The Little Cottage in the Country

by Lottie Phillips

  ‘Why not?’ Diane pouted. ‘I told you all about me and Larry.’

  ‘Did I ask to hear about you and Larry?’

  Diane shrugged. ‘I think it’s healthy for women to talk about this stuff. Otherwise, there’s a danger you might turn into some sort of prude.’

  ‘Um,’ Anna said, sitting, ‘aren’t those “prudes” actually good, normal people who don’t divulge details that most people probably wouldn’t care for anyway?’

  ‘In your boring world, Anna,’ her mother chimed in, ‘yes.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum.’

  ‘So how come you didn’t do the business?’ Diane pushed, one leg up on the chair next to her.

  ‘Because it’s not exactly private around here.’ Anna helped herself to cereal. ‘It didn’t feel like the right place or time.’

  Diane and her mother looked at each other and nodded. ‘Prude,’ they said firmly.

  A knock at the door caused Anna to jump and she watched her mother swan off to answer it.

  ‘You can tell me now your mother’s not here,’ Diane whispered. ‘Was it good?’

  ‘We genuinely didn’t,’ Anna said, amused. ‘Sorry to disappoint.’

  Her mother returned. ‘Your sort-of-cousin’s at the door.’

  ‘What?’ Anna got up. ‘Richard?’

  Richard stood in the front room, wringing a tweed cap. ‘Anna,’ he said, smiling as she entered. ‘How are you?’

  ‘How do you think? You’re threatening to take this cottage from under my feet, but, otherwise, great, thanks for asking.’

  He tilted his head to one side. ‘So beautiful when you’re cross.’

  ‘Go away, Richard.’ She moved past him to the door. ‘This is the second, no third, time you’ve seen me in my nightwear and it will be the last, so please go.’ She looked at him pointedly. ‘Now.’

  Diane stuck her head around the door. ‘She means sod off.’ Smiling sweetly, Diane added, ‘Comprendez-vous?’

  Anna heard her mother groan and Diane’s head retreated.

  ‘Yes, sod off, Richard.’

  He strode over to her and tilted her head upward with his forefinger. ‘Please forgive me. I was just angry about everything with my mother and Horatio. It had nothing to do with you.’ He smiled. ‘You can keep the cottage. I won’t contest but,’ he paused, ‘I want you, Anna. I want you so badly it’s eating away at me.’

  ‘You’ve already told me you wanted me as a way to get under Horatio’s skin. How do you think that makes me feel?’ Anna’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘I mean, seriously, you go around treating women like that and you may end up a very lonely man.’

  ‘I didn’t mean it. Again, I said it because I was lashing out.’ He held her face gently with his calloused hand.

  ‘No, Richard, just go.’ She shook off his hand and opened the door. ‘We are half-cousins and you are, in the words of my son, a plonk-ah.’

  ‘Anna, I’m offering to drop the case. I’m saying you can keep your house, and we can be together.’

  ‘I don’t think she needs any of that, do you?’ came a gruff voice from behind. Anna turned to see Horatio standing, in jeans and no shirt, on the stairs. ‘She asked you to leave, brother, and this is her house, after all.’

  Richard sneered. ‘Oh, it didn’t take you long, did it, Anna? Horatio wins again. Hallelujah.’ His words dripped with sarcasm. ‘Firstly, Horatio, don’t call me brother. I will never view you as my brother, and as for this being Anna’s house…’ He paused. ‘Well, now I’ve seen how quickly she’s moved on, I retract my offer.’ He looked at her. ‘Anna, I will go ahead with my plans and you can bid farewell to all of this.’ Richard placed his cap firmly on his head, his jaw twitching. ‘This will not end well.’

  Horatio walked down the stairs and took Richard by his arm. ‘Go.’

  Anna stood back and allowed Horatio to escort Richard outside. She watched from the doorway and, moments later, to her horror, Richard swung his hand up, slicing Horatio’s jaw and sending him reeling back towards the house. Anna ran towards him but Horatio was already on his feet.

  ‘Well, she’s my woman, Horatio. What did you expect?’

  ‘She is called Anna,’ Horatio breathed heatedly, ‘and Anna is no one’s property, including mine.’

  ‘Oh yeah,’ Richard snarled, circling Horatio, ‘Anna is just a divorced woman with children from London. What has she got to offer to any man?’

  Horatio lunged at Richard, moving his hand so fast Anna barely saw Horatio’s fist meet Richard’s nose, and the next thing she knew, Richard lay sprawled on the ground. Horatio stood over his half-brother and nodded. ‘You never talk about the woman I love like that. You understand me?’ Then, to Anna’s amazement, Horatio held his hand out to help Richard up. Richard ignored the gesture but Horatio didn’t budge. ‘Don’t be proud, Richard. Get up.’

  Richard took his hand and got to his feet, albeit unsteadily. ‘This isn’t over, Horatio. You might have a good swing but I can get you, get you both,’ he said, looking at Anna, blood dripping from his nose, ‘where it hurts. I know your mother has disinherited you, Horatio, because I spoke to her. She’s keen to give me everything. So, not only will I contest the will, I’ll own Ridley Manor too.’ A smile spread slowly across his face. ‘So, you see, I’ll win in the end.’

  Richard hobbled back towards his car and got in slowly, before starting up and moving off down the hill. Horatio turned to Anna and looked at her.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said.

  A pang of sadness touched her heart as he walked towards her. ‘For what?’

  ‘For bringing Richard to your door.’

  She carefully felt the purple bruise forming on his chin. ‘If it’s what brought you to my door, then I’m eternally grateful.’ She paused. ‘So, I thought you had never hit a man before?’

  He laughed softly. ‘I haven’t. It was complete fluke.’

  She joined in his laughter. ‘Welcome to my life.’

  She knew then: she loved Horatio.

  Horatio hurried upstairs to wash his face and change before the twins came down to find out what all the commotion was about. Diane and her mother started to hum the ‘Diet Coke break’ tune under their breaths.

  ‘I just want to make,’ they paused and smiled at each other, ‘love to you.’

  ‘Now, I haven’t been jealous of you many times in my life, Anna, but you get to sleep with someone who has a body like that.’ Diane saluted. ‘You are officially sleeping with a sex god.’

  ‘Amen,’ said her mother then, quite seriously. ‘Why have you got that funny look on your face, Anna?’

  Anna grinned broadly. ‘Oh my God, I love Horatio.’ She smiled even saying the words. ‘I love the way he looks at me, I love the way he laughs, I love the way he protects me, I love him!’ Anna squealed and, circling round the room, whispered to Diane and Linda, ‘And he loves me too!’

  A Change of Fortune

  Later that afternoon, Anna stood by the front window watching Horatio playing with the twins outside. He had spent the morning chopping wood and fixing the broken chicken hut, barely stopping for a coffee as he threw all his energy into the tasks at hand.

  ‘Is he perfect or is he perfect?’ Diane purred behind Anna’s shoulder. ‘The kids love him.’

  ‘Yeah,’ she nodded. ‘They really do.’ Horatio was leading them in a game of tag and Antonia’s shrieks of laughter, as he pretended to chase full-pelt at her, rang out around the garden. Freddie leapt on Horatio’s back and Horatio grabbed his legs, carrying him piggy-back around and around the good-as-new chicken hut.

  ‘His mother’s got a lot to answer for,’ Diane said. ‘I mean, what kind of mother disinherits their son because he chooses to be with someone he loves?’

  ‘It’s because I am who I am.’

  ‘What? Sodding marvellous?’ Diane said. ‘Yeah, that’s a tough decision.’

  ‘Divorced, no money to my name,’ she frowned, ‘I don’t exactly exude class.’

&n
bsp; Diane put her arm around Anna. ‘You exude more class than the Queen and Lady Spencerville put together.’

  Anna smiled. ‘I don’t think so.’

  Diane dropped her arm. ‘Oh God. Look.’

  Anna had already spotted Lady Spencerville’s car coming up the drive and her heart plummeted. She opened the door and joined Horatio outside. The twins had fallen silent and stood watching the car, with its tinted windows, approach the house. Diane took Freddie and Antonia by the hand and waited behind Horatio and Anna.

  Alfred emerged first, smiled at Anna and helped Lady Spencerville out of the car. She steadied herself on her walking stick and came over, her footsteps small and sure. Anna wasn’t certain if it was her imagination but it was as if she had aged significantly overnight.

  Lady Spencerville stood in front of Horatio and Anna, her lips tight, her face drawn.

  ‘Mother,’ Horatio greeted.

  ‘Son, I wish to speak to you about the events of the last twenty-four hours.’

  ‘I have nothing to say about it.’ Horatio grabbed Anna’s hand. ‘I have made my choice, as I told you yesterday.’

  ‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I know, and that is why I’m here.’ She turned to Anna. ‘Firstly, I want to tell you that I thought long and hard about what you said yesterday and I think you’re right.’

  Anna squeezed Horatio’s hand.

  ‘When you said,’ Lady Spencerville continued, ‘that history would be repeating itself, I didn’t want to hear it.’ She lowered her head momentarily before meeting Anna’s gaze once again. ‘I didn’t want to hear it because it would be true. Frank was forced to marry me and I believe, in the end, he loved me in his own funny way. But,’ she said, delivering a taut smile, ‘he was never settled with me.’

  ‘Mother, he loved you,’ Horatio spoke up.

  ‘Yes, I know, but in a different way to what he felt for Florence.’ Lady Spencerville cleared her throat. ‘Richard came to see me yesterday and told me of his plans to contest the will, Anna. I saw then that I have made this mess.’

  Horatio spoke, his voice barely audible. ‘Mess?’

  ‘Richard showed me how greed has taken over what, I imagine, would be his good nature. I had to ask myself why he would take the cottage from Anna and, simply, the answer is resentment. He is hurting, having grown up living away from his birth parents and he is taking it out on you.’ She swallowed and looked at Horatio. ‘I want you to understand that it is my duty to look after Richard, after what I did all those years ago, so when he came up to the house yesterday asking if he might run the accounts and look after Ridley Manor, I had to consider his proposal.’

  Horatio’s shoulders tightened. ‘You’re going to give the man who’s threatening to take away what Anna rightfully owns the run of Ridley Manor and your accounts?’ He shook his head. ‘This is outrageous.’

  ‘Son, I said I had to consider his proposal, but I did not say I had accepted it.’ She paused. ‘Richard has the farm and, in the last couple of years, he has accrued much wealth because of the money I have given him.’ She nodded. ‘So, I want you to come and live at Ridley Manor and I’d like you to look after the accounts again.’

  Horatio put his arm around Anna. ‘I will be going nowhere. Not without Anna.’

  Lady Spencerville glanced at Anna and, for the first time, a genuine smile escaped her lips. ‘I know, which is why I want you to know that I will stand by your choice to be with Anna and that you both must live up at Ridley Manor.’ She looked at Horatio. ‘Plus, as you know, your father put most of our wealth in trust funds to be given to you as and when I see fit.’ She nodded. ‘I will sign tomorrow and you can do with the money as you wish.’

  Horatio dropped his arm from around Anna’s shoulders and hugged his mother tight. She patted him awkwardly on his back and Anna smiled at her.

  ‘Thank you,’ Anna said.

  Once Horatio had let go of his mother, she smiled at Anna. ‘No, thank you, for speaking so honestly and for opening up my eyes.’ She turned on her heels and walked slowly back to the car. Minutes later, the car drove back down the hill and Horatio looked at Anna.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ Anna said.

  Diane and the twins came over and took Anna in a group hug.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Diane said. ‘Don’t let this go to your head, missy. I still want you to remember me when you’re drinking sherry before dinner and listening to violin quartets in the study.’

  Horatio laughed. ‘Ridley Manor’s like any other house.’

  Diane playfully punched his arm. ‘You reckon? You clearly never saw the hellhole I grew up in in south London.’ She looked at Anna. ‘What about our nights out drinking Flaming Sambucas and putting the world to rights?’

  Anna smiled. ‘One day at a time. You might remember I haven’t actually agreed to anything yet.’

  Horatio nodded, hugging Anna. ‘One day at a time.’

  ‘Anyway,’ Anna said, pointing at Diane’s stomach. ‘Your life’s going to change when that little one is here.’

  ‘Oh God, does that mean I’m going to start wearing trousers with elastic in the waistband and falling asleep in front of the TV, drooling?’

  ‘You’re becoming a parent, not old,’ Anna said, laughing. ‘Anyway, who’s to say you don’t do that now?’ Anna spotted her mother walking up the drive with Tony.

  ‘Hello, darling,’ Linda called to them, waving her hand like royalty.

  ‘Lady S has just been around and has had a total change of heart,’ said Diane as Linda drew nearer.

  ‘Change of heart?’ her mother said.

  ‘She wants Anna and myself to move to Ridley Manor,’ Horatio explained.

  ‘What?’ her mother said, slapping her thigh. ‘Do you hear that, Tony, my daughter up at Ridley Manor? I never had any doubt she would go far.’

  ‘Really?’ Anna said.

  ‘OK, that was a complete lie, but look, it’s worked out all right in the end, hasn’t it?’ She smiled at Tony. ‘She takes after me, you see.’

  Tony nodded and beamed a gappy-tooth smile. ‘Arrr.’ He brought Linda in for a hug and plopped a wet kiss on her cheek.

  Anna’s mother smiled with glee. ‘We should celebrate.’

  Tony nodded. ‘Arrr.’

  ‘You know, you really are a little bit country,’ Diane said, smiling at Tony.

  ‘Arrr.’ He nodded and then, out of nowhere, in a broad Gloucester accent, he said, ‘And you, Diane, are most definitely a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.’

  Epilogue

  Anna gazed at the house, her long, ivory dress rippling in the cold, December breeze, and took a moment to herself. Primrose Cottage had been cleaned to within an inch of its life and the garden chopped back and tamed, until it resembled chocolate-box perfection. Diane had strung clear lights across the trees and mistletoe hung over the front door. The outside had been repainted cream and the windows washed. Tony had done the chicken hut up in French Grey and Diane and Larry’s wedding present to Anna, half a dozen Bantam chickens, happily shuffled around the front garden.

  A marquee had been erected on the drive and, at the first sight of guests making their way up the hill, Anna dashed inside.

  ‘This is for you,’ Diane said, handing her a letter. ‘Came this morning.’ She smiled. ‘Looks important and I bet it holds good news.’

  ‘It’s from Simon’s solicitor friend.’ Anna read the return address quickly. ‘I’m not sure I can open it. I don’t want to ruin today.’

  ‘It won’t.’ Diane shook her head firmly. ‘I know it.’

  ‘No.’ Anna put it on the side. ‘I want to believe this cottage is still mine, just for the next twenty-four hours.’

  ‘It may be yours for a lot longer than that.’

  Anna narrowed her eyes. ‘You seem awfully sure of yourself.’

  ‘Do I?’ Diane looked to the sky and gently whistled under her breath.

  ‘You’ve opened it, haven’t you?’ Anna said.

  D
iane smiled. ‘I may have, but didn’t I do a good job sealing it back down?’

  Anna gave a small laugh. ‘So, it’s really good?’ Diane nodded. ‘OK, but if you’ve misread it, you’re entirely to blame.’

  Diane rolled her eyes. ‘I can read, Anna. I am literate.’

  ‘That’s questionable,’ said Anna’s mother as she swanned into the front room wearing a plum-coloured dress, magenta jacket and yellow hat. ‘I’ve just seen the invites you sent out, Diane,’ she said, holding one up, ‘and I’m frankly amazed anyone’s actually turning up. Why did you leave her in charge of your invites, Anna?’

  Anna smiled. ‘Because she’s more creative than me.’

  ‘Well, look at this.’ Linda read an invite aloud, her eyes skimming the text. ‘We would be well pleased if you could find the time to join us at Primrose Cottage where my bestie, Anna Compton will be marrying a rich man, Horatio Spencerville, and we plan to party like it’s nineteen ninety-nine. LMAO. Any questions, phone me on my mobile (if I can get reception) and, if not, send a pigeon. LOL.’

  Anna burst out laughing. ‘That is absolute genius.’ She paused. ‘So you sent that to my snooty cousin Victoria?’

  Diane nodded. ‘Yeah.’ She walked over to the window and peeped out. ‘Well, didn’t put anyone off. They’re all filing into the marquee now.’ She turned from the window and looked at Anna. ‘Your man looks sexy as hell by the way.’

  Anna smiled. ‘That’s because he is sexy as hell.’

  Diane nodded. ‘My man is also looking sexy as hell.’

  ‘He’s wearing flares and a seventies shirt,’ Linda pointed out.

  Diane looked at her, bemused. ‘So? What were you wearing in the seventies?’

  Linda threw her head back. ‘I had a great short white dress and knee-high boots. Anna’s father wore flares and a silver jacket.’ She glanced at Diane. ‘But it was the seventies.’

  ‘Well, in our minds, we’re hippies floating happily through a field and that’s why I’m wearing—’

  ‘A cheese-cloth?’ Linda cut in.

  Diane’s mouth gaped. ‘Well, at least I don’t look like a parrot.’

  ‘Ladies.’ Anna put her hand up. ‘Please. What’s going on with you two? You’ve been at each other’s throats all morning?’