Escape to the Country

by Patsy Collins

  Six? Despite having spent over a week on the small farm, Leah still hadn't realised quite how hard Jayne worked.

  After breakfast, Leah changed out of her new clothes and into something suitable for mucking out the pigs. Both she and Jayne received official looking letters. Leah's was from work, politely informing her an enquiry into 'recent events' was under way and her pay would be going into the bank as usual. She'd be checking that later, just to be sure but the tone of the letter reassured her. It said so very little that Leah felt sure they'd taken legal advice and were taking care they didn't seem to be accusing her of anything and almost implied the 'gardening leave' were at her own request or at least for her own benefit.

  She told Jayne the good news. "I'll be able to contribute towards the housekeeping."

  "No, I couldn't ask you to do that and things..."

  "You're not asking," Leah interrupted. "I'm offering. I know you wouldn't begrudge feeding me if I'd just come up for the weekend, but I've been here longer than that already and I do eat a lot."

  Jayne's smile suggested she was too polite to actually say so, but that she agreed with her niece.

  "Actually, I would feel more comfortable if I was paying something toward my keep, because I've got a favour to ask."

  "Oh dear, that sounds ominous."

  "I hope not. Well, if it's OK with you, I'd like to stay for a while. I think things would be easier with work and Adam if I didn't return to London until my name is definitely cleared and I know exactly where I stand."

  "I agree and I'd love you to stay on."

  Jayne so obviously meant this that Leah couldn't help but leap up and hug her.

  "Was your letter good news?" She asked.

  "No, not really."

  "Oh sorry. It's just that I thought it might be from some builders to say they were coming to fix the roof."

  "No." All the earlier happiness was wiped from Jayne's face.

  "He's not going to have it done? That good for nothing... Jayne, what is it?"

  "Nothing. Well no, not nothing, but like you I think I'd rather wait until I know exactly where I stand before making a move."

  "It's not just the roof, is it?"

  "No, not just that. The leaky thatch seems almost too trivial to worry about. Please, let's not talk about it now."

  "OK, but when you do want to and if there's anything I can do to help..."

  "I know, lovey. Thank you. Just having you here helps. It's good to have family and not to feel so alone."

  Leah swallowed. It must have been hard for Jayne to cope with losing both her elderly parents so close together. Leah had been so wrapped up in her new job and new man she'd not been of much help. She'd attended the funerals and written occasionally but that was all. She felt so bad about that, especially compared to Jayne's compassion over Leah's troubles. Now Jayne had something else worrying her, something so bad she couldn't even face talking about it. There was no way Leah could make up for her thoughtlessness in the past, but she could try to ease some of Jayne's present worries.

  Jayne had said the leaky thatch was almost too trivial to worry about, but obviously it was still a worry. Maybe it was one problem Leah could help with. Jayne was behaving just as Leah had been at work and in her relationship with Adam - treated badly without sticking up for herself. Unlike Leah who had no one to defend her, Jayne had Leah.

  "So, what's the plan today?" Leah asked.

  "The usual feeding and cleaning out." Jayne sounded so tired.

  No wonder she was tired. It was only eight o'clock and already Jayne had tackled hard physical work before cooking breakfast for her idle townie visitor. Leah offered to do the rest of the morning's tasks and give Jayne a break.

  "So, it's just the chickens to be given feed and water and have the eggs collected, the pigs to be fed and cleaned out, the sheep to be fed..." she trailed off. She couldn't do it all before lunch, she couldn't even lift one hay bale on her own.

  "I try to think of it as one job at a time, otherwise it's all too daunting," Jayne said, but at least she was smiling again.

  "Yes, well I'll start with the chickens."

  "Thanks, lovey. Tell you what, you do that and I'll take the pick-up to feed the sheep. I can load up with hay and salt blocks to store in the little shed up there. That'll save me bothering with them at all tomorrow and make feeding them much easier for the next week or so. I've been meaning to do that, but taking the truck means tackling several gates. Sometimes I just don't have the time or energy for things that'd make my life easier."

  Leah fed the chickens, an easy task compared to trudging up the field carrying a bale of hay for the sheep and was pleased she was helping to spare Jayne that task for a few days. She'd get her to think of other things they could do to make her life a bit easier. Jayne thought Leah was clever so she'd try to live up to her expectations with a few time and motion improvements. Maybe she didn't need to think of them - just help Jayne find the time to set them in place. Jayne's problem wasn't that she couldn't think of good ways to do things, just that she didn't have the time or energy because she was alone.

  As soon as she'd taken in the eggs, Leah mixed up the pig's feed and gave it to them. As they noisily ate, she swept out their pens, and spread fresh straw. Leah remembered how she'd been unable to shift the wheelbarrow last time she'd mucked out the pigs and had to get Jayne to help. She'd learnt her lesson, so this time shovelled half the dirt at a time into the wheelbarrow and wheeled it to the muck heap. Already her muscles were stronger. She didn't find the task easy, but she was able to control the barrow.

  Next she checked on Rosemary and Rosepetal. Leah was more than a little relieved to see their bedding was still clean and their hayracks reasonably full. All she needed do was to scoop out a few pieces of straw which had fallen into the younger cow's water trough. Almost immediately, Rosepetal took a look into the trough, shook her head sending another couple of stalks into the water. Then she took a long drink. Leah, remembering Jayne had told her the heifer was pregnant, wondered if this was some kind of bovine craving. She left the straw where it was; even if, as seemed most likely, it's appearance in the trough was accidental, it wasn't going to stop the cow drinking.

  "Leah! You've done everything!" Jayne said when she came back.

  "I have. Must admit I feel pretty chuffed with myself, so while I'm in a good mood I'll offer to cook lunch while you relax."

  "If you're really happy to make lunch, I'll tackle the movement permits and other records. That's another job I've been meaning to get done and one that just gets worse and worse the longer I leave it."

  Leah surveyed the well stocked fridge then took a mug of coffee and plate of biscuits into Jayne. "This'll keep you going while I try to figure out that scary cooker of yours."

  "Oh thanks, love. Just what I could do with."

  "Did you have something in mind for lunch, or shall I surprise you?"

  "A surprise would be lovely. It's so long since I had a meal without having to think about what to cook."

  Leah didn't want to use anything Jayne might have earmarked for a later meal, so decided to do something based on eggs. Jayne had a plentiful supply of them. There were also home-grown potatoes and plenty of cheese and bacon. Leah made a Spanish omelette, complete with sun dried tomatoes and frozen peas both courtesy of Jayne's garden. Never again would Leah moan about the task of trailing round the supermarket to stock her kitchen cupboards. That task was nothing compared to growing and preserving the food for herself.

  Leah opened the flue on the Aga and chucked on more dry logs to increase the heat. It took time to peel the potatoes as they were soft, from having been stored since last autumn, but that gave the cooker time to warm up enough to heat a pan of water. Once the potatoes were on to boil she went outside to pick winter salad. Fortunately Jayne had neatly labelled the rows and she could gather rocket, chicory and land cress. Funny how she'd read those names on imported bagged salad but never known which was which nor realis
ed the crops could be grown in England over winter.

  Leah was proud of her omelette, souffled in the oven to a light fluffy texture with a crisp cheesy crust.

  "That was absolutely delicious. Thank you, I feel quite spoiled," Jayne said.

  "No problem. How did the paperwork go?"

  "It's going. I've got things into order now. I think if I crack on I'll get it all sorted today." She sounded as though that would be one less thing to worry about.

  "Can I help at all?"

  "Not really. It's all hand written notes and forms, and half the information is in my head."

  "I'll leave you to get on with it then and I'll go off exploring with Tarragon."

  "Take your mobile, then if you get stuck or lost I'll know where to send the tractor driver to rescue you."

  "Jayne!"

  "Do you mean to say the thought of going over to Home Farm never crossed your mind?"

  As Leah fully intended to visit the farm she couldn't really deny it. The reason wasn't the one Jayne was thinking of, but better to let her believe Leah was planning to flirt with dishy Duncan the tractor driver than that she was going to confront his boss, Mr Gilmore-Bunce about the state of Jayne's roof and his failure to sort it out.

  Leah stuffed her pockets with her phone, Tarragon's lead and as many dog treats as she could fit in.

  "Come on boy, us country bumpkins are going to leave the wannabe townie to her office work."

  Jayne grinned but said nothing.

  This time Leah wasn't so frightened of the cows and although she'd have preferred them to display their curiosity at more of a distance she realised their sniffing noses were just checking her out, not wondering how tasty she'd be. Without Leah showing fear for him to react to, the dog barely seemed to notice the larger animals.

  Instead of crossing the boggy ground where she'd got stuck a few days earlier, Leah followed the track down towards the farm buildings. If she'd been absolutely sure Duncan would quickly appear to lift her in his strong arms she'd have been tempted to get stuck again. Only tempted though, she knew if she was to attract his attention she'd have to come up with something better than looking a complete idiot every time she saw him.

  Once near the yard, she clipped on Tarragon's lead and walked briskly and purposefully past the various barns and buildings toward the house, with her head held high. She wasn't a trespasser or lost rambler, she was there on a matter of business and with a grievance for which she expected immediate action.

  There were several cars parked in the yard. All were coated with more mud than polish and none were new or expensive looking, so must belong to the workers rather than the man himself. G-B's was probably housed in one of the outbuildings. Leah could hear a tractor in the distance and closer was the low hum of some kind of machinery and cattle mooing, but there was no sign of people.

  The farmhouse looked like a cross between Jayne's Primrose Cottage and the home of a wealthy landowner. The original building had obviously been extended with a huge conservatory to the right, low outbuildings to the left and a neat glass porch built over the front door. She walked up the uneven red brick path, passing under metal archways covered in ancient looking brown stems. She guessed they'd be covered in flowers later in the year, but couldn't tell which type.

  The glass doorway to the porch sported no bell or knocker, so she tapped gently on the glass pane. Immediately she realised the sound was too quiet to be heard by anyone even if they were standing directly behind the solid wooden doorway into the farm house. Leah tried the handle of the porch door. It opened, allowing a waft of scent to escape. She went inside and pulled the glass door behind her to keep in the relative warmth and the perfume coming from the large pot of blue hyacinths.

  Leah pounded the iron knocker onto one of the studs in the wide door. She noticed how much smoother that stud was than all the others and wondered how many generations of visitors had knocked just as she was doing now. After a minute she pounded again and wondered how many generations of tenants and workers had been kept out in the cold, their legitimate concerns ignored by the rich landowners who sat round roaring fires eating lavish dinners or off chasing poor, innocent foxes.

  After ten minutes of banging on the door, walking round outside first calling 'hello' and taking a few hasty peeks in at the windows Leah had to admit she wasn't being ignored. There really wasn't anyone in. She took the opportunity to take a closer look at how her enemy lived. None of the curtains were drawn, so that was easy to accomplish. One room was filled with high tech music and entertainment equipment. There was a huge television, speakers everywhere, games consoles - in short every expensive boy toy she could think of. Somehow the large room still looked comfortable. It was clearly an area he used, not just a place to show off the things he could afford to buy.

  There was also a beautiful library with big squashy looking chairs placed to receive sunlight at different times of day, strategically positioned lamps and tables and a cabinet stocked with crystal glasses and all types of tempting looking drinks. What bliss it would be to pour a warming drink after a hard day's work and to curl up in one of those chairs with a good book. She craned her neck to see if there was a fireplace. She couldn't see one, but felt sure there would be and that it would be laid ready so a match was all that was needed to supply warmth and the comforting scent of wood smoke. She giggled as she realised that in her daydream she was pouring two drinks as Duncan bent to apply the flame to dry kindling.

  Oh well, back to reality. She couldn't confront Mr Gilmore-Bunce but that wasn't his fault so she'd try not to let her anger build against him. She had every right to be angry, but it wouldn't help her try to reason with him and persuade him to fix the roof on Primrose Cottage.

  As she turned to walk back down the path, she saw she wasn't even being ignored - Duncan the tractor driver was watching her. It shouldn't really have surprised her to see him in the yard of the farm where he worked, but she hadn't expected to see anyone other than Gilmore-Bunce.

  "Hi, Leah. Can I help with anything?" he asked pleasantly.

  To hide her embarrassment at having been caught snooping and daydreaming of him, Jayne demanded, "Where's your rotten good for nothing boss?"

  "Who?"

  "Oliver Gilmore-Bunce. This is his house isn't it?"

  "Yes, it is but he's not actually in there at the moment. What's he done to upset you?"

  "It's more what he hasn't done. Fix the leak in Jayne's roof."

  "I'll have a word with him." Duncan seemed to be finding this funny.

  "He'll listen to a tractor driver?"

  Duncan frowned at her for a moment as though he didn't quite understand, then grinned.

  "Well maybe if I tug my forlock enough, he'll speak to someone as lowly as me."

  "I didn't mean that. It's just he's so pompous. There's nothing wrong with being a tractor driver..." And hadn't Jayne said he was a foreman? Her anger with Gilmore-Bunce had made her be rude - which just made her hate him all the more.

  "It's OK, I was teasing. You really don't like Oliver Gilmore-Bunce do you?"

  "No. Neither would you if you knew him like I do."

  "Oh?"

  She could see he was trying not to laugh. Oh dear, he didn't think she knew him intimately did he?

  "I work for a company that handles a lot of his investments. Something went wrong with his account and he accused me of fraud and got me the sack."

  "You were sacked? That's dreadful. No one has the right to sack you without proof and I just can't believe you were to blame."

  Duncan really was sweet. He didn't immediately assume the fault must have been hers and looked sorry that she'd suffered. If it had been him she'd turned to immediately after her boss had told her of his suspicions and suspended her, Duncan would have given her the hug she so badly needed.

  "Well, I'm not actually sacked, just suspended while they investigate, but my boss did think I was to blame. I'm not so sure what he thinks now."

  "
Good, well hopefully the investigation will clear your name. Maybe there's been a misunderstanding or there's a reasonable explanation?"

  "You're very loyal to him."

  "Mr Gilmore-Bunce?"

  "Yes. He's the one that accused me and demanded that action be taken."

  "If his money was taken then you couldn't expect him to just overlook it."

  "Well, no." That was true. She hadn't really thought about it from his point of view. She gathered there were several hundred thousand pounds missing and it was probably natural for him to assume the person handling his account was to blame. He'd put his trust in the company and therefore her, no wonder he was angry and demanding action.

  "Leah, is Jayne your father's sister?"

  "Yes. Why?"

  "I just wondered. Er... Leah, I do have a good reason for seeing things from Mr Gilmore-Bunce's point of view."

  "Or you'll lose your job, yes I see. I know what that's like. Sorry I don't want to put you in a difficult position so I'll try not to say anything against that miserable, sexist, snivelling excuse for..." she giggled. "Sorry, I was teasing. Your face though, you looked almost as though it were you I was insulting. I won't be rude about him and won't expect you to be disloyal." She wished she hadn't ranted quite so much about his boss, being so mean didn't exactly put her in a good light. She wasn't even sure she was right. His request to have his accounts checked had, she could see now, been perfectly reasonable, not a deliberate attack on her. Maybe she'd also misinterpreted everything else she'd heard about him.

  "So, would you like to tell me what your problem is? Maybe I can help," Duncan said.

  She blinked. How could he help with her problems. Then the penny dropped.

  "The rain. There's nearly as much of it inside Jayne's room as outside. It's worse in some ways as it keeps on dripping after the rain has stopped and it smells awful and stains her clothes and the walls and everything."

  "Oh dear. I knew the thatch needed attention, but had no idea the problem was as bad as that."

  "No, well you wouldn't. I don't suppose even Gilmore-Bunce does really, because Jayne didn't make much of a fuss. I told her she should have been more assertive."