The wipers cleared the windscreen of drizzle, revealing an opening in the hedgerows, and the grey sky opened out before him. The rain that was falling appeared cold and sticky and he didn’t relish the prospect of getting out of the car and having to unload their belongings. It wasn’t the best welcome to the place he’d once enjoyed visiting, and it didn’t fill him with confidence that he’d made the right decision returning here, but his options had been limited. Something had needed to change in his life and a cross-country move had seemed worth a shot.
‘Are we nearly there, Daddy?’ Tilly asked from the back seat of the car for what had to be the millionth time since they’d left Bath that morning. The journey had taken over four hours with comfort breaks and a quick stop for some lunch, but his daughter had been incredibly patient and well behaved. He could cope with the question because he understood how she felt. All he wanted now was to stretch his legs, take a hot shower and sleep. He doubted that his afternoon and evening would follow that exact pattern, as he had family to catch up with, but he hoped that later on, after he’d put Tilly to bed, he’d be able to relax and gather his thoughts.
‘Yes, angel, almost there.’
‘Good because I need a wee.’
‘Me too.’ He wiggled his eyebrows at her in the rear-view mirror and she giggled.
He indicated left then turned and drove along a gravel road towards large open gates and a sign for Rosewood Farm and Tea Shop. The crunching of the gravel under the tyres and the wooden sign – with its painting of a black and white cow with a big pink rose tucked behind its ear – brought back a jolt of memories from his childhood. When he was younger, he’d come here with his parents in their old yellow Ford Fiesta, following what felt like an endless journey. The car had smelt of sun cream, his father’s Brut aftershave and salt and vinegar crisps – because Ethan had opened a bag and the contents had flown everywhere. His mum had collected the crisps, dusted them off then shared them with Ethan while his dad drove. They’d sucked the crisps slowly to get all the flavouring off before chewing them up, treating it like a game to make the time pass more quickly.
Back then, his mum, Heidi, had been young and beautiful with long blonde hair, bright green eyes and an easy smile. She was one of life’s dreamers, his dad always said as he gazed at her adoringly, and Ethan had loved to listen to her stories about the places she wanted to see and the things she wanted to do when they had enough money. As an artist, her income had been unreliable, so sometimes they’d had money and at other times, things had been tight. But his mum had always been cheerful and seen the positives in every situation, counted her blessings and refused to allow worries to darken her days. She had also been a wonderful cook and had taught him how to make healthy and delicious meals from scratch with just a few ingredients, and how to bake bread, cakes and puddings that made his mouth water and filled their house with amazing aromas. Even now, eight years after his mother’s passing, the smell of baking could lift Ethan’s spirits and bring his mum right back into his world.
He missed her so much.
‘Are you sad, Daddy?’ Tilly asked.
‘What? No, Tilly, I’m not sad. Why do you ask?’
‘I saw in the mirror that your mouth turned down and your eyebrows moved together. My teacher says you should always turn that frown upside down.’
He shook his head and laughed. ‘I’ll do my best.’
Tilly was the tonic to his grief that he had needed and whenever he felt himself sinking, she always managed to lift him into better spirits.
As he drove along the gravel lane, the farm buildings came into view and his stomach flipped. He hadn’t seen his father’s sister, Audrey Sanders, in years, and although they spoke on the phone every month and sometimes via WhatsApp, it was always about Tilly and his dad and nothing too heavy. Seeing Audrey now, as an adult with a child of his own, would be strange and he hoped that it wouldn’t be too awkward, especially seeing as how he’d be living at Rosewood Farm for the foreseeable future.
At the end of the lane, a signpost pointing to the right announced Rosewood Tea Shop, while to the left was the farmhouse. He’d go there first because there was a good chance that someone would be home and because he didn’t fancy walking into a busy tea shop and having to meet people just yet. He needed to settle in first and to find his feet.
‘Are we there now, Daddy?’
‘Yes, we’re here!’
‘Thank goodness for that!’
Tilly’s comment made Ethan smile as he parked in front of the long stone building with its small-paned black-framed windows and slate-tiled roof and cut the engine. Smoke curled up from the wide chimney and disappeared into the air.
‘This is Aunty Audrey’s house,’ Ethan said, as much to himself as to Tilly, as if confirming to himself that he was really here.
‘Yay! Can I see the cows?’
Ever since he’d told Tilly that Rosewood was a dairy farm, she’d been asking about the cows. She’d seen cows in fields as they drove past them, but never up close, and he did wonder how she’d find them in real life. The first time he’d seen the cows at Rosewood, he’d found their size and strong countryside smell quite overwhelming, but he had soon come to enjoy helping out his Uncle Gary. Tilly had also been asking for a dog for years but with Ethan working and having no one around to help, he hadn’t thought it was fair to have one as it would end up spending a lot of time alone. At least here on the farm, Tilly would have contact with a variety of animals, and he hoped that it would be an educational and enjoyable experience for her.
‘You can, but perhaps later or tomorrow, all right? We have to meet Aunty Audrey and Uncle Gary first, as well as my cousins, Harper and Scarlett.’
‘Okay, Daddy, but don’t forget.’
‘I won’t. I promise.’
‘Glitterbug says her tummy is fizzing.’
Ethan turned in his seat to find Tilly waving her brown dog toy in the air.
‘Fizzing?’
‘Like she drank too much coke.’
‘Does Glitterbug need a wee?’
‘She does but she said her tummy is fizzing because she’s nervous too.’
‘That’s nice to know, Tilly. Tell Glitterbug that she’ll be fine and doesn’t need to worry.’
‘Don’t worry, Glitterbug.’ Tilly kissed the toy’s head. ‘Can we get out now, Daddy?’
‘Yes we can.’
Ethan got out of the car then opened the back door and helped Tilly out of her car seat. He scooped her up and whirled her around, which made her giggle, then set her down next to the car.
‘Wait there for a moment while I get what we need, then we can go and knock on the door.’
‘Yes, Daddy.’
Ethan smiled at her, his heart filled with love for the small girl with her long blonde hair just like his mother’s and her soft brown eyes that were exactly like Melanie’s – but without the coldness. Some days, he could barely believe she was his daughter because she was so stoic and funny; she took everything in her stride and he hoped she always would do. He’d hate for her to become a worrier like him, and his one main wish was that she’d never be hurt by anyone, ever. He knew that wasn’t realistic but he could hope. Hope was something he could always do, even if it was simply hoping that he could cling on to hope.
He shook his head at his musings, grabbed the rucksack containing his laptop, wallet and glasses, then locked the car.
‘Come on then, Tilly, let’s see who’s home, shall we?’
He held out his hand and Tilly took it, then they walked towards the farmhouse. Ethan wondered if Glitterbug’s tummy was fizzing as much as his was, and if she was wondering how their new start was going to work out.
The door swung open and a short, stout woman squealed and clapped her hands.
‘Ethan! Tilly! Hellooooo!’
She launched herself at them and hugged them both in turn, Ethan first then Tilly, leaving him breathless and Tilly wide-eyed.
‘Hell
o, Aunty Audrey.’ Ethan smiled.
‘Oh, love, call me Audrey otherwise it’s a right old mouthful.’
She beamed at him, her cheeks flushed and her green eyes the mirror of his own, except that they had a few more lines at the corners and her lashes were so fair they were almost white.
‘And look at you, Tilly, you beautiful little girl!’
Tilly held out her toy dog. ‘This is Glitterbug. She likes cows.’
‘Does she now?’ Audrey said, leaning over to Tilly’s eye level. ‘Well, there are plenty of cows at Rosewood for you to meet, Glitterbug. I’m sure you’ll love it here and that you’ll be able to get stuck in with milking and mucking out and… well… everything. Gary will be grateful for the help of an apprentice, no doubt.’
‘Glitterbug says she will be glad to be an prentice.’ Tilly peered up at Audrey shyly. ‘What’s an prentice?’
‘An apprentice is someone who works with someone to learn something, like a skill. So if you were Uncle Gary’s apprentice, you’d learn how to be a dairy farmer.’
‘Okay.’ Tilly grinned. ‘I’ll be Uncle Gary’s prentice.’
‘Look at me, will you?’ Audrey shook her head. ‘Here I am, keeping you on the doorstep, and with it being such a dreary day. Come on in and have a cuppa and some cake. You must be exhausted after that journey.’
Audrey stepped back and ushered Ethan and Tilly into the warm hallway that smelt of cinnamon and coffee, newspapers and woodsmoke. The dark flagstone floor was smooth and worn, and the walls were crammed with family photographs. It was how Ethan had always thought a home should be, a place where family ties ran deep and where there was a history that bound the lives of the inhabitants together. It was something he’d longed for at times, and something he wanted for Tilly, but it had always seemed out of reach for him as a single dad whose time was split between his young daughter and his job. In the time he had outside of work, he hadn’t had much energy for anything other than taking care of Tilly.
Ethan scanned the photographs and saw a few of his mum and dad in amongst those of Audrey, Gary and their two girls. He suspected that he’d be on at least one of them, somewhere, albeit a far younger version of him. He’d have a good look later, although seeing his mum had already made his heart ache, so it was something he’d do discretely so no one saw him if he did get a bit upset.
Audrey closed the door then led the way through the hallway with its coat stand and rack of wellies and hats, and through to a large bright kitchen-diner. Everything was wooden, from the cupboard doors to the table and chairs, and Ethan thought it was exactly how a farmhouse kitchen should look – solid, warm and welcoming.
‘Take a seat.’ Audrey gestured at a sofa piled with plump feather cushions set in front of French doors leading out onto a small walled garden.
Ethan and Tilly sat down, sinking into the cushions, and Tilly wriggled along so that she was right next to Ethan then she slid her hand into his. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back – their secret sign that said I love you. She was still clutching Glitterbug in her other hand.
‘Right, that’s the kettle on.’ Audrey smoothed her wavy blonde bobbed hair back behind her ears. ‘Can I get you anything to eat?’
Ethan turned to Tilly. ‘Do you want anything?’
She looked at Glitterbug then back at Ethan. ‘Glitterbug said can she have some cake?’ she whispered, her eyes flickering sideways at Audrey.
‘Could we have some cake, please?’ Ethan asked.
‘Of course you can.’
Soon, Audrey placed a tray on the small coffee table in front of the sofa. There were three mugs of tea, three small plates and a large plate with slices of carrot cake, chocolate cake and what Ethan suspected was lemon drizzle cake.
‘Help yourselves.’ Audrey gestured at the tray then took the chair opposite them.
‘Thank you.’ Ethan picked up one of the small plates. ‘Which one would you like, Tilly?’
She poked out her tongue as she gazed at the cakes. ‘Chocolate, please, Daddy.’
Ethan handed her the plate and she tucked in while he picked up a mug of tea.
‘I forgot to ask if you wanted sugar,’ Audrey said, rolling her eyes and pushing herself upwards.
‘It’s fine, thanks. Just milk for both of us.’
‘Wonderful. How was your journey, my lovelies?’
‘It was fine, thanks. We made good time. Obviously, it was long, but it’s not like we’re going to be commuting every day, is it?’
‘Thank goodness for that! I’m so glad you’ve come to us at last.’ She smiled warmly. ‘Your uncle is out in the barn at the moment and your cousins are working in the tea shop, but you can meet them all later. They can’t wait to see you again, Ethan, or to meet you, Tilly.’
‘How old are they?’ Tilly asked with the forthrightness of a child, and Ethan winced but Audrey didn’t miss a beat.
‘Well, Uncle Gary is fifty-seven, Harper is twenty-five and Scarlett is twenty-two.’
‘That’s a lot younger than my daddy.’ Tilly frowned. ‘Why are they younger?’
‘Interesting question, Tilly. Your grandfather, who is also my brother, is five years older than me and I didn’t have my first baby until I was thirty, so by then your daddy was already ten.’
‘Oh.’ Tilly nodded. ‘So they were a bit young to be your friends when you were a little boy, Daddy.’
‘Kind of.’ Ethan smiled.
‘I’m sure you’ll all get on now, Ethan.’ Audrey stood up and reached for a photograph that was on the sideboard. She handed it to Ethan and Tilly peered at it.
‘The young woman with the long blonde hair is Harper and the other one is Scarlett. Her hair is bright red now, although a few weeks ago it was green, so I struggle to keep up with what colour it is.’ Audrey shook her head.
‘Do they still live with you?’ Tilly took the photo from Ethan and ran a finger over the silver-plated frame.
‘Yes they do and they both work in the tea shop. Harper intends on going away travelling with her girlfriend soon so she’s been saving up, and Scarlett likes her home comforts so I can’t see her moving out any time soon.’
‘It’s funny, living with their mummy and daddy when they’re grown-ups.’ Tilly laughed. ‘I don’t think I will live with my daddy when I’m that old.’
Ethan placed a hand over his heart and blinked rapidly. ‘Why not? You mean you’re going to leave me all on my own?’
Tilly frowned, placed the photograph on the table then took his hands. ‘I won’t leave you, Daddy, don’t worry.’ She turned to Audrey. ‘Daddy doesn’t have anyone else, so I can’t leave him, see. Sometimes I forget that when I’m thinking about being a grown-up.’
‘Tilly, I will be fine. One day, when you’re older, you will move out and have your own life and your own family.’
‘Your daddy is right, Tilly.’ Audrey smiled. ‘My girls have stayed here for so long because it’s an expensive world and because they work here, but I don’t expect them to live at home with me for ever.’
‘But you have Uncle Gary to keep you company,’ Tilly said. ‘Daddy doesn’t have a wife.’
Ethan met Audrey’s eyes and smiled to try to show her that he was fine with how things were, but the smile felt more like a grimace. Knowing that Tilly had concerns about him being alone made him sad, because he wanted her to have a carefree and fulfilling life, not to be worrying about him and how he’d manage without her. He had to ensure that she knew he’d be just fine, and that he would always be happy as long as she was happy. He couldn’t deny that the thought of having a special someone in his life would have been nice, but Tilly was his priority and he was doing his best to be a good dad to her.
‘Don’t you worry about your daddy.’ Audrey waved a hand at Tilly. ‘He will be just fine as long as you are fine. Isn’t that right, Ethan?’
He nodded his agreement and his thanks.
‘So let’s have tea and cake, then I can show you the cotta
ge where you’ll be staying. I’ve lit the log burner and the Aga and made up the beds, so it’ll be warm and cosy for you tonight.’
Audrey made the cottage sound extremely appealing and Ethan found that he was looking forward to seeing it. ‘Thank you so much. That sounds perfect.’
Ethan was warmed right through. It had been such a long time since someone had done anything for him, so to be shown such kindness was quite overwhelming. In fact, apart from hugs from Tilly, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hugged by an adult, so his aunt’s big hug on the doorstep had been very nice indeed.
‘Glitterbug misses her friends.’ Tilly placed her empty plate on the tray then perched her toy dog on the end of the table. ‘She’s scared she won’t have any here.’
Audrey shook her head. ‘There’s plenty of children in the village and the most wonderful school where you’ll love to go, I’m sure. My girls went there and loved it, and the deputy head teacher, Miss Catherine Bromley, is very nice. You’ll meet her soon. Then there’s Ms Jowanet Tremayne, the head teacher, and she’s strict but she’s also very kind.’
Ethan smiled his thanks at his aunt again. He’d been worried about uprooting Tilly from her home, but after he’d lost his job two months ago, he’d felt more isolated than ever. With his mother gone, his father jetting off regularly to Majorca and no one else around to turn to, Ethan had wondered what to do next. Then Audrey had phoned to wish Tilly happy birthday a few weeks earlier, and she’d been so kind and caring on the phone that Ethan had poured everything out to her. She’d told him that it was fate as their chef had just accepted a job on a cruise ship, and that if Ethan took the post, he’d save her from having to go through the rigmarole of finding another one. Apparently, the first chef had been difficult to find as not many chefs seemed to fancy the idea of working at a small farm tea shop in the Cornish countryside, preferring the towns and cities with their busy pubs and restaurants. But to Ethan, it sounded perfect. It would be time away from Bath with its vortex of painful memories and a fresh start for him and Tilly. So he’d accepted the job on the spot and made arrangements to leave Bath. He’d put the house he’d bought with Melanie on the market, packed up their furniture and put it into storage, and brought only what he and Tilly needed with them to Cornwall. Anything else could be moved later on when they were settled here. If they settled here. He hoped they would because moving was a big wrench and more than anything he longed for security for him and, more importantly, for Tilly.
The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood Page 2
