by Heidi Swain
‘And Finn’s not at the studio this morning. The place is locked up and looks deserted,’ Chloe elaborated further. ‘It’s all very mysterious.’
‘I see,’ I said, handing her a mug. ‘It is a bit, isn’t it?’
‘I take it you don’t know anything about it at all then?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘Nothing.’
‘Curiouser and curiouser,’ she mused.
* * *
On Wednesday, Nell was well enough to walk from the square to the garden office, where I tucked her up, with a hot-water bottle, while I ran through my to-do list.
I’d knocked at the studio, and tried the door, but the place was still locked. There was no sign of life and Finn hadn’t responded to any of the texts I’d sent him after my chat with Chloe either.
‘Is he not about?’ came a voice as I was eating my lunch and checking invoices.
I looked up to find Zak standing in the doorway and watched in amazement as Nell climbed out of her basket and trotted around the desk, her tail wagging, to greet him.
‘Well, I never.’
‘Well I never, what?’ Zak smiled, stroking Nell’s head.
‘She’s been ill and basket-bound since the weekend,’ I told him. ‘That’s the first bit of enthusiasm she’s shown for anyone in days.’
‘What can I say?’ Zak sighed, looking very pleased with himself. ‘I’m irresistible to the female sex.’
‘Don’t start that again,’ I snapped.
If he’d reverted to being bad old Zak then he might well have been the person Chloe had heard Finn arguing with.
‘I’m only kidding,’ he frowned. ‘What’s up?’
‘I take it it’s Finn that you’re looking for?’
‘Yes, I just tried the studio, but it’s all shut up. Do you know where he is?’
‘No,’ I said, the uncomfortable feeling I’d been brewing settling more firmly in my stomach. ‘No, I don’t. No one’s seen him since Sunday.’
‘Oh right.’
‘You didn’t see him then, did you? Only he was heard having an argument with someone.’
‘Not me.’
‘And not your dad?’
He was the only other person who I thought it possibly could have been when I’d lay awake wondering.
‘No,’ said Zak, shaking his head. ‘We’ve all been okay recently. It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?’ he added, once he’d taken a few seconds to let the situation sink in.
‘Just a bit,’ I agreed, chewing my bottom lip.
‘Have you messaged him?’
‘Of course, I have,’ I tutted. ‘A dozen times, but he hasn’t replied.’
‘That’s even weirder then, because surely he would have told you where he was off to if he was going away,’ Zak said pointedly.
‘Why me?’
He rubbed a hand around the back of his neck and I guessed that Chloe had made a bet with him about mine and Finn’s coming-out party too.
‘What with you two being so close and everything,’ he grinned.
‘I see,’ I sighed.
Our relationship was clearly common knowledge.
‘I’m really chuffed for the pair of you,’ Zak continued as my phone vibrated loudly in my pocket. ‘I honestly didn’t think you were ever going to get yourselves sorted, but I’m pleased you got there in the end.’
‘Thanks, Zak,’ I said, knowing there was no point denying it.
‘I’ll bet that’s him now,’ he said, nodding towards where the noise from my phone had sprung. ‘Can you ask him to give me a call?’
‘Why don’t you call him yourself?’ I asked. ‘I thought you were worried about him.’
‘Nah,’ he shrugged. ‘Finn can look after himself. We’re no doubt making a fuss over nothing.’
I wasn’t so sure.
‘Do you want to wait and find out?’
‘No, but you can send him a kiss from me.’ He grinned.
‘Idiot,’ I muttered as he left, pulling the door shut behind him.
He was right about the message being from Finn, but there was no mention of Christmas, or where he’d gone. Just the unsettling words,
I had the pleasure of speaking to your former boss Sunday night and he told me you’re going to be heading back to Broad-Meadows to be with him in time for Christmas …
All of a sudden, and in spite of the chilly temperature, I felt far too hot to be wearing a coat. I shrugged it off as my head spun with all manner of nauseating thoughts.
It didn’t take many seconds for me to work out that Jackson had somehow established, most likely via one of Mum’s many sources, that Finn was the man I was in love with, and then, because I hadn’t fallen in with his plans, after I’d dismissed him and Mum on Sunday, he’d spitefully gone all out to sabotage my new-found happiness.
This had to be the reason behind Finn’s sudden and unexplained disappearance. He had believed what Jackson had said and then left Prosperous Place wanting to put as much distance between us as he possibly could.
‘Mum,’ I gasped, my breath tight in my chest, when she eventually answered her phone. ‘I have to talk to you.’
‘I’m in the middle of something right now, Freya,’ she responded tersely.
‘I don’t care,’ I told her. ‘And don’t hang up, because I’ll just keep calling.’
I heard her rustling papers and excusing herself from whatever meeting she was in. Was she with Jackson?
‘What happened on Sunday?’ I demanded.
‘You know exactly what happened,’ she said, sounding slightly less sure of herself. ‘You turned Jackson’s offer down and then threw us off the premises.’
‘But Jackson didn’t leave, did he?’
She was quiet for a moment.
‘No,’ she admitted, ‘he stayed in Norwich.’
‘And went back to Prosperous Place to stir up trouble.’
She didn’t answer.
‘Didn’t he?’ I shouted, making poor Nell flinch.
‘I honestly don’t know what he did,’ Mum said, sounding ruffled, ‘but I wouldn’t have put it past him. He was in a foul mood when we parted company.’
‘You could have warned me,’ I said bitterly. ‘He’s caused a lot of trouble for me here, Mum.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘What?’
Had she really just apologised?
‘I said I’m sorry, and I really am.’
A lump formed in my throat, adding its bulk to the band around my chest and the weight in my stomach.
‘I saw a very different side to that man after we left you, Freya,’ she continued with a sniff, ‘and I told him he could keep his precious contract. The firm won’t be working on the Broad-Meadows project in any capacity now.’
I didn’t know what to say. Obviously, I was delighted about that, but why hadn’t she let me know? If I’d known she and Jackson had fallen out, I could have worked out who Finn had argued with the second Chloe mentioned it and acted far sooner.
‘Subsequently,’ Mum carried on, ‘I’ve found out that there’s a lot of local objection to Jackson’s plans and I’ve advised the chap in charge of rallying the troops to officially lodge everyone’s complaints, and their desire to protect the gardens, through the appropriate channels.’
I could hardly believe it.
‘So, your beloved Broad-Meadows might be saved yet.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ I swallowed, feeling shell-shocked.
‘I think your Eloise would think so too, wouldn’t she?’
‘She certainly would.’
‘And I really am sorry if Jackson has messed things up for you, Freya. From what I saw, the Prosperous Place gardens are actually very lovely.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, thinking more of Finn than the flowers.
‘I hope it all gets sorted without too much heartache.’
‘So do I,’ I told her, still feeling floored. ‘So do I.’
Everything that had happened – from Mum and Ja
ckson’s visit, right up to Finn’s text – kept running on a loop in my head as I tried to get on with my work. I was astounded that Mum had pulled out of the project. She’d never done anything like that before, not even when she didn’t think much of the client. Jackson must have been especially foul to her, but I couldn’t fret over that. My sole priority was to find Finn and set him straight about the lies Jackson had told him.
Every few minutes, I stopped to call his mobile but it must have been turned off and, until he turned it back on, I had no way of finding out where he’d gone or the amount of damage Jackson had selfishly done.
Chapter 30
During the next couple of days, I thought long and hard about telephoning Jackson, or even driving down to Broad-Meadows to see him in person. As I worked in the garden, putting the finishing touches in place for the grand opening on Sunday, I played through the conversation that I would have with him. It was always loud and very one-sided.
Somehow, I resisted the urge. I didn’t call and I didn’t visit. For every fibre that wanted to rant and wipe the smug smile off his face, there was a counterpart, refusing to allow him the satisfaction of knowing that his selfish actions had had such a devastating impact on my new life in Nightingale Square.
With Nell thankfully recovered and able to accompany me in the garden again, I worked from before dawn to after dusk, making sure everything was as perfect for the grand reveal as it possibly could be. I didn’t let on to either Chloe or Luke that anything was amiss. I knew I could confide in my new friends, but found I didn’t want to.
If I asked Chloe for more details, or Luke if he’d heard anything, the thought that I’d lost Finn, having only just found him, would become real and I simply couldn’t cope with that. It was difficult enough sending texts and hanging on for replies that never came.
‘So, how’s it all looking?’ Luke asked, as I was getting ready to leave long after it had turned dark on Friday. ‘Shall we have a look at these lights?’
I couldn’t help but smile, in spite of my turmoil.
‘I thought you wanted it to be a surprise?’ I reminded him.
I’d had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to wait. He’d had a company in to install some strategic lighting to highlight certain parts of the garden, impressive specimen shrubs, trees with interesting bark and the like. I knew how spectacular the illuminations looked because Maddie, the woman heading up the installation, had secretly shown me when Luke was out, but he was supposed to be waiting until the open-day evening before he saw it all.
‘I do,’ he said, rocking back on his heels, ‘but it could be a surprise that I have now, couldn’t it?’
‘No,’ I said, ushering him out of the garden office where the main control panel had been installed. ‘Wait until Sunday. I promise it will be worth it.’
He looked a little sulky but I resisted telling him that he could operate some of the lights independently, from the switches next to the chosen trees and shrubs, because I knew he would have been off around the garden and most likely blowing the bulbs in his excitement.
‘Oh, all right,’ he relented. ‘I’ll wait. We’ll see you in the morning, yes?’
It was the last Winterfest session – making a needlefelt robin under Heather’s competent guidance. The little collection of felted woodland animals and garden birds she made were exquisite. So exquisite that we’d all told her she should be selling them. That said, I had no idea how she found the time to craft them with three tiny tots under her feet, so perhaps running a business, even a small one, might have been a bit of an ask.
‘Yes,’ I nodded, ‘I’ll be there.’
‘I can’t believe it’s the final session,’ Luke said wistfully. ‘The last few weeks have flown by, haven’t they?’
‘Just a bit.’
‘This time next week it’ll be Christmas Day,’ he pointed out. ‘The end of Christmas Day!’
I still hadn’t decided how I would be spending mine. Not with Finn, obviously, but I wasn’t sure I could face a return to the family fold. I knew I would be made to feel welcome, but still thought I’d be better off, with Nell, home alone. I didn’t want my mood ruining anyone else’s seasonal celebrations.
‘Right then,’ said Luke when I didn’t bemoan the fact that in just one week’s time it would all be over. ‘I’d better get back. See you tomorrow, Freya.’
‘Yes,’ I swallowed, ‘see you tomorrow.’
* * *
The Prosperous Place dining room looked as beautiful as ever the next day and it was a full house and a couple of last-minute additional Nightingale Square attendees who greeted me as I took my place at the table. I tried to focus on the demonstration Heather was giving which would enable us, allegedly, to replicate the jolly round robin she had provided for each of us so we knew what we were working towards, but I couldn’t take it in.
Once she had distributed supplies, I began stabbing at the wool with my needle, which was surprisingly cathartic, and my mind wandered.
‘Don’t rush, Freya,’ Heather told me as she made her way around to check on everyone’s progress and monitor their technique. ‘The more time you spend getting this bit right, the more solid the little chap will be.’
I nodded and she moved around to where Lisa was working, most likely to tell her something similar. For some reason our friend seemed to be more adept at stabbing her finger than her creation and she was being most vociferous about it. That said, Lisa was generally vociferous about everything, so that was nothing new.
During the mid-morning coffee break, Kate asked if it would be a help if Luke popped over to let Nell out at lunchtime.
‘You’re always rushing about,’ she told me. ‘It would be lovely if you could have the whole day here without any interruptions, wouldn’t it?’
‘Do you know,’ I said, pulling my house keys out of my pocket and handing them over, ‘you’re right. It’s been quite a week and it would be nice not to have to leave at lunchtime.’
I knew that Nell was fond of Luke, so there would be no issue about him letting himself in and, if I stayed with my fellow felters, there was less chance that I would spend the time, scrolling through my phone in the hope that I would hear something from Finn. I hadn’t managed to magic him up so far, so I might as well cut back on trying. He’d been gone for the best part of a week now and it was time I started coming to terms with the end of our brief, but wonderful, time together.
* * *
It soon became apparent that everyone else’s cheerful little felt birds seemed to be much sturdier than mine and far more tightly packed, but I soldiered on, determined to make the best of it while I mulled over what Mum had said when she and Jackson had turned up the weekend before.
I might have turned down a return to Broad-Meadows, but perhaps I should consider moving on once I was sure the Prosperous Place grounds were back in fine fettle and the Winter Garden was the success Luke had wanted it to be.
Of course, my maudlin meanderings weren’t really about my job. I absolutely adored the place, my home and my many new friends in Nightingale Square, but the thought of living and working in Norwich, without Finn, wasn’t something I wanted to face long-term. I had only managed to carry on that week because he wasn’t actually there and I was under such a tight deadline. Trying to function with him in the vicinity when the pressure was off was going to be impossible. I would wait the winter out and then search for a new position in a different county in the spring.
The thought made tears spring to my eyes and I yelped in pain as the needle missed its mark and ended up embedded in the side of my finger.
‘There,’ said Lisa, shooting Heather a look. ‘You said I was being over the top, Heather, but it does bloody hurt, doesn’t it, Freya?’
‘More than I would have ever thought possible,’ I sadly replied.
* * *
At the end of the session we all had a look at each other’s efforts. There were some fine specimens amongst the flock, but unfortunatel
y, mine wasn’t one of them.
‘I know,’ said Heather, reaching into her sewing bag as I tried and failed to make my ornithological effort stand on his feet for the umpteenth time. ‘I’ll sew a loop at the back of his head and then you’ll be able to hang him on your tree.’
She’d hit upon the perfect solution and I wondered if she’d be able to sort out my love life with a flash of her needle and a length of thread. Perhaps she could sew my poor broken heart back together?
‘Your keys, Freya,’ said Luke, handing the bunch back, while I waited for Heather to work her magic.
‘Oh, thanks,’ I said, taking them from him. I’d completely forgotten he still had them. ‘Was Nell all right?’
‘Absolutely fine,’ he smiled. ‘She’s completely recovered, hasn’t she?’
‘Thankfully, yes,’ I said. ‘She’s back to her lovely self.’
I wished I could say the same for me.
I slipped out while everyone else was still pulling on their coats and wishing each other a merry Christmas. I was keen to get away because I would have to be up early the next morning to help prepare for the crowds. The weather was forecast to be crisp and bright which I knew would swell the numbers and Luke had been on the radio again and featured in the local newspaper too, so interest in the grand opening was high.
I walked back through the garden, just to make sure everything was in place. I was tempted to turn on a few of the lights, but couldn’t risk drawing Luke’s attention so made my way carefully along the paths with the torch on my phone just about lighting my way.
‘What the—’ I gasped as I came around a corner and found myself faced with one of Finn’s stunning sculptures.
It was of a much larger dragon than those hidden in the fern garden and we had originally planned to work out where to put it together. How had it got here? And more to the point, when? I rushed back along the path to the studio, thinking he must be back, but he wasn’t. The place was silent and in total darkness and I was still none the wiser as to where he had gone. Luke must have drafted in some help to move and site the sculpture while I was ineffectively felting during the day.
