The Bluebell Castle Collection

by Sarah Bennett

  She held up her hands in surrender. ‘I’ll think about it, all right? I’m not making any promises though.’ His delighted chuckle followed her out of the room.

  *

  The next few days passed in a blur of activity, giving her little time to do as she’d promised her uncle and properly think about her feelings for Will. More quotes were coming in, and Iggy was steadily filling the various tasks to be done. When she wasn’t signing contracts and making phone calls, she was out and about. Will had become so absorbed in his water garden project, he was leaving her more or less to her own devices.

  Her normal responsibilities hadn’t disappeared either, and she’d spent the previous afternoon over at Tumbledown farm helping them with some emergency repairs to one of their feeder systems. The chute had clogged-not for the first time-and she’d been happy to lend a hand. A small-holding like the farms they leased out ran on a tight budget, so if a bit of elbow grease and time could solve a problem then everyone pitched in Between all of that, she’d had no free time to think about anything other than crossing off the next item on her to-do list.

  It was Friday morning before she finally eked out a couple of hours to work in the garden herself, spending the morning finishing the clipping and clearing around the fountain near the entrance to the maze. The contractors were making good progress, and had made it about a quarter of the way around the twisting mass of hedges.

  The promised heatwave from the weather forecast had also arrived, and with a high-pressure system sitting firm over the country, looked set to stay for the forthcoming days.

  Conscious of Mrs W’s dire warnings, Iggy had bound her hair in a knot at her nape and kept a floppy straw hat firmly in place all day. The long-sleeved cotton shirt she wore might have protected her skin from the worst of the sun’s rays, but it now clung unpleasantly to every inch of her upper body, the thin vest she’d worn beneath it equally saturated. Her feet in her work boots felt like two boiled hams, and all Iggy wanted to do was stand beneath a cold shower for the next hour. Unfortunately, she had a meeting with the local tree surgeon who was coming to survey the walking routes they’d planned through the woods, so that was going to have to wait. Tugging off her hat, she freed the sticky strands of her fringe which had glued themselves to her forehead and used the brim of the hat as a fan to try and cool her skin.

  The fanning didn’t do much to relieve the heat, so she plopped the hat back on, wincing a little at the clammy feel of the soaked inner band. Helping herself to one of the remaining bottles of water in the cold box tucked into the shadows of a thick hedge, she tucked another couple under her arm and ventured into the first section of the maze towards the relentless buzz of a hedge trimmer. Making sure to keep well out of the way, Iggy stepped into Davy’s sightline and held up one of the bottles of water. His broad, tanned face broke into a grin beneath the Perspex face shield attached to his hard hat and the trimmer fell blessedly silent. ‘You must be a mind-reader!’ he said, stepping down from the sturdy trestle bench and placing the trimmer on top of it.

  ‘How are you getting on?’ she asked, waiting patiently for the contractor to strip off his protective gear before she handed him the bottle.

  ‘Not bad, not bad at all,’ he said between deep swallows of water. ‘Simon?’ He raised his voice, turning to call his son who was working deeper within the maze. ‘Drink break!’

  Sweaty and red-faced beneath his tan, a grinning Simon appeared from around the junction. Not bothering to remove his gear, he settled for tipping up his own face guard before tilting the bottle Iggy handed him and draining half the contents in a series of gulps. ‘I needed that, thanks, Iggy.’ A little shyer than his more outgoing father, there was still a hint of hesitancy in his use of her first name.

  Never really one for formalities, it made even less sense to her to stand on ceremony when these men would be working with her for several weeks. ‘You’re welcome. There’s still another couple of bottles in the box, so I’ll leave it for you and come and pick it up later.’

  Davy shook his head. ‘No need to bother with that, we’ll drop it off on the steps of castle when we’ve finished for the day.’

  Delighted at his consideration, Iggy smiled in thanks. ‘If you’re sure, that would be a great help.’

  ‘Consider it done. You’re finishing up, are you?’

  ‘If only. I’m meeting the tree man in a few minutes to begin a survey of the woods.’

  Finishing his water, Davy gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘You’re really going to town with all this work, aren’t you?’

  ‘It’s past time we got everything sorted. It’s just such a shame so much was left to run wild.’

  He nodded. ‘It is, at that, but don’t you worry, we’ll see you right between us.’

  ‘If all my other contractors are as reliable as you, Davy, it’ll be a breeze.’ She could tell her words had pleased him from the way he ducked his head a little, but it was no more than the truth. Now he and Simon were up and running, she was confident they could be left to their own devices.

  ‘We can’t wait to see the place back to its full glory. My wife’s already been asking when we can buy tickets to the grand opening.’

  ‘You’ll be getting a guest invitation, along with everyone else who helps us, but that is a good point. I’ll have to check with Arthur and find out what’s going on with the website.’

  ‘Well, you let us know and we’ll spread the word. It’s an honour for us that you picked our firm, and will be a real boost to the community to have a grand site such as this open to the public.’

  ‘I certainly hope that will be the case.’ Iggy took their empty bottles ready to stow them back in the cool box so they could go in the recycling later. ‘By the way, if you know any other local firms who might be interested in bidding on the works we’re doing, feel free to pass on their details. I desperately need some landscapers to help with all the planting.’ She ran a quick mental tally of the other jobs on her list. ‘And a firm of bricklayers, a stonemason and a contractor to renew all the gravel pathways.’

  ‘My brother-in-law is a general builder. He’s got all his health and safety certifications, same as us, and plenty of references. I won’t expect any favours for him, of course, but I’ll have a word with him tonight and if he’s interested, I’ll get him to send you an email with his details, if that’s all right?’

  Iggy nodded. The repairs to the brick beds and walls of the apothecary’s garden could easily be handled by a small firm, and it would be nice to support as many local businesses as possible. ‘Great, thanks, Davy.’ She checked her watch. ‘Right, I’ll be off. Sure, you’re okay here?’

  ‘Don’t worry about us. We’ll keep going until six, and then be back again at eight in the morning.’ He swatted at a fly that was buzzing around his head. ‘It’ll be a good few days yet before we’re finished with this blasted maze, assuming we don’t get lost in it, that is.’

  She laughed. ‘You’ll have to tie a piece of string to follow once you get further in.’

  ‘Might just do that.’

  *

  Her meeting with the tree surgeon lasted for about an hour, and although she was grateful for the shade, the humid heat felt trapped beneath the trees and the small of her back was soon soaked with a fresh layer of sweat. By the time she’d left him to continue his survey in peace, the need to cool off was pressing. On a whim, she headed further away from the castle and down towards the lake.

  It was a relief when she finally broke through the trees near the edge of the lake. A gentle breeze-barely enough to stir the leaves on the canopy behind them-sent a welcome puff of cooler air over her skin. Hands on hips, she stared out over the water. The mirror-smooth surface reflected the afternoon sun, and it was too tempting to resist.

  Sitting down on a fallen log, Iggy unlaced her boots and dragged off her thick socks, draping them over the wood beside her to dry off. Checking over her shoulder, she saw no sign of anyone around, so she tur
ned her attention back to the lake once more and strode down to the edge.

  Bull rushes lined the banks, and she had to weave through their tall stems to reach the waterline. The first touch of cool water against her toes was so heavenly she sighed in contentment. Knowing the edge of the lake sloped down gently for the first couple of feet, she waded in until she could stand up to her ankles.

  As though they’d been waiting for her mind to be still for a moment, memories of Will kissing her came flooding back. The weight of a phantom grip settled about her hips, and Iggy rested her hands there as though she expected to feel the warm strength of Will’s fingers beneath her own. Though he’d only touched her that once, it was like the memory of his hands might be burned into her psyche forever. What am I going to do about him? Her uncle was right; ignoring it wasn’t going to make the problem go away. Stripping off her shirt, Iggy tossed it towards the bank then sank down on her haunches in the blessedly cool water to think.

  Chapter 13

  Will stretched his aching back with a sigh, his eyes scanning over the figures on his laptop screen one last time. The final price he’d been waiting for had come in half an hour earlier and he’d slotted it into the pricing spreadsheet before giving everything a final read-through. Satisfied he had included enough detail, he saved the file, attached it to an email and sent it to both Arthur and Igraine. Snapping down the lid of his laptop with a contented smile, he decided to stretch his legs after a long day hunched at the desk in his bedroom.

  He told himself he wasn’t looking for Igraine, right up until the moment his steps veered from the path that would lead him down to the stand of poplars and the open ground beyond where he’d pinned all his hopes, and he turned instead into the formal gardens. Following the sounds of a noisy duet being played on a couple of hedge trimmers, he entered the maze, frustrated to find only the father-and-son contractors Igraine had hired. They pointed him towards the woods, and it was only then he recalled she had an appointment with the tree surgeons.

  Abandoning any pretence he was just out for a stroll, Will retraced his steps back towards the castle and struck out a new path down towards the woods. He hadn’t had much time to explore this part of the grounds as it wasn’t within his remit, so he could kill two birds with one stone. A stillness settled over the air as he walked beneath the dappled canopy of the trees and into a wonderland of sights, sounds and scents. The path beneath his feet was well compacted in the centre, the edges ill-defined where moss and creepy undergrowth fought a never-ending battle to reclaim the spaces where people had walked for years-centuries most likely from the deep groove which had been worn into the land.

  The sound of birds chirping and calling filled the air, and he caught the odd rustle in the grass, a flash of grey brown as he disturbed a rabbit and sent it streaking away into the trees. Oak, ash and beech trees towered overhead, the lower spaces claimed by elder, rowan and patches of thick brambles just beginning to show a hint of the berries which would laden the bushes later in the season. Heat sat thick and heavy, the leaves trapping in the moist air until he felt the back of his shirt begin to dampen and stick to his skin, and he was grateful to be wearing a loose pair of cargo shorts, rather than the heavier jeans he favoured when working outside.

  Other than the sounds of nature surrounding him, the woods were quiet. No voices carried through the still air, no sounds of feet other than his own swishing through the grass and undergrowth. Deciding it was pointless to keep searching for Igraine and the tree surgeons, he let his feet carry him where they would until he found the remains of an overgrown path leading off the main walkway. Curious, he tramped through the grass until he came across a domed structure in the landscape-too regular and out of keeping with the landscape around it to be anything other than manmade.

  The path led to a locked iron gate. Pressing close to the metal bars, Will studied the short slope leading down to a thick wooden door. If it hadn’t been for the arch of bricks surrounding the door, he might have thought he’d discovered a hobbit hole for that’s what it reminded him of with its thick layer of grass-topped soil covering the structure. Intrigued, he walked around the mound. About halfway round he spotted a glimmer of blue through the surrounding trees and things clicked into place. He must be close to the lake which bordered one edge of the woods. He glanced back over his shoulder, realising the structure must be an old ice house. Before modern refrigeration, it had been common for grand estates such as the castle to build ice houses beside their lakes. Ice could be cut from the lake in winter and stored deep underground. The thick layers of soil and grass piled overhead provided insulation so the temperature could be maintained regardless of the time of year.

  Turning back towards the lake, Will tried to judge the distance from the water. It was far enough to make him glad he hadn’t been one of the poor sods who’d had to cut and lug great blocks of ice in the dead of winter to fill the ice house in its heyday. The sound of splashing from the water lured him down through the trees towards the bank, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight before him.

  Hair slicked down her back like a mermaid, Igraine was cutting through the water in strong, confident strokes. No delicate dog-paddling for her, like the way his mum had swum at the local pool when she’d taken him swimming as a kid. He’d always found it odd the way she craned her neck up, trying not to get her hair wet when diving under the water had always been the best bit in his opinion.

  The remains of a wooden jetty stretched out into the lake in front of him, a remnant from the ice-cutting days, he supposed. Though the planks didn’t look too bad, he decided he wouldn’t try his luck with them and instead circled around the bank until he found the spot where the main path through the woods opened up. A pair of boots and socks sitting on a nearby log told him this was the place Igraine had entered the water and he sat down beside them to tug off his trainers and the short liner socks beneath.

  Hands in his pockets he edged into the water, keeping an eye on the sandy bottom beneath his toes. A darker shadow appeared a foot or so in front of him, and he stopped, assuming that was where the bank fell away. He glanced up to see Igraine had spotted him and was moving towards him in a graceful breaststroke that sent ripples across the lake behind her.

  She stopped a little way from him, hands sculling at her sides. ‘What are you doing here?’ There was no censure in her tone, only a curiosity.

  ‘I heard you were skiving off, so I came to find you,’ he teased.

  Laughing, she scooped a handful of water at him before tipping her head back until her hair floated free like dark strands of seaweed. ‘Can you blame me, when the water is so lovely?’

  It wasn’t only the water that was lovely. Her dark vest and shorts clung to her skin, outlining her curves, and as she floated back in the water, he spotted bright flashes of pillar-box red. Igraine had always struck him as the sensible type of woman, and as he watched her scarlet-tipped toes fluttering in the water, it felt like he’d learned a new secret about her. ‘It does look very tempting,’ he said, layering a double meaning into his words.

  Igraine let her body drop back under the water, her hands stirring at her sides the only movement as she studied him for a long moment. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking behind the smooth mask of her features, so when she said, ‘Well, you’d better come in and join me then,’ he all but stumbled back in surprise.

  It didn’t take him long to recover, not when those pretty pink lips of hers spread into a delicious smile of invitation and she kicked her legs to propel herself backwards into the water. Yes, she might have invited him to join her, but he was still going to have to work to catch her. Taking a couple of steps back to give himself room, Will charged forward into the shallow water, raising his hands over his head to dive in as the edge fell away. Her shriek of delight reached his ears before being muffled by the water closing over his head, and when he surfaced it was to find she’d turned and was swimming away from him in that efficient front
crawl he’d seen earlier.

  Pausing only to shake the water from his head, Will set off in pursuit. Damn, she was strong. It took all his effort to make any headway, and he began to wish he’d kept up with those youthful swimming lessons. She paused ahead of him to glance back, flashing him a wide grin before she struck off in another direction. Deciding there was no chance of chasing her down, Will bided his time, circling around her to cut off her escape until eventually they were only a few feet from the opposite side of the lake.

  Igraine didn’t notice her error until too late, and he gave her a grin of his own as he watched her head turning left and right, working out she had no more room to manoeuvre. Sucking a breath into his lungs, Will sank beneath the water and waited until he was deep enough his movement wouldn’t give away his position before he swam at right-angles to where he’d last seen Igraine. As he’d expected, she made a final bid for escape, a long lean pale leg flashing in the water before him. Stretching out, he closed his hand around her ankle, dragging her back in the water as he used his other hand to stroke towards her until he could surface with an arm locked around her waist.

  They came up for breath, sputtering and laughing, Igraine twisting in his hold, but not hard enough she had any real chance of breaking free. A patch of her shoulder lay bare between her hair and the thick strap of her vest and he pressed his lips to it, tasting cool water and sunshine on her skin.

  ‘That’s cheating,’ she gasped, her head falling back to rest against his shoulder, giving him better access to the long smooth column of her neck. Taking full advantage, Will shifted his lips from her shoulder to nibble at a point beneath her ear, earning him another one of those delicious gasps. So distracted was he by trying to tempt another such sound from her lips he didn’t pay attention to the way she tangled her legs around his until they were suddenly submerged.

  Spitting out a mouthful of lake water, Will surfaced to find a laughing Igraine several feet away from him. She’d found her way to the shallow edge of the bank and was sitting waist-deep in the water, legs stretched out before her. A handful of water sloshed over his head, scooped up in her cupped palms. ‘You didn’t think I was going to make it that easy for you, did you?’