Kitty's Countryside Dream

by Christie Barlow

  Robin touched my shoulder and poked his head between us. ‘Sorry to interrupt but people are already starting to arrive.’

  Looking up the long driveway, I saw Robin was right; there were numerous families already here, browsing at the various tables, purchasing cups of tea and slabs of cake. The children were full of beans, playing tag, laughing and skipping straight towards the bouncy castle.

  I decided to take one last stroll around the Lodge and the fields to make sure everything was in place. I was determined to make today a success. And by the time I got back to the yard, it seemed like the whole village was there.

  ‘I think it’s time, Kitty. Are you ready?’ Tom asked.

  Nervous butterflies were beginning to flutter around my stomach at a rate of knots. I let out a nervous sigh and smoothed my blouse down then strolled towards the front of the gathering crowd.

  Standing on top of a strategically placed crate, I glanced over the sea of people. Unless anyone looked closely enough I doubted they’d see my legs trembling. Clearing my throat, I was ready.

  I stole a furtive glance at Tom; he raised his eyebrows and nodded in my direction to give me some encouragement. I blew into the microphone that Jeannie had quickly handed to me from the nearby table.

  ‘Good morning, everyone.’

  I paused for a minute, waiting for the babble to calm down and for everyone to look in my direction. I stood smiling whilst people settled and waited for me to carry on with my speech. There were what seemed like hundreds of eyes looking back at me.

  ‘Hello! I would love to take this opportunity to welcome you all to Bluebell Lodge’s annual Easter-egg hunt. It’s great to see so many people here this morning. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kitty Lewis, and I’m the new owner down here at the Lodge. If you spot me wandering about this morning, please feel free to come and say hello. I’m looking forward to meeting you all. But in the meantime, without further ado, I declare the Easter-egg hunt open.’

  There was a loud cheer from the excited children standing in front of me and they soon scarpered off on the trail to discover the delicious chocolate eggs. Stepping down from the crate, something caught my eye. I glanced over towards Brambleberry Cottage. Squinting in the direction of the downstairs room, I was sure I saw the curtain twitch again. Maybe it was down to the faulty catch on the upstairs window blowing a draught through the cottage like Tom had suggested. I watched carefully, waiting for some sort of movement but was disturbed by a gentleman called Willard Jones, who introduced himself to me as the local butcher.

  I was just about to engage in conversation with Willard when a small child stomped fiercely over to him and yanked hard on his tweed coat. We both looked down at the little boy who was very disgruntled that Eleanor Winterbotham, another child from the same class as him at school, had just pushed him away from the hay bales he was searching in for eggs. She point-blank refused to let anyone else inside the barn until she discovered a chocolate egg. Leaving Willard to console his son, I glanced back at the curtains one last time, but they hung still. I wandered over towards Tom, who was selling raffle tickets.

  On seeing me approach, he punched the air. ‘You smashed that.’

  ‘Don’t be so dramatic. It was nothing! But thank you anyway!’

  His eyes sparkled playfully in my direction.

  I wished he wouldn’t look at me like that. It was all very confusing. I’d already witnessed the closeness between Tom and Jeannie when they were hanging up the bunting, yet he always had the knack of making me feel so at ease.

  The yard was busy with local children running in every direction, searching every nook and cranny, and then we heard the first shout. ‘I have one, I have one!’ The joyful look on the little girl’s face said it all as she clutched her chocolate egg.

  I noticed Conker was already plodding around the field with a small child hanging on for dear life to the handle on his saddle, and even more children were queuing, patiently waiting for their turn.

  The adults were beginning to huddle around the Pimm’s tent, chatting away. I nipped behind the trestle table and grabbed a couple of glasses for Jeannie and me after I’d spotted Jeannie hurrying across the yard and into the office. She was probably just having five minutes to herself. Following her lead, I weaved my way through the crowd, being careful not to spill the drinks. Leaning down on the door handle with my elbow, I pushed the door open with my foot.

  Jeannie turned round whilst pinning an invoice the noticeboard.

  ‘Ta-dah!’ I said, holding up the two glasses of Pimm’s. ‘Look what I’ve got.’

  Jeannie grabbed my arm. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, I’ve got something to tell you.’

  ‘Go on,’ I said, placing the drinks down onto the office desk.

  ‘But first you have to promise not to share it with anyone.’ She grinned nervously.

  ‘Of course, I promise.’

  ‘I’m pregnant.’

  I covered my mouth to stop myself from gasping. I was stunned. ‘So it wasn’t food poisoning?’

  ‘No, I’ve been suffering with a very bad bout of morning sickness.’

  I felt suddenly guilty; I didn’t feel very ecstatic. I knew I was being completely selfish. There was my friend standing nervously in front of me, her eyes watching my every move, waiting for a reaction.

  ‘Are you pleased?’ I asked.

  ‘At first I was a little shocked but I’ve come to terms with it now, and I really can’t wait,’ Jeannie answered.

  ‘Well in that case – congratulations!’ I managed to say whilst Jeannie launched herself into my arms and hugged me tightly.

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ll be wanting this then?’ I said, holding up the glass of Pimm’s.

  ‘Not for me,’ she replied. ‘But you can have both!’

  I didn’t need to think twice about it. Picking up both glasses, I instantly swilled them down my throat, hoping it would dull the pain that was festering in the pit of my stomach. I was trying to be happy for Jeannie, but it was just so difficult.

  ‘I best get back to the chick-handling; everyone will be wondering where we’ve got to.’

  ‘Have you told Tom yet?’ I asked.

  ‘No, not yet, so I’m asking for absolute discretion in the meantime, Aunty Kitty!’

  ‘That’s not a problem, of course. I understand.’

  Walking out of the office, my mind wandered back to the night in the pub. I flicked my eyes in the direction of Tom. Every time I looked at him my heart melted, but that was it now – it was game over.

  The direction of Tom’s life was about to change dramatically. He had new responsibilities, lifetime responsibilities, and I needed to get over my crush. Glancing over at the cottage, I pictured Jeannie at some point moving in with Tom. It wouldn’t be long before their child would be tottering around the yard. Biting down hard on my bottom lip, I prayed hard that the tears wouldn’t roll down my face.

  ‘Are you OK?’

  I whirled round to find Tom standing in front of me.

  Gosh, it was all so complicated.

  ‘Yes, of course I’m OK, I just needed a minute. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with everyone being so kind to me today.’ I nodded sheepishly, swallowing the lump in my throat. ‘Will you excuse me? I promised to lead Conker around the field next,’ I continued.

  Now it was too late to even mention my feelings towards him – it would be cruel to throw them into the mix, and Jeannie was my friend. What sort of friend was I if I couldn’t be happy for them both?

  Any last hope I ever had of Tom even noticing that I existed had just evaporated before my very eyes. Jeannie was pregnant with his baby. They would become a family. There was no doubt about it – both of them would be terrific parents.

  How things changed in such a small space of time.

  Even though the next few hours flew by, I carried on in a trance. Numerous people introduced themselves to me; I smiled in the right places and nodded when it was neede
d, but I didn’t remember any of their names.

  The hordes of people were now dispersing rapidly. Tired children clutching their chocolate eggs and balloons could be seen trailing down the long driveway, heading home, behind their parents.

  Tom, Robin and Lucinda were gathered in a huddle outside the office.

  ‘What next?’ I asked.

  ‘A huge tidy-up,’ said Robin, wiping his hand across his brow. ‘That was a busy day.’

  ‘Then as far as I’m concerned it’s wine o’clock,’ chipped in Lucinda.

  I hadn’t even managed to catch up with Lucinda. She had been flat out, decorating cupcakes and gingerbread men with the children at one of the tables near the bottom of the driveway.

  I saluted Lucinda. ‘Wine o’clock definitely sounds like a plan to me.’

  I spotted Jeannie heading in our direction. I smiled but scurried past her, shouting that I’d untack Conker who was currently tied up by his lead rope to the fence in the bottom field. Usually I was up for a bit of company– after all, I spent enough time on my own – but right at this very minute my head was whirling, and I needed time to gather my thoughts.

  Nipping into the far stable to grab a handful of carrots for Conker, I stopped dead in my tracks. The entire stable was swathed with twinkly fairy lights draped around the walls. In the middle were two chairs facing each other on either side of a small table. A white linen cloth adorned the table, decorated skilfully with scattered sugar-pink rose petals. Dozens of tea lights were dotted over the floor, yet to be lit. It was plain to see a romantic meal was on the cards. Jeannie must have been up at the crack of dawn, getting this prepared. She was obviously planning on telling Tom the wonderful news that he was about to become a father.

  Collecting my thoughts, I flung my arms around myself whilst I shivered. My whole body was trembling. My heart was pounding. Regardless of what my thoughts were on the situation, Jeannie had gone to great lengths to set the scene and she had achieved it perfectly.

  Turning around, I closed the stable door behind me. Putting on a brave face, my eyes pricked with tears.

  My feet stumbling in front of each other, I reached Conker. Throwing my arms around his neck, I buried my face deep into his neck. I felt so sad.

  Startled, I felt a warm hand being placed on my arm.

  ‘Well, that’s a sigh and a half.’

  I looked up to find Robin holding out a can of beer towards me.

  ‘I thought you might like one of these. Everyone’s been working so hard and today’s been a resounding success.’

  I took the can from him and nodded my appreciation. Robin was a total sweetheart; he was a kind man and most definitely handsome. Maybe I should give it a go – I didn’t have anything to lose. Pulling back the ring pull, Robin chinked his can against mine.

  ‘Here’s to us,’ he whispered softly whilst looking into my eyes. We both took a swig. Gently his fingers reached for mine. Taking the can from my hand, he bent down and placed it on the ground with his. Pulling me close, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. Resting his chin on top of my head, he spoke softly.

  ‘I really like you, Kitty.’

  Gulping, I felt I was being watched. Looking up over his shoulder, I saw Tom further up the field staring at us. I felt myself blush; hotness burnt in my cheeks. Our eyes met but he shifted his gaze to the ground and quickly turned and walked away. Robin still had his arms tightly wrapped around my body.

  I hesitated and then looked up at him.

  He was waiting for me to speak. He was waiting for me to say something. His expression was earnest, but his eyes sparkled with anticipation. I faltered at first, but before I’d made up my mind about anything, I heard the words leave my lips: ‘I like you too.’

  I had no idea what I was doing.

  Chapter Twenty

  I spent the rest of Easter in something of a daze. Truth be known, I was a bit of a mess. I didn’t even bother to change out of my pyjamas for a couple of days and spent most of the time curled up on the sofa, reading, with Alfie by my side. I continually glanced down at the page of my book and found myself rereading the same sentences over and over again. The day of the Easter-egg hunt had been an emotional journey. At the start I had been overjoyed, ecstatic, looking forward to the day ahead, then my mood had turned sombre. I felt battered and bruised. It had hit me hard when Jeannie had shared the news that she was expecting a baby. It wasn’t something I was expecting to hear. The setting in the stable was truly romantic and Tom would be celebrating by now. I knew I should feel happy for them both, but it didn’t stop me feeling incredibly sad. I wasn’t ready to speak to anyone. Looking up at the blue sky through the living-room window, my thoughts turned to my parents. I could hear my mother’s voice shouting down at me, telling me to pull myself together. I smiled; sometimes she nagged way too much for my liking.

  Before Mum became ill she’d been a very calming influence in my life. One of our favourite things to do had been to flick through an old suitcase of photographs that was full to the brim of my childhood memories. Mum would take each photograph out of the case and relay when and where the picture had been taken. The oldest photograph of me was with my parents, standing outside our home whilst they clutched their new bundle of joy; I was wrapped up tightly in a white crocheted blanket. My mum used to keep the suitcase on the top shelf of her wardrobe; I always needed to ask her permission to look at the photographs because I was too small to reach the shelf. That suitcase was one of the things I kept from my old family home. It held special memories, and in fact all my memories of my mother and father were secured inside that case.

  Thinking about the case and its treasures, I wondered once more why my parents had never mentioned my grandparents to me and why I had never seen a photo. Why had I never met them? My mum was a kind, decent person and I wasn’t aware she had any deep, dark family secrets to hide. I was very surprised that she’d kept this information from me. It was all a mystery and a mystery that no doubt would be difficult to solve, yet I was determined that someone somewhere must know something.

  Pulling myself to my feet, I wandered into the kitchen to make a fresh drink. When I’d got up, Alfie had peeped from one of his eyes, but had soon closed it again; he was as lazy as me this weekend. Settling back down on the settee, I rested my head on the arm. Slowly my eyes closed and I must have dozed off into a deep sleep because I was woken by the paperboy posting the free paper through the letter box. Glancing over to the clock, I realised I’d been asleep for nearly three hours. I picked up my untouched cold mug of tea and walked into the kitchen.

  A microwave meal for one was on the cards for tonight’s tea; either that or beans on toast made with stale bread. I sighed and glanced out into my little yard at the back of the house; the climbers were certainly doing their job, and it was amazing how much surface the new green shoots could cover in such a short space of time. After making a fresh cuppa I pulled the kitchen chair out from underneath the table and plonked myself down. Taking a sip of my tea, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to get on with it. This was about the happiness of Jeannie and Tom and their unborn child. It wasn’t about me; it was about what was right for them. Luckily for me it had been the Easter holidays and up at the Lodge Tom and the farmhands had it under control. Tomorrow I was due back in work and I would embrace the situation. I wanted to be a part of their lives and if that meant this was the only way, then I would grasp it with both hands. They were my friends, the closest thing I had to family. The wallowing in self-pity stopped right here.

  There was only one thing for it: a long soak in the bath accompanied by a large glass of wine. I knew after I’d washed my hair and climbed into a clean set of PJs that everything would feel a whole lot better.

  The following morning, cycling up the long driveway, I couldn’t help but smile – there was Dotty with her army of fluffy chicks foraging around in the flower beds outside the cottage. Tom’s boots were missing from the doorway, which meant he was up
and about and more than likely feeding the chickens in the bottom field. At that moment, I spotted him walking up the yard towards me, swinging the baskets of eggs, which were full to the brim.

  ‘Morning, Kitty, how are you?’ He appeared quite chirpy. He must be happy with the news then, I thought.

  It was one thing having a secret crush on Tom, but I was so relieved I hadn’t acted on it.

  ‘Absolutely fine, thank you. How about you?’

  I waited for Tom to gush with his news, but there was nothing, not even a hint he was about to become a dad.

  I stared at him, waiting.

  ‘Why are you staring at me like that?’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like that,’ he said, laughing and imitating my expression.

  Shaking my head, I said, ‘No particular reason. Did you have a good Easter?’ I asked, managing to change the subject quickly.

  ‘Very quiet to be honest. I moseyed around the farm and tidied up the clutter inside one of the barns, oh and I made a list of jobs that need to be carried out this week.’

  ‘It sounds like you had a ball!’ I joked.

  ‘There wasn’t much left to do once the Easter-egg hunt had finished, so I made the most of the quiet time.’

  I bet he did, I thought. Soon Tom would have no idea what quiet time was when he was cradling a baby that was crying morning, noon and night.

  ‘Anyway, so come on, what’s going on between you and Robin? Is there romance on the cards? Come and tell me all about it,’ Tom said, plonking himself down on the bench and patting the space next to him.

  There were a million and one things I could have said but I didn’t. A surge of emotion rushed through my body.

  ‘There’s nothing to tell,’ I said, sitting next to him, flexing my wellington boots and avoiding eye contact with him at all costs.