Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage

by Heidi Swain

  I had just about got my heart rate back under control when I heard a vehicle pull off the road and into the yard. Typical. All morning I’d been desperate for Simon to show up and now he had all I wanted was to be left alone with my notes, lists and simmering excitement.

  ‘Hey there, Lottie!’

  I was delighted to see that it wasn’t Simon after all, but Amber.

  This time she was wearing full-length floral-patterned wellies and had her pretty daughter, Honey, with her. The little girl was toddling towards me with painstaking slowness and looking about her with keen and interested eyes.

  ‘Hello!’ I called back, waving to them both. ‘You have no idea how excited I am to see you.’

  Amber was the perfect person to share my moment with and sensing intrigue she scooped Honey up into her arms and picked up the pace.

  ‘I’ll come up to the cottage,’ I called.

  ‘No, don’t do that,’ Amber insisted. ‘I’ve got something to show you and I want to take another peek at those vans, if you don’t mind.’

  I walked to meet her and quickly relieved her of the heavy bag she had on her shoulder.

  ‘Lottie,’ she smiled, jiggling her daughter about in her arms. ‘This is Honey. I know you didn’t really get to meet her properly at the party so I thought I’d bring her to say hello today.’

  ‘Hello, Honey,’ I smiled. ‘Aren’t you gorgeous?’

  Honey, rosy-cheeked and dark-haired, pulled off her sun hat, shoved her fingers into her mouth and dissolved into giggles.

  ‘Are you sure you should be carrying her?’ I asked, trying to convey my concern without sounding too obvious. ‘She must weigh more than this bag.’

  ‘I knew you’d guessed,’ Amber groaned, rolling her eyes and transferring Honey from her arms to mine. ‘I swear I’ve still got baby brain from when I had her.’

  Honey didn’t seem at all concerned to find herself in the arms of a complete stranger. She lightly touched the plastic flamingo-shaped dangly earrings I was wearing and, after examining them closely for a few seconds, shoved her thumb in and nestled into my shoulder. I was besotted.

  ‘I haven’t told anyone,’ I said to her mum. ‘Not mentioned it to a soul.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, rubbing my arm and tucking a curl behind Honey’s little ear. ‘I’m almost at the three month mark so we’ll be making a proper announcement after that. Unless of course everyone has already worked it out,’ she wailed. ‘Jake and Annie know, of course, and you, and Jessica and Harriet. Oh dear,’ she added, biting her lip. ‘I think the cat is probably already out of the bag, don’t you?’

  I transferred Honey to my other hip and hoisted her up a bit. I had no idea that such tiny tots weighed so much.

  ‘Well,’ I smiled, ‘like I said, no one’s heard anything from me.’

  ‘Thank you, lovely.’ Amber smiled kindly. ‘I really appreciate your discretion, especially as my own isn’t quite up to scratch.’

  I had barely taken three steps when I had to stop again to rearrange the weighty load I was carrying.

  ‘She weighs a ton, doesn’t she?’ said Amber, wrinkling her nose at her sleepy daughter and taking the bag from my other shoulder. ‘I thought she might have fallen asleep on the way here, but she’s every inch as stubborn as her father.’

  ‘Actually,’ I puffed, my knees beginning to complain, ‘she is a bit of a weight. Shall we go and sit inside one of the vans?’

  I could feel my temperature rising and my heart thumping more quickly again just at the mere mention of them. Now I knew what it was I was going to do, I couldn’t bear to be parted from them.

  ‘Sorry,’ tutted Amber, ‘I almost forgot I’ve actually come to show you something and you seemed so excited when I arrived. What’s going on?’

  ‘You first,’ I insisted, talking to her over the top of Honey’s hot little head. ‘Show me what it is you’ve found and then I’ll spill the beans.’

  While Amber rearranged Honey’s blanket and some of the caravan cushions and settled her daughter in a cosy little nest, I stuffed the post together into a haphazard pile, carefully ensuring she wouldn’t be able to see what I had been looking at when the penny had finally dropped. I wanted it to be a complete surprise.

  Minnie, having overseen what Amber was doing, curled herself around Honey’s makeshift bed ready to stand duty, while Amber and I looked at one another and grinned, but neither of us still knowing why.

  ‘OK,’ she said, sliding around the side of the table and reaching for her bag. ‘Now, you’ll just have to go with this because I admit it is a bit off the wall, and it might be way off the mark, but having seen them I simply had to show you. What do you make of these?’

  She spread out three much-thumbed magazines. Each had neatly folded, colour-coded Post-it notes attached and I couldn’t help but grin at my new friend and her exceptional organisational skills.

  ‘You know what,’ I sighed. ‘I reckon you must be Monica Geller’s twin.’

  ‘Never mind my penchant for order,’ she tutted. ‘Just listen.’

  ‘Sorry,’ I whispered.

  ‘When I first moved to Skylark Farm,’ she began, ‘I had a bit of an obsession with these magazines. Still do, to be honest,’ she admitted. ‘And Jake used to tease me all the time, until I turned to them for inspiration when we needed to think seriously about diversification projects for Skylark Farm.’

  ‘I take it these helped then,’ I interrupted.

  ‘Oh yes,’ she smiled, ‘they certainly did, and I’ve never thrown away a single issue, which is a blessing really because if I had I might have missed out on spotting just what I think you could be looking for.’

  She flicked open the magazines to the marked pages and spun them around. I stared at the carefully created images in disbelief and then reached for the pile of mail and showed her what had caught my eye just moments before she and Honey had arrived

  ‘Well, I’ll be . . . ’ gasped Amber. Her face was an absolute picture. ‘It’s like we’re one mind.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ I laughed.

  ‘How spooky is that? Is this what you were so excited about just now?’

  ‘Yes!’ I said, trying not to squeal and jump up and down in my seat in case I disturbed Honey. ‘So I’m not completely bonkers, then?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Amber, happily paraphrasing Lewis Carroll, ‘but all the best people are!’

  ‘Stop joshing,’ I said, tapping her hand, ‘and be serious for a minute. Do you reckon I’m thinking too big here?’

  ‘Absolutely not,’ she insisted. ‘If you can pull this off, Lottie, and let’s face it,’ she said, looking around, ‘you’ve certainly got the best possible start here, then the results will be phenomenal.’

  We looked at each other and then back to the papers and magazines again.

  ‘A truly bespoke vintage experience,’ I said wistfully. ‘Somewhere unique, where people can spend their holidays in beautifully refurbished caravans nestled amongst the backdrop of big skies which frame the Fenland landscape.’

  ‘It’s perfect,’ she sighed, ‘and you’ve literally got everything you need to get started right here.’

  ‘Obviously I haven’t thought it all through properly yet,’ I went on, ‘but I was thinking that perhaps the small barn would make a good office and perhaps a camp shop, stocking all the basics and some local goods, and the middle one might be suitable to convert into a luxurious shower block.’

  ‘And you could have music and entertainment in here,’ said Amber, enthusiastically picking up the thread. ‘This would be the perfect space to hang out in if the weather wasn’t all that great. You could probably even barbecue in here, couldn’t you? I can offer you a great price on local free-range pork.’ She winked.

  I shook my head, thinking how clever she was. She might still be suffering from baby brain, but her business brain didn’t miss a trick.

  ‘I’m going to give these three Cheltenham vans a makeover,’ I rushed o
n. ‘Make them picture-perfect and then look for another three from a slightly different era. I don’t think I’d want more than six. Too many would spoil the ambience and make it too crowded. I want each van to have its own special place in the field with cars parked somewhere else to keep it all as peaceful and unobtrusive as possible.’

  We looked at the magazines featuring slick airstreams and shepherd huts and just for a second I felt a small, but very real pang of doubt.

  ‘But what if no one comes,’ I swallowed. ‘What if people don’t like the idea?’

  Now I’d got my heart set on it I really didn’t want to give it up, but I had to be sensible. It wasn’t going to be cheap to set up and I wasn’t exactly rolling in ready cash.

  ‘Lottie,’ said Amber seriously, gripping my hand, ‘if I had a pound for every booking I’ve had to turn down this year because the diary for the bungalow is already full, then I’d never have to pick another apple again.’

  ‘But there’s a big difference between holidaying in a cottage and glamping in a vintage caravan,’ I reminded her.

  ‘I know,’ she said with a wink, ‘and I hope I don’t regret saying this, given that you’re going to be the competition, but actually they’re a lot more fun, aren’t they?’

  Chapter 18

  Amber and I sat talking through the prospective project and making more detailed plans as to how the site could look and would run until Honey began to stir.

  ‘So when do you think you’ll be taking your first bookings?’ Amber asked, as she began to repack her bag.

  I had known, right from the first time we met, that she was a fast worker, but I was going to have to settle for a more measured pace to get my own dream business up and running. Becoming more business-minded was going to be a steep learning curve for me. A point hammered home when I remembered I still hadn’t negotiated a price for the Cherry Tree caravan yet.

  ‘I don’t know,’ I said, biting my lip. I had no idea how long it was going to take to get enough money together to make even a tiny start. ‘There’s so much to think about. My funds are pretty tight at the moment and I’ve still got to talk to Mags about a price for the minivan, of course, and that’s even before I’ve factored in the cost of all the work that needs doing on the cottage.’ Perhaps the fee I would negotiate for transforming the Bailey would go some way to covering that.

  ‘What work?’

  ‘Oh, there are lots of things,’ I said dismissively, as if I wasn’t worried about it at all. ‘I won’t bore you with the details, but it isn’t going to be cheap getting the place back in decent condition.’

  Amber looked at me, wearing the same expression of disbelief that Will had thrown me when I said the same to him.

  ‘Are you sure?’ she frowned.

  ‘Hey now, don’t you start,’ I said, with a small smile. ‘Will didn’t believe me when I told him either.’

  ‘I’m not saying I don’t believe you,’ said Amber, stooping to pick up her daughter. ‘I’m just surprised, that’s all.’

  ‘He was surprised, too,’ I told her. ‘He said he couldn’t believe Matt was right about it all actually.’

  ‘Well, he would know,’ she said, passing me the still drowsy bundle that was Honey.

  ‘Who?’ I frowned, unsure which of the men she meant. ‘Are you talking about Matt or Will?’

  ‘Both, I guess,’ she shrugged, ‘what with Matt being a builder, but I was actually thinking of Will in this instance.’

  ‘How,’ I puffed, hoisting Honey a little higher on to my shoulder, ‘could an ex-soldier possibly have any idea about what’s wrong with my cottage?’

  ‘Well, he converted the barn practically single-handedly,’ said Amber, ‘and it was nothing more than a few crumbling walls when he took it on, so I dare say he’d have a pretty good idea.’

  ‘Did he?’ I gasped.

  I still hadn’t seen this magnificent conversion Mags had mentioned for myself, but I knew it was a gargantuan task transforming a few dilapidated walls into a homely abode.

  ‘Yes,’ Amber tutted. ‘And you needn’t sound so surprised. He’s done an amazing job on the place. I think it was some sort of therapy after . . . ’

  ‘After what?’ I pounced.

  ‘Well, I don’t know really,’ she frowned. ‘He had problems when he first moved here, but no one knows much about them, or his life in the army, come to that. He’s a very private person, especially when it comes to his past. He never says much about anything.’

  ‘Except for when it comes to airing his opinion about my home,’ I said with a smile.

  ‘Look,’ she went on, ‘I know the pair of you didn’t exactly hit it off, what with the nettle fiasco and everything, but if you do have any doubts about what Matt has suggested then you could do far worse than ask Will to have a look round.’

  ‘I’ll consider it,’ I said, thinking that I hadn’t really had any doubts but if I did decide to talk to Will about it, we were, thanks to the lift into town, on friendlier terms now at least.

  ‘Good,’ she said. ‘And don’t forget, Will was very close to Gwen. I’m sure that if there was anything that required really urgent attention then he would have sorted it for her the second it came to light.’

  I couldn’t help thinking that it was Matt that Gwen had turned to about the work and Will hadn’t exactly put his foot down about replacing the shower and fuse box, had he? But he had at least alerted her to the seriousness of the problem, I supposed, and I knew for myself that she could be pretty stubborn when she wanted to be, so the fact that it still wasn’t sorted wasn’t really his fault.

  We finished gathering and tidying the papers and magazines together and then walked back to Amber’s truck.

  The wind had picked up and, even though it was still hot and disgustingly humid, I could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon. I hoped we weren’t in for a storm. I hated thunder almost as much as I hated the thought of driving.

  ‘Do you know,’ I said as I helped wrestle a now wide-awake Honey back into her car seat and dismissed the sudden change in the weather in the hope that it would blow in the opposite direction, ‘even with all the work ahead and money to find, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.’

  ‘Lifted off?’ Amber questioned. ‘Surely you mean you feel as if a weight has descended?’

  ‘No,’ I said thoughtfully. ‘I feel liberated in a way.’

  ‘Liberated?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘liberated, and all thanks to Gwen. She’s given me something I can really sink my teeth into here, hasn’t she? She’s handed me the perfect opportunity to finally get on with the job of living.’

  I knew it probably sounded strange to Amber, but I knew what I meant.

  ‘So,’ she frowned, much as I expected she would, ‘I take it you’ve never felt like this before then? Don’t you feel as if you’ve been living life to the full?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘I haven’t. I know from what you’ve told me about your career and the farm that you’ve always been someone who sets their sights on something they want and then makes it happens, but that’s not been me. I’ve just jogged along really,’ I shrugged, thinking how safe my job and limited life back in Lincoln had been. ‘For the most part, I’ve just fitted in with whatever happened to come along. I’ve never actually gone out looking for a big adventure like this. I’ve never wanted to.’

  ‘Until now,’ said Amber, her eyes lighting up.

  ‘Yes,’ I agreed, ‘until now. From this moment on I’m going to be brave and I’m going to be the one who makes things happen.’

  ‘Well, good for you,’ she laughed. ‘That’s wonderful.’

  ‘It is rather, isn’t it?’ I laughed back. ‘And it’s all thanks to dear Gwen, but you won’t tell anyone about my idea, will you, Amber?’

  ‘Why ever not?’ she frowned, turning to face me again. ‘You’re going to need all the help you can muster to get this idea up and running.’

  ‘I k
now that,’ I nodded, ‘and I won’t want to keep it all to myself forever obviously, but just for now, while I’m getting to grips with it all and thinking it through, I’d rather keep it under wraps.’

  ‘Well, as long as you’re sure?’ she asked doubtfully.

  ‘I know you think I should be shouting about it from the rooftops,’ I acknowledged, ‘but I promise you, I do have my reasons for keeping quiet.’

  ‘Do you want to tell me what they are?’

  ‘Not today,’ I said firmly. I was already dreading what the suspicious locals were going to say about my ambitious project and knew it was paramount I had it all clear in my mind before I attempted to get them onside. ‘But I might one day, assuming they haven’t all been forgotten in the excitement when things begin to happen, of course.’

  ‘All right,’ she agreed, ‘that’s fair enough, but don’t forget, it really is up to you to make this a success.’

  ‘How could I possibly forget that?’ I laughed. ‘You’re going to be reminding me every five minutes, aren’t you?’

  Amber laughed along with me.

  ‘Of course,’ she smiled, ‘and I promise I’ll keep your secret far better than I have this baby business,’ she added, running her hand over her still flat tummy. ‘Just so long as you make sure you put me and Jake down for the first mini-break booking, OK?’

  ‘But it’s only up the road,’ I reminded her.

  ‘That doesn’t matter,’ she enlightened me. ‘When you’ve got a farm, a fella, an ageing aunt, a daughter, livestock and a business to run, even a trip to the supermarket can be a welcome break.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ I smiled, thinking that she, Jemma and Lizzie were all women on a mission. ‘I’ll put you and Jake down as my very first guests.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ she beamed. ‘And how are the hens, by the way?’

  ‘Hilarious,’ I said, ‘I can watch them for hours, and the eggs might be small, but they’re packed full of flavour. They’ve quite transformed my breakfast. First I cook what they’ve presented me with, then I sit and watch them darting about the run, fixated on anything that flies.’