Chapter 11
11
This time it was Jackson who rounded up the empty mugs and wandered out to the kitchen to make some more teas. All the time, he could hear Pia and Harry chatting away as though they were old friends. Pia had a natural affinity with people, always knowing the right thing to say and connecting with them in an instinctive way, as she was doing right now with Harry, his warm chuckle reaching the kitchen. Jackson smiled as he found a spoon and stirred the teas before wandering back to the living room where Harry was explaining about his living arrangements.
‘Everyone says I need to move into somewhere a bit safer. Have you seen the staircase here? It’s very steep and narrow, but then I think I’ve managed all these years, I’m sure I can do a few more. I have got a room with my name on it at the care home over on the other side of the valley. I’ve put down a holding deposit and I’ve heard I can move in when I want, but now, well, I’m not sure that I want to. Do you know it?’
‘Do you mean Rushgrove Lodge?’ Pia asked keenly. ‘I do know it! My best friend Abbey is the manager. And my old neighbour from Meadow Cottages, Wendy Peterson, moved in about eighteen months ago. She’s settled in really well. She was in a similar position to you, living in a home that she loved, but unable to manage like she once had. She wasn’t keen on moving somewhere new, but honestly, she says it was the best decision she ever made. They have so much going on at the lodge, weekly whist drives, visiting speakers, and it’s always someone’s birthday so lots of celebrations. The thing Wendy likes is that she can join in with as much or as little as she wants to. If she prefers to be by herself then she can stay in her room and watch some telly or read her book.’
‘Hmm, well, it might suit some people, but I don’t think I’d like it. Those places are full of doddery old snowy tops.’
Pia bit back a smile as she glanced across at Jackson, whose gaze deliberately avoided hers.
‘You might be surprised, Harry. Whenever I visit Wendy at the lodge, I’m struck by how lively it is up there. There’s always a lot of chatter and laughter, if you want to join in with that, of course. And if you were to move in, it doesn’t mean that you won’t still be able to get out and about. I often take Wendy into town or bring her up to the hall so she can see Bertie, our Dalmatian. He belonged to her originally, you see, but it got to the point where she couldn’t really look after him any more. I used to walk him for her every day and although he’s a big softie, he’s such a playful goofy dog that I was always worried that he might accidentally knock her over. When I promised that I would take Bertie with me when I moved, it was a great weight off her mind. Of course, none of us could have known then that we would have ended up at Primrose Hall. We both landed on our feet.’
‘And I for one am very glad that you did,’ said Jackson from the armchair over the other side of the room. ‘The hall would be very quiet without Pia and the dogs about the place,’ he told Harry.
‘There’d be less muddy pawprints too,’ Pia said with a wry smile.
‘I’ve had some good offers on this place,’ Harry said, ‘but then I know exactly what it’s worth. I’m sitting on a little gold mine here. The cottages might be run down but it will only take some hot-shot builder to come along, do a quick renovation and then sell them off to the highest bidders.’
‘I think Jackson was intending to keep them and let them out to local people, or maybe even use one of them as a short-term holiday let. He’s…’
Pia went to carry on but Jackson silenced her with a small shake of his head.
‘It’s not all about the money, though.’ Harry pushed himself up in his seat, becoming animated. ‘It’s about my sitting tenants, Humphrey, Marvin and Jack. I’m not signing on the dotted line until I know they’ve got somewhere to go.’
Pia exchanged a puzzled look with Jackson, who gave an imperceptible shrug of his shoulders. He clearly hadn’t heard this snippet of information before either. Pia couldn’t think where these tenants might be living. The other two cottages, with their broken and boarded-up windows, looked as though they’d been sitting empty for some time. She couldn’t imagine anyone living in those conditions.
‘Oh right… Do they…?’ Pia ventured, not wanting to be too nosy, but Harry carried on regardless.
‘They’ll want to stay together. I couldn’t split them up even if I wanted to because my Vera will be up there waving her fist at me. She adored those boys and I made a promise to her that I would take care of them, as long as I was able to.’
‘Oh, I see,’ said Pia, not really seeing at all. ‘Have you got something in mind for Humphrey… Martin and John?’
‘Humphrey, Marvin and Jack,’ Harry corrected her. ‘They were Vera’s uncles. Her father died when she was a girl so they stepped up and took her under their wing. They always looked out for her, and Humphrey even gave her away at our wedding. As they got older, the tables were turned and she was the one to take care of them.’
‘So…’ Pia’s voice trailed away and her brow crumpled in confusion. No, she still couldn’t make sense of it.
‘When we got the alpacas, Vera insisted we name them after her much-missed uncles.’
‘Ah…’ Pia laughed. ‘Alpacas! I thought you were talking about actual people. It’s good to get that cleared up! How lovely!’ Pia gave a small yelp of delight. ‘I’ve always wanted some alpacas. Where are they then?’
‘They’re in the paddock out the back. After Vera went, I did my best to look after them, it gave me something to do each day, but I struggle to get down there now with these useless legs of mine. I’ve got a young lass who comes in to see them each day, Molly, she’s training to be a veterinary nurse, but I know that situation can’t last for ever.’
‘Would it be possible to go and see them?’
‘Course you can, darling!’ Harry was delighted by Pia’s interest in the animals. ‘If you go out the kitchen door and walk along the garden path you’ll come to a gate that leads to the paddock. The fawn one is Humphrey, he’s in charge, and Marvin and Jack are the black ones. They’ll be pleased to see you. They’re always very curious about new visitors.’
Pia jumped out of her chair.
‘Are you coming, Jackson?’
‘Why don’t you wander down and I’ll stay and keep Harry company.’
In the garden, Pia was barely able to make out the stone path as it was overrun with weeds and long grass from the unmown lawns. There was a wooden shed to one side which was in a similar state of disrepair to the cottages, but it wasn’t hard to imagine how lovely it might once have been when the row of terraced houses and the gardens were well tended. There were apple and plum trees acting as a border to the neighbours’ garden and she could see where the vegetable patches had been, and she could visualise them brimming with the year’s crops. It was such a peaceful spot with views onto the fields beyond. In some ways it reminded her of Meadow Cottages where she’d grown up and although it was in the middle of the countryside, she could picture it filled with life and vibrancy when the cottages had been occupied. She continued on her way and when the alpacas first came into view she gasped at the sight of them, a small trickle of anticipation running along her spine.
‘Hello, boys,’ she said softly as she eased her way into their field, carefully closing the gate behind her. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as the alpacas looked at her, their bodies held erect, their heads turned towards her with curiosity. They wandered over and she spoke to them all the time, not knowing how they might react to her presence. She didn’t want to spook them. Each one of them had such a cute and inquisitive expression that she would have loved to throw her arms around their necks and give them a big hug. Instead, she stood still, but she needn’t have worried because their inquisitiveness got the better of them and they came right up alongside her, making eye contact, which she took as an invitation to gently pet them.
‘Aren’t you beautiful,’ she cooed, in her element in their company. Their fleeces were soft and silky beneath her fingers, and she could understand why Vera had adored these boys so much. It must have been a huge responsibility for Harry to fulfil his promise to his late wife. No wonder he was reluctant to leave his home, but this situation couldn’t go on in the same way much longer. The alpacas appeared well looked after and had shelter and clean water, but what would happen if circumstances changed for the girl who was helping out with the animals? Even the thought of Harry wandering through the garden on his own to go and see the alpacas made Pia shudder. The ground was uneven under foot and there were all sorts of hazards that could send Harry toppling over. Whether Harry liked the idea or not, he needed to make some changes to his living arrangements, and soon.
On her way back from the paddock, Pia stopped to peer into one of the remaining windows of the other two cottages. She couldn’t see very much through the dirt and grime, but what she could make out was that it was dark, dingy and damp inside. It was easy to imagine how Jackson might quickly transform the workers’ cottages by completely gutting them and rebuilding the interiors, although it sounded as though he might not even be given the opportunity now.
Back inside the kitchen of Harry’s home, Pia poured some hot water into the sink and started washing up the dirty mugs, just as Jackson wandered in from the other room.
‘Hey!’ She held a finger to her lips and took him by the arm and led him outside the back door, pulling it closed behind them so that Harry wouldn’t hear. She held a hand to her chest.
‘I’ve seen the alpacas and oh my goodness, they are adorable, but honestly there’s no way Harry can look after them properly on his own. I was just thinking…’
‘I know exactly what you’ll be thinking,’ said Jackson, with an indulgent smile. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘The thing is, Jackson, we’ve got the space for them. They could have their own paddock at the hall and we’ve already got Twinkle and Little Star to look after so it wouldn’t make a great difference to us in terms of our time and money. Think about it; they would be a great addition to the hall. I know some places offer walks with alpacas as an attraction. Wouldn’t that be fun? Think of it as a business opportunity.’
Jackson gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders.
‘You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? Well, I have no objection, but I’m not sure what Harry will have to say about the idea. As you’ve seen, he knows his own mind, and he might not be so easily persuaded. He also might think we’re trying to sweeten him up so that he’ll sign the contract with us. I don’t want to be seen to be putting undue pressure on him.’
‘Hmmm…’ Pia nodded. ‘From the way you were talking about it earlier, it sounded like a done deal.’
‘I thought it was but I’ve been in business long enough to know that you can’t take anything for granted, not until both parties have signed on the dotted line. It would have been a brilliant opportunity for us and a great add-on to the business interests at the hall, but if it doesn’t work for Harry, then I’m not going to push it.’
‘It’s disappointing, but there’ll be other opportunities,’ Pia said, not entirely convincingly. ‘But regardless of the deal, I think we could give those boys a good home, and surely that’s exactly what Harry would want?’
‘Well, I suppose it’s worth a try,’ said Jackson, ‘but don’t get your hopes up.’ He opened the back door again and ushered Pia inside where they rejoined Harry in the living room. She took a deep breath, trying to gauge how Harry might react; the last thing she wanted to do was upset him. Unsure of the best way to approach the subject, she simply blurted it out.
‘Harry, I’ve been to see the alpacas and honestly, I fell in love with them at first sight! They’re such intelligent, friendly boys. I could quite easily have stayed there all day talking to them and petting them. Look, I know you don’t know us terribly well, but we have room at Primrose Hall to re-home Humphrey, Marvin and Jack if you would like us to? We’d take really good care of them. Would you like to see some photos of Twinkle and Little Star?’
Before Harry had the chance to answer, Pia had pulled out her phone from her pocket and was scrolling through hundreds of photos, giving a running commentary.
‘This is the hall,’ she said, bringing up images of the restored seventeenth-century building looking resplendent on a summer’s day. ‘Jackson did a lot of the work himself on refurbishing the building.’
‘Well, I had a good team around me as well,’ Jackson added. ‘I didn’t do it all with my own bare hands.’
‘Crikey,’ said Harry, peering closer to look at the pictures. ‘That does look different from the last time I saw it. Then it was all boarded up and the grounds were overgrown.’
‘Yep. When I was a kid, me and my mates used to climb the fences and hangout over at the hall. With a few cans and some cigarettes, we would spend hours over there larking about. Even then in its run-down state I used to think how special it was. There was always a magical atmosphere about the place, as though it held a web of secrets inside. When I got the opportunity to buy it, it was as if it was always meant to be.’
Harry narrowed his eyes and observed Jackson closely as though he was seeing him in an entirely different light. It was rousing hearing the passion behind Jackson’s words, his animation and enthusiasm for the hall and everything they’d achieved infectious.
‘Now, this is Twinkle the donkey and Little Star the Shetland pony,’ Pia went on. ‘They are such great characters. Little Star is the instigator, she definitely leads Twinkle astray. They used to be escape artists and would jump their paddock, trampling over all the flower beds on their way, making a proper mess, which didn’t go down well with Mateo, our gardener. Sometimes they would get as far as Primrose Woods and the rangers would have to bring them home in the trailers. Honestly, they were right little troublemakers. We’ve stopped all their antics now though so they can’t get out of the paddocks any more.’
Harry chuckled as Pia told her story.
‘Oh, and this is Bertie the Dalmatian and Teddy, who’s the newest member of the Primrose Hall family. We found him in the grounds caught up in the fencing on the boundary to the woods. He was in a terrible state; his fur was matted and he was absolutely filthy. He stunk to high heaven too. We took him to the local vets, and to cut a long story short it turned out that his owner didn’t want him back again.’ Pia shook her head in dismay. ‘I mean, who would do that to a defenceless little dog? Anyway, we didn’t need to think twice about it, did we, Jackson? We offered him a home with us.’
Jackson nodded, not quite remembering it in the same way. He’d come home from a work trip away to find that the little scruffy mutt was making himself very much at home in Bertie’s bed, and while Pia tried to convince Jackson that it was a short-term solution while Teddy recovered from his ordeal, he knew that Pia had already made up her mind as to where the little dog’s new home should be.
‘We take in all the waifs and strays up at the hall,’ said Jackson wryly. ‘I think Pia is determined to turn it into a petting zoo.’
‘Look, these are the renovated stables and the barn,’ Pia went on, deliberately ignoring Jackson’s comment. ‘We hold events in the barn, like our writing festival. It’s such a stunning space with a vaulted ceiling and oak beams, and the light floods in through the windows and doors. That’s where we’re having our wedding reception in December. And these are the stables where the craft days are held.’
Harry nodded politely as Pia showed him photo after photo.
‘Come on, Pia,’ Jackson urged her. ‘I’m sure Harry doesn’t want to see your entire portfolio of pictures.’
‘Sorry!’ she said with a grin. ‘I do tend to get carried away once I get started.’ She pulled up another picture of Twinkle and Little Star grazing happily in the field. ‘You can’t see it from the photo, but just on the other side of here is another paddock which is standing empty at the moment. It would be an ideal place for your boys if you wanted it, and they’d get lots of interaction from us and all the visitors to the hall. It also means you could keep an eye on them too if you stay in the area because you would always be welcome to come and visit.’ She filled in the awkward silence by adding, ‘We would obviously offer you the going rate for the alpacas.’
‘Hmmm, I’ve told you, it’s not about the money,’ said Harry vehemently. ‘I’ve got to do right by my Vera.’
‘I understand that,’ said Pia, placing a hand over his on the arm of the chair. ‘I just wanted to put the offer out there in case you wanted to take us up on it.’
Harry fell quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, but Pia couldn’t help but notice the emotion held in his faraway look. She gave a squeeze of his hand.
‘We should make a move now. Thanks for letting me see the alpacas. It really has made my day.’ She grinned and stood up, looking across at Jackson, who jumped to his feet.
‘Before you go.’ Harry waved a hand in Jackson’s direction. ‘Remind me what your offer was on this place?’
‘It was the full asking price. I know my solicitor has put the offer through to your agent and to your solicitor, but if there’s any more information you’d like then just let me know. You’ll find all my contact details on the card.’
‘But of course, us having the alpacas doesn’t depend on this business deal going through,’ Pia jumped in. ‘We’d love to have them come and live with us if you don’t find anywhere more suitable for them.’
‘Yes, well, I shall have to have a think about that,’ said Harry gruffly.
‘Of course,’ said Pia, taking hold of his arms and planting a kiss on his cheek, which completely disarmed the old man. ‘Whatever you think is for the best. Thanks for the tea and biscuits, Harry.’