Foxglove Farm

by Christie Barlow

  ‘Bored is what I am,’ said Fergus, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the kitchen table.

  ‘You sound like Drew now. Some people would be glad of time off work.’

  ‘Everyone keeps telling me to rest …’

  ‘And they’ll be right,’ interrupted Isla. ‘You’ve been through the mill.’

  Fergus rolled his eyes and tucked into a sandwich. Nate sat down next to Isla.

  ‘And that rain is coming in again,’ Fergus nodded towards the window. ‘The last time I saw a black cloud like that, all hell broke loose.’

  ‘This weather can’t make its mind up,’ said Isla, pulling the platter of sandwiches towards her. ‘One minute you think spring is on the way and the next, we are being blown across the fields … The joys of living in the Scottish Highlands,’ she added, bouncing Angus up and down on her knee.

  Nate gazed at Angus and then began to play peek-a-boo. Angus chuckled.

  ‘He is a fine chap,’ he said, stretching out his hands to take him from Isla, then quickly retracting them. ‘You don’t want this little one stinking of dung, I didn’t think,’ he grinned.

  ‘Believe me, he’ll be falling into all sorts when he starts toddling, best get him used to the smell now.’ She grinned, remembering the time Finn had started walking around the farm. She handed him over.

  Nate wasn’t awkward at all with Angus in his arms. He handled him well, even Fergus looked impressed.

  ‘You look a natural with kids, mate. Have you any children?’ asked Fergus.

  ‘Me … no … but one day.’

  ‘There’s still time, mate,’ encouraged Fergus. Stuffing another sandwich into his mouth, he pointed at Martha. ‘You are the best sandwich maker,’ he announced.

  ‘Don’t let your mother-in-law-to-be hear you say that,’ said Martha chuckling.

  ‘Or Felicity,’ chipped in Isla, laughing.

  ‘Good point.’

  Finally, Isla heard the clonk of Drew’s crutches on the wooden floor, ‘Here he is.’ Isla glanced up to see Drew in the doorway.

  Immediately, Fergus scraped his chair back and stood up. Without warning he locked Drew in a tight bear hug.

  ‘You had me worried there for a moment,’ said Fergus, his voice trembling.

  Drew exhaled, his eyes misted with tears. ‘Mate, I can’t thank you enough … if it wasn’t for you …’ Drew squeezed his eyes shut, overcome with emotion. ‘I thought I was a gonner.’

  ‘As if I was going to leave you.’ Fergus patted Drew on the back.

  Isla watched the tearful reunion, she too felt all emotional and brushed away a tear that was rolling down her cheek. The boys had known each other for a lifetime, their friendship held the strongest unbreakable bond. It could have all panned out so differently.

  She could be here, grieving with her boys, their life in ruins, losing the man she loved and the father of her boys, but Fergus saved them, he saved them all. As far as Isla was concerned Fergus was a hero, she’d be forever grateful. She stood up and enveloped him in the tightest hug. ‘If it wasn’t for your bravery …’ Isla pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  ‘Drew would have done the same for me,’ said Fergus, looking towards Drew.

  Drew hesitated then grinned, ‘Of course I would, who else would put up with me as a boss?’

  Isla watched as Drew took a moment, then extended his hand towards Nate. ‘Thank you mate. I don’t know who you are or where you’ve come from, but we appreciate you helping us out.’

  Nate gave him a nod and shook his hand. Isla swallowed down a lump in her throat, she felt proud of Drew and remembered all the reasons why she had married him. He’d got himself in a mess trying to protect her, but surely now he realised like she did, that they worked better as a team.

  ‘But as I’m the boss at the minute,’ joked Isla, ‘sit down and let’s eat.’

  Everyone laughed, Martha poured the tea and the mood was jovial.

  Fergus took a bite of his sandwich, ‘Rory said Pete’s coming to shear alpacas?’

  ‘Should have been in a couple of weeks, but he’s coming at the weekend, the fleeces are being transported early next week.’

  Nate spluttered on his drink and Fergus’s immediate reaction was to thump him on his back, ‘You okay, mate?’

  ‘Sorry, sorry, it went down the wrong hole,’ Nate said, still coughing into his hand.

  ‘Here, have this,’ said Isla, pouring him a glass of water and handing it to him.

  Nate took a swig then looked over towards Drew, ‘I thought Rory said it would be in a couple of weeks’ time?’

  ‘He’s had a cancellation and the sooner we get them sheared, the better,’ said Drew. Isla couldn’t agree more, knowing the arrears of the mortgage and the loan would be paid off quicker, which meant she could sleep better at night without worrying.

  ‘Now come on and eat up, otherwise these sandwiches will be curling at the edges,’ Isla pushed the plate to each of them in turn. ‘And Fergus, don’t think you’re sneaking on to the farm, I’ll be watching you. Get yourself home and rest.’

  ‘I kind of get the feeling you are going to be a harder boss to work for when I do come back, compared to this one.’

  ‘You better believe it,’ she joked. ‘I run a very tight ship.’

  Once they’d all finished eating, Isla and Martha began to clear away the plates.

  ‘Shall I go and check on the lambs and then we can make a start on those vans?’ asked Nate, standing up as the rain began pelting against the window. ‘Here we go again, it’s coming down hard, this weather.’

  ‘It was only earlier today I was thinking how colourful everywhere was looking, with the hanging baskets and the daffodils dancing, and now they’ll all be drooping under the weight of this rain,’ said Isla. ‘Clearing out the vans is a good idea in this weather, at least we’ll be under cover. Is that okay with you, Gran?’

  ‘Of course, you go and do what you need to do,’ Martha replied as she took Angus in her arms. His eyes were drooping and he was ready for his afternoon nap.

  Isla was still looking out the window when Nate left through the back door and hurried towards the jutted-out corrugated-plastic roof at the side of the pigsty to shelter from the downpour. Isla noticed his brow was furrowed and he was looking intently at his mobile before putting it to his ear. She could see his mouth moving fast and his hand thrown up in the air. Isla thought this was strange, as only two minutes ago Nate was all calm and smiles, sitting around the kitchen table. His whole demeanour seemed to have changed in a split second.

  Nate moved his weight from one foot to another and looked somewhat shiftily towards the kitchen window. For a split second he caught Isla’s eye and she could have sworn she saw a look of panic cross his face, but as the rain was lashing against the window and blurring her vision, she couldn’t be certain.

  Chapter 27

  As Isla pulled back the barn door, she was fizzing with excitement. This was her first-ever business venture and she was brimming with ideas and plans.

  Nate was back to smiles until Isla handed him a pair of yellow marigolds. ‘You’ll need them,’ she grinned.

  ‘I’m not wearing those,’ he said, looking perturbed.

  ‘You are definitely not in touch with your feminine side, are you?’ she teased, handing him a bucket of water and a sponge before opening the door to the first van.

  ‘Blimey!’ Nate cocked an eyebrow. ‘Is it just my imagination or have these vans never seen the light of day?’ he said, peering inside the first one.

  Isla had to admit, close up they did rather look dilapidated. ‘I’m thinking deluxe prices for the VW campervans … they ooze vintage charm.’

  ‘Deluxe? Vintage charm?’ grinned Nate. ‘I’m not sure those are words I’d use to describe these things.’

  Isla playfully swiped him with a cloth, ‘I’m thinking the smaller vans for ramblers, and the two larger ones for families or larger groups.’

  ‘And when are yo
u hoping to have your first guests in your deluxe vans?’ Nate raised an eyebrow at the hundreds of cobwebs and dead flies hanging in the corners of the vans.

  ‘As soon as possible. I spoke to Julia earlier, she’s turning away guests all the time, so she’s agreed that if she’s full, she will recommend me.’

  ‘There’s no flies on you … unlike this van,’ said Nate, laughing. ‘Come on, we best get cracking.’

  Isla watched in amusement as he pulled on the yellow marigolds.

  ‘And you can take that smirk off your face, I’m not having anyone telling me I’m not in touch with my feminine side.’

  ‘Let’s start with this one,’ said Isla, bumping her shoulder enthusiastically against Nate’s as the water slopped over the side of the bucket. ‘You go first,’ she gestured, then stood behind him.

  ‘Why am I going in first?’ he asked, as Isla peered over his shoulder.

  ‘If I’m truly honest, I’m not that keen on any sort of creepy-crawlies,’ she replied.

  ‘Now she tells me,’ Nate laughed.

  As they stepped inside, the musty smell was intense. Isla placed the bucket on the table and looked around in dismay. She didn’t know where to start.

  ‘Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew,’ she said, feeling a little disheartened.

  ‘We aren’t giving up that easily, I’m not wearing these for the fun of it,’ Nate waggled his hands in the air, causing Isla to laugh.

  ‘But no wonder Drew and Fergus didn’t do anything with them, they need fumigating,’ she added, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

  ‘But how romantic is this?’ swooned Nate, bringing his hand up to his heart and ignoring Isla’s concerns.

  ‘Very romantic, if you want to share your van with a thousand spiders, cobwebs and dead flies,’ shuddered Isla.

  ‘Which we are about to dispose of … Look beyond all that and think of the potential. We’ll soon have this van cleaned up. Think vintage, think bunting … gorgeous soft furnishings, rose-coloured quilted duvets and beautiful fragranced hand soap,’ said Nate.

  ‘Bloody hell, you are in touch with your feminine side – I take it all back,’ Isla laughed.

  ‘You better believe it!’

  As Isla took another look around her thoughts turned towards Drew. She knew she’d hit a blip in her marriage, something she’d never had to deal with before. Having fun and banter alongside Nate whilst cleaning the vans only highlighted the fact that she missed her relationship with Drew. At one time fumigating the vans would have been a fun task she’d undertake with Drew, but over time he seemed to have become more and more focused on the farm, and she on the children.

  It was only now she realised how much she missed the old days, how sacred her marriage vows were, for better or worse. How much she loved Drew. Unfairly to Drew, Isla had always put him up there on a pedestal, but now she understood he was only human, had feelings, his own struggles. They may be going through a difficult period, but he was her life. She’d nearly lost him and never ever wanted to feel that suffocating, devastating feeling ever again.

  Battling with the windows, finally Isla opened them and the air began to circulate.

  ‘It’s actually like a proper miniature house inside,’ said Isla, standing back in amazement, before soaking her sponge in the water. ‘How about we get rid of all these old furnishings, then we can start scrubbing inside and out.’

  They set to work, Isla pulling down the curtains as an explosion of dust mushroomed into the air.

  ‘Oh my God,’ she spluttered then burst out laughing. ‘Look at the state of us already.’ They were both covered head to toe in dust and cobwebs. ‘And what’s that?’ said Isla, her eyes fixating on something long and thin sticking out from under the bed. She screamed and jumped off the floor straight into Nate’s arms.

  ‘What are you doing, you loon?’ he said, smiling.

  ‘There … there,’ she pointed, ‘it’s a mouse’s tail. Don’t put me down,’ she insisted, her heart beating fourteen to the dozen. Breathless, she clung to him, his long arms roped with muscle hanging on to her.

  Nate stepped back for a better viewpoint and howled with laughter. ‘It’s a twig, you eejit!’ he said, gently lowering her to the floor and picking it up.

  She held her hand to her chest, ‘Are you sure?’

  He waved it in front of her eyes, ‘I’m sure.’

  Isla relaxed enough to smile at him then jumped out of her skin as a big spider ran across the floor.

  ‘Steady,’ he said, holding her arm, and Isla told herself firmly to pull herself together.

  For the next hour, they stripped out all the furnishings, washed down all the walls and cupboards, then stood back and admired their work.

  ‘Tea for the workers,’ shouted Martha, as she appeared at the doorway of the van, bearing a tray covered in a gingham cloth.

  Isla threw her sponge down into the bucket. ‘Great timing, Gran.’

  ‘Well, well, well. Look at this … you have been working hard.’

  ‘Thanks Gran. Where’s Angus?’ she asked, peeling off her rubber gloves and taking a biscuit from the tray.

  ‘Sat with Drew,’ answered Martha, handing out mugs of tea before having a proper look around the van. ‘It’s actually quite roomy in here,’ she said in amazement.

  ‘And before I forget, Julia has just rung the farmhouse … you aren’t going to believe this,’ Martha raised her eyebrows with a glint in her eye.

  ‘Go on?’ urged Isla, waiting.

  ‘She’s full the week after next and has passed on your number.’

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ exclaimed Isla, beginning to panic. ‘Look at this place, it’s not in any fit state for anyone to stay in!’ She was filled with trepidation and excitement at the very thought.

  ‘Not yet, but in a couple of weeks it could be. You can do this, Isla,’ said Nate.

  Isla looked towards Nate, did he really think she could pull this off? He gave her a nod of reassurance, ‘If anyone can do this … you can.’

  Isla and Martha exchanged a glance and Isla took a breath. ‘The vans will need to be moved, the toilet block needs to be painted. And we’d need bedding, curtains and cushions … the list is endless.’ Isla’s mood drooped a little. ‘Could I really do this?’

  ‘Yes!’ replied Martha and Nate in unison.

  ‘Now get to it, I’m so proud of you,’ said Martha, gathering up the empty mugs and placing them back on the tray.

  ‘She may not have always been a textbook granny,’ said Isla with a smile, ‘but she’s definitely come back into our lives at the right time. Now get those rubber gloves back on, Nate, and get to work!’

  Nate saluted, ‘Yes boss!’

  For the next hour they scrubbed, rubbed and cleaned everywhere in sight. They lost count of the number of buckets of dirty water they disposed of and the amount of cloths they used, but the pair of them chatted away without a care in the world until Isla let out her second earth-shattering scream of the day. She jumped up, banging her head on the cupboard door.

  ‘What now, not another twig?’ Nate spun round then burst into laughter.

  Poking his head into the van was Charlie the Shetland pony, chewing on the torn material from Isla’s overalls that he’d taken a bite from.

  ‘I think he thinks you are tasty,’ said Nate. ‘A pony of good taste.’

  Isla collapsed into a fit of giggles. ‘Ow … that hurt,’ she exclaimed, rubbing her backside and noticing there was a tear in her overalls.

  Charlie went in for a second bite but Isla moved quickly, pushing Nate, who toppled over and landed on the bed, doubled over in laughter.

  ‘What the hell is going on here?’ Drew was standing in the doorway, looking far from amused.

  ‘Have you seen my bum?’ said Isla seriously, bending over.

  Nate stifled a smirk.

  But Drew gave her a hurtful look before turning and hobbling away on his crutches.

  ‘Drew … wait
… it’s not what you think … it’s just Charlie …’ Isla shouted after him, suddenly feeling guilty, realising how it must have looked to Drew.

  Such bad timing.

  Isla pushed Charlie out of the way and ran towards the courtyard. ‘Drew!’ she shouted, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Low spirited, she walked back towards the barn. She knew she could have checked whether Drew was in the house but Isla didn’t want the situation escalating. She’d let him calm down first and hopefully he’d realise he’d overreacted. Isla knew she was struggling with her own emotions that were yo-yoing up and down. One second she was on a high, thinking she was back on track with Drew, and the next her mood had slumped past her knees. She felt disappointed in Drew. Why would he even think that way of her? In all the time they’d been together, her head had never been turned by any other man. Drew was her life.

  ‘Did you find him?’ asked Nate tentatively as Isla stepped back into the van.

  Isla shook her head, ‘I’ll talk to him later when we’ve finished this,’ she said, picking up her sponge and carrying on with the cleaning. With Drew’s arrival the banter had evaporated; for Isla, the fun had been squeezed out of the task.

  Happily Nate hummed along but the only thing on Isla’s mind was Drew as they continued to spruce up the vans. An hour later Isla was exhausted, but feeling proud, she stood back to admire the now pristine white caravans and the sparkling VW campervans. Once they were towed to the field, she knew they would look perfect in the green grassland, with the stream trickling by, bordered by the old drystone walls. There was something enchanting about it all. The vans gleamed inside and out. And Isla wished Drew was here to share this moment with her.

  ‘I can’t thank you enough for today,’ said Isla, turning towards Nate.

  ‘In a strange kind of way, I’ve enjoyed every second,’ Nate said. ‘But no rest for the wicked,’ he added, looking at this watch. ‘It’s time to milk those cows again.’

  ‘It just doesn’t stop,’ said Isla, swilling out the last bucket of dirty water on the path outside the barn.

  After pushing the ramshackle barn door shut, Isla sauntered towards the cowshed with Nate ambling by her side. She took a swift glance back towards the farmhouse. If the truth be told, in a weird way Isla felt relieved by Drew’s jealous reaction, in fact she felt comforted by it. To her this meant that Drew did still love her, and after the cows were milked she’d go and talk to him.