Promises of Spring

by Jenny Lane

  ‘You’re very welcome, lovey,’ Rose told Lily, as the child said her piece and then stood struggling to remove the sweatshirt until Sophie came to her rescue.

  Keir and Sophie left Rose to say her goodbyes.

  Keir picked up his coat. ‘Regretfully, I must be making tracks too, I’m going out again this evening.’

  With Glenda? Sophie wondered, feeling a sudden prickle of jealousy.

  When Aunt Rose returned to the sitting room, Keir produced a parcel from a bag which he’d brought in from the car.

  ‘Sorry it’s not wrapped too specially, but I thought you might like to have this.’

  ‘Keir, there’s really was no need! Your company was sufficient.’

  Aunt Rose unwrapped the package carefully and gasped in delight at the delicate ceramic bowl.

  ‘That was Hugh and Mary’s! I can see it now, standing on their sideboard full of pot pourri. I’d forgotten about it until this moment, Keir. Are you sure you can bear to part with it?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be giving it to you if I couldn’t,’ he said with a smile at the look of sheer delight on the elderly lady’s face. ‘I know that you’ll cherish it. I also know that Hugh promised you a keep-sake and, as it hasn’t turned up and no-one seems to have any idea of what it might have been, I thought you might like this. Of course, if you would rather have the money I could arrange to sell this for you, but I’m afraid it isn’t that valuable.’

  ‘Oh, no, Keir, I wouldn’t dream of it. I just love this bowl and I’ll never part with it. Thank you so much!’ She kissed his cheek.

  The contrast between the bowl and the jam pot was marked, but both had been given with a lot of thought, and it was the thought that counted, after all, Sophie reflected. Uncle Hugh must have thought a great deal of Keir, to have left him his entire collection of ceramics. She wondered about the identity of the potter whose work they’d both been so keen on. She sensed there was a story here.

  When Keir had gone, Aunt Rose studied the bowl, turning it this way and that.

  ‘This is such a wonderful surprise. I quite thought Erica would have got rid of it long ago, but if it was left to Keir then she couldn’t. What a lovely day I’ve had!’

  ***

  Sophie’s parents rang that evening and, after speaking to Rose, had a chat with Sophie.

  ‘Rose was telling me about the bowl her neighbour’s given her, that had belonged to Hugh. That was a nice gesture. It’s all a bit puzzling though, isn’t it?’ her father said.

  ‘I suppose so, but I think you’ll just have to accept that you’re not going to inherit the crown jewels or even a Ming vase!’

  Her father laughed. ‘Now, changing the subject, is there any prospect of you finding any work down in Penbridge?’

  ‘I haven’t started looking yet, but I’m going to shortly,’ she told him. ‘In fact I was thinking of enrolling at one of the agencies next week. I’m sure something will crop up, although it may have to be learning support work to begin with.’

  After she’d put the phone down, Sophie sat staring into space. If the truth were known, she was happy here in Penbridge. She loved having time to herself and she wasn’t at all sure that she wanted to take on another permanent teaching post just yet.

  She knew that she was becoming increasingly attached to Keir, and loved the feeling that he was only living a short distance away from Rose Cottage. Memories of Brett were gradually beginning to fade like a bad dream, and she was looking forward to each day again.

  On Monday evening, Sophie received a surprise phone call from Keir.

  ‘Am I right in thinking you might be interested in taking on some work round here?’ he asked without preamble.

  ‘Well, yes. I’m going to start ringing round the agencies,’ she told him, startled.

  ‘I think I might have come up with a short term solution, if it would help. Look, can you come over to Rowanbank in about an hour? I’ve got a bit of preparation to polish off first.’

  Curiouser and curiouser, Sophie thought, as she walked the short distance to Rowanbank, swinging her torch. Keir showed her into the sitting room.

  ‘I’m afraid the study’s full of papers and books,’ he apologised. ‘Why are you laughing?’

  ‘Well, studies usually are, aren’t they?’ she chuckled.

  ‘What, oh!’ He laughed too. ‘I’ve just made some coffee. Would you like some?’

  He poured the coffee and leant back in his chair.

  ‘The thing is, Sophie, one of the learning support assistants at the school I’m working at has been rushed into hospital with a rather nasty knee injury. Now, I know that learning support isn’t quite the kind of work you were looking for and it’s only part-time but ...’

  ‘Hold on — it’d have to be advertised, wouldn’t it?’ Sophie pointed out, determined not to appear too excited.

  ‘Seriously, Sophie, I’m sure you’d be in with a good chance, but it’s only a job share — two-and-a-half days a week, and the pay’s not a fraction of what you’d be getting as a teacher — although with your experience it might be possible to negotiate a higher hourly rate.’

  Sophie sipped her coffee, her mind in a whirl. ‘So what subjects would it be, and what makes you think I’d be in with a chance?’ she asked cautiously.

  ‘You’d be supporting some of the younger pupils in subjects like English, maths and IT, science — oh and my classes too. Actually, I think you’d be very much in with a chance, because the Head knows you. Apparently, he used to teach in the same school as you in Buckinghamshire.’

  Sophie gaped at him. ‘Not Peter Standish? I’d completely forgotten he’d moved to Kent. He was one of our deputy heads.’

  Keir nodded. ‘His wife, Beverley, works in the Art department as I’ve probably mentioned. We’re in a bit of a fix, Sophie, so would you be prepared to help out for a few weeks?’

  Sophie’s head was in a whirl. She’d had no idea Peter Standish was head of Keir’s school. He was a thoroughly nice man, but they’d somehow lost touch since he’d moved away from Buckinghamshire.

  ‘It certainly sounds too good to be true, but wouldn’t there be a lot of objections to my being appointed without the usual rigmarole — always supposing Peter approved my application and I got the job?’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure there are ways round these things — extenuating circumstances etc. So what shall I tell Peter?’

  Everything was moving so quickly that Sophie felt as if her head was in a spin. Whilst she was sitting there, Keir sent an e-mail to Peter, who very shortly afterwards phoned back and arranged that she would call to see him the following morning.

  ***

  The next morning Sophie got up at the crack of dawn to check through her CV.

  Fortunately, she’d had several copies ready in a folder which she’d asked her mother to send via Tim, just in case. She realised that she might need to make a formal application, but at least she had something to present.

  Sophie arrived at reception at the appointed time and the first person she encountered was Glenda.

  ‘Yes?’ she demanded curtly.

  ‘I’ve an appointment to see Mr Standish at ten-thirty,’ Sophie said politely.

  To her surprise and relief, Peter Standish appeared in the entrance hall at that precise moment, talking to a distinguished looking gentleman with a sheaf of papers in his hand.

  Peter raised a hand in greeting, as he spotted Sophie and, after his visitor had left, came across and shook her warmly by the hand. Glenda’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

  ‘Sophie, how lovely to see you again! Well, this is a stroke of good luck for us! Come along to my office. We’ll have an informal chat to start with and then I’ll introduce you to some of the other members of the team.’

  Sophie felt totally relaxed as she and Peter spent the first few minutes catching up on the past eighteen months, but then he forward in his chair, clasped his hands together and said, ‘OK, Sophie, so let’s get down to the nitty gri
tty. Why would someone with your expertise want to apply for a temporary post like this one? You were head of department in Bucks so what happened?’

  Sophie coloured, but was prepared to be honest. ‘I, er, got involved with someone in the area. The relationship didn’t work out and so I decided it would be best to make a fresh start, so I returned to Hertfordshire to live with my parents for a time. Since then I’ve been doing agency work.’

  Peter nodded. ‘Right — well, thanks for being so honest. I understand you came to Penbridge to help out an elderly friend. Are you planning to remain there for some length of time at all? Have you settled in?’

  ‘It’s a nice place and I certainly like it, so for the time being, yes.’

  ‘OK, well we could certainly use your expertise, and I could negotiate your hourly rate, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t be anything comparable to what you have been used to receiving previously.’

  They talked generally for a time and then Peter glanced at the clock and got to his feet.

  ‘I’ll introduce you to the head of Learning Support and the pastoral care person. If it was down to me you could start straight away, but you know what it’s like nowadays. There are certain rules we have to observe.’

  The rest of the day was so hectic that Sophie didn’t have time to reflect on whether or not she’d made the right decision. Peter Standish arranged for some sixth formers to take her on a whistle-stop tour of the school.

  Over lunch, Sophie met the various people she would be directly involved with and then, in the afternoon, after a brief interview, she was whisked off to the English department to work with a couple of children under the supervision of another member of staff. From there she was directed to an to an IT class.

  It was a totally different experience for her, taking instructions from other teachers and working alongside them, rather than being in control of things herself.

  Later, as she got into her car, Sophie realised that she hadn’t encountered Keir once that day. Actually, she hadn’t been to the Art and Craft department yet. Her guides had merely waved their hands in the general direction.

  The situation was rectified the very next morning when she realised she would be working with Keir after break and up until lunchtime.

  Keir was as good a teacher as Sophie had thought he would be — friendly, but professional. The children she was working with took up most of her attention, but she was extremely aware of him and realised that he had a good rapport with his students.

  At lunch time he introduced her to the rest of the department, amongst them Beverley Standish, Peter’s wife, whom she had met previously, on several occasions, in Buckinghamshire.

  ‘What a small world,’ Beverley said. ‘You and Keir must come over for a meal one evening.’

  Startled Sophie wondered if Beverley thought they were an item and knew she’d be happy if they were. Beverley walked over to the canteen with her.

  ‘Keir’s such an asset to the department,’ she commented. ‘He’s got such a positive attitude, which is wonderful when you consider all that he’s been through.’

  Sophie murmured in agreement, wondering what on earth Beverley meant and not wishing to show her ignorance.

  ‘Of course, Hugh Mercer was a school governor. He was so involved with the craft centre and it’s such a pity he didn’t live to see it come to fruition. Peter and I were sorry we couldn’t take another look round the other Saturday, but I’m afraid other commitments overtook. As you probably remember, we’ve got two young children and Peter’s tied up very often in the evenings, so we couldn’t get to Keir’s talk either, but I gather it was very good.’

  ‘Glenda was there,’ Sophie said carefully, wondering how Beverley would reply.

  Beverley smiled. ‘Yes, Glenda’s a staunch supporter of Keir’s. Her parents live a stone’s throw from us, her father’s another one of our governors. Anyway, as she’d recently split up from her boyfriend, we asked her along to supper back in the autumn, and Keir was there too with some of the other newly appointed members of staff. They got chatting and she became hooked on ceramics.’

  It seemed Glenda had got hooked on Keir too, Sophie thought cynically. They reached the dining hall and Beverley changed the subject back to school topics and didn’t mention either Keir or Glenda again.

  Sophie encountered Keir in the car park, as she was about to drive home.

  ‘You did well this morning,’ he told her. ‘You’re already forming a rapport with the children, which is half the battle. Are you enjoying it so far?’

  ‘Yes, although it’s certainly a very different ball game from mainstream teaching,’ she told him, ‘but such good experience. The children are delightful.’

  ‘And the staff?’

  ‘Oh, those are delightful too,’ she said with a little laugh. ‘I had lunch with Beverley.’

  ‘Good, she’s a nice person to know, but of course, you’d met her before in Buckinghamshire. I was forgetting.’

  ‘Oh, just at social functions, that sort of thing.’ She didn’t want to talk about Buckinghamshire and Keir seemed to sense this.

  Glenda appeared from one of the buildings with a sheaf of papers in her hand. Spotting Keir she made a detour. ‘Phew. Just caught up with you in time!’ She totally ignored Sophie and handed him one of the sheets. ‘More bumph, I’m afraid. You’re not in tomorrow, are you?’

  ‘Nope, but I’ve got enough paperwork to last me for several days.’

  She fluttered her eyelashes at him. ‘I’m so looking forward to your next ceramics class, Keir. What are we going to be doing?’

  He laughed. ‘If I told you, you’d be as wise as me — sorry Glenda you’ll have to wait.’

  ‘You’re such a tease, Keir,’ she told him laughingly and flounced off.

  ‘Are you joining us this week, Sophie?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh, yes, I’m looking forward to it, but you must let me know how much I owe you.’

  He mentioned a sum which seemed far too modest and, embarrassed, she wondered if he was asking her to pay less than the others.

  ‘See you there then,’ he said, before she could challenge him, and, getting into his car, drove off with a wave of his hand.

  Chapter Eight

  ‘Darling, that’s wonderful news,’ her mother said when Sophie rang her that evening to tell her about the job. ‘You never know what else it might lead to either.’

  ‘I only started properly today,’ Sophie pointed out. ‘It’s only a very temporary job. It’s an amazing coincidence running into Peter Standish like that.’

  ‘Does he know about Brett?’ her mother asked.

  Sophie swallowed. ‘I obviously had to tell Peter my reasons for leaving my post, particularly as he’s still in touch with several people in Bucks. It simply wouldn’t do to be economical with the truth or it might jeopardise any future prospects of work.’

  After the phone call, Sophie sat deep in thought. Some days she believed she was over Brett, but then something sparked off a memory and it was as if it was only yesterday when they’d parted company. Her thoughts turned to Keir. He was so completely different from Brett — far more mature for one thing and he certainly attracted her, but she still wondered if he was harbouring some lost love and knew she couldn’t bear to get hurt all over again.

  ‘Sophie, can you spare a minute?’ Aunt Rose called and she went into the sitting room to find Rose needed a hand with some of the more fiddly dolls’ house furnishings.

  ‘My hands are really playing up today. I suppose the time will come when I’ll have to call a halt to all this. Your mother asked me if she could bring your grandmother for a visit soon. It must be donkey’s years since I last saw Beryl.’

  ‘She’s about the same as ever,’ Sophie said with a little smile. ‘Does very well for her age. Apparently she’s reorganising Mum’s kitchen cupboards. Mum doesn’t mind if it keeps her occupied.’

  ‘Well, she can reorganise mine any day,’ laughed Rose. ‘Now, dear, if
you could just hold this whilst I glue on the material. It’s a good job I’m not on piece work or I’d get the sack!’

  After a time Sophie said, ‘Aunt Rose someone mentioned that Keir had been through a difficult time before he moved here. She obviously assumed I knew what she meant, but I didn’t know what she was talking about.’

  Aunt Rose gave her a shrewd look from her bright blue eyes. ‘And I don’t either, dear. I suspect that he’s come here to get away from past experiences, the same as you have, and that if he wants to confide in you then he will, don’t you?’

  Sophie opened her mouth to make some comment, but decided against it. She was curious about Keir, but sometimes ignorance was bliss and, after all, she couldn’t expect him to unburden himself to her, not unless she was prepared to reciprocate and tell him about Brett, and she knew she still wasn’t quite ready for that.

  After a few minutes, Aunt Rose said, ‘I should be helping Peggy in the shop tomorrow, but her nephew’s rung to say she’s got a cold. His wife’s covering in the morning but can’t manage the afternoon, and I really don’t feel like being there on my own all that time.’

  ‘That’s OK, I could lend a hand. I’m only working in the morning so I could easily pick you up for two o’clock.’

  Aunt Rose visibly brightened. ‘Would you, dear? That would be lovely. It gets me out of the house and if Peggy’s not there, then maybe you and I could do a little more spring cleaning. Now, do you fancy a nice cup of tea?’

  The following morning fairly flew past. Sophie was kept incredibly busy. The maths teacher was a peppery gentleman nearing retirement, who obviously didn’t see the need for her to be there at all, and seemed to find her presence a hindrance rather than a help.

  Sophie had never found maths a particularly easy subject herself, and felt sympathy for the little girl she was working with, who simply couldn’t get the hang of what she was being asked to do at all.

  The lesson over-ran by several minutes and Sophie made a thankful exit nearly cannoning into Beverley in the corridor.