by Heidi Swain
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes,’ I said, perhaps a little too brightly. ‘I’m sorry, Will. I haven’t been the best company today, have I?’
‘You’re fine,’ he said kindly. ‘You’ve got a lot on your mind and you’ve had this drive into town to contend with. It’s hardly surprising you haven’t felt like the life and soul.’
I was pleased he understood, but his kindness made my eyes well up even faster. So many people had gone out of their way to counter the gossips and welcome me to Wynbridge: Amber with the party invitation and the hens, and Mags with the van, to name just two, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was just making a mess of everything and letting everyone down.
I had waited all my life to trust people and form close bonds and now I finally had I felt like I was falling short and incapable of repaying their kindness. I really needed to buck my ideas up because if I was going to be packing my bags and moving on next year I would want happy times to look back on, not a catalogue of regrets and mistakes.
‘Well, I appreciate your understanding,’ I told Will as we passed the cottage and carried on towards his barn, ‘and I promise that if I do need you, I’ll ask.’
‘Good,’ said Will, sounding genuinely pleased. ‘And don’t forget you’ve got Mags just up the road if you need a girly chat, and Amber.’
I was amused to hear that he had assigned my female friends the roles of confidante and saved action man for himself.
I parked up at the barn and helped unload his bags. When we had finished he reached out and pulled me into a friendly hug. It wasn’t until I was in his arms, my head nowhere near his shoulder, that I remembered how tall he was. I looked up into his face and laughed.
‘What’s so funny?’ he frowned, loosening his grip a little and looking down at me.
‘You’re so tall,’ I said. ‘Thank goodness we aren’t a couple.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, I could never date you, could I?’ I said, thinking I could actually get used to dating him very easily if he sat down all the time.
‘Why ever not?’
‘I don’t think my neck could cope with the strain,’ I explained.
‘I’m sure I could find an old apple box to carry around and stand you on,’ he suggested as I began to giggle, ‘or I could lift you up like this.’
He picked me up as easily as if I weighed nothing and I could see right into his eyes. I swallowed and licked my lips, sure he was just about to kiss me, when we heard a van drive by and spotted Matt glaring out of the window.
Chapter 30
In line with my renewed determination to make the most of my time living at Cuckoo Cottage, no matter how long that turned out to be for, I telephoned Mags that evening to let her know how I was progressing with driving around in her much beloved minivan.
‘I’m pleased you’ve got on with it so quickly,’ she said when I explained that I had driven to Wynbridge as well as Skylark Farm. ‘I bet you feel like you can conquer anything now, don’t you?’ Fortunately she didn’t give me time to answer. ‘And you have to promise to come and see me and Ed very soon. It feels like ages since we were all together. You can come now, if you like.’
That was typical Mags.
‘Thanks for the invitation,’ I laughed, ‘but I’m all driven out for today. How about we arrange something for the weekend instead?’ I suggested.
‘Maybe,’ she said, her tone unsure. ‘Only I might not be about much after I finish work on Saturday.’
‘How come?’ I asked. ‘Have you got a hot date lined up?’
‘Sort of,’ she said cagily, her answer completely taking me by surprise.
‘Oh, come on then,’ I insisted, wanting to hear her news. ‘Spill the beans. Who’s the lucky fella?’
Mags didn’t say anything.
‘Of course you don’t have to tell me—’
‘It’s Liam,’ she said in a rush. ‘I’m seeing Liam.’
‘You’re always seeing Liam,’ I reminded her. ‘He’s Ed’s dad for a start.’
‘I know that silly,’ she tutted.
‘So are we talking about seeing him as in actually dating him?’ I gasped, my brain suddenly completing the romantic equation.
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘but it’s a secret. No one knows, especially Ed.’
‘But why ever not?’
I imagined he would have been delighted that his parents were giving a relationship together a go after all this time.
‘Because if it all goes belly-up he’ll be heartbroken,’ Mags explained, ‘as will I, to be honest.’
‘I knew you and Liam were made for each other,’ I said smugly, not really hearing the apprehensive edge in her tone. ‘Didn’t I say so the very first time I saw you both together?’
‘You did,’ my friend confirmed, ‘and you weren’t the first to say as much, which is part of the reason why we’ve decided to start seeing each other properly, but it’s complicated, Lottie.’
‘In what way?’
Personally I couldn’t see what the problem was.
‘Because we decided when I fell pregnant with Ed that we would keep our relationship on a purely platonic footing, just like it had always been before that one crazy night, and consequently since then everything has been fine and now I’m terrified of messing it all up.’
‘I’m sure you won’t mess anything up,’ I told her, as I finally began to see the situation from her point of view, ‘and I’m certain Liam wouldn’t have asked you out if he thought there was even the slightest danger of anything going wrong. He loves his son every bit as much as you do, Mags.’
‘I know that,’ she said, ‘but it was actually me who asked Liam out.’
‘Well, the same still applies,’ I said. ‘There’s no way he would have said yes if he was anything other than one hundred per cent certain that it was the right thing to do.’
‘OK,’ said Mags, letting out a long breath. ‘OK. Thanks, Lottie. I’m sure you’re right.’
‘So where are you taking him?’
Mags had arranged the perfect romantic evening, but there was just one problem.
‘Not that I’ve been on many dates in the last few years, of course,’ Mags confided, ‘but whenever I’ve had an evening out, Ed has gone to stay with Liam.’
‘Ah yes,’ I said, wrinkling my nose. ‘I can see why that’s a bit of a conundrum.’
‘Exactly,’ she said, ‘and the last thing we want is for Ed to find out before we’re ready to tell him. I know you and half of Wynbridge are convinced everything will work out, Lottie, but we can’t risk upsetting our lad if it doesn’t.’
‘Perhaps you could just tell him that you and Liam want to go out to talk about something, some access arrangement or plans for Christmas?’ I suggested.
‘Ed would see straight through that, and besides, we always talk about that sort of thing at home when we’re all together.’
As far as I could tell, they were already the perfect little family unit, but I didn’t say as much.
‘All right,’ I said instead, wracking my brains and digging deep for inspiration. ‘How about Ed comes and spends the night here at Cuckoo Cottage? I’ve been meaning to ask him for a proper tour of the field and my local patch for ages. I know he can talk for England when it comes to flora and fauna so we wouldn’t run out of things to discuss.’
‘Maybe,’ said Mags thoughtfully.
‘And he could bring Jack,’ I told her. ‘We could put him in one of the barns for the night.’
‘No, Jack’s fine,’ said Mags. ‘Will has helped build a proper enclosure for him now he’s almost flying again.’
I might have known Will would have helped sort that out.
‘Well, have a think about it,’ I told her. ‘If we make it sound as if this was all my idea then Ed won’t think anything of it, and if he’s here he certainly won’t twig that you and Liam have gone out together.’
‘All right,’ said Mags, so
unding far happier. ‘I’ll see what Liam says and let you know.’
‘I’m so happy for the pair of you,’ I told her, thinking of Angela and David as well. ‘I think there must be something blowing about on the Wynbridge wind at the moment, wafting romantic inclinations and assignations about the place.’
‘Well in that case,’ she giggled, ‘you want to watch out, Lottie Foster. It could be you next.’
‘Ha,’ I laughed, ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure,’ she teased. ‘From what I heard, you can’t keep that chap of yours from your door for two seconds together.’
I was fairly certain she was talking about Matt, but I was only really interested in Will turning up on my doorstep.
Early the next morning I set to work on the Cherry Tree van again. I was determined not to let my enthusiasm for the project be thwarted by either my worries or the heat which built up early in all three of the barns. I might not be able to achieve what I had set my sights on as far as the business was concerned, but I had made a promise to Jemma to have the van ready in time for Harriet and Rachel’s launch party and I had no intention of letting her down.
Minnie, unusually lethargic and still in a bit of a sulk about the fact that I had gone to town without her, had opted to stay in the cool kitchen and consequently she wasn’t in earshot to let me know when Matt’s van pulled into the yard.
‘Blimey!’ he shouted above the noise of the radio, making me jump almost right out of my skin. ‘These are a bit of all right, aren’t they?’
I clambered out of the Bailey and turned the volume down to zero.
‘I wasn’t expecting to see you today,’ I said, trying to steer him back towards the door.
‘When Simon said Gwen had got some vans in here, he never said they were like this! Crikey, these must be what, fifty years old?’
‘Probably,’ I shrugged.
‘At least, I reckon,’ he said, walking further in. ‘I thought she was just doing some friends a favour and storing their family tourers,’ he whistled under his breath. ‘Who did you say these belonged to again?’
‘I didn’t,’ I said, determined not to be drawn into giving out any more information than I had to and thinking that if he really had the same amount of sense as Simon, he would have realised that at this time of year the run-of-the-mill ‘family tourers’ would have been pitched up on some site somewhere. Perhaps I should have been grateful that he seemed to be somewhat lacking in the common sense department?
‘So what was the plan?’ he asked, finally coming back over to where I was standing. ‘To do this lot up like that one,’ he said, pointing at the Bailey, ‘and sell them on?’
‘Something like that perhaps,’ I said, my stomach rolling as I realised his brain was finally catching up. ‘I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.’
‘You’re pretty handy with a paintbrush,’ he said, admiring my handiwork. ‘I’ll give you that.’
I was a bit put out that he sounded so surprised. I prided myself on giving everything I converted the very best possible finish, whether that meant skilful application of the brush, bespoke fittings or beautiful soft furnishings and finishing touches.
‘What can I do for you, Matt?’ I asked bluntly. ‘Not that I’m not pleased to see you of course, but I’m a bit behind and I need to get on.’
‘That’s what happens when you go off on jollies,’ he smiled. ‘It’s always the work that suffers.’
I knew he was referring to seeing me with Will the day before and that he was probably expecting me to explain what he had witnessed, but I was in no mood to pander to his thinly disguised inquisitiveness.
‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ I said, turning towards the cottage.
‘And I saw David,’ he said.
I spun round to face him again.
‘Where?’
‘In the pub last night.’
‘Oh.’
‘And I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of asking him about the agricultural restrictions tied to this place and how restrictive they are.’
‘And?’
I was furious that he had gone behind my back, but was too keen to hear what David had to say to pick an argument about what he should and shouldn’t have done without my say-so.
‘Well, he didn’t want to talk about it to begin with,’ Matt explained. ‘He said it wouldn’t be appropriate to talk about it with anyone but you.’
‘Right.’
‘But then I told him that we were . . . ’
‘We were what?’
‘Friends,’ he said, wriggling his eyebrows, ‘and that I was getting the cottage back in shape for you, and he loosened up a bit.’
‘And what did he say?’ I could feel the sweat trickling down my back, and if I gripped the paintbrush I was holding any harder it was going to snap in two.
‘It wasn’t good news, I’m afraid,’ he admitted. ‘The property including the barns are bound and have to remain as they are, and the field can only be left fallow, as it is or used for agricultural purposes.’
‘What, you mean I can plough it up and grow sugar beet in it?’
‘Exactly,’ he nodded, ‘and the barns can store things, of course, but you certainly can’t set up or run a business from here, I’m afraid. He said you’d never get permission for change of use.’
‘But what about Skylark Farm?’ I countered. ‘They’ve made all sorts of changes to what they’re doing there.’
‘But it was already a working farm,’ said Matt reasonably. ‘The changes they’ve made have been pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things.’
‘But the bungalow,’ I said, clutching at straws, ‘renting out the bungalow?’
‘The bungalow was already there. Look,’ he said, ‘I don’t know what you really had in mind for this place, Lottie, but whatever it was must have involved some pretty drastic changes because you haven’t exactly got a lot to start with, have you?’
Personally I thought I pretty much had everything I needed and in all honesty what I was planning wouldn’t have had that big an impact on either the environment or the look of the place. Beyond the few caravans in the field, nothing would have looked different at all and I had been going to try and make everything as eco-friendly as possible.
‘So what was the big idea?’ he asked.
‘It wasn’t drastic at all,’ I said, stuffing the paintbrush back into the pot. Suddenly I didn’t care if he knew every last detail of what I had been dreaming up. ‘I was going to set up a glamping site,’ I explained. ‘Convert these vans, put them in the field and market the place as a bespoke holiday experience.’
Matt didn’t say anything, but spotting the tears of frustration coursing down my cheeks, he came over to give me a hug.
‘I’m all right,’ I said, quickly untangling myself from his embrace, ‘just disappointed, that’s all.’
‘What will you do with the vans now?’
‘No idea,’ I sniffed. ‘Sell them, probably.’
I couldn’t believe that Gwen had gone to all the trouble of sourcing the vans and getting them here without having first checked out whether or not I would actually be able to do something with them. According to the disheartening news Matt had just shared, I couldn’t even refurbish them, let alone rent them out for romantic reminiscent mini-breaks.
‘Was David absolutely sure?’ I asked, just to be certain there wasn’t even an inch of wriggle room.
‘He was adamant,’ Matt confirmed. ‘I even asked him if I should let him check out the details next week before I said anything to you, but he said there was no need. There was no doubt in his mind.’
‘I can’t believe it,’ I muttered, pulling the heavy door shut.
I didn’t want to even think about the vans now, let alone look at them.
‘I could help you sell them on, if you like,’ Matt offered as he helped me reattach the padlock. ‘If you can’t face it.’
‘Thanks,�
�� I choked, ‘and they might not be the only thing coming up for sale before much longer.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Nothing,’ I said, rushing back towards the house to sob in private. ‘I’m sorry, Matt. I’ll give you a ring tomorrow, OK?’
Back inside the house I listened to him leave, then flopped down on the sofa to have a good howl. I know I’d had my suspicions recently about all the work he had been coming up with, but this information was straight from the horse’s mouth and I knew there would be nothing suspicious about that. If David was certain about these non-negotiable regulations then there was no doubt in my mind that he could have made a mistake.
How was it really possible that, just weeks before, I had arrived with my few bags and high hopes and now everything was falling so spectacularly apart? Of course, I still had the cottage, but knowing my luck, Matt was going to be right and the place really was in a far worse state than I’d realised when I had so keenly signed on the dotted line. Having lost Gran and then Gwen, I didn’t think my life could be any sadder, but now it seemed determined to sink to new depths, even by my standards.
I was just about to crawl up to bed and give in completely when the sound of raised voices met my ears and Minnie ran to the front door and began to growl. I quickly picked her up as the argument got louder and, having dumped her in the kitchen, ran to find out what all the fuss was about.
‘You’re a liar!’ bawled Will, his fists clenched and his expression menacing as he stood over Matt, who was in a heap on the ground, bleeding and groaning.
Evidently I hadn’t heard Matt leave at all but Will arriving, and the pair had been winding each other up ever since I shut myself inside the cottage.
‘Get up!’ shouted Will, trying to pull Matt to his feet. ‘Tell Lottie what you’ve just told me and then we’ll know once and for all.’
Matt slumped back down again, the gash on his head trickling blood down his face as he tried to catch his breath.
‘Leave him!’ I shouted, rushing over to Matt’s side and standing between him and Will.
‘No,’ spat Will. ‘Let’s hear it again and then I’ll move.’
