A Springtime Affair

by Katie Fforde

  ‘Well, now you come to mention it, his best mate from forever, who I still haven’t met, is newly single. You might be just the person to make him happy again.’

  ‘I might be! Now tell me all about him.’

  Helena realised she’d made an error. She knew very little about James apart from his name and that he and Jago went way back. She also knew he liked football and lager, neither of which was going to make him sound attractive to Amy.

  ‘To be honest, I don’t know anything – hardly anything – except he’s a mate of Jago’s.’

  ‘Men do sometimes have very peculiar friends and if they’re not peculiar they can be quite ugly.’

  ‘They can.’

  ‘So we look him up on Facebook,’ said Amy. ‘Where’s my laptop?’

  There were an awful lot of people with the same name as Jago’s friend so Amy suggested they looked up Jago – in fact she had done it almost before Helena had realised her intention.

  Helena wasn’t really happy with what Amy was doing – it felt like prying. She and Jago had no secrets between them and somehow looking him up on Facebook without asking felt wrong. But she knew an open objection, or a protest that she didn’t want to, would just encourage Amy in her investigations so she yawned instead.

  ‘I don’t know about you, Amy, but I’m done in. Can we do all this detective work tomorrow? Or maybe when we’re back home? We’ve got another very long day tomorrow and then we have to drive home.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Amy, looking disappointed. ‘I expect you’re right.’

  ‘And tomorrow is another day – you might meet the man of your dreams IRL – In Real Life,’ Helena added with emphasis, just in case Amy was too tired to understand the initials.

  ‘Yeah, right. I could meet a sheep farmer who knits his own hot-water-bottle covers out of old birds’ nests – how sexy is that?’

  ‘I think that could be perfectly sexy. But right now I need a shower and bed.’

  She also wanted time alone so she could think about Jago uninterrupted.

  The following day was similar to the first. There was lots of meeting up with old friends as well as new people coming along, asking tentative questions. Amy and Helena decided to arrange a few more workshops as so many people seemed keen to learn from them. They also wanted to know how to create the wall hangings Helena had made principally because they were relatively quick to make compared to the gossamer-fine silk scarves she had produced for Springtime, which looked so beautiful and took so long.

  As they’d sold everything except the wall hangings that had attracted so much attention, they decided to pack up early. Helena was longing to get back to Jago although she didn’t confess this to Amy. It didn’t seem fair when Amy had no one.

  Helena had always felt perfectly contented without a man in her life. She hadn’t felt incomplete, or in need of validation, or lonely, but now she had found love (she’d stopped pretending it was anything other than love) she felt this incredible happiness. And while she appeared to be the same, a normal, hardworking woman, in her head she thought of nothing but Jago. She hadn’t believed such love was possible – at least for her.

  And because she was so happy she wanted Amy to be as happy, and so she resolved to introduce her to Jago’s friend James as soon as she could. It was unlikely they would be as perfect for each other as she and Jago, but they might go on a few enjoyable dates. It could be fun for all for them.

  Jago must have come out of the house the moment he heard Helena’s car arrive in the yard. It was nine o’clock at night – Helena had taken Amy home on the way back from the show – and she was exhausted. But her heart lifted the moment she saw Jago’s frame coming towards the car. She opened her window and he leaned into it as if he wanted to pull out through it into his arms.

  His kiss, his smell, the feeling of his cheek rough against hers made her weak with longing.

  ‘Let me get out!’ she protested, frustrated by the limitations of their situation.

  She almost fell into his arms and he held her so tight she couldn’t breathe – she didn’t want to breathe – she just wanted to stay in his arms forever and ever.

  But eventually she pulled free. ‘Maybe we should get into the house?’

  ‘Of course,’ he said apologetically, ‘it’s just I’ve missed you so much. Are you hungry?’

  The kitchen was warm and full of savoury smells and Helena realised how happy it made her just to be in it. ‘I know this isn’t the most top-end finished kitchen in the world,’ she said, ‘but it’s welcoming and spacious and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’

  ‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ said Jago, taking something out of the oven. ‘I was hoping there were other rooms in this house that you like.’

  She smiled at him, hoping she didn’t look quite as soppy as she felt. ‘I like lots of rooms.’

  ‘Just as well. Now you sit there. I’m about to feed you and give you wine.’

  ‘Amy and I drank a bit too much last night,’ said Helena, taking the large glass he offered her. She took a sip. ‘But it wasn’t anything like as nice as this.’

  ‘This is a special bottle – to celebrate your return.’

  ‘Jago! I was only away two nights.’

  ‘I know. But I missed you. Now, how hungry are you?’

  ‘Very.’

  As they ate they discussed the show. ‘So it was a success? Worth all the work?’ said Jago, dipping bread into the gravy of the chicken tagine.

  ‘Absolutely. Loads of old friends came to see us and enough new ones to make doing a few more workshops definitely worthwhile.’

  ‘How did the wall hangings go down?’

  ‘Brilliantly! Everyone loved them! And lots of people want workshops to learn how to make them. Which will work well as they are comparatively quick.’ She put down her fork. ‘They didn’t actually sell, of course, but hey!’

  Jago laughed. ‘Tell me when you’ve nearly finished – I have a surprise for you.’

  ‘A nice one?’

  ‘I think so.’

  ‘Well, I don’t think I can eat much more. I’m too tired.’

  ‘Pudding? Sticky toffee? Bought the best brand.’

  ‘Not now and I was brought up to believe that sugar at bedtime made me hyperactive.’

  Jago laughed again. ‘Maybe I should force-feed you some …’

  ‘I’m sure that’s not required,’ said Helena primly, looking up at him, no longer caring if he could tell exactly how much in love with him she was.

  He went over to the kitchen timer. ‘I’ve set it for ten minutes. When it rings you’re to come upstairs. Tell me when you’re on the landing.’

  ‘Supposing I fall asleep while I’m waiting?’

  ‘The timer will wake you and if it doesn’t I’ll come down and pour cold water on you! There’s a crossword there I haven’t been able to finish. Do that to keep yourself awake.’

  Helena felt she might have nodded off for a few moments but as Jago had predicted, the timer woke her. She got up to turn it off and then, as instructed, went up the stairs.

  ‘I’m here!’

  Jago appeared. ‘Now shut your eyes, I’m going to guide you.’

  He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘Now, about three paces forward – now to the left …’

  She went where she was directed and was suddenly hit by warm, moist air smelling of lavender.

  ‘You can open your eyes now!’

  She was in the bathroom, but where before there’d just been a shower in the corner and not much else, now there was a bath full of hot, scented water and around the bath and on every surface were candles. There was no other light.

  ‘Oh my God! This is so beautiful!’ she said.

  ‘It took me all weekend to put the bath in but I was determined to do it for you.’

  ‘But I thought you had a big job you had to finish.’

  ‘I have and I will finish it soon, but this took priority. Do you like it?’

 
; ‘I absolutely love it, but I feel guilty that you took time away from your work to do this for me.’

  ‘As they say in the adverts, you’re worth it.’

  She put her arms round his neck and pulled down his head so she could kiss him. ‘Thank you so, so much. You are so kind!’

  ‘Let me add to my kindness and help you get your clothes off so you can get in,’ said Jago.

  ‘Only if I can help you with yours.’

  Eventually they had to get out of the bath as the water was cold but Jago had found somewhere to heat a huge bath sheet that he wrapped round her. Then he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He lowered her to the bed and she had time to notice that there were clean sheets, dried in the open air, before he joined her. She felt she had never been so happy before in her life and certainly never had she been so in love.

  It wasn’t until they were having breakfast the next morning – early as Jago had to go to work – that Helena remembered to ask him about James. ‘Amy is desperate to meet your newly single friend. Do you think he’d be up for that?’ She didn’t add that being so happy herself made her want to spread the joy.

  He finished his mouthful, looking at her thoughtfully. ‘Actually, my single friend is longing to meet you, too. He wants to check you out, make sure you’re good enough for me. And Amy’s a nice, jolly girl; I’m sure they’d get on well.’

  ‘A jolly girl? You think Amy is a jolly girl?’

  ‘Anything wrong with that?’

  ‘Not really, it’s just not very – I don’t know – it’s not how women like to be thought of.’

  Jago shrugged. ‘Nothing wrong with jolly,’ he said. ‘Currently I’m too besotted by another woman to be able to see her best friend as sexy or beautiful or any of those things. She is pretty though, I’ll give her that.’

  ‘Big of you! Do you want the marmalade?’

  ‘Please.’

  ‘So, what shall we do? Have them both to dinner?’ She chewed her lip at the thought. It would be rather high pressure.

  He shook his head. ‘Let’s keep it low-key. James will want to get a good look at you – he’s quite protective of his old mucker – and I think it would be better if we went to a nice wine bar that does food so we can stay on and eat if we want to, but all go home early if it’s a disaster.’

  ‘That sounds great. No cooking or tidying involved.’

  He gave her a heart-stopping grin. ‘I think in American films in the fifties they called it “double-dating”.’

  Helena giggled. ‘And me and Amy can go to the powder room to compare notes halfway through and say, “I don’t fancy yours much.”’

  ‘Perfect! I’ll ask James. But if he says yes, can I leave it to you to set up, find somewhere nice? I’ve got so much on.’

  ‘Of course! I’d like to do that.’

  ‘You are a wonderful woman. Do you know that?’ Then he gave her a toast-and-marmalade kiss and went to work.

  A little later, Helena decided to go and see her mother. Gilly would want to hear about World of Wool anyway, and because she was Helena’s mother, she’d have to put up with hearing how wonderful Jago was. But she was going to call first and make sure it was convenient.

  ‘Mum? Only me. Can I come over?’

  ‘Of course you can, darling. But why are you asking first?’

  ‘You know why, Mum. I didn’t want to disturb you if you had a friend with you.’

  ‘I’m quite alone at the moment.’

  It occurred to Helena that her mother sounded particularly upbeat and cheerful. Was it possible that she was in love too? Were she and her mother about to compare notes on their beloveds? The thought gave her mixed feelings. She was delighted, of course, but really, you didn’t want to think about your mother – any parent really – having a sex life. It was weird.

  Helena had never thought she’d feel about anyone as she felt about Jago. She didn’t believe in that kind of love. But here she was, on cloud nine, mentally skipping about in the sky. For her mother to be in the same condition was just a bit mind-blowing.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Gilly put the kettle on when she’d disconnected from Helena. She felt the situation called for real coffee and freshly ground beans. Although it was still early days in her and William’s relationship she felt a bit guilty that they still hadn’t told Daphne or any of their friends about it. Helena knew, of course. And she should probably tell Martin although she felt certain that her son and Cressida would not be pleased.

  She would talk to William the next time he called. Although mostly she let him do all the getting in touch (she was horribly old-fashioned), now she sent him a text to say that Helena was coming for coffee but that she probably wouldn’t stay past ten or eleven. Helena, she realised, now kept builders’ hours which meant she started early.

  When Helena breezed through the back door a little later, Gilly’s mother’s heart soared with joy to see her daughter so happy. But a part of her was doubtful. She had had that madly-in-love glow herself when she had first been with her now ex-husband.

  ‘Oh, Mum!’ said Helena. ‘You’ve made real coffee. Are there B & B guests here?’

  Gilly laughed. ‘Do I only make coffee when I’ve got paying guests?’

  ‘Well, you know. But I’m not complaining. And shortbread! I’ve just had breakfast but I’m still starving for some reason.’

  ‘I can’t imagine what that would be,’ muttered Gilly, smiling to herself. ‘So how did World of Wool go? As successful as ever?’

  ‘Pretty much,’ said Helena, blowing crumbs. ‘Everyone loved my wall hangings. Not enough to actually buy them of course – after all, at do’s like that people make their own wall art – but I’m going to run workshops showing how to make them so they will have been worthwhile.’

  ‘It was worth doing them then. After all, courses are the gift that goes on giving. You can only sell a wall hanging once.’ Gilly didn’t join her daughter in eating the shortbread, she was a bit sick of it.

  ‘Deffo. But, Mum, the best bit was when I came home!’

  ‘Really?’ Gilly was fairly confident that Helena wasn’t going to give her a kiss-by-kiss account of her nocturnal exploits but she was just slightly anxious.

  ‘You know I have to keep coming round here to have a proper bath?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, Jago spent the whole weekend putting a proper tub into the bathroom that just had a shower in it. It was amazing! He’d cooked the most brilliant chicken tagine and then he made me wait downstairs until the pinger went. Then I had to go upstairs and he led me into the bathroom. He’d put candles everywhere and some gorgeous lavender bath oil and it was lovely.’

  ‘Oh, darling, how thoughtful! You’re absolutely sure he’s not gay?’

  ‘Yes! But it meant he’s now behind with his work and he was so brilliant when I was working so hard, doing all the cooking and stuff, I’m determined to do the same for him.’ She paused and made a face. ‘But the trouble is, he’s a brilliant cook and I’m not. I’m hoping you can give me some foolproof recipes.’

  ‘Of course I can. And you can cook perfectly well; you just lack confidence.’

  ‘I’ll need a recipe for crumble, your cheese scones, soup – all the lovely comforting things that you make.’

  ‘Those are the things that I don’t really have recipes for, but I’ll do my best. I’ve never seen you like this, Helly.’

  ‘I know. I’ve never been like this before. Being in love is just so blissful, isn’t it?’

  Gilly sighed. ‘Yes, it is. The trouble is, you can’t just decide to feel like that. Some people seem able to fall in love all the time. I’m not like that.’ She realised she had never loved Leo, she had just been flattered by his attention and had enjoyed all her friends envying her.

  ‘I don’t think I am either,’ said Helena, ‘or it would have happened before now.’

  Gilly nodded.

  ‘And are you in love now, Mum?’ aske
d Helena.

  Gilly nodded again. ‘Yes, I think I am.’

  Helena came round the table and hugged her mother. ‘Long may it last,’ she said.

  ‘Indeed!’ said Gilly, wondering if she would ever stop worrying about her children. She couldn’t bear to see Helena’s heart broken now.

  ‘Thank goodness you’re back!’ said Helena when Jago came into the house later that evening, ridiculously pleased to see him again.

  ‘Why? What’s wrong?’ He looked worried.

  She laughed. ‘Nothing really. Supper’s ready when you are.’

  She had come home from her mother’s laden with supplies including a stew from Gilly’s freezer (currently bubbling away), a box of broken shortbread, some frozen rhubarb (not turned into a crumble), recipes and a big bundle of herbs from the garden.

  When she’d done most of her paperwork required to follow up after World of Wool, emailed several people about workshops, tidied the house and put some tools in a more sensible place, she set about finding somewhere nice for the ‘double date’ that was in prospect.

  She had found a lovely wine bar, not too far away, with good reviews and parking, then ran it past Amy. This instigated a phone call that went on for some time but at least they had agreed a couple of possible dates and when they finally disconnected Helena felt she could text James with the dates and venue details. And all the time she worked she thought about Jago.

  Now, he kissed her fondly and lingeringly. ‘I’ll just grab a quick shower first, then I’ll be down.’

  The following Sunday evening they were in Helena’s car. Jago was driving. They’d tossed for it.

  ‘I’m quite nervous!’ said Helena as she fiddled with Google Maps on her phone although they knew the way.

  Jago glanced at her. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because James may not like me!’

  ‘I like you. Isn’t that enough?’

  Suddenly it wasn’t. She needed him to tell her he loved her. He’d certainly shown her this was the case but now she needed the words. She wouldn’t ask though. ‘You know how it is. Your best friend! I’d have been miserable if Amy didn’t like you and I was desperately upset when I thought my mother was getting together with Leo.’