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

by Alison Sherlock

  He sauntered off towards the front door whilst Skye wondered whether she could clip him around the ear with one of the crutches and pretend it was an accident.

  7

  As Will followed Skye’s slow hobble on crutches across the entrance hall, the family rushed out of the west wing and past him to fuss over her.

  ‘You poor thing,’ said Annie. ‘We’ve delayed dinner so you can both eat with us. You must be starving.’

  ‘Darling, how wretched!’ cried Rose. ‘But at least you haven’t got to wear one of those ghastly boots. They’re certainly not good for one’s sense of style.’

  ‘Such a pity,’ said Arthur, shaking his head sadly. ‘But I’m sure your young bones will heal a lot quicker than mine did last year.’

  ‘At least you were seen fairly quickly,’ said Sam, also looking dismayed as he managed to manoeuvre his way through the group to try and shake Skye’s hand. ‘Hi, I’m Sam,’ he told her.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ murmured Skye, staring around at them all wide-eyed.

  Will wasn’t surprised to find her looking a bit overwhelmed at the reception. He noted that her face was still pinched with pain.

  ‘Can we eat now?’ he snapped. ‘Some of us have had a rough afternoon.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ said Annie, nodding in agreement. ‘Poor Skye. She must be exhausted. Let’s sit down.’

  They all went into the dining room. It was yet another room that needed renovating. The paint was still cracked and the skirting boards were hanging off in places, but at least the windows had been replaced and the fireplace swept. The large scuffed dining table had been covered with a tablecloth and, as usual, was groaning with food. That evening it was a large pot of chicken casserole, potatoes, bread rolls and vegetables.

  Sam offered the basket of bread rolls to Annie, but she shook her head. ‘Can’t,’ she replied. ‘I must get into that wedding dress.’

  ‘You’ll look perfect whatever you wear,’ murmured Sam.

  Will watched them both exchange a soft smile of shared love before he looked away.

  ‘Let’s eat,’ he said, anxious to get the meal out of the way as quickly as possible.

  Two pensioners, two lovebirds and a woman with purple hair who had ripped the bonnet off his dream car and was possibly entitled to half of his lodge as well. He sighed heavily.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t love his family. He truly did. His grandparents had been so supportive after his parents had died. They had done everything they could to support and help their grandsons, despite the deep grief they must have felt at losing their only son and daughter-in-law.

  His eyes flickered to Arthur as he chatted about the hospital to Skye. His grandfather’s grief had returned when he had lost his beloved Beatrice, their grandmother, only a few years previously. It had brought his globe trotting sister Rose back into the fold, but the loss had hit them both hard. Had hit them all hard, thought Will.

  Whereas Arthur had been a little stricter and perhaps a little more fixated on the running of the estate and Sam’s future inheritance, their grandmother had been the softer, more forgiving figure in their lives. She and Will had been close and he had continued to feel her absence whenever he came home.

  So he had almost stopped returning until Arthur’s accident a year ago. It had been a shock for both him and his brother to realise what a bad state the whole house had fallen into.

  But Arthur and Sam had reconnected, fixed on getting Willow Tree Hall back on its feet. Arthur was the current Earl of Cranley and Sam would inherit that title too.

  Where did that leave him? thought Will. Surplus to requirements, as per usual.

  As he tucked into his dinner, Will noticed that Skye only managed to eat a small plateful of food. He guessed that she was in a lot more pain than she was letting on.

  Over dinner, the family asked a few questions about where she had lived until then. Skye explained that she had grown up in London and had worked at the café for the past couple of years until it had shut down two days previously. She revealed only a small number of facts about herself. However, she became more animated when talking about her younger sister who had just qualified to be a junior doctor.

  ‘How marvellous,’ said Rose. ‘Did you never want to study medicine?’

  Skye shook her head, blushing. ‘Oh no,’ she replied. ‘Summer’s much more academic than I am.’

  ‘Never saw the point of studying,’ said Sam, helping himself to more potatoes.

  ‘Yes, I recall your school reports mentioning something similar about both yourself and your brother,’ said Arthur, with a gentle smile.

  ‘I agree,’ said Will. ‘More experience to be gained out in the real world than from a book.’

  ‘Is that what you told all those girls you dated through college?’ said Sam, with a grin.

  ‘Darling, there’s nothing wrong with playing the field,’ said Rose, with a knowing smile.

  ‘I don’t play the field,’ said Will, feeling irritated. ‘I happen to be a very attentive boyfriend.’

  ‘Right up until your three week threshold when you move onto your next victim,’ added Sam.

  Will speared a piece of broccoli with his fork. ‘Is it my fault that women don’t understand me?’

  ‘You never give them long enough,’ said Sam, looking across the table to Skye. ‘As a woman, what do you think is the fastest way to this man’s heart?’

  ‘Through the chest with a sharp knife,’ she retorted, shooting Will a piercing look.

  Will laughed in surprise at her sharp reply.

  ‘Bravo,’ said Rose, nodding her head approvingly. ‘Nice to know our resident Casanova hasn’t made another conquest.’

  ‘Purple hair isn’t my taste,’ he told them, putting down his knife and fork with a clatter.

  Skye turned to look at him. ‘You’ve got a problem with people colouring their hair?’ she said, her eyes challenging him.

  But before he could reply, his aunt beat him to it. ‘Oh, don’t mind Will,’ she said. ‘He’s just pouting because he’s not at a party as usual. Now, what does everyone think about me dyeing mine green for Christmas?’

  ‘I think if you can get my brother to dye his blue then we’ll be well on our way to a rainbow,’ drawled Will, pushing his chair back. ‘Are we done?’

  His aunt’s wisecrack about him spending all his time at parties had hit him hard. They obviously believed in his party going lifestyle and what would they think when they discovered that he’d lost his job because of it?

  He needed to get away from the claustrophobic dining room and get back to the peace and quiet of his lodge.

  Their lodge, he reminded himself. In the drama of Skye’s accident, he had almost forgotten about the shared ownership problem. That would need looking into the following day. For now, he just wanted to be alone.

  As he stood up, Annie spoke. ‘We’ve got a lovely room for you upstairs,’ she said, looking across the table at Skye. ‘I think the blue room is the nicest and it’s got an en-suite shower.’

  ‘Well, at least you’ll help keep the water bills down,’ said Sam. ‘They’ve been climbing higher and higher each month.’

  ‘I must have my bubble baths,’ protested Rose.

  Annie was still smiling at Skye. ‘I can show you the way upstairs, if you’d like.’

  Will watched as Skye bit her lip. ‘That’s very kind,’ she said, glancing quickly up at Will. ‘But I thought I’d stay in the trailer tonight.’

  There was a short silence around the table.

  ‘Won’t it be a bit cold out there?’ said Sam, eventually.

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ said Skye quickly. ‘All my stuff is out there anyway and it would be too much hassle to unpack everything. I really don’t want to be any bother.’

  ‘You won’t be,’ said Annie, looking at Will. ‘Can’t you persuade her to stay?’

  ‘I doubt I would ever be able to persuade Skye to do anything,’ he replied.

 
But Annie was still looking concerned. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked Skye gently.

  ‘How do you expect her to manage all those stairs?’ said Will.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Skye nodding as if welcoming his reasoning. ‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘I don’t think I’d be able to manage them.’

  ‘Will could always carry you,’ said Sam, with a smirk. ‘I hear he’s quite good at it.’

  ‘I think perhaps it could be quite romantic to sleep out there in that cute trailer,’ said Rose. ‘I had a marvellous experience in a gypsy caravan one summer. Do you want to hear about it?’

  ‘No!’ came the shouted response from both Will and Sam at once.

  Their aunt had enjoyed an exciting life which had led to four marriages and a dazzling collection of jewellery from the many lovers that she had met as she had travelled around the globe with her high flying career in fashion. From Paris to Milan and then New York, she had built up a rich collection of designer clothes. That had come to an abrupt halt when their grandmother and Rose’s best friend, Beatrice, had fallen ill and passed away.

  After a few rocky years, Rose was back to her exuberant best. But the tales of her many adventures, both current and past, were always a bit near to the mark as far as the rest of the family were concerned.

  Thankfully she was interrupted by Skye’s phone suddenly bleeping. ‘Excuse me,’ she told them. ‘It’s my sister. I need to give her a call and update her about my foot before she starts to worry.’

  She grabbed the phone and carefully got up before hobbling out of the room on her crutches.

  After she had gone, the family looked at Will who had also got up from the table, anxious to leave. ‘What?’ he snapped at them all.

  ‘Look, we know you’re upset about the lodge,’ began Sam.

  ‘You mean, the lodge that I’ve always thought was mine that now turns out to belong to a complete stranger,’ he replied.

  ‘Should we check the paperwork?’ asked Sam, looking at their grandad for guidance.

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Arthur, his grey eyebrows crossed into a frown. ‘But I feel obliged to honour my debt. Norman was a good friend and Skye took care of him. We mustn’t forget that.’

  ‘Can’t you at least persuade her to sleep in the house?’ asked Annie, who was still looking anxious. ‘She’s obviously in pain and she would be far more comfortable inside.’

  ‘I’ve tried. She doesn’t want to stay,’ said Will. ‘You heard her.’

  Annie made a face in reply.

  ‘What?’ he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

  ‘Maybe it was the way you said it,’ she told him, in a quiet tone.

  ‘I agree. You haven’t been in the most gracious of moods since she arrived,’ added Arthur, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Maybe she just doesn’t want to stay here,’ said Will, becoming frustrated by all the blame landing at his door. ‘Maybe some people just prefer to be independent and don’t need a family flapping and fussing around them all the time.’

  He spun around on his heel and walked out, instantly regretting his harsh words. As usual, he had lashed out at his family when the person responsible for most of his misery was himself.

  But he kept on walking, despite his guilt.

  8

  Skye was standing in the entrance hall, grateful that she had at least managed to get the Wi-Fi code from Annie over dinner so that she could finally talk to her sister.

  ‘I can’t believe Norman left you a lodge,’ said Summer, wide-eyed with amazement on the phone camera. ‘I’m well jealous.’

  She was taller and slimmer than Skye but both had inherited their pale blonde hair from their mother, although Summer had never dyed hers and had it cut into a neat bob.

  ‘Half a lodge,’ said Skye, rolling her eyes as she stared past the phone to the window where she could see the darkness outside. ‘And it’s been a real party ever since I arrived. Talk about mixed blessings.’

  ‘Is it big? Like one of those luxury chalets in the mountains?’

  Skye laughed. ‘No. It’s tiny and run down.’

  ‘You could easily do it up like all your other projects. Norman’s summer house looked amazing once you’d finished the inside.’

  Skye shrugged her shoulders. ‘That was just a tiny shed that I painted.’

  ‘It was more than that and you know it.’ Summer made a face. ‘Now, show me your foot.’

  Skye lowered the phone as requested.

  ‘Well, I’m glad you got it X-rayed,’ said Summer, as Skye brought the phone back up to her face. ‘But what’s that all over it?’

  ‘Just dirt.’

  ‘Thank god, I thought it was blood.’

  ‘No,’ said Skye, sighing. ‘No blood. Just the foot of an elephant and extreme pain.’

  ‘Poor you,’ moaned Summer. ‘You’re going to need to keep it elevated over the next few days. I wish I were closer. Do you want me to take some time off?’

  Skye blanched. ‘No!’ she said, immediately brushing off her sister’s concerns. ‘It’s nothing for you to worry about,’ she said, deliberately making her voice and face brighter than she really felt. ‘The doctor said it’ll go down in a few days.’

  ‘I would say it will be at least a week,’ replied Summer, shaking her head.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Skye. ‘I’m going to sort something out so I can be with you tomorrow.’

  ‘There’s really no rush,’ Summer told her. ‘I’ve got a hot date tomorrow night so don’t fret. Honestly. Besides, I’ve got a lovely twelve hour shift tomorrow before that so I’ll barely be around.’

  ‘Oh.’ Skye was surprised and a tiny bit disappointed that her sister had organised a date on what would have been their first full evening together for weeks. Not that it mattered now, of course.

  ‘At least you’ve got somewhere nice to stay tonight,’ said Summer, her eyes gleaming.

  ‘Yeah. Sort of.’ Skye glanced out of the window once more to where the trailer had been abandoned after its cursed arrival.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Summer looked horrified. ‘Haven’t they offered you somewhere in the house to sleep? They’re not being mean to you, are they?’

  Skye shook her head. ‘No, of course not. They’re all lovely.’

  Well, most of them, she thought. She had yet to tell her sister how stroppy Will had been towards her. But he had had a bit of a bombshell land on him. Her bombshell. And despite that, he had at least taken her to the hospital. She had a flashback to him carrying her around and tried not to groan in embarrassment.

  ‘So what aren’t you telling me?’ asked Summer, still frowning. ‘You’re not sleeping in the car, are you?’

  ‘No! Of course not,’ said Skye, pausing before carrying on. ‘I have the trailer, remember.’

  Summer looked aghast. ‘Oh god, that’s even worse! Have you ever slept in it before?’

  ‘That one night, don’t you remember? When your uni friends came to stay.’

  ‘That was in the middle of a heatwave!’ said Summer, still shocked. ‘Why aren’t you staying in the house?’

  Skye rolled her eyes. ‘There’s lots of stairs, so it’s easier if I stay in the trailer. Stop fussing. I’ll be fine. Anyway, you know me. I’m far happier in my own space.’

  ‘This is so like you,’ said Summer, shaking her head. ‘You never accept help and make it ten times worse in the process.’

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  Skye knew that it was only for one night and then she could move on in the morning, although she had no idea as to where that would be to. But she was certain she would find somewhere locally to stay until she was able to drive. Summer didn’t need to worry about her. That was the last thing that Skye ever wanted.

  Thankfully, at that moment, Will appeared on the other side of the entrance hall. For once, Skye was grateful to see him as she was suddenly anxious to wrap up the conversation.

  ‘Look, you’d better get back
on duty.’

  ‘Just another five hours to go,’ said Summer with a sigh.

  Skye immediately searched her face, noting the shadows under her eyes. ‘You look tired.’

  ‘Find me a junior doctor who isn’t,’ shrugged Summer.

  ‘Did you get that ginseng I sent you?’

  ‘Yes, but you do remember that they have shops up here too?’

  ‘I know, but you’re always so busy and you must take care of yourself,’ said Skye, concerned.

  ‘I’m twenty-five now, remember? I’m not a gormless teenager any more. Besides, you’re the one on crutches, not me,’ said Summer, with a rueful shake of her head.

  ‘But promise me that you’re still enjoying it?’ asked Skye.

  ‘Of course.’

  Skye relaxed once more. ‘Call me when you finish your shift in the morning,’ she said.

  ‘Will do. And, er, you have a good night.’ Summer began to laugh and shake her head. ‘Honestly, I love you but you are hopeless!’

  Skye said goodnight before quickly hanging up.

  Seeing that she had finished her conversation, Will walked towards her. ‘Look, are you sure you’ll be okay in that thing?’ he asked, nodding through the window at the trailer.

  ‘Of course,’ said Skye, trying to wish away her nervousness.

  ‘It might be a bit tight in there with the crutches.’

  ‘I’ll manage,’ she said in a bright tone. She hadn’t even considered the problem of using the crutches.

  He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I guess you’re used to sleeping in it,’ he said.

  ‘Oh yes. All the time.’

  Just the one night, she thought in horror. But how bad could it be?

  Skye suddenly felt exhausted by the rollercoaster of emotions from the day and also from the pain in her ankle.

  ‘Well, I’m going to lie down, if you don’t mind. Goodnight,’ she said, deliberately fiddling with the crutches to avoid eye contact. ‘Thanks for taking me to the hospital earlier.’

  ‘That’s okay. Goodnight,’ he replied. ‘Let us know if you need anything.’

  He hesitated before holding the front door open for her so that she could shuffle through to hobble across the driveway.