rufus down the little lane behind your house and I could hear you laughing and talking with a girl.’
Willow frowned slightly. That was a little creepy.
‘Yes, I did,’ Andrew said, vaguely.
‘A friend or someone special?’ Julia asked.
He grinned at the digging; clearly he was used to this kind of attention.
‘I think I’d have to say both.’
Willow smiled at that.
‘Andrew,’ Willow said, meaningfully. ‘Someone left a cake on Dorothy’s doorstep last night. Do you know anything about it?’
Andrew hesitated for a fraction of a second before he shook his head.
‘No, sorry, as Julia already pointed out, I was entertaining my guest until late last night.’
They all collectively oooohed.
‘That kind of night, was it?’ Roger laughed, clapping Andrew on the back.
‘It was a good night, but I definitely didn’t have time to go about the village leaving cakes on people’s doorsteps,’ Andrew said.
‘See, I told you it wasn’t Andrew,’ Dorothy said.
‘Dorothy hopes it was Joseph,’ Julia said.
Andrew smiled. ‘Really?’
‘I think it’s his subtle way of letting me know he has feelings for me,’ Dorothy said, knowledgably.
‘Well maybe you should subtly let him know that you have feelings for him too,’ Andrew said.
‘Oh, I couldn’t do that,’ Dorothy said, suddenly blushing.
‘Maybe you could leave him a gift,’ Willow said, l
oving the way this was unexpectedly going.
Dorothy clearly thought about this. ‘Maybe I could.’
Willow smiled. A glimmer of an idea was forming in her head. She needed to talk to Andrew about it but maybe this could be the very thing that Happiness needed.
* * *
Andrew drove his quad bike towards the castle. He had agreed to meet Willow at the entrance at one and they were going to meet Kitty and Ken together. He was glad she was coming with him, he was a little nervous about asking for so much money in one go, but if this open day was going to be a big success then it had to be done. As he rounded the corner and came up to the castle entrance, he smiled when he saw that Willow was waiting for him.
He didn’t know what mischief she was up to with the cake she had left for Dorothy and then pretending she didn’t know who had left it there, but there was one thing for sure: this girl was going to be trouble.
He liked her. Willow was sunshine personified. She sparkled with her over-the-top exuberance. He liked her honesty too.
He pulled to a stop in front of her and she climbed on behind him without any hesitation, wrapping her legs and arms around him. The warmth from her spread inside him like drinking a hot cup of tea on a cold day.
‘Have you had a productive morning in your shop?’ Andrew asked, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the noise of the engine as he drove through the castle gates. ‘Or have you been too busy causing mischief and mayhem?’
‘How dare you,’ she laughed. ‘I am a very righteous and upstanding member of this community.’
‘Of course you are,’ Andrew said, dryly.
‘You’ll be pleased to know, I’ve been in my shop all morning and not spoken to anyone since you roared off on your quad bike after that impromptu village meeting. I’ve cleaned the shop from top to bottom and this afternoon I’ll be ready to move some of my stock in.’
‘Do you have a lot of stock?’
‘Not with me, it’s on its way. I have enough to make an impressive window display but it won’t take me long to start making some more, once the rest of the stock arrives. It’s exciting really, this is the first time I’ll have my own shop. Everything I’ve sold before has been online so I’ve never had to think about displays before. But I thought the main attraction of my shop could be that tourists might want to watch me work. Some of the candles are quite elaborate to make and I thought any visitors to the village might be interested in seeing the process. So I’m going to set up a workshop area in the middle of the shop to make my candles and visitors can browse the shelves and watch me work too. If nothing else, I will have a proper area to work in to sell my online stuff. Before I came here I made all my candles in a shed in the back garden.’
The Little Village of Happiness: A gorgeous uplifting romantic comedy to escape with this summer Page 6