A Way Back Home: Full of warmth, laughter, tears and a wedding! (The Willow Tree Hall Series)

by Alison Sherlock

  Having gone past the stable block, she followed Will down an even narrower, muddier path. The cold seeped through her fake leather shoes and into her feet.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she said to his back. ‘Why do we have to go down these creepy tracks? Doesn’t the driveway carry on to the lodge?’

  ‘No,’ he told her. ‘There is a track down here, but I wasn’t sure your Fiesta would cope with the deep potholes, so this is the only way.’

  Skye slipped and slid across the mud. They were now walking through thick woods, the darkness creeping in by the minute. She would never get out of Cranley before nightfall at this rate. It would take her hours to get to Liverpool, especially towing the trailer at a snail’s speed to avoid any further mishaps.

  She could feel her bright blip of happiness at the unexpected inheritance fade with every passing minute. It didn’t help that the woods they were now in felt very oppressive. With no street lighting or urban sprawl around her, it all felt extremely unsettling. She just hoped the lodge would be worth her sodden, increasingly filthy, feet.

  The woods began to open up a little and suddenly Will came to an abrupt halt. He stopped so quickly that Skye crashed into the back of him and almost rebounded into the nearest tree.

  ‘What is it?’ she said, feeling spooked by the dark woods. ‘What have you seen?’

  She was pretty certain there weren’t any bears in rural England. But she wasn’t so sure about big cats.

  Will turned to raise an amused eyebrow at the alarm in her voice. ‘It’s our very own home sweet home,’ he drawled, gesturing in front of him.

  Feeling somewhat relieved to have finally arrived at their destination, she stared past him at the building beyond that had appeared through the trees. ‘Oh, it’s so pretty!’ she exclaimed.

  It had been the last thing she had been expecting. Built in the same honey coloured brick as the hall, the front door was in the middle with a large sash window on either side. There were two further windows on the first floor. She was even pleased to see a large chimney stack rising on either side of the house.

  ‘This is amazing,’ said Skye, her eyes were shining bright as she turned to look at Will. ‘I’ve never owned anything so…’

  ‘Tiny?’ he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Beautiful,’ she told him in a firm tone.

  He snorted a laugh. ‘Seriously?’

  Skye was confused. What was he talking about?

  ‘You’d better take a look inside before you get your hopes up,’ said Will.

  He led the way towards the front door, hesitating slightly as they reached it.

  She caught his soft sigh. He obviously didn’t want to take her inside. She understood that she was invading his privacy somewhat and felt more guilt at having caused so many problems.

  Will leaned on the front door with his shoulder and gave it a mighty push. Once it had opened, he stepped inside and, following him in, Skye once more crashed into his back when he came to another abrupt halt.

  ‘Could you stop doing that and move further into the hallway?’ she asked. ‘It’s freezing out here.’

  He slowly spun round until their bodies were only centimetres apart in the tiny space. For a second she felt uncomfortable about being so close to him. He towered over her, his wide shoulders seemingly taking up every inch of spare room where they stood.

  ‘This is the hallway,’ he told her, looking down at her with his piercing blue eyes. ‘And if you think this is small, you should see the lounge.’

  He pointed to his right, so Skye edged past him and into the lounge. It was a square room, not the biggest of spaces, but it had double aspect windows at both the front and the rear. The thick window sills showed how deep the walls must be. The same walls that obviously needed replastering, as the paint was cracked and faded. The ancient floorboards squeaked beneath her feet as she moved across the room.

  Will stood in the narrow doorway watching Skye as her gaze rose to the ceiling. Oak beams criss-crossed the room, interspersed with cobwebs and yet more cracked paint.

  ‘I think they’re the only thing holding the ceiling up,’ he told her.

  Skye registered his sarcasm but there was potential here. She could sense it. Her mind buzzed with ideas for decor and what would suit the small space best. It could be very cosy and look wonderful, she was sure.

  She could certainly do a better job than Will had with his mismatched furniture. A battered sofa was underneath the back window, facing the front of the house. A chunky but heavily scratched oak coffee table had been placed in the middle of the room. There was a pale pine drawer unit pushed against the opposite wall, along with a moth-eaten armchair under the other window. The windows were framed by curtains that had once been a rich red but were now a faded pink. On the far wall was a large brick fireplace, almost too big for the room. It held only a small hearth but it gave the place character and, perhaps in winter, some much needed warmth. It could be a wonderful home and she was surprised to find herself longing to live there.

  Skye noted a large sports bag on the floor, bulging with what appeared to be clothes and that the coffee table was strewn with mobile chargers and some unopened post. He was obviously living here which begged the question as to why, when the main house had appeared to be in a much better state.

  Eager to see more of the house, she asked, ‘What about the rest of it?’

  ‘Even worse,’ he muttered.

  She was sure he was being deliberately negative but decided not to push it and brushed past him to head into the room on the opposite side of the tiny hallway which turned out to be the kitchen.

  She gulped, trying to see the positive in the dusty, dilapidated room. But that was a bit more tricky.

  It was the same size as the lounge, which was good for a kitchen. It would definitely have space for a table and chairs and there was a back door as well. But the only cupboards were at floor level and the doors were in a dreadful state and falling off their hinges. The walls and ceiling were in the same sorry state as the lounge.

  In the brick built fireplace, there was an old range which looked as if it might set itself alight if anyone tried to cook on it. Next to that was a large, tatty looking dresser which housed nothing but dust and quite a few spiders’ webs on its shelves.

  She went across to the sink to see if any water came out of the tap but abruptly stopped when she saw a massive spider hiding in a heavily chipped corner.

  She quickly withdrew her hand. ‘Does the water work?’ she asked.

  ‘Occasionally,’ he told her.

  She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. ‘When was the last time anyone lived here?’

  ‘About twenty years ago.’

  ‘But you live here now?’ she said, turning to face him.

  He looked away, avoiding eye contact with her. ‘I always understood that the lodge was mine, so I stay here whenever I’m back in the country.’

  She felt another flush of guilt at her surprise inheritance and the problems it would cause for him.

  ‘You live abroad?’ That would explain the still tanned face and neck against his blonde hair.

  ‘I used to work in the Alps.’

  She nodded. ‘I see.’ Then she couldn’t help but ask, ‘Have we met? I’m getting the strangest feeling of déjà vu.’

  He gave her a wry smile. ‘Have you been skiing in Klosters recently? Or Chamonix?’

  She nearly laughed. ‘I haven’t had any holidays recently.’ Or ever, she thought. ‘No, that’s not it…’

  And then she realised who he was. Summer had always loved her gossip magazines and the front covers had been filled for the past few months with Will’s affair with that MP’s wife. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. What had the papers called him? A man with a reputation? Irresponsible? A playboy?

  She realised she was staring when she caught him raise an eyebrow at her.

  ‘I see you’ve seen my glowing reviews in the press this sum
mer,’ he said, breaking the awkward silence.

  Skye blushed. ‘That’s really none of my business,’ she told him quickly, desperate now to change the subject. ‘Is it okay with you if I take a look upstairs?’

  ‘Just be careful as the some of the floorboards are a bit rotten,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, you’ll see that it’s in just as bad a state up there as it is down here.’

  ‘Oh. Okay.’

  Skye left him in the kitchen and headed up the steep stairs in the middle of the house. They creaked and protested and she really hoped they weren’t going to give way under her slight weight.

  To her surprise there were two bedrooms, the one above the lounge was the same size as the room downstairs. That would be the master bedroom, she thought, despite it being completely empty. The problem was that there were gaping holes in the middle of the floor where the floorboards had completely rotted away. In addition, the ceiling and walls needed plastering and painting. But it was a large enough room with a pretty fireplace and she could see how attractive it might look once it had been renovated.

  On the other side of the tiny landing there was a much smaller bedroom, where a single bed had been pushed up against the far wall. Another sports bag was on the floor and she could see it was full of Will’s clothes. Only a small rickety table and single curtain across the window made it feel remotely comfortable.

  The bathroom was in almost as bad a state as the kitchen and the ancient suite was yellowed and desperately in need of replacing.

  But as Skye made her way back downstairs, her mind was racing. She could see the potential in the pretty house. It could be lovely. Really lovely.

  Will was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘Thanks for letting me look around,’ she told him before hesitating. ‘So what do we do now? About this place, I mean.’

  ‘I honestly don’t know,’ he finally said, with a sigh. ‘My grandfather obviously believes that the lodge should be divided between us. The fact that it’s part of his estate makes things a bit more tricky. I’ll have to look through the paperwork to see if there’s any legal problems. In the meantime, perhaps I should organise a local estate agent to value the place and we’ll go from there.’ He gave her a sad smile. ‘If I’m able to buy you out, then you can get your money and that’ll be the end of it. You won’t need to intrude on my family any more.’ With that, he turned round and went out back out of the front door.

  Skye was stunned. She hadn’t been thinking about what the lodge might actually be worth. For a few glorious fleeting minutes, she had imagined herself living in such a beautiful place. Thinking about how she would decorate it. She had seen herself having tea in the cosy lounge. Maybe even a Christmas tree up in the corner. The kitchen would be warm and filled with the aroma of baking and the bathroom lit with candlelight whilst she relaxed in a bubble bath.

  She shook her head. But Will was right. Of course he was. She couldn’t live on a grand estate like Willow Tree Hall. She needed to live with Summer. It was a crazy idea to think that she could live in the sweet little lodge.

  Maybe it was Will’s dream to live in the lodge. But it wasn’t hers. And even if it was, only half of it belonged to her anyway.

  As usual, everyone else’s dreams came first. It was the way it had always been. It was what she had been used to her whole life.

  She took one last longing look around the cosy lounge before following him outside.

  But it had been nice to daydream for once.

  5

  Will walked out of the kitchen and into the fresh air to try and clear his head.

  He couldn’t believe how badly the day had turned out. Didn’t want to believe any of it. He needed everything to revert back to how it was that morning when he had woken up. He needed his job back. His apartment in the Alps back. Most importantly, he needed to have the privacy of the gamekeeper’s lodge back if he was to be stuck at Willow Tree Hall for the time being. But even that wasn’t a sure thing any more.

  He was feeling increasingly trapped by the minute.

  His phone bleeped with a text. He found he had ten unread ones, mostly from people inviting him to parties. He sighed. The playboy who didn’t care about anyone or anything but himself. That was what the press had called him. And it had hit him hard. The irony was that for the past year it had felt like an act and he was sick of the fakeness of it all. Had he finally grown up? Had he finally found himself craving stability after so many years in the wilderness? Possibly.

  He had the fancy car, the expensive clothes, the Rolex watch. Everything that he had desired, he had worked hard for. But he still didn’t feel like a grown-up. He only felt frustration and anger with himself but couldn’t see a way out of his own misery.

  He shoved the phone in his back pocket as Skye wandered outside. He had seen the look in her eyes when she realised who he was. The disdain at his playboy status. But what did he care what she thought of him?

  Looking up, he gave Skye a brief nod. ‘Let’s get back, shall we?’ he said and spun round to head back towards Willow Tree Hall.

  His boots squelched in the sodden ground beneath. It had been the wettest, mildest autumn so far on record and showed no signs of abating, despite being the end of October. There hadn’t even been a frost yet that season.

  He could hear Skye stumbling around behind him. He glanced back to see her tripping over a tree root. She was utterly inappropriately dressed, of course. Those flat shoes were going to be ruined pretty fast and her poncho kept snagging on the branches of the trees.

  He rolled his eyes. What kind of name was Skye anyway? His low expectations on their initial meeting were plummeting by the minute. To top it all, she had ruined his dream car. It was all a total nightmare and the sooner she left, the better, as far as he was concerned.

  They continued past the stable block in silence, Will deep in thought, trying to figure out a way in which he could get his life back on track. They were back onto the muddy track and only a few metres from the driveway when he heard a shriek behind him.

  He spun round to watch Skye fall to the muddy ground as if in slow motion.

  Trying not to laugh at her stricken figure, he went back to help her up. But as he drew closer, he realised that the reason she hadn’t stood up again was that she was holding her right ankle and looking upset.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, crouching down beside her. ‘What hurts?’

  ‘My pride,’ she muttered.

  He could see that she was fighting not to cry.

  ‘And my foot,’ she added, in a shaky voice. ‘It’s so painful.’

  He looked at the ankle she was holding but it was hard to see anything for the whole foot was covered in mud. He took her foot in his hand but couldn’t see any blood, which was something, he supposed.

  ‘Can you move it?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ she said, stifling a groan and wincing in pain.

  ‘Well, we need to get you up for a start, okay?’ He moved to hold her under her arms and gently pulled her to a standing position.

  Glancing at her face, he could see she was biting her lip, her face contorted in agony.

  ‘Look, it’s not far,’ he told her. ‘I can carry you the rest of the way.’

  ‘I don’t need that. I’m fine,’ she told him, hopping on one foot and almost crashing into a tree as she was immediately caught off balance.

  Will rolled his eyes. ‘Spare me the feminist attitude for one minute,’ he said. ‘You can’t even walk.’ Despite her protestations, he stepped forward and swept her into his arms.

  ‘Let me go,’ she said, pushing against his chest with her hands.

  ‘Stop wriggling,’ he said, breaking into long strides to get back to the hall as quickly as possible. ‘Otherwise we’ll both end up in the mud.’

  He heard Skye stifle a sob before going quiet.

  Thankfully it didn’t take long to reach the back door of the hall. He fiddled with the doorknob and went inside, stil
l holding Skye in his arms. He was immensely grateful to find Annie, his future sister-in-law, standing next to the worktop, peeling potatoes. She was sensible and would know what to do.

  Annie had been the housekeeper at Willow Tree Hall until the previous Christmas when she had met and fallen in love with his brother Sam. Now engaged, she still took care of his elderly grandad and aunt, as well as keeping the house tidy and homey.

  Annie looked up from the worktop and burst into laughter. ‘I know you’ve got a reputation with the ladies, but this is ridiculous! Are you just dragging them off the streets now?’

  At that moment, Rose came down the steps into the kitchen and she too, laughed. ‘Well, I’m glad to see you two are getting along so much better,’ she said.

  ‘She fell over and hurt her foot,’ Will told them, as he went across the kitchen, still holding Skye in his arms.

  Their laughter quickly died as they both rushed over, looking concerned.

  ‘Oh no!’ said Annie. ‘How about setting her down on one of the armchairs?’

  ‘I’ll make a cup of sweet tea,’ said Rose, rushing across to the kettle. ‘It’s good for shock.’

  The renovation of the kitchen had been completed over the summer. Whereas before there had been an uneven floor and dilapidated cupboards, now there were shiny new work surfaces and all the mod cons. A welcome addition had been a couple of comfy chairs which had been placed either side of the large fireplace near to the long oak table. Will had always found it a welcome place to sit and chat to Annie whilst she pottered about in the kitchen preparing dinner. He went over and carefully placed Skye down on one of the chairs, with Annie following close behind.

  ‘Hi,’ she said, crouching down in front of Skye. ‘You must be Skye. I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet earlier. I’m Annie, Sam’s fiancée. I’d say it’s nice to meet you but not like this.’

  ‘Hello,’ replied Skye, trying and failing to smile as it was more of a grimace of pain.

  Now that they were under the kitchen lights, Will could see how ashen her face appeared compared to when he had first met her.