‘I’m so glad you’re not going to Australia? We’d all have missed you dreadfully.’
Steve had a very engaging grin. He put the heel of his hand to his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair.
‘Haven’t you heard? You mean Phoebe didn’t tell you?’
‘What?’
‘Of course I’m going. It’s been years since I last went to Melbourne but I still remember how much I loved it. That’s when the seed was planted. I can’t wait to get back there now.’
‘But I thought …’
‘And Phoebe’s coming with me. It’s only for a holiday but with all the changes we’re about to make we thought we’d take a break first.’
***
The September term had begun and, though the primary and secondary schools were not yet fit to use, the authorities had found temporary premises to house both. They were outside the village and up the hill, and therefore dry and safe.
‘I’ve never been so glad to be back at work. Much as I love my boys I was at my wit’s end trying to find things to entertain them. I honestly think they were as happy to be back at school as I was.’
‘I should think they all were. Can you imagine what wonderful stories they will have to tell each other about the flood? There might even be a little bending of the truth.’
Emma agreed with Holly but they decided this was a much healthier occupation than remembering how awful it had really been and blessed the fact that children are so resilient.
People began to think about putting their homes to rights again. Although not everything had dried out the waters had subsided and it was possible to judge how much damage had been done, to estimate what was needed and how long it would take to return to normal.
For some there was a certain guilty gratitude that the flooding had brought in extra business. Certainly those in the building trade would have a bumper year. Those who dealt with furniture and domestic appliances were also going to do well. But no one was gloating about it. There wasn’t a family that hadn’t been affected some way or another, even if only by association.
Meanwhile Holly’s own life took on a sort of surreal existence. Her home was no longer damp, due to the amazing efforts of a heating system that hadn’t died because she had a wall-mounted boiler and, thanks also to Kate and Charlie’s contribution when Holly had first opened for business, the gallery was warm, dry, and usable. The fire in the parlour had aided the process, although the carpets had inched away from the skirting because they hadn’t been allowed to air naturally and had consequently shrunk. Still, she’d decided long ago that she’d sooner have floorboards with a big rug in the middle so it didn’t break her heart. It was just one more thing to add to the waiting list.
‘I’m not sure I like the new style of decoration in the gallery, Emma. The water mark reaches the same level on all four walls but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to live with the dirty yellowish colour.’
‘I’d swap my green gunge for your dirty yellow any day.’
There was a huge tide mark all the way round the walls and Holly knew that she’d have to organise herself to put everything in the centre to redecorate. But at least her business was able to function. She’d painted the whole place once. She could do it again but it would have to wait until the floor was fixed. Bits of it were lifting and might possibly become quite dangerous.
Unfortunately she couldn’t ask Gordon this time. She tried not to think about Gordon, how mistaken she’d been. They’d all been taken in, well, everyone except Adam it seemed, but she went cold when she thought how she might have got involved with him.
***
The next few weeks were spent bringing Cuffingham back to some sort of normality. Tradesmen’s vehicles lined the streets as painters, plumbers, electricians, and others set to, restoring or refurbishing, to a greater or lesser extent, every property in the main road. Much the same was happening to the rest of the village away from the centre.
Kate and Charlie’s home was returned to its former glory, with one addition, though truth to tell in their slightly elevated position they hadn’t been too much affected. The second spare bedroom was decorated and now most definitely designated a nursery.
They watched autumn turn to winter and fleeces were abandoned in favour of warm coats. There were many obvious changes as houses and shops displayed fresh colours and new awnings. But there were subtle changes too. People had begun to smile again and hope rather than despair shone out of everyone’s eyes.
As well as having a new floor in the studio Holly decided to have it painted as well. Art had sold another of her paintings and that was all the justification she needed, particularly when she remembered how little she’d enjoyed it the first time. He’d tried a couple of times to persuade her to a return visit but too much was happening at home. For the time being at least she had no desire to leave even had it been practical.
There was a certain amount of excitement on Wednesday afternoons and evenings as Christmas drew nearer and projects were either finished or nearly so. One section of the gallery was set aside so all twelve efforts could be displayed as a group. It wasn’t left empty but it was reserved and waiting to be cleared to make room for the group production when the time came.
‘Maybe we’ll sell mine. You never know, the proceeds might even cover the cost of our tickets.’
‘I think you might just be overly indulging in optimism, Steve. Not that I don’t think it will sell but if you’re going to get that sort of money for it I’ll just have to keep you here to produce some more. That way you and Phoebe may never get to Australia.’
Steve looked at Holly with so much affection and she suddenly realised how much he’d changed. There was a new confidence about him. Now he didn’t have to conceal his near penury and there was a chance of restoring his family home; now that as an estate agent he would be a good judge of how to proceed and above all, because of his new-found love, he’d lost his slightly reserved appearance and looked as well as sounded much more light-hearted.
***
Holly had a visit from Emma one Sunday afternoon late in November.
‘It looks wonderful again now it’s been restored, Holly. I don’t know how Mrs Foster could bear to leave this room, never mind the rest of the house.’
‘No, it’s funny. I thought the same thing myself when I first moved in. I’m sure she’s happy with her daughter but it must have been a huge wrench to leave all this.’
‘Yes, I’m sure it was.’
‘Cup of tea?’ Emma wasn’t the coffee drinker that Holly was.
‘Love one. Actually, could I have hot water with a slice of lemon, please? Tea seems to make me a bit queasy these days.’
That grabbed Holly’s attention pretty quickly. ‘You what?’
‘That’s right. You’d think we’d have more sense, wouldn’t you. Jake and Jamie are just getting to the stage when they’re becoming a little bit independent and we decide to start all over again.’
‘Oh Emma, that’s fantastic news.’ Holly gave her friend a huge hug. ‘I thought you and Tom had given up on having more children.’
‘So did we but, you know, things change. We felt different after the flood. It was like a wake-up call. Sort of makes you realise what’s really important.’
‘There must be something in the water around here. First Kate. Now you. Who knows who’ll be next? So, morning sickness kicked in, has it?’
‘I’m afraid so. And afternoon sickness. And evening sickness.’
‘Glad it’s not me. The urge to procreate seems to have passed me by. I love children. You know that. Well, you know how I feel about your boys. Not for me, though.’
‘What, never?’
‘Certainly not in the foreseeable future. Apart from anything else, I don’t have a significant other.’
‘Only because you choose not to. I’m sure you could find someone if you put yourself out there.’
‘Aren’t you the one who told me not to rush into anything?’
‘Yes, but that was months ago and you’re well and truly over Harry now.’
‘Thanks anyway but I’d rather be on my own for the time being. Hey, I’ve just realised you’re going to have a summer baby. I can’t wait.’
‘YOU can’t wait? How do you think I feel?’
***
Tubs was quite indignant about taking her afternoon walks entirely on the end of a lead. She may not have actually used words, but the looks she cast over her shoulder as Holly tried to keep pace with her spoke volumes. However, it was so dark by the time Holly closed the shop she had to take a torch with her and there was no question of going to the river. The lights from the road didn’t reach the footpath and she didn’t want Tubs catching her paw in something as Meg had done.
Holly didn’t mind the pavement walks as long as she was dressed to suit the elements. She just couldn’t see very much and for one so interested in her surroundings that was a disappointment. Morning walks. They were something entirely different. She’d never been a particularly early riser before Tubs, but needs must.
To open the door on time she had to be up at dawn, never mind that nobody ever came in before 10 a.m. A fairy-tale landscape lay before them as they stepped out into the welcoming day. Frosted leaves crunched underfoot and on sunny days the whole world sparkled. Because of the hour they were entertained on their way by the dawn chorus and as soon as they joined the footpath next to the river Holly released Tubs from her lead and watched her joy as she leapt into action.
They were completely alone and it was a wonderful solitude. She only ever met one other dog owner on those winter morning walks and she rather liked it that way. It seemed as if they had their own private kingdom. Holly always had a flask of coffee with her and chose the same tree stump every day to stop while she drank it. Cold on the outside but with a very warm heart.
***
Tubs wasn’t confined at home any more either, except in the gallery where the playpen held her and the surroundings safe. Holly didn’t trust her enough not to let excitement get the better of her. She was still only a puppy, though growing it seemed before Holly’s eyes. Even when she was trying to be good her tail wagged so vehemently it meant nothing within reach would have been safe. In the kitchen she was allowed free rein.
The garden was still a wilderness but sometime between the storm and the onset of winter Holly had managed to find someone to make it secure. Adam of all people. She didn’t feel justified in asking any of the local tradesmen. There were jobs in the neighbourhood far more urgent than her fence but Adam knew how important it was for Tubs to have access to the garden and he’d used whatever was available to repair the old fence. He didn’t do the job as well as Gordon would have done but then he didn’t steal things from his friends either.
‘You knew, didn’t you? About Gordon?’
‘Was it so obvious?’
‘It was to me. Well, that there was something wrong anyway. How did you know and why on earth didn’t you say anything, considering what he’d done to Phoebe and all that?’
‘I didn’t have any proof. In fact at first I told myself I must have been imagining it.’
‘Imagining it?’
‘I was in his shop, oh ages ago, and I spotted something that shouldn’t have been there. Of course at the time I didn’t suspect Gordon. So much passed through his hands I just assumed he’d bought it in good faith.’
‘What changed your mind then?’
‘His reaction when I mentioned it. “This looks just like the silver dish that was pinched from the Hammonds,” I said. I recognised it because it was so unusual and I’d seen it many times when I’d gone to visit their poor old cat who was terrified of coming into the surgery. “Taken to handling stolen goods, eh?” I wouldn’t have thought any more about it but he went as pale as anything, brushed it aside, and said I must be mistaken. If he’d been innocent he wouldn’t have reacted like that. And he’d have checked.’
‘And he didn’t?’
‘I don’t think so. I couldn’t really ask without implicating him but the silver was never returned to the Hammonds, which it would have been if he’d followed through. To be honest, Holly, I didn’t know what to do. You’ll probably think less of me but I took the line of least resistance and didn’t say anything. Things never were the same after that though.’
‘No, I noticed the tension every time you met.’
‘I always felt bad that I hadn’t done more – bad about myself that is.’
‘Well I don’t think any the worse of you for that. It’s not in your nature to spill the beans on a friend.’
‘Maybe not but perhaps I could have prevented more people becoming his victims.’
‘I suppose there’s no doubt. No, of course there isn’t. He fessed up, didn’t he, when they found the things he’d taken from Phoebe? Where’s he gone, do you know?’
‘I don’t, no, but I’m glad he had the sense to leave. His place is in such a state that until the trial he wouldn’t have been able to trade anyway. I’m sure he’ll have had to let the police know where he is.’
‘I still can’t believe it. Why?’
‘God knows!’
***
With the garden now being escape proof the new fence would have to wait for better times but at least it was safe and Tubs had learned quickly how to use the dog flap. Well, fairly quickly. Holly stood outside in the garden with the kitchen door between them and tried to persuade her to come through. It didn’t work straight away, but an offered treat finally did the job.
‘I’d call that bribery.’
Holly looked at Adam indignantly. ‘And who was it who told me to encourage her with titbits.’
‘I did. It’s still bribery.’
After that first time there was no holding Tubs back. With the freedom of the kitchen and the garden Holly didn’t think it necessary to keep her confined to the gallery. If she wanted company she scratched on the door and Holly still kept a bed for her behind the till for when she wanted to curl up there. A bed in the gallery, a bed in the kitchen, a bed in the bedroom. Was there ever a dog more spoiled?
***
If Holly wanted more than friendship with Adam she never hinted at it and neither did Adam – for two reasons. For a start he couldn’t forget her comments about Harry, long ago though they were, and secondly he was convinced she was married to her business and didn’t want to be involved with anyone after the breakdown of her previous relationship. Hadn’t he been the same?
***
Adam came over one evening just as Holly was locking up.
‘Adam, what a lovely surprise. Tea? Coffee?’
‘I’d love one. Tea please. Yes, Tubs. It’s good to see you too. DOWN.’ Tubs’s reaction to the voice of authority was immediate and Adam rewarded her with a ‘Good girl’.
Holly and Adam sat opposite each other at the small kitchen table. Somehow, over time, they’d grown as close as any two friends could, although Holly didn’t realise how much she leaned on that friendship, particularly since the awful business with Gordon.
Holly looked into Adam’s beautiful blue eyes now and saw that he was troubled.
‘What is it, Adam? What’s bothering you?’
‘You can read me like a bloody book, can’t you? Nothing’s bothering me really. It’s just that I wanted to tell you in person. Old Meg died today.’
Tears came from nowhere, along with an enormous constriction in her throat.
‘Oh, Adam. What happened?’
‘Nothing in particular. It was just her time, that’s all. And it’s never easy. I knew it wouldn’t be for you. That’s why I came over. But try to look at it this way. She had several months she wouldn’t have had if you hadn’t found her. She had a chest infection. She wasn’t getting over it, just got more and more distressed, and she was going rapidly downhill. There was no way Meg at her age was going to get over this one. The kindest thing to do was help her on her way and I gave her an injection at the farm. Betty and Donald asked me to thank you again. They were so grateful that she died at home in their arms and not wet and cold and frightened down by the river.’
Holly looked at Tubs, lying on the floor at their feet. How was she ever going to be able to cope when her time came? Adam obviously knew exactly what she was thinking.
‘Tubs has got years in front of her. Stop upsetting yourself about something in the distant future. If we all did that we’d never step outside our front doors. She has a wonderful time. I only hope the rest of her litter are half as happy and well looked after as she is. Speaking of which, isn’t it time for her walk? Are you ready? I’ll come with you. I’ve come in the Land Rover. Fancy a change of scenery?’
Adam drove for about half an hour to an area Holly had never been before. Along the way they passed through a couple of villages, all the houses built with gloriously warm-looking Cotswold stone.
‘It’s so beautiful, Adam. I can’t imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else now.’
‘How much of the area have you actually seen since you’ve been here?’
‘Not all that much really. We stuck to the main roads when I went out with Kate and Phoebes and of course before the floods I was busy setting up the gallery. In the past, when I visited Emma, we never did much touring and none at all after the twins were born.’
‘In that case I propose a regular Sunday afternoon outing. I shall be your guide and you and Tubs will learn more about the countryside.’
‘What about Imogen?’ Holly didn’t know where the words had come from. They’d sort of just popped out of their own accord. She was as surprised as Adam appeared to be that she’d asked.
‘Imogen? Why would you ask that?’
Holly was by now covered in confusion. It was none of her business and she wished she’d never said anything.
‘Won’t she mind? Don’t you see her on Sunday afternoons?’
‘We’re just friends, Holly. I see far more of you than I do of her. In fact, since the flood I’ve hardly seen her at all.’
‘Then I accept,’ she said with an alacrity that brought a smile to his face.