‘I am, for one day only,’ I said, wishing it was for longer. ‘I wasn’t going to miss meeting Bella. Where’s Nico? He was going to take some time off work, wasn’t he?’
‘Yes. I’ve just sent him out to get some supplies – most importantly, cake – for us. I think he was happy to get out of the house for a while.’
‘How’s he taking to fatherhood so far?’ I asked.
‘Good, actually,’ Sunita said. ‘Better than I expected. He seems to love it – he’s knackered, like me. It’s a pretty intense time. We knew it would be, but perhaps we didn’t realize quite how intense.’
‘And there we were thinking it was just a convenient excuse for you to have some time off work,’ Carly joked.
Sunita rolled her eyes playfully. ‘Hardly. I’ve been busier in the past few days than I’ve ever been before.’
‘And you, Missus?’ I asked Carly. ‘How’s the dating going? Any news on the romantic front? Good? Bad? Ugly?’
Carly gave me a thumbs-up sign, a smile breaking out on her face.
‘You’ve met someone? Who? What’s he like?’
‘Not quite,’ she said coyly.
‘What do you mean?’ I said, poking her in the arm. ‘Spill.’
‘I’m seeing Alex tonight, for the first time as a proper couple.’
‘What?’ I squealed and gave her a hug. Sunita joined in. ‘What on earth happened? I thought that was all over?’
‘I don’t really know,’ Carly said. ‘Jules just changed his mind. According to Alex, he spoke to his mum about it and she somehow brought him round.’
‘That’s fantastic news.’
‘I know.’ Carly glowed. ‘I still can’t quite believe it.’
‘Right. With so much to talk about, who fancies a cuppa?’ I asked.
‘Gasping for one,’ Sunita said. ‘Being woken up on the hour every hour will do that to you. Nico’s been trying to help, but there’s not much he can really do without a pair of these.’ She pointed to her boobs.
‘God, they’re enormous,’ I said, before I could stop myself. I hadn’t noticed them at first but now they were all I could see – full, round, and not at all like the 34A cup Sunita had moaned about all the way through college.
‘Aren’t they? I wish I could hang on to them, but I have this nagging feeling that they are going to be taken off me at some point. I’ll be kicking and screaming while they drag them away though.’
I made tea in Sunita’s bright kitchen and then she led us through to her living room and we all sat down. ‘How’s it all going out there?’ she asked.
‘Good,’ I said. ‘Some of it. A lot of it’s chaos. But we’ve got the kitchen finished and it looks gorgeous – a proper country kitchen. Here, look …’
I took out my iPhone and showed them pictures of the kitchen we’d made over.
‘Did you make those cushions? They’re so sweet,’ Suni said. ‘It’s like something out of a magazine.’
‘I do love the way it’s turned out. We had to compromise a bit on the units, but they look OK now that they’re in. We didn’t have any running water for a little while, which was interesting.’
‘How about the rest of the house?’ Carly asked.
‘Don’t ask. Rotted window frames, ancient old carpets … All things considered, we’ll probably be finished some time next century. But I’ve got someone in to help out with the garden.’
‘Ooh, is he dishy, the gardener?’ Sunita said. ‘I’ve always fancied one of those.’
I laughed. ‘He’s nice. Easy on the eyes, I suppose. He’s the owner’s grandson, so the plan is to get the garden looking a bit more like it used to before it grew wild.’
‘How are you managing financially? Did you put enough aside?’ Carly asked.
‘It’s going to be tight. I reckon we can do quite a lot ourselves though.’
‘Don’t want to be the harbinger of doom,’ Carly said, ‘but that’s what I thought when Ethan and I tried it.’
Carly and her ex, Ethan, had bought a period property in Dalston about ten years previously and gutted it. But after knocking two walls down they’d realized they didn’t have enough money to finish the job – and after months of arguing, split up.
‘I think we’ll be OK,’ I said, trying to stay positive. ‘We’re not making any structural changes.’ I thought of the cottage – while we might not be knocking any walls down, every single room in the place needed work. My heart sank a little.
‘Is Jack enjoying it?’ Sunita rearranged her position on the sofa slightly so that she could breastfeed Bella.
‘I think so. His commute hasn’t been that easy.’ I paused. ‘It’s not been entirely what either of us hoped for.’
‘In what way?’ Carly asked. ‘You got out of our hellhole of a school, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, I did,’ I said, taking a sip of tea. ‘Although, believe it or not, I do miss it in some ways.’
‘You were so brave to take the leap,’ Carly said.
‘Brave or stupid,’ I said. ‘Buying this cottage without having seen it properly was, I realize now, a kind of madness.’
‘Jack went to see it that day you were ill, didn’t he?’ Carly said. ‘When I put you to bed you were saying something about Simon Cowell and elephants. Completely out of it.’
‘Yep, then. And when I went back I couldn’t get inside to see all the rooms. But after talking to Jack and my mum, it sounded like a bargain, a no-brainer.’
‘And it’s not?’ Suni asked.
‘It’s a wreck.’
‘Jack probably didn’t realize himself how much needed doing,’ Carly said.
‘I know,’ I said. ‘It’s a challenge, but we’ll do it. It just feels like a lot at the moment.’
Sunita was listening, but also focusing on feeding Bella at the same time.
‘Why don’t me and Alex come down and help you out for a weekend?’
‘You and Alex?’ I smiled at her. It all seemed so familiar and easy.
‘I know, I’m totally jumping the gun, and I sound like a crazy person,’ she said, ‘but if things work out between us, I mean. We could do a bit of painting, DIY – whatever you need.’
‘That would be great,’ I said. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind giving up your weekend time? I know what it’s like when term starts again.’
‘Of course not. I’d love to come down and see where you’re living. After all, I’m not going to be able to grab you for a quick chat in the staffroom any more. Speaking of school,’ Carly went on, ‘are you sure you don’t want to come back? Garrett is going out of his mind thinking about how to replace you.’
‘I don’t think so. Although I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do now. Supply work for a while, I reckon, once the house is finished, and then one of the local schools, Woodlands, said they might be looking for a new teacher in the spring term. It seemed nice there, pretty different from St Catherine’s.’
‘Different how? Quiet? Organized? Not like a zoo?’
‘Yes, that, more or less,’ I said, laughing.
‘That reminds me – I have something for you,’ Carly said. ‘We had a training day on Monday and I popped up to check my pigeonhole afterwards. Saw there was something in there with your name on it.’
She took a white A4 envelope out of her bag and passed it to me. My name was written in capital letters in blue biro, and the envelope was heavy.
‘A secret admirer?’ Sunita said, doing up her nursing bra and settling a rosy-cheeked Bella back into her arms.
‘Doubt it,’ I said.
‘Open it, then,’ Carly said.
I opened the envelope and took out the sheets of lined paper inside. I didn’t need to read a word to know who it was from – my phone and wallet fell on to my lap.
Dear Miss
I heard from Shanice that you’re not coming back next term. We’re all gutted. And maybe me most of all because I know it’s my fault – or at least part of it is. I shouldn’t of
nicked your stuff. It was wrong – and I’m sorry.
I had some problems last term. I still hate school – but yours was the only class I liked. I might come back to St Catherine’s – I still hate it so it’s only so that Jane, my case-worker, will get off my back.
I know I never done my homework when you were teaching me, but I finished one essay over the summer. Here it is.
I hope you get this OK. Shanice gave it to her form tutor to pass on.
TREY
I opened the other sheets of paper.
If I Were Prime Minister
by Trey Donoghue
If I were PM, I’d still keep my staffy, Rocco. He’d be top dog at No. 10, with one of those harnesses with the studs on it. School would be shorter, maybe just a couple of hours a day and then we’d learn some stuff that would be more useful. I’d like it if I could learn some more stuff, like about fixing cars. I like cars, engines, anything to do with them, and I’m quite good at fixing things too. That’s what people tell me, anyway.
If I was in charge of Britain then I would talk to the police, tell them to focus on the real criminals and not stop and search people who are just hanging with their friends, or walking down the street, or just because you’re wearing a cap or something. That bugs me. If I was in charge then I’d have to start doing some real study and stop messing around. There you go. That’s it really.
The End
When I’d read over Trey’s essay I passed it on to Carly and Sunita. ‘He finished something.’ I smiled, feeling a wave of pride.
‘Wow. You got this out of Trey? Blimey,’ Carly said. ‘I haven’t even got a word out of him the whole time I’ve been teaching him.’
‘I’ll tell Lewis about him returning my stuff,’ I said, putting my phone and wallet back in my handbag. ‘He should know that Trey’s done the right thing.’
‘Are you OK?’ Sunita said, spotting my eyes watering.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Yes, I’m good.’
Bella started to wail, and the conversation came to an abrupt end as Sunita got up and starting striding around the room in an attempt to soothe her.
Nico came in through the front door. ‘Hello, ladies,’ he said. ‘Wow, looks like I timed this perfectly.’ He glanced over at his daughter and then touched her softly on the cheek. She quietened a little.
‘And for the grown-ups, I come bearing treats,’ he said, holding up a lemon drizzle cake from M&S.
‘Thanks, Nico,’ I said. ‘I’ll help you in the kitchen. Actually, can I ask you a quick question?
‘Sure,’ Nico said.
‘At the Go-Kart track, do you ever need any apprentices?’
*
I left London Bridge on the train as the sun was setting orange over the city. I wrote out a reply to Trey’s letter, thanking him for sending my things back, and for the essay. The anger I’d felt about him stealing from me in the first place was gone now.
I added in Nico’s email address, and told him to get in touch if he was interested in getting some experience at the track. Not quite cars, but a step in the right direction. Who knows, he might just give it a try.
I arrived back at the cottage just after seven, and Jack greeted me with a kiss. ‘How was Sunita, and the baby?’
‘Suni seems great. And Bella’s lovely,’ I said. ‘Baby-like … yet surprisingly amenable to letting us have a conversation.’
‘I can’t wait to meet her. I called Nico and arranged to go by there after work next week. He seems really happy.’
‘Yes. Suni was a bit concerned about him having a wobble just before the baby was born, but it looks like he got over it pretty quickly once Bella arrived.’
‘It must be an amazing feeling, becoming a parent for the first time.’
‘I guess so,’ I said with a shrug. ‘If it’s what you want.’
‘So, it was good to catch up?’ Jack asked.
‘More than that,’ I said. I thought of the letter in my handbag. ‘How have things been here?’ I asked. ‘Did you manage to get started on the living room?’
I felt excited at the prospect. Once we had the living room sorted, we’d have a real haven in the house. Somewhere we could be cosy, and entertain guests, even while the rest of the rooms were being finished.
‘Sort of – I’ve made a bit of progress.’
‘You did?’ I said, pushing the door open to take a look. The ratty brown carpet had been pulled up at the front of the room, but other than that, it looked much the same. The fireplace still had broken tiles, and the paint on the walls was a dull grey.
‘I started, but we’ve had a bit of a setback.’
‘Really? What’s that?’ I went in and bent to look at the flooring. ‘Floorboards look good in here. I think we could do something with them, don’t you?’
‘OK, so the first thing is the window frames,’ Jack said. ‘I got in a local joiner, but he said that as there’s quite a lot of work needed, and as this place is Grade Two listed, we’re going to need to get permission to replace them. Same goes for the broken banisters and our stairs. It should be doable, but it’ll take a while.’
‘How long did he think it would?’
‘About eight weeks, he said.’
‘That’s a pain. Did he say anything else?’
‘Well, he wasn’t sure, but he was concerned there might be woodworm.’
‘You’re kidding,’ I said. ‘Surely that would have shown up on our survey?’
‘I don’t know why it didn’t. But I think we should get someone in for a second opinion.’
‘OK. So I guess we’re not going to be cosying up by this fire any time soon.’
‘There are a few things we need to do first,’ Jack said.
‘Any chance you’d be able to take a day off, help me out next week?’ I asked.
‘Really sorry, Amelia. I’ve got a work trip next week. Don’t you remember me saying? I’m going to Berlin for a few days.’
‘Oh yes,’ I said, trying to seem nonchalant. Of course, he’d mentioned it weeks ago, but with the move it had completely slipped my mind. I realized I didn’t want Jack to go away – not now, not at all. I didn’t want to be on my own in the cottage. ‘How long is it for again?’
‘Four days.’
‘Right.’
‘Yes. We’re going to talk to a small animation studio over there, to see if they can work together with us on LoveKatz, if we get funding for it. I’ve seen some of their work and it’s amazing. Now that we’re down to a skeleton staff in London we’re going to need more people on board to do the work, and I have a feeling they’ll be perfect.’
‘Are the whole team going with you?’
‘Yes – Hiro, Jason, Ben, Sadie,’ Jack said. ‘The timing’s terrible, I know. I wish I could be here to help you sort things out, but I’ll be back before you know it – and if anything comes up just call me and we can talk it through.’
‘OK …’ I started. I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves.
‘What is it? You know I can’t miss this, Amelia. I helped to arrange it, and it’s a really good opportunity for us.’
‘You said we’d be working on the cottage together. I thought it would be a chance for us to spend time doing something, you and me. But it hasn’t felt like that at all.’
‘That’ll change soon, I promise,’ Jack said. ‘But with you at home – well, it just makes more sense. And one of us needs to be making money.’
‘I know that. But you agreed to support me when I gave in my notice, and now it feels like you’re taking that back. Do you think doing up the house is just a hobby for me?’
‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. He was getting frustrated, and so was I. ‘But the cottage can wait.’
‘And I suppose I can too,’ I said.
Chapter 10
2 Honeysuckle Lane
Google streetview shows: cottages, parish church, post office, school and newsagent.
Wednesday, 25 September
&
nbsp; ‘Amelia!’ Mum said, opening the door to me the next day with a smile.
‘Hi. You still got room for one more?’
‘Of course. I’ve made the spare room up for you. Here, let me take your bag.’
I was grateful to come in out of the damp, foggy morning. I handed her the small sports bag I’d packed with essentials for my overnight stay – clothes, make-up, my iPad, a copy of Country Homes & Interiors and my sketchbook, so I could continue to work on ideas for the house. When the plumber told me he needed to switch off the water while he worked, I’d decided to decamp and head over to my mum’s.
‘Are you not feeling well?’ I asked. It was unusual to see her still in her dressing gown at ten – she was usually up and dressed early.
‘Bit slow this morning,’ she said.
‘Fair enough. I’m certainly not one to judge. I’ve been in overalls most of this week.’
‘How are the renovations going?’ she asked.
‘Not bad,’ I said. ‘Actually, that’s not completely true. Hence me being here. We’ve got a suspected case of wood-worm and some permissions to negotiate, but we’re slowly getting there. The kitchen looks good.’
‘Oh lovely,’ she said. ‘I’m dying to see it.’
‘Yes – I’d love to have you round. But when we’ve got things sorted out a little bit more. Is that OK?’
‘Of course, I understand. Just give me the word when you’re ready. It’ll all get better soon, darling, I’m sure of it. It can get complicated with listed buildings, I’ve heard.’
‘We’ll get there,’ I said. ‘But thanks for letting me stay, really. I needed a break from the house.’
‘You know you’re always welcome. I thought – if you’re not busy – you might like to help me out with something. I’m making some cakes for a charity bake sale tonight, and I could do with a hand. You can come along too, meet some of the locals.’
I thought back to my experience with Jack at the Three Kings pub. ‘I don’t know,’ I said, sitting down on the sofa. ‘I’m not sure I’ve found Hazelton that welcoming so far.’
‘Oh dear,’ Mum said. ‘Well, you probably just haven’t met the right people, that’s all.’
‘They don’t seem to like Londoners much. Have you not found that?’
Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream Page 13
