Читать книгу A Year at Meadowbrook Manor: Escape to the countryside this year with this perfect feel-good romance read in 2018 - Faith Bleasdale - Страница 12
Chapter 7
ОглавлениеHarriet knocked on Connor’s door. She felt nervous. Probably due to the fact they hadn’t spent any time alone in forever. She pulled her cardigan tightly around her. It was chilly, not quite seven in the morning, the dew was glued to the grass. Harriet wore skinny jeans, a T-shirt and a cashmere cardigan; dressed down but immaculate. On her feet were her trainers. As she waited for the door to open, she thought fleetingly about New York. She’d be in the office by now, phones ringing, people shouting, and now when all she could hear was the odd squark of a bird, she felt as if she had been dislodged from her life.
After the shock last night, which she still keenly felt, her mind had been whirring with thoughts of living at Meadowbrook for the year; wondering if she could do it. Live with her family, run an animal sanctuary, give up the bright lights of the city, live a ‘simple’ life. And the answer was she didn’t know. Already, she missed those bright lights terribly. She didn’t care about her father’s money, but she did care about what happened to Meadowbrook and, of course, she cared about her brothers and sister. It was all so confusing, she couldn’t think in a straight line. She wished her father was here; he would know what to do. Of course, he would tell her to get on with the year at Meadowbrook, and run the animal sanctuary, bond with her siblings. Oh, and stay away from unsuitable married men. As she heard his voice in her head, she choked back tears.
Unable to sleep, she had read the terms of the pre-will – as it was now known. It was actually quite straightforward but bloody annoying – her father really had decided to strip each of his children back to basics.
Living together for a year, each of them was allowed a maximum of a week away from the place. They would be given a very slim allowance; their father thought they were all spoilt and too materialistic. The amount wouldn’t have kept New York Harriet in cabs, let alone anything else. Although all food and bills at the house were taken care of, they weren’t going to be buying any luxuries for a year. And as soon as they agreed to do it, they all had to hand over their bank cards and any credit cards and cash they had on them to David. Cheating was out of the question.
Harriet felt it was like a bad reality TV show, but one which was her life.
The animal sanctuary was another thing. They had to raise £25,000 in the year, which seemed like a ridiculously high amount for four people who had never raised a penny for charity. Oh, Harriet had given money, she sponsored, she put money in charity collections, she’d been to a number of high-profile auctions and spent thousands in an hour, but she hadn’t actually shaken a collecting tin herself. And although used to dealing in millions, getting ordinary people to part with money wasn’t something she had any experience in. If only she could use her own money she would pay it right now, but of course that was against the rules.
They also had to get their hands dirty with the sanctuary, they were each expected to take on a physical role to help out such as mucking out or walking the dogs.Harriet just couldn’t see it. Not any of it. All she could feel was loss on top of loss. Her father was gone, her job was gone, and she was rapidly losing her sense of self. She might be home but she felt like a stranger in a foreign land.
She knocked on Connor’s door again. She could see he was in, lights were blazing from inside. The three cottages that sat in a row belonged to Meadowbrook. Gwen and Connor had lived in the largest, but, when he returned home, he had moved into the second and newly renovated cottage which was next door to his mother. And the third was the old gardener, Jed’s cottage, which stood empty ever since he had died a few years ago.
Connor was wearing thick socks, jeans and an oversized jumper when he finally answered his front door. He looked surprised to see her but he smiled, warmly, eyes crinkling.
‘Hey, Harry, come in.’ He stepped aside.
‘Sorry to call round so early.’
‘It’s fine, I’m always up at this time.’ Connor gave one of his cheeky grins, and led her into his living room. It was small and messy, with a large sofa dominating, and a wood burner which was unlit. Papers were scattered around, with the odd mug and plate thrown in for the extra lived-in look.
‘Goodness what would your mother say?’ Harriet couldn’t help herself.
‘Don’t worry, I tidy up before she ever sees it,’ Connor laughed.
‘Do you happen to have coffee?’ she asked, laughing with him.
‘Come through.’
The small kitchen was clean and tidy as Connor set about putting the kettle on, taking out a French press and spooning coffee in. She sat down at the breakfast bar.
‘I don’t remember coming into this cottage before,’ she said as she took it all in. The wooden kitchen was modern but rustic, the back door led onto a small patch of lawn, it was sweet, but after Meadowbrook felt tiny. And six foot two Connor filled the cottage like a giant.
‘Silvia lived here, remember she used to help Mum with the cleaning sometimes and she also worked in the local pub.’
‘Oh, yes of course, I’d forgotten.’
‘Harry, I’m not being rude, but you seemed to have left Meadowbrook and everyone behind with barely a backward glance. Myself included.’
Harriet startled. She wasn’t ready to hear that. She wasn’t sure why she had found it so easy to turn her back on Meadowbrook when she moved to New York. She thought she was running towards her glittering future, after all, most ambitious people did that. In her world it was totally normal. But first her father, then her siblings and now Connor. Was everyone intent on making her feel that she had abandoned them?
She shrugged. ‘I followed my career and I didn’t look back. Yes, I kept in touch with the family, but I didn’t have much time to think about home, and now I’m here I feel … well, I feel a little strange,’ she explained.
‘But you’re back now,’ Connor said quietly. The way he peered at her again made her feel he could see inside her, see all her thoughts. When they were young she thought that he knew her better than anyone did.
‘What happened to you?’ She was desperate to change the subject, he was making her feel too uncomfortable; exposed. ‘You were in New Zealand when I came back for Pip’s wedding, I recall, with your fiancée?’ Her father kept her abreast of Connor’s movements, in their exchanges. Yet still, Harriet didn’t quite understand how their friendship had fractured quite so much. Connor was one of the most important people in her life, and she had let him become a stranger. But why?
‘Ah yes, the lovely Elizabeth. Well, we did go to New Zealand, she wanted to emigrate and we were going to get married, but then we started arguing all the time. I missed home, she didn’t. Do you remember her?’ Connor asked.
‘Of course, I met her on a number of occasions,’ Harriet replied carefully, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt.
The first time she met Connor’s girlfriend, they were both home from university and she had been so excited to see Connor. He wanted her to meet someone and that someone was Elizabeth.
That holiday changed so much for Harriet. Probably the fact that Connor wasn’t there for her anymore, or perhaps the idea that he now belonged to someone else. Elizabeth. Annoying Elizabeth who clung to Connor’s side like a limpet. Elizabeth who was going to be a vet just like him; she and Harriet hated each other on sight. They both wanted to be the most important girl in Connor’s life, but there was only one spot. And as Elizabeth was having sex with Connor, Harriet was never going to win. Elizabeth, smug, annoying and with the only man Harriet had every truly felt herself with.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t spend any time with Connor without his annoying girlfriend being there. And after that Harriet felt she had lost him, as things changed irrevocably.
Gus had accused her, when she ranted about ‘Limpet Liz’ with her frizzy hair and annoying laugh, of being jealous, but she refused to accept it. Harriet smiled to herself, now she was an adult, she knew she had been ridiculously jealous.
‘Anyway, I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but I guess it’s good for Meadowbrook,’ Harriet said, collecting herself. It was a childhood crush that didn’t go away. That was all it was.
‘I didn’t realise how much I loved this place until I came back. Now I can’t imagine leaving. Well, I won’t because I’m invested. I’m at a local practice and I have the sanctuary. It keeps me out of trouble.’ His eyes twinkled, years melted away. ‘But what about you?’
‘I’ve made a monumental mess of my life. But can we leave it at that?’ Harriet asked. ‘And as I’m here I wondered if you would be able to show me this famous animal sanctuary. I seem to be the only one that hasn’t seen it.’ She knew she sounded brusque but it was the only way she could keep it together. Ever since tears had visited last night, they kept threatening to return.
‘So you’re going to do it?’ Connor asked, eagerly. ‘You’re going to stay here just as your dad wanted?’
‘It looks like it,’ Harriet replied and was utterly surprised as Connor picked her up and spun her around.
‘And they said there wasn’t room to swing a cat in this kitchen,’ he joked as he put her down. She raised her eyebrows but couldn’t help giggling like a schoolgirl. ‘Honestly, Harry,’ he still hadn’t taken his arms away, it felt warm, ‘I am so pleased. Not just about Andrew’s wishes, or Meadowbrook, or even the animals, but about the fact that we’re all back together.’
‘Just like the good old days,’ Harriet mumbled.
‘Are you up for looking for toads then?’ Connor joked. ‘Or perhaps climbing trees to study squirrels?’
‘Nope, but I am interested in seeing these animals. Although, I really do need that coffee first.’
The day was warming up as they set off from Connor’s cottage, out through his back garden gate and across the fields to the rescue centre.
‘There’s a couple of buildings,’ Connor explained. ‘One for the dogs, another for cats, and an office. Of course, the animals who live in the fields also have sheds, or shelters and they are largely taken in at night. We have only two full-time staff here, who are on rota, but we have a few part-timers, and also a number of volunteers from the village, which means that we are quite well staffed. I tend to make sure the animals are all OK myself before I go to bed and, of course, any medical issues come under my jurisdiction. All the paperwork is in the office.’ His face became animated when he spoke, it was as if someone had switched his light on.
‘It sounds well organised.’ Harriet was already wondering where she and her siblings would fit in.
‘It is. Although we are feeling Andrew’s absence keenly. We’re not enormous, by any means, and we’ve been lucky to get quite a few of our domestic animals rehomed, but there are always more coming in and some of our animals are definitely here to stay. Until recently there was even a cockatiel, Hamlet. He could never get rehomed because he swore like a sailor, so not exactly a family pet.’
‘How did he come to live here?’
‘His owner, an elderly fisherman, died and his daughter who’s local brought him over to us. Your dad had a rule: no animal gets turned away. Unfortunately he died, Hamlet that is. Anyway, running this place is costly, there’s food, shelter, the paid staff and we also try to raise awareness, there’s enough to keep you all busy.’
‘If you pay staff, surely £25,000 isn’t enough to keep the place running for a year?’ Harriet’s head was already juggling figures.
‘No, but the wages are taken care of in a trust your father set up, and we also have a number of regular donations. I’ll talk you through all the paperwork, but yes, the twenty-five grand is what we need on top of what we already have, to make sure we can stay open this year.’
‘My God, you know last week I was in New York, screaming at men in suits because we were about to lose millions of dollars when the markets dipped and now I am supposed to raise money for cockatiels with Tourette’s. Who on earth thought my life could come to this?’ She smiled, sadly.
‘Harry, it might be small fry compared to what you are used to but what we do is important,’ Connor snapped.
‘I’m not denying that, I’m not being rude.’ She was suddenly reminded of how she and Connor used to bicker a lot, and they were on the cusp of it now. She was annoyed, after all she was the one who had just had the rug pulled from under her, but again, she knew that she needed to make an effort. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to take in.’ Harriet shook her head, Connor pursed his lips as he did when he disapproved. God, he was still a judgemental pain in the arse. Some things never changed.
They were still silent as they reached the first field.
‘That’s Sebastian and Samantha, they’re alpacas,’ he pointed out. Harriet raised her eyebrows as she looked at the two of them striding around the field, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen an alpaca close up. ‘It became fashionable to knit with their wool, so some bright spark decided that they’d do just that. Only they couldn’t take care of them, or knit for that matter,’ Connor laughed, as if she was forgiven and Harriet couldn’t help but grin. She relaxed slightly. ‘They are what we call lifers.’
‘They’re beautiful,’ although that wasn’t quite the right description. They looked almost regal, she thought. Connor took her over to meet them. They looked at her, slightly suspiciously, but they let Connor pet them, and then, feeling brave, she did the same.
‘The donkey is Gerald, he’s quite old but very sweet and he’s pals with the miniature ponies, Clover and Cookie.’ Harriet followed Connor into the next paddock. Gerald ambled over and greeted them with an ear-busting hee-haw.
‘Oh my, they are so cute.’ Harriet watched the two tiny ponies as they grazed under the watchful eye of Gerald. She’d never seen ponies that small.
‘Yes, but again, they were suffering before they came to us, luckily we were able to bring them here. Gerald, well he was abandoned. You’d be amazed at how many animals just get left to fend for themselves. But Gerald seems to parent the ponies, which is quite sweet really.’
‘What is wrong with people?’ Harriet stormed. She felt impassioned, which took her by surprise.
In another field there were two large pigs and three goats.
‘The pigs were micropigs that turned out to be full-size pot-bellied, there was no way the owner could keep them in her bungalow,’ Connor explained. ‘Betsy and Buddy.’
‘They’re enormous,’ Harriet laughed and, as she looked out at the fields and the animals, she felt herself begin to relax. She remembered her outdoorsy childhood and although the animal sanctuary wasn’t here when she was growing up, it was beginning to feel more like home.
‘And the goats are Piper, Flo and Romeo.’ Connor pointed to the three goats who were happily munching grass. One of them came over to where they stood, looking at them hopefully.
‘Hi, Romeo,’ Connor said, picking some grass and handing it to him through the fence.
‘Where’s Juliet?’ Harriet quipped.
‘That’s why he’s here, because he lost his Juliet. She died, and they thought he would too, he wouldn’t eat, and when they asked me to look at him, I could tell he had a broken heart, so I suggested trying to bring him here to be with Piper and Flo.’
‘Oh my goodness, that’s so sad.’ Harriet didn’t like to add that she knew how Romeo felt. Part of her wanted to pine and never eat again. Over a job not a lover in her case though.
‘Luckily when he came they all seemed to get on, and he’s perked right up.’
‘A sort of goat ménage à trois?’
‘Let’s hope not,’ Connor laughed. ‘Piper and Flo are sisters.’
Harriet laughed. Whether it was the warm morning breeze, being able to see lush fields and so much open space, she didn’t know, but she felt as if she could breathe a bit. Perhaps she could do this. She felt the breeze in her hair and her head cleared a bit, or at least the fog shifted slightly to the left.
‘OK, well we have chickens over there.’ He pointed to another field which held a very elaborate looking henhouse as well as space for them to run. ‘They’re all ex-battery hens but they do lay eggs – at times – and we try to rescue as many chickens as possible. They come to us in such a dreadful state but we mostly get them happy and healthy again. Although, and you have to get used to this, we do lose some of our animals.’
‘I guess they all have names too?’ Harriet asked. She hated to think about the cruelty aspect to the sanctuary, or animals dying. She knew it went on but she didn’t want to give herself nightmares. She might be a hard-nosed city woman but she had a heart. It was just a bit of a well-kept secret at the moment.
‘All named after Jane Austen characters, one of our staff, Jenni, is a huge fan so we let her name them. And she can tell them apart, but the rest of us get them mixed up.’
‘The chickens look kind of the same to me,’ Harriet said, looking at them.
‘Don’t tell Jenni that. There are also some geese, they sort of roam around, they’re quite tame, so you can approach them but don’t scare them. And in the far field two Highland bulls.’ He pointed and she looked across. They were enormous, and quite magnificent with their horned heads and shaggy coats. ‘They’re best friends. About a year ago I had a call about them and, well, it wasn’t easy as they aren’t always the friendliest of animals but we managed to get them here. They clearly adore each other, barely leave each other’s side, but they can be aggressive to any other animal and some humans, although they’re fine if you approach them properly. Still, we keep them on their own, we named them Elton and David.’
‘Gay bulls? Are you joking?’ Harriet looked at Connor but he had already turned his attention to other animals.
‘And if you look at the far side of the field just beyond the ponies, you’ll see that in the shelter we have our blind sheep and her guide lamb. Agnes and Abigail.’ Harriet looked to where Connor pointed and saw two white dots.
‘How come she’s blind?’
‘She was attacked by a crow when she was pregnant, blinded, but she managed to deliver a healthy baby and the lamb, Abigail, became her “guide lamb”. No good to the farmer so he brought them to us. They trot around together quite happily, it’s very sweet, but we do take extra special care of them, almost like domestic pets.’
‘God, Connor, the stories, they’re quite sad.’ Harriet wiped fresh tears from her eyes, for someone who never cried she was suddenly finding it a bit too easy. Poor heartbroken Romeo, the neglected gay cows, the blind sheep and her lamb who took care of her, the ex-battery hens, not to mention the domestic animals. It was so, so tragic. No wonder her father had invested so much in this.
Her threatening tears came, suddenly. Connor put his arm around her shoulders. She felt warm, she almost felt safe as her body danced with sobs that wouldn’t subside. There was so much heartbreak, not just hers. She wasn’t going to feel sorry for herself, not when there were others who had it so much worse. Even if they were animals.