Wooing the Farmer

by Jenny Frame

  Fortunately, her uncle had wanted her to be prepared. He’d taught her how to take care of her aunt in the event of an epileptic fit.

  Quade quickly got behind Penny, put her head in her lap, and held her arms so they could not flail any more. “How long have you been like this?” She had to phone the doctor. She managed to get her phone out while holding Penny’s arms together with one hand.

  “Dr. McTavish? Can you come quickly? Ms. Huntingdon-Stewart is fitting, and she has injuries.”

  When she hung up the phone she noticed a patch of blood on the side of Penny’s head, and her heart sank.

  Dougal and Princess sat at Penny’s feet looking as worried as Quade felt. Penny’s jerky movements calmed, allowing Quade to cradle her head. She wanted to make Penny feel as safe as possible when she came around.

  So she stroked her hair and said, “It’s okay, Penny. You’re not alone. I’m with you, Dougal and Princess are with you. You’re safe. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

  Penny looked so fragile like this, and Quade wanted to protect her from the world. She just prayed that she hadn’t hit her head too hard.

  * * *

  Penny became aware of voices, but she couldn’t understand the words. Then the fear started to sink in. It had happened again, and the terror made her heart beat wildly. Her eyes sprang open.

  The first thing she saw was Quade. Quade was talking to her calmly and stroking her head. The words were garbled, but the tone was calming. Everything about Quade’s demeanour was calming. Penny’s heart and her breathing started to slow, and she gradually made sense of Quade’s words.

  “You’re safe. I’ll keep you safe, I promise,” Quade said.

  The strange thing was, Penny believed her. The strong certainty in Quade’s eyes and voice made her believe.

  “The doctor’s coming. Just lie still.”

  This was the part of her condition she hated most. It wasn’t even the injuries or the dangers that frightened her so much, it was waking up surrounded by people, often strangers, not understanding what they were saying, feeling impotent, embarrassed, terrified, at the mercy of others, out of control. At her weakest.

  “Keep looking at me, Penny, and breathe slowly. You’re safe,” Quade said.

  She felt different. The impotence, the weakness, wasn’t as bad when it was Quade who held her. She trusted Quade would take care of her. Penny didn’t even feel that when her family helped her after fitting.

  That couldn’t be right. Could it?

  Princess and Dougal ran up to her, and both licked her face. Quade smiled at her and said, “You see? We’re all here.”

  That gave her a warm feeling inside. We are all here. She had structured her life as an I, an island separated from others, to keep them away from her weakness.

  This was a strange, comforting feeling. The comfort was soon replaced by pain when she tried to move.

  “Hey, don’t move until Dr. McTavish gets here,” Quade said.

  Penny groaned in pain and was finally able to form words. “Up.” She tried to push herself up but her head spun.

  Quade eased her down. “Stay still. The doctor’s just arrived.”

  Penny heard a car door shut, and the crunch of gravel underfoot. Her fear and frustration started to gather again. Quade must have felt her tension because she smiled and said, “It’ll be all right. I’m here.”

  She saw the concerned face of Dr. McTavish loom over her. “Ms. Huntington-Stewart? It’s Dr. McTavish. I’m just going to look you over.”

  * * *

  Quade watched with concern as the doctor checked Penny over. Dougal and Princess sat by her feet, equally concerned. She couldn’t describe the panic and fear she had experienced when she found Penny fitting. It had been a long time since she had seen her aunt’s epilepsy, but Penny’s appeared to be more severe.

  It was clearly dangerous for her to live in isolation, and yet she pushed everyone away who tried to help. Quade made a promise to herself, that she wasn’t going to let Penny push her away, no matter how hard she tried.

  The doctor finally waved her over and said, “I don’t think there’s a concussion, but I’d be happier if someone stayed with her overnight.”

  “I’ll do that,” Quade said immediately.

  “No,” Penny said firmly, but Quade ignored her.

  Dr. McTavish looked between them with concern. “Well, if we could get you upstairs to bed, I’ll dress your injuries.”

  Quade immediately picked Penny up in her arms and walked inside.

  “Put down.” Penny struggled in her arms.

  “You’re wobbly, and you’re going to bed,” Quade said firmly.

  A look of panic came over Penny. “No one in my bedroom.”

  Penny sounded confused, as if she had difficulty forming words. But Quade remembered Penny saying that before. No one goes in my bedroom.

  She thought it a strange thing to say at the time, and now when she was unwell, even stranger. Quade knew she was private, fiercely independent, but the look of fear on her face was worrying.

  “I’ll take you in and leave you with the doctor,” Quade conceded.

  “No…” Penny said.

  But Quade just walked through the door and felt Penny tense up like a board. She placed Penny down on the bed and her eyes were drawn to the bedside table, where there were boxes and boxes of medications waiting for Penny. She then looked down at Penny and saw the medical necklace around her neck.

  Everything made sense to Quade. These medications, this condition ruled Penny’s life. It made her stubborn and led her to push people away. She was terrified of being defined by her condition, and Quade could understand that.

  Quade looked into Penny’s eyes. “You’re not going to push me away. I’ll leave you with the doctor.”

  When Quade went downstairs, she called Tom and asked him to make sure the animals were cared for while she was staying here overnight.

  She went to the kitchen and started to make a pot of tea. The kitchen was cluttered with cameras and lighting equipment. She had no idea how Penny coped with all this herself. She saw a notepad on the kitchen counter. There were some notes, ideas for videos, but at the top it said, Why am I here? To feel better, to get the feel of country life, make some interesting country inspired meals.

  “To get a feel for country life? That’s a laugh. She’s only been in the village once, and that was to meet Bridge.”

  She was interrupted by the doctor coming downstairs. “How is she, Doctor?”

  “Bloody stubborn, if you’ll excuse the language.”

  Quade chuckled. “That sounds like her.”

  “Her wounds are superficial, and luckily she didn’t bite her tongue too badly, although there was a lot of blood. Her speech is still slow, and she has some of her normal after-seizure problems, but other than that, okay, considering.”

  “Thanks, Doctor. I’ll make sure she’s all right.”

  Dr. McTavish picked up his bag and said, “She insists she’s staying alone tonight.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be here,” Quade said. I can be as stubborn as she is.

  * * *

  Penny’s head was pounding with pain, and fuzzy. She hated the disorientated feeling in her head more than the pain. It was frustrating, but she was determined. So she pushed herself up with one hand, so she could rest her head against the headboard.

  “Oh God, my head.” She rubbed her temples and cursed how much this was going to hold her back. It usually took three or four days until she was back to normal, so she wouldn’t be able to make any vlogs for at least a week.

  Penny nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

  “Penny, it’s me.”

  Quade. She’d assumed she’d left with the doctor. She was backed into a corner. It was bad enough that Quade had carried her into her bedroom, but now she was back.

  “I’m okay. Go,” she managed to force her brain to say.

  But
Quade just walked in with the two dogs, carrying a tray with tea. Penny froze, and her chest tightened with panic. She’s in my bedroom, she’s in my bedroom.

  Princess jumped up on the bed, and Dougal followed suit. She was surrounded.

  “We wondered how you were, and thought we’d bring you tea,” Quade said.

  Why the we thing? Why did she keep saying that? She was never a we.

  “Don’t need tea. Go home,” Penny struggled to say.

  Quade put the tea tray down on the dressing table and turned to her, arms crossed. “Unless you can get out of that bed and throw me out, I’m staying, so get used to it.”

  Penny felt fire in her belly, but she didn’t have the energy or wherewithal to fight Quade at the moment. She watched Quade pour out tea from the pot and add milk.

  “Drink this up and you’ll feel a bit better. I even found your weird nut milk in the fridge.”

  “Not weird,” Penny snapped.

  Quade smiled and brought the cup over to put on her bedside table. Penny nearly died with embarrassment when she realized her open copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover was lying there. Quade stalled while looking at it for a few seconds, cleared her throat, and then moved it to the side to put the tea down.

  “Dr. McTavish says you’re going to be okay. You just need to rest.”

  Princess moved on top of her lap, and Dougal licked her hand. She sighed inwardly. Why did everyone have to be so bloody nice?

  “I’ll call Harry and let her know what happened—”

  “No,” Penny said firmly.

  “But I can’t keep it from Harry and Bridge—they’re your friends. Besides, I was meant to be meeting Harry. She’ll wonder where I am,” Quade said.

  Penny summoned up all her energy to form the sentence she needed to say. “No, Harry will tell my parents. They’ll come and—need space here. Please, Quade?”

  Quade was silent for a few seconds and said, “Okay, I’ll ask her not to call your parents. She won’t if I explain.”

  It was so frustrating not being in full control of your body. If she had the energy, she would be up getting Quade out of her bedroom. Instead she could hardly lift herself up in bed. She had no control over who Quade told or what she did. Penny hated what this condition did to her.

  Quade poured her own tea, and Penny watched with horror as Quade put about five teaspoons of sugar into it. She took a sip and scrunched up her face slightly. “What kind of tea is this you have? It doesn’t taste normal.”

  Penny smiled at Quade’s displeasure. “Earl Grey.”

  “Bloody hell. Don’t you eat or drink anything normal?” Quade said, then gave her a wink.

  Penny chose to ignore the comment, clearly meant to rile her up.

  “Drink your tea then. It’ll do you good,” Quade said.

  Penny didn’t want to admit that she couldn’t, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Her right arm went numb after a fit, and it was pretty debilitating.

  “I can’t reach. My arm’s numb, won’t move,” Penny said.

  Quade’s eyes went wide with panic and she put down her tea. “Did you tell the doctor? I can ask him to come back.”

  “No, you don’t need to. I told him. It one of the after-effects I always get. It stays for a couple of days.”

  Penny waited for the look of pity in Quade’s eyes, the look everyone gave. She dreaded it, but it never came. All she saw in Quade’s eyes was concern.

  Quade walked over, lifted the cup of tea, and put it in her good hand. “Here you go. Anything else you need me to do, just give me a shout.”

  Penny took a sip of tea and it did make her feel better. After a fit the displaced feeling she got was horrible, but eating and drinking, something so everyday, brought her back to the present.

  Quade walked to the door and said, “I’ll just go and get some wood, get the fire going in here, okay?”

  “Why?” Penny asked.

  “Why what? A fire?”

  Penny tried hard to articulate her frustration. “Why do you have to be so helpful?”

  Quade looked slightly confused. “It’s who I am. I’m going to look after you and make sure you’re okay, until you can kick me out.”

  Penny groaned inwardly. Quade wasn’t going to leave her alone, was she. Any other woman would give their left leg to be waited on hand and foot by a gorgeous butch like Quade, but the nicer, the kinder she was, just made it more difficult to find that flaw she was looking for.

  In the space of a day, Quade had gotten into her bedroom. Her most private space. No one ever got in here, but Quade had just bulldozed in, determined to take care of her. Usually someone as good looking as Quade was full of themselves, and it was easy to find that flaw, that excuse to not let anyone close, but she doubted Quade even knew she was so good looking.

  Maybe she should just go back to London when she felt strong enough. Then finding a flaw wouldn’t matter. Yes, that was a plan.

  Chapter Eight

  Annie was on her knees snipping some chives from the kitchen garden she had planted in their large greenhouse. Her flowers and plants here in the greenhouse were her way of relaxing. The formal gardens outside this space were the territory of the Axedale gardeners, but this was her responsibility. In this temperature regulated greenhouse, she could grow her herbs all year round.

  She snipped some more chives and put them in her basket at the side. Annie heard the greenhouse doors open and Harry’s voice say, “Annie?”

  “I’m over here, sweetheart.” Harry walked over and was looking concerned. “I thought you were meeting Quade?”

  “She just called. Penny’s had an epileptic fit. She found her earlier.”

  Annie got up immediately and brushed down her jeans. “Is she all right? We better get up there.”

  “Quade said she didn’t want anyone to see. She made Quade promise that she would tell me not to call her mother,” Harry said.

  Annie put her hands on her hips. “I know you said she’s very private, but not letting her mother know?”

  Harry shrugged. “She came here from her parents’ house. Penny had been staying there since she got out of hospital the last time.”

  “Hmm. Maybe she feels she’s been looked after enough.” Annie walked into Harry’s arms.

  Harry leaned her head on top of Annie’s and sighed. “I promised her brother I’d look after her.”

  “Has the doctor been to see her?” Annie asked.

  “Yes. Dr. McTavish didn’t think she needed to go to hospital. It was a less severe attack.”

  “At least that’s something. Is Quade still with her?”

  Harry kissed the top of her head. “Yes, Penny insisted that she leave but Quade refused. She’s going to stay overnight.”

  “Really?” Again Annie wondered if Quade had the beginnings of a crush on Penny. “There must be something we can do.”

  Harry pulled back and said, “Quade was worried about what she could give her to eat. I think Penny’s clean food philosophy confuses her. What am I talking about? It confuses me.”

  Annie chuckled and kissed Harry on the lips. “I know, but it doesn’t confuse me. That’s how we can help. I’ll make a few meals up for them, and you can take them up to Quade.”

  “Perfect idea. Thanks, darling.”

  * * *

  Penny fell asleep late afternoon, and so Quade went downstairs in search of some food for the dogs. As usual, Princess followed her every move. Quade looked through all the cupboards and was mostly mystified by the contents. The cupboards had lots of different herbs and spices, and some bottles labelled Penny’s Kitchen No Salt Seasoning.

  Quade stared at it. How could you eat food without salt? There would be no flavour. She shook her head and finally found what looked like boxes of dry dog food.

  She lifted one out and saw Harrods printed on the box. “Bloody hell. You’re going to be eating posh food tonight, pal.”

  Both dogs sat at her feet panting excitedly. Penny had to
ld her that Princess got the dry dog food with meat on top, and she could find the meat in the fridge. Quade opened the fridge and found it was more packed with fruit and vegetables than she had ever seen. “She likes her veggies.”

  The only vegetables Quade tolerated were potatoes, peas, and carrots with her roast dinner on a Sunday. She moved the packets out of the way, expecting to find some fancy pouches of wet dog food, but instead she found a storage container marked Princess, and it was full of beautiful pieces of chicken breast.

  “Hmm, only the best for you, Princess. Hope you don’t mind sharing with Dougal.”

  Quade made up the meals and put them down for the dogs. Dougal was wolfing his down. It was a treat for him to have fresh chicken breast.

  “Take it easy, Dougal,” Quade said with a smile.

  She loved to see Dougal happy, and he seemed to be happier since he met Princess. Then she realized that she felt happier since she’d met Penny and Princess. In these past few weeks she’d never thought about being lonely once. In fact she’d felt like she had a purpose, a reason to get up every day, and that reason was Penny. Despite the fact that Penny rebuffed her help at every turn, helping Penny was her purpose.

  Quade remembered finding Penny convulsing, blood running from her mouth. Her stomach had felt dread like it had never done before. She knew she wasn’t in Penny’s league, but Quade promised herself that she would convince Penny that she needed a friend, and Quade was the one for the job.

  She heard a knock at the door. Quade opened the door to find Harry laden with bags.

  “Hi, Harry, come in.”

  Harry walked in and put the bags on the dining room table. “Annie made some meals for Penny. All you have to do is heat them in the microwave for six minutes, she says.”

  Quade let out a sigh of relief. “I’ve been worried about that. I thought I could make her toast, and that was the end of my ideas. There’s so many things she doesn’t eat.”