A House to Mend a Broken Heart

by Sherlock, Alison

  ‘Ted Rogers,’ said Arthur. ‘You must remember him? Smashing chap. Terribly sad when he passed away so young. Never did replace him properly. Not that we have any game to keep anymore, unfortunately.’ He shook his head, for a brief moment betraying his sadness at how far the estate had fallen into disrepair.

  Sam thought back to a time many years previously. He could picture a man with a friendly smile striding about the estate. Had that really been Annie’s father?

  ‘I’m sorry you got hurt yesterday,’ he began, trying to change the subject. ‘But I’m not surprised now that I’ve seen the state of the place.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Arthur’s tone was defensive.

  ‘I mean that it’s almost uninhabitable,’ said Sam, sitting down next to him. ‘The roof is caving in. The whole place is falling apart.’

  ‘It’s working just fine,’ said Arthur, frowning.

  ‘No, it absolutely isn’t,’ Sam told him. ‘The place is completely run-down. Aunt Rose looks terrible.’

  ‘She just needs a new lipstick.’

  ‘She needs central heating and a good meal, neither of which you can afford, from what I’ve seen.’

  ‘We can cope,’ Arthur told him in a hardening tone. ‘We don’t need you.’

  Sam rolled his eyes. ‘Well, you need someone.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Or perhaps you need to let go.’

  Arthur looked confused. ‘What do you mean?’

  Sam tried a softer tone of voice. ‘I mean, perhaps it’s time to move somewhere where there’s heating and no draughts. Somewhere that you can manage and where you can be safe.’

  ‘Leave the Hall?’ His grandfather shook his head, looking crestfallen. ‘You never did understand about the legacy of the place.’

  ‘You didn’t give me a chance,’ said Sam, becoming cross. ‘You shoved it down my throat at every opportunity.’

  ‘You’re next in line to inherit the estate,’ Arthur reminded him.

  ‘Yes, I know! You’ve told me that ever since I was fifteen years old and my dad had just died!’ Sam shouted. ‘You didn’t give me a chance to finish being a child.’

  His grandfather’s face grew ashen at his words and he slumped back against the pillows, closing his eyes.

  Annie came into the room, clutching a bulging carrier bag and stared in horror at Arthur’s haggard face. ‘What’s going on in here?’ she said, glaring at Sam before walking across to the bed. ‘He’s supposed to be resting, not getting upset.’

  ‘I know, I know,’ snapped Sam, more cross at himself than anyone else. It had all gone wrong, as usual. He had upset his grandfather and that was the last thing he had wanted to do. He was also still reeling from the new information that Annie had grown up on the estate.

  ‘Could you leave us for just one more minute?’ Arthur said to Annie as she handed him the newspaper.

  ‘Of course,’ she replied. ‘But try not to get any more upset, OK? I’ll see if I can find you a nice cup of tea.’

  But as she walked out of the room she scowled at Sam in disgust.

  The silence stretched out between the two men until Sam finally spoke. ‘I apologise for upsetting you just now,’ he said. ‘That wasn’t the reason for coming here. I know I’m partly to blame for your accident.’

  ‘What are you talking about,’ said his grandad, with a small shrug. ‘You weren’t there.’

  ‘But if I had been, it wouldn’t have got to this state,’ Sam told him, staring at the bandage on Arthur’s wrist where he had cut it open on the stairs. ‘You shouldn’t have struggled on your own.’

  ‘Who else is there to take over? You made your feeling’s perfectly clear a year ago.’

  ‘Yes, I did,’ said Sam, running a hand through his hair.

  Arthur looked rattled. ‘I don’t care about the state of the Hall. But we have a responsibility to our tenants. Some of them have lived in those cottages for years. Handed down from generation to generation.’

  Seeing his grandad beginning to panic, Sam tried to reassure him. ‘So if you won’t move and you need to take care of the tenants, I’ll have to go to plan B.’

  ‘And what is that if you don’t mind me asking?’ said Arthur sarcastically.

  ‘I’ll get the place back into a habitable state whilst you recover.’

  He didn’t know who was more surprised at his words, himself or his grandfather.

  Arthur laughed. ‘And how do you propose to do that, lad? Have you found a gold mine?’

  ‘Actually, yes. I have. One of my singers has become a bit of a hit, so I’ve got enough money spare to make some repairs around the Hall.’

  ‘You needn’t bother if you don’t want to,’ muttered Arthur.

  Sam ignored his sulky tone. ‘I’ll get the roof repaired and maybe get the plumbing and electricity looked at as well. And the chimneys should all be swept as they’re long overdue.’

  ‘You found out all of this; how may I ask?’

  ‘I stayed last night. At the Hall.’

  His grandad looked surprised but didn’t comment apart from to say, ‘I hope you treated Annie with respect whilst you stayed there.’

  ‘I treated her like any other housekeeper that we’ve had.’ But that was only Mrs Briggs who had been matronly. Sam had a sudden vision of Annie jumping around in her red pyjamas but hurriedly pushed the thought to one side. ‘So I’ll sort out the repairs and then you can go home and carry on as you always have done.’

  ‘How kind,’ drawled Arthur. ‘I would never be able to do so without your permission, of course.’

  Sam shook his head but knew that he had a duty to make sure his family lived in safety so he counted to ten before speaking. ‘The place needs to be watertight or would you prefer another unexpected trip to A&E next time it rains?’

  Arthur ground his teeth but said nothing.

  Sam sighed. It was no use. They would never be close again.

  He got up to leave and then caught a brief expression on his grandad’s face. It was a look of stress and anxiety. Arthur was obviously upset. Sam spotted the tear, even though it was brushed away before he was supposed to see it.

  But he had.

  And Sam knew he couldn’t keep away any longer. He had to take responsibility for his family’s well-being.

  ‘If we leave things the way they are, the house will fall apart in front of our eyes,’ said Sam in a gentle tone. ‘Is that what you want?’

  There was only silence from the hospital bed where his grandfather was lying very still.

  ‘No. I didn’t think so,’ said Sam, wearily. ‘Nor do I, for the record. So I’ll get the place fixed up, OK?’

  When he got no further response, Sam walked out of the room, wondering how much work he had just signed up to.

  *

  Annie was pacing up and down the corridor when Sam came out of Arthur’s room.

  ‘Have you finished upsetting your grandad?’ she immediately demanded, coming to stand in front of him. ‘Do you actually want him to recover?’

  Not giving him time to respond, she walked back into the room and saw how exhausted Arthur was looking. He’d had a horrendous twenty-four hours and Sam’s presence, rather than being a comfort to his grandfather, seemed to have caused even more aggravation.

  ‘I think the tea trolley will be along in a minute.’

  She sat down, picking up a form onto which Arthur could fill out his food choices.

  ‘Any ideas what you’d like for dinner?’ she asked.

  ‘Nothing. I’m not hungry.’

  Annie knew that Arthur was tired after the operation. The anaesthetic was wearing off and he was obviously in a considerable amount of pain. Plus his grandson was being a different kind of pain as well.

  ‘I want you to bring me in my paperwork whilst I’m stuck in here,’ said Arthur. ‘For the tenants, I mean.’

  Annie shook her head. ‘You really should be resting,’ she told him. ‘You’ll be home soon enough to get on top of things a
gain.’

  ‘I’ll go mad just sitting around here,’ said Arthur.

  Annie privately thought that a few days’ worth of rest would do him some good. She watched as he briefly shut his eyes before almost immediately opening them again.

  ‘Keep an eye on Samuel,’ said Arthur, piercing her with his blue eyes.

  Annie nodded. ‘I will. I’m sure everything will work out all right in the end.’

  Arthur’s brief grimace told her that he privately didn’t believe her words anymore than she did.

  *

  ‘He is totally impossible,’ said Sam, standing outside the main hospital reception whilst holding the phone to his ear.

  ‘He’s just stubborn,’ said Will down the line. ‘Like you.’

  ‘I am not!’

  ‘Are too, big brother. And I should know. I grew up with your ugly face all those years.’

  ‘Whatever,’ said Sam, shrugging away his words. ‘Look, I’ll sort out the house but I need you to take care of grandad’s rehabilitation and care. Whatever he says, he’s not going to be charging around the estate any time soon. Plans need to be put into place for his lengthy recovery.’

  ‘OK,’ said Will. ‘Look, I’m trying to rearrange the work on my new chalets so that I can come back to England earlier than December.’

  Will was on his way back to the French Alps trying to get his new range of exclusive holiday apartments ready for the winter season. He had wanted to postpone his visit and stay close to Arthur but Sam had persuaded him to go. He understood about the responsibilities of running a company and how important work was.

  ‘I’ll try to sort my diary out as well.’ Sam thought of his overloaded work commitments over the next few weeks and sighed. ‘I really am going to try and be around a lot more.’

  ‘So am I,’ Will told him. ‘We both need to step up now.’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  Sam saw Annie walking through the main entrance as he hung up the phone. They both stayed quiet as they went to collect the car.

  He was still smarting over the row he had had with his grandfather. It had all gone terribly wrong and he wasn’t sure how to make it right again. Feeling the need to gain control, he had decided to take charge and drive the ancient Jaguar home which he had immediately realised was a terrible idea. He had trouble wrestling with the stiff steering wheel so that they only just managed to avoid driving into the gates on the edge of the estate.

  Feeling miserable, he felt his spirits sink lower when he saw the old willow tree on the front lawn. A small cloud had obscured the sun, its shadow dimming its beauty. But in the summer holidays of his childhood, it had always been sunny and warm as he and Will had climbed up through the dappled branches.

  But that all seemed such a long time ago now. He suddenly felt very grown-up and quite lost.

  He looked across to Annie.

  ‘Out of interest, what’s in it for you?’ he asked. ‘Staying at Willow Tree Hall, I mean.’

  She looked confused. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean, it’s a draughty old mansion,’ he carried on. ‘You haven’t been paid for months. Why on earth don’t you just move on?’

  She turned away from him. ‘I have a job to do.’

  ‘You could get another one.’

  ‘I like this one,’ she told him in a pointed tone.

  He drew the car to a shuddering halt in front of the house and yanked up the handbrake. There was no point parking it in the garage. Nobody would be brave enough to steal this car.

  ‘Well, things are going to have to change if I can’t get him to move out of here. I’m going to get the Hall into some kind of habitable state. By the time it’s ready, we’ll know how his recovery is going. If he’s not ready or able to live here, my brother and I will find both him and Aunt Rose alternative accommodation.’

  Annie looked shocked. ‘I thought you told Arthur that he was definitely going home?’ she gasped.

  ‘We don’t know if he’ll even be able to come back here yet,’ said Sam with a sigh. ‘But let’s hope so for both our sakes, eh?’

  *

  Annie felt as if the ground was slipping away from under her feet. She stared up at the grand stately home.

  She couldn’t believe it. Just when she had found a home where she belonged. Just when she thought that she was settled with a family that loved her, it all changed once more.

  They just keep moving the line, she thought. Every time, a little further out of reach.

  ‘In the meantime, I’m going to hire a builder. You’ll have to keep an eye on the repairs as I’ve got to go abroad again later this week.’

  Deep in thought, she only just registered Sam’s words. She looked over at him. ‘I don’t know anything about managing a team of builders.’

  ‘I understand your father was the game keeper here when you were younger?’

  Annie nodded. She had a brief vision of her father coming through the front door at the end of the day, his jacket smelling of smoky bonfires and grass.

  Her life had been full of pain since he had passed away. Until she had arrived at the Hall and then she had finally felt at home somewhere.

  ‘Well, let’s hope organisation runs in the family,’ carried on Sam. ‘Anyway, it’s just like running a house, making sure everything is in order and working right. You should be able to handle that. After all, you’re the housekeeper, aren’t you?’

  ‘Of course I’m a housekeeper,’ she told him, perhaps a little too quickly.

  Sam studied her for a beat before saying, ‘Well, maybe not for too much longer, eh? I’m sure you can easily get another job with a reference from my grandfather.’

  Annie slowly got out of the car, watching Sam as he walked up to the front door. With a heavy heart, she went along the side of the building to the back door as befitted her role as staff.

  The whole thing was impossible. Of course she couldn’t get another job as a housekeeper. She wasn’t even qualified for this one. Sure, she had been a chambermaid on many cruise ships, but that was nothing compared to running a huge house and estate such as this.

  And yet she couldn’t disobey Sam and his plans. He was the grandson and heir.

  But maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny ray of hope. First of all, Arthur and Rose would fight tooth and nail to stay at Willow Tree Hall.

  Most importantly, she would show Sam just how indispensable she was. Then he would ask her to stay. Beg her, in fact.

  Then she was struck by a moment of inspiration. She would make sure that it was the best, most perfect Christmas ever at the Hall. The family would be so bowled over that there would be no question of her leaving.

  Ever, she added with a firm nod.

  Chapter 8

  Annie woke up to the sound of heavy rain against the tiny bedroom window.

  She was just snuggling down further under the covers when she remembered about her new role. To be completely and utterly indispensable. To prove to Sam that she was very much needed around Willow Tree Hall.

  That meant getting out of the bed and making sure that breakfast was ready for him.

  But when she grabbed her phone, she realised that it was already half past seven in the morning. And Sam had risen very early the previous day when he had caught her dancing in her pyjamas.

  Swearing, she quickly got dressed and rushed downstairs, praying that it had been a jet-lagged fluke the previous day. Unfortunately, she found both him and Rose eating their toast at the kitchen table.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, breathless from her hasty descent down the stairs.

  ‘Good morning,’ replied Rose, with a huge smile.

  Sam also muttered ‘Good morning’ before purposefully checking the time on his watch and raising his eyebrows to himself.

  Annie’s heart sank. It hadn’t been the best start to her new plan. But she straightened her shoulders and carried on with a wide smile. ‘Right,’ she said in a brisk tone. ‘Quick breakfast for me before I start
work cleaning the main areas.’

  Rose’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Really? Are we expecting visitors?’

  ‘No,’ said Annie, keeping her bright tone of voice. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Because Megan will be here to clean this morning, won’t she?’ asked Rose.

  Annie suddenly remembered that it was Friday. ‘Yes! That’s right! Of course! I just thought that we should give the whole place a proper spring clean.’

  ‘In the middle of winter?’ said Sam, before taking a sip of coffee.

  Annie was cross to note that a smirk was twitching the side of his mouth as he did so.

  ‘Well, if you’re sure,’ said Rose, still looking astounded. ‘I’ve always preferred lying on a sofa than sweeping up the dust underneath it.’

  ‘Then it’s a good thing that it’s my job and not yours,’ replied Annie, heading over to pour herself a cup of tea.

  She also made a mental note to vacuum under the sofas as well as around them.

  An hour later, Annie and Megan stood in the middle of the drawing room.

  ‘So, what’s all this about then?’ asked Megan, looking at her friend with bemusement.

  ‘I’m trying to be more professional,’ Annie told her.

  ‘Is this because you want to impress the gorgeous Sam?’

  ‘No, of course not. And he’s not gorgeous. He’s grumpy and extremely rude.’

  ‘He’s also totally hot,’ added Megan, giving her a nudge in the ribs.

  ‘Stop talking about him like that,’ Annie told her, feeling cross. ‘Anyway I thought you were a happily married woman.’

  ‘I am but I still have eyes in my head.’

  ‘Look,’ began Annie. ‘Things have got a bit slack recently. We need to keep on top of everything. What’s your normal routine?’

  Megan looked confused. ‘I turn up every Monday and Friday morning, flick a feather duster around for half an hour and then have a coffee and gossip with you and Rose.’

  ‘Yes and then I end up being so behind with the washing, cleaning and tidying that it takes me the rest of the week to get on top of everything.’ Annie sighed. ‘Things are going to have to change around here, otherwise Sam will be getting rid of the both of us.’