Читать книгу Foxglove Farm - Christie Barlow - Страница 9

Polly Cook huffed and puffed her way up Love Heart Lane towards the teashop, welcoming the light breeze sweeping through her hair. There hadn’t been many hills to climb in London, and the only exercise she ever got there had been walking down the stairs to the cellar to change a barrel in the Chatty Banker, the pub she’d managed up until a week ago before she’d descended on Felicity. Or the 193 steps at Covent Garden tube station.

Everyone looked up as Polly pushed open the door to the teashop.

‘That walk looks like it’s done you the world of good,’ said Felicity, knowing that Polly had tossed and turned all night.

‘It did, it’s so peaceful down by the river,’ she said, slipping off her coat and draping it around the back of the chair.

‘And who is this?’ asked Martha, narrowing her eyes. ‘I’ve not seen you around these parts before.’

Polly met the gaze of the elderly woman, but before anyone could answer, a loud squelchy noise erupted from inside the pram.

‘Eww … I can smell that from here,’ said Felicity, looking into the pram and wrinkling her nose.

‘Polly Cook, meet my gran, Martha Gray, who didn’t make that squelchy noise, by the way.’

Polly grinned, ‘Please to meet you.’

Martha gave her a smile and a nod of the head. ‘Bad timing! I think this little fellow could do with a nappy change.’

Polly quickly took a step back, ‘I’m not used to such little people.’

‘Give him to me, I’ll do it,’ said Martha, stretching out her arms, much to Polly and Felicity’s relief.

Isla looked alarmed, ‘Gran, do you know how to change a nappy?’

‘It’s like riding a bike.’

Isla narrowed her eyes, ‘I can’t ever remember you actually riding a bike.’

‘Fair point, neither can I,’ grinned Martha, immediately retracting her hands.

‘Give the wee fellow here,’ offered Rona.

‘I can do it,’ said Isla.

‘You take advantage of my offer,’ insisted Rona, slinging the nappy bag over her shoulder and holding Angus at arm’s length before disappearing towards the bathroom.

‘And tell me more about you, Polly. What brings you to Heartcross?’ asked Martha, turning her attentions back to Polly.

‘Polly’s my friend from London, she’s staying with us for a while,’ Felicity replied.

‘I’m at a loose end, a very loose end. I’ve been made redundant and lost my home at the same time. I lived above the pub I managed, but it was sold to a new owner and they moved their family in and didn’t need extra staff. That’s why I’m here, a change of scenery, a break from the rat-race of the city, and I’m loving this beautiful village.’

‘This is the best village, I’ve travelled in my time but always come home and …’ Martha turned back towards Isla, ‘I can’t wait to get settled in the farmhouse. Am I in my normal room?’ she asked. ‘You know, the gorgeous English rose room with the triangular floral bunting draped across of the wall. I do love good bunting … and the view … the view from that room is spectacular. Earth to Isla … are you listening, you’re in a world of your own.’

Isla’s thoughts were tumbling over each other in her mind. A wave of worry ricocheted through her body at the very thought of going home with her gran in tow. The room was jam-packed full with baby paraphernalia. Anything and everything was stuffed in that room while the nursery was being decorated, which had been an on-going project for the last six months. Where were they going to put everything that her gran had packed into her car? She could visualise the disgruntled look on Drew’s face if things needed to be piled up in their bedroom for a while, but hopefully his day had turned around and whatever bee he’d had in his bonnet had well and truly flown away. She didn’t feel like getting stung by another argument today.

Rona came back into the room juggling a clean Angus, before passing him to Martha, who made a series of sniffing sounds towards him.

‘Yes, he smells acceptable again,’ joked Martha, cradling him in her arms.

‘So, what’s changed in this old village since I was last here?’ asked Martha, now rocking a droopy-eyed Angus in his pram.

‘Apart from being cut off from civilisation for a while when the bridge collapsed, everything else is just the same old, same old,’ chipped in Rona, who was polishing the glass cabinets for the umpteenth time so far this morning.

‘Ooo, I saw your video on Facebook,’ trilled Martha.

‘You’re on Facebook?’ Rona exclaimed, who struggled with any type of technology.

‘Of course! You have to move with the times. It’s all about social media these days, but I’m still getting to grips with Tinder … I keep swiping the wrong way and having numerous undesirables match with me … I mean, they must know they are punching above their weight.’

‘Gran … you are never on Tinder?’ Isla couldn’t hide her disbelief.

Both Felicity and Polly stifled their laughter, not knowing whether Martha was being serious.

‘Tinder … what’s Tinder?’ asked Rona, trying to keep up with the conversation.

‘A dating app,’ chorused the girls.

‘You’re on a dating app?’ Rona’s expression was now one of dismay.

‘How else am I going to meet someone at my age? You should give it a go, Rona.’

‘Me?’ Rona’s eyes widened and she brought her hand up to her chest in horror. ‘I can’t think of anything worse,’ she said, looking appalled.

‘Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.’ Martha raised her eyebrows and gave Rona a knowing look.

‘I’m perfectly happy on my own and that’s the way it’s staying.’

‘Not for you then, Mum?’ teased Felicity.

Rona made a series of huffing and tutting sounds, ‘It most certainly is not.’

‘What about you? Have you ever tried dating on line?’ Felicity turned towards Polly, who shook her head.

‘But it would be nice to be rescued by someone … in fact anyone,’ she answered, all dreamy-eyed. She was still single after eighteen months.

‘And what about your love life?’ asked Martha, looking at Felicity. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’

‘Fergus.’

Martha let out a low whistle, ‘That’s a turn-up for the books after everything that happened, and you running off like that all those years ago.’

Isla gave her Gran an impromptu shake of her head, knowing a random switch of conversation was very much needed.

‘We’ve sorted everything out,’ said Felicity, with a slight feeling of agitation rising inside.

‘Didn’t his wife die?’ Martha wasn’t for letting go of the conversation.

‘They weren’t married. Lorna passed away, leaving Fergus to bring up their daughter Esme.’

‘Right … come on now …’ said Rona, fidgeting from one foot to the other while looking out of the window, ‘those ramblers will be on their way from the B&B, ready for their packed lunches, and you lot are under my feet.’

‘Are you kicking us out?’ asked Martha in disbelief.

‘I am, unless you want to order anything else?’

‘Well, I’ve been kicked out of some places in my time, but never a teashop!’

‘First time for everything, Gran.’

‘And are we still on for tomorrow night?’ asked Felicity, looking between Isla and Polly. ‘Girly night?’

‘Absolutely,’ they both chorused in unison.

Rona moved towards Martha and kissed her on her cheek, ‘It is good to have you back.’

‘And I’ll see you tomorrow night too,’ Martha snagged Felicity’s eye as she walked towards the door. ‘Girly night.’

Knowing Felicity would just want it to be the girls, Rona thankfully came to the rescue: ‘How about you join me at the pub tomorrow night? I’ll ask Aggie and Meredith will be behind the bar. We can catch up properly.’

‘Good plan, and I’ll show you how to use that app.’ Martha winked at Rona who let out a chuckle.

‘Behave,’ she said, waving Martha and Isla on their way. ‘I’ve no intention of joining the minefield that is social media. I’m quite happy with the way things are …’

‘We’ll see,’ Martha shouted over her shoulder with a wicked twinkle in her eye as the door closed behind them.

‘She’s a character and a half,’ added Polly, with a grin.

‘There is no doubt that one has lived life to the full and is still doing so, by the sounds of it,’ answered Rona. ‘Isla has definitely got her hands full there.’

‘Maybe you should have a think about that dating app. I can always sit here and set you up a profile over a couple of mugs of tea,’ teased Polly, as Rona playfully rolled her eyes.

Felicity was still chuckling. ‘Martha is right though, Mum, maybe you should put yourself out there, you have so much to offer and deserve to be happy.’

Shaking her head in despair, Rona coaxed her daughter towards the sink. ‘Don’t be daft, my life is perfect just the way it is, unlike Isla’s, by the state she was in when she arrived today.’ Rona gave Felicity an inquisitive stare, but Felicity brushed it off, not wanting to break her friend’s trust.

‘New babies, change of routine, tiredness, I’m crying just thinking about it.’

‘It’s an exhausting time for any woman, and you feel like you don’t know if you are coming or going, you’re someone’s mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandmother … you lose all perspective of who you are. Everyone wants a piece of you. I can remember screaming and crying What about me? Thank God for your grandmother’s support, that’s all I can say. Just be there for Isla. She’ll be in need of a good friend. It’s really not that easy.’

Her mum’s words rang in Flick’s ears. Maybe Isla was feeling the pressure a little? She didn’t have any hands-on support; with Drew running the farm, looking after the children was left solely down to her. Felicity didn’t elaborate on the conversation with Isla, but she was worried about her friend. Isla wasn’t a moaner, she worked hard and saw the good in everyone and every situation and didn’t like any sort of confrontation. Felicity knew she would have felt disloyal talking to her about the argument with Drew, which meant it must have really bothered her.

Hopefully a night with the girls tomorrow would pep her up a bit, but Felicity knew she was going to keep a closer eye on her.