Chapter 21
Had I been in any doubt about how my feelings for Josh were developing, they were presented to me in crystal-clear clarity as a result of my reaction to our final conversation before I headed home that evening.
I had asked him if he would like to join me at Wynbrook for Sunday lunch with my parents and Algy, and yes, I knew that had the possibility of being a rather full-on first meeting, but he turned me down anyway, not because of the potential intensity but because he had already made other plans.
‘Marguerite has hired a car,’ he told me, ‘and she’s asked me to go with her and look at this place she’s thinking of renting if she decides to stay on.’
‘Oh,’ I said lightly. ‘Right.’
‘She said to ask you if you would like to come along too but I assumed you’d be getting ready to launch the business next week—’
‘So you said no on my behalf?’ I cut in, perhaps a little too sharply.
‘No,’ said Josh, stringing the word out, ‘I just said I thought it was unlikely that you’d say yes because you’re so busy, but that I’d ask you anyway.’
‘I see.’
‘So, do you want to come?’
‘I can’t,’ I said. ‘You’re right, I do need to get more work done.’
‘So you are too busy to come then,’ he said, sounding amused.
‘Yes,’ I conceded again. ‘I am.’
I hated the fact that I didn’t like the thought of him and Marguerite spending the day together, especially when I knew I had absolutely nothing to feel jealous or suspicious about. I also knew that I couldn’t blame my uncharitable emotion on Laurence’s behaviour. This was all me. Jealousy wasn’t a pleasant reaction to experience, but it did give me a very definite heads-up about how I had started to feel about Josh.
As a result of my snippiness, we parted on rather less emotionally intense territory than I had thought we’d been heading towards when we were on the beach.
‘He’s leaving soon,’ I reminded myself, as I glanced at him in the rear-view mirror as I drove out of the village. ‘You’ve just escaped one relationship with your heart intact, Daisy, so don’t now risk getting it completely broken by someone who’s supposed to be nothing more than fun in the sun. Especially now you’re in love with your new job…’
It hadn’t been my intention to put some distance between me and Josh that week, but with everything I had to do ahead of opening Wynbrook Blooms on Wednesday, that was how the situation panned out.
‘Wow, Daisy,’ said Nick, when I dropped some jars of flowers at the fruit farm early Wednesday morning. ‘These look stunning.’
‘And they smell as good as they look,’ I said, shoving one under his nose.
‘They do,’ he agreed.
‘By the way, thanks for marking up the chalkboard.’
There were clear directions on the board outside the barn about where to find the walled garden and between us, Dad and I had hung up wooden arrows pointing the way from the fruit to the flowers, so hopefully customers would soon catch on.
‘My pleasure.’ Nick smiled. ‘You know, Penny will doubtless be wanting you to supply the flowers for the wedding.’
‘Have you already set a date?’ I asked, wide-eyed.
‘Not quite,’ he told me, ‘but we’re thinking late next May or early to mid-June.’
I was thrilled they weren’t wasting any time in tying the knot and also pleased they’d picked a time when I could guarantee them flowers from Wynbrook.
‘Oh, Nick.’
‘I know,’ he said. ‘I can’t believe it. I love her so much, you know…’
‘I know you do,’ I said, rubbing his arm.
‘And,’ he then mischievously added, ‘I think there’s someone who has deeper feelings for you than they might be letting on…’
‘Oh?’ I squeaked.
‘You’re all Josh talks about—’ he started to say, but I cut him off.
‘Summer fling, remember?’ I said firmly. ‘Now, I must quickly tell Algy that I caught sight of the cat this morning.’
I rushed off before Nick could say anything further.
‘That certainly sounds like her,’ Algy said happily, once I had described the fleeting glimpse I’d had of the tiny black cat sitting on one of the rocking chairs when I left the summerhouse that morning.
Algy had joined me and Dad in the walled garden to mark the moment the courtyard clock struck ten and Wynbrook Blooms officially launched. He’d called the local press, but no one had turned up and there were no customers clamouring to form a queue either.
‘Not quite the fanfare I was hoping for…’ I started to say, but then a couple looked cautiously around the gate and Algy beckoned them in and an entire family, grandparents and children included, also arrived.
‘You were saying,’ Dad said and smiled as I stepped up to tell the visitors all about the beautiful Wynbrook Blooms venture and ask if there were any flowers they would like to buy.
At the end of Friday afternoon, I closed the garden and walked up to the manor to let Algy know how the first three days of trading had gone.
‘So,’ he said morosely when he caught sight of me, ‘screaming success or unmitigated disaster?’
I looked at him and frowned. Mum had said his mood had taken a nosedive again over the last couple of days, but I hadn’t seen him to observe it firsthand. Until now.
‘Oh, don’t mind me,’ he huffed. ‘I’m just in a bit of a fug.’
‘It sounds like more than a bit,’ I observed. ‘What’s up?’
‘Never mind,’ he made the effort to say more brightly. ‘So, what’s the verdict?’
He obviously wasn’t in the mood to share whatever it was that had put him in such a stroppy place, so I told him about the flowers instead, as had been my original plan.
‘I think it’s a bit early to say whether it will be a runaway success,’ I told him, as I recalled everything that had occurred so far. ‘But the good news is, there’s been a steady and increasing footfall each day.’
‘Right,’ Algy said with a nod.
‘And I can already tell there are going to be a few flowers we’re going to need a lot more of next year,’ I continued.
‘Next year,’ Algy echoed, sounding wistful.
‘We could sell double the amount of sweet peas. Probably more like triple, actually,’ I told him enthusiastically. ‘For the project to really succeed, I reckon we’re going to need to double the space given over to growing the flowers that you’ve got so far. Is there any other area on the estate, but relatively close to the garden, that you might consider turning over to it?’
I stopped to draw breath and realised he didn’t seem to be listening.
‘Algy? Are you all right?’
‘Yes,’ he said irritably. ‘I was just taking a moment to absorb what you were saying.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I apologised, feeling hot. He’d never snapped at me before. ‘I’m just so excited, I—’
‘So do you really think there’s some merit in the idea and that it could become a successful project?’ he interrupted.
‘I certainly do, especially with me at the helm,’ I said, smiling. ‘I’m loving it, Algy. It’s exactly what my heart desires. I’m so happy—’
‘Okay,’ he cut in again, before I got completely carried away. ‘Let’s see what the weekend brings then, shall we?’
He wandered off and I was left feeling bewildered. It was a completely out of character and blunt dismissal, causing my heart to feel unsettlingly heavy.
‘Earth to Daisy,’ said Josh, in a robotic voice as he waved a hand in front of my face. ‘Do you read me?’
‘Oh god,’ I said, plunging my hands into my hair. ‘I’m sorry. I’ve been so keen to see you all day and now we’re finally together, I’ve turned into a total zombie.’
It was Friday evening and we were sitting in the pub with a drink, waiting to eat.
‘I take it you’ve had a busy week.’ He smiled. ‘Marguerite said the walled garden is stunning.’
I had been thrilled when Marguerite had turned up to buy some flowers to put into the pub vases and she told me about her trip out with Josh. She had ended the retelling with the words: ‘Boys have their uses and they’re all right if you like that kind of thing, but as you know, Daisy, I don’t.’
I had known that, of course, and it made my pang of jealousy about her and Josh spending time together feel all the more unreasonable.
‘Such a busy week,’ I said to Josh, stifling a yawn. ‘And Marguerite’s right – the garden is beautiful. I’m hoping you’ll see it for yourself soon.’ Josh nodded at that. ‘And I’m loving the work, but I’d forgotten how tiring gardening can be, even if sometimes the work only entails snipping blooms to make beautiful bunches and posies.’
The job sounded idyllic, and the Insta account I’d set up, which was gaining followers, made it look extremely attractive, but it was still challenging. I hadn’t factored in talking to the increasing number of visitors when I’d taken the role on and it was taking some getting used to.
‘Your boss must be thrilled about how well it’s going.’ Josh smiled. ‘From what you’ve said, you’ve already had quite a lot of customers coming through and made loads of sales.’
‘Um,’ I said, wondering how best to answer about Algy. ‘If he is thrilled, he’s keeping his excitement pretty well hidden.’
‘What do you mean?’
I didn’t want to talk out of turn, but I needed to confide in someone, and both Penny and Nick had been unsurprisingly unavailable of late. They were either working or together, which was absolutely fine. More than fine, given that I had been desperate for so long for them to get together. And of course, I didn’t want to further worry Mum and Dad, who I knew were already wondering what was up with Algy.
‘I’m not really sure,’ I said tentatively. ‘I can’t put my finger on what’s going on with him, but something is. And Mum and Dad have picked up on it too.’
‘You look worried.’ Josh frowned.
‘I am worried,’ I confessed. ‘I don’t know what’s behind Algy’s fluctuating moods, but I’ve never known him to have them before. For as long as I can remember, he’s always been the best fun. I know there’s some family sadness in his past, but—’
‘Hold that thought,’ said Josh, gathering up our empty glasses. ‘I’m going to get us another drink and then you can tell me all about it before we eat.’
‘I’m not sure if I should…’
‘Well, it sounds to me like you really need to get it off your chest, Daisy.’
I looked up at his kind face and thought, what harm could come from sharing? I might even find the unburdening cathartic…
‘All right,’ I caved. ‘Just a half for me though, because I need to drive back.’
‘Oh no, not tonight,’ Josh insisted. ‘Please stay with me, Daisy. It feels like ages since I woke up with you.’
How could I resist a request like that, especially as he’d already forgiven my unreasonable waspishness from the weekend before? I didn’t have to be back at Wynbrook much before ten when I opened the garden and waking up with Josh was always wonderful. Every bit as wonderful as waking up in the summerhouse. I longed for the day when I could put the two together.
‘All right,’ I willingly relented and Josh looked thrilled.
By the time we made it through the door of Crow’s Nest Cottage and up the stairs to the bedroom, I felt like I’d had the longest talking therapy session. I’d chattered on for what felt like hours about growing up at Wynbrook, the details I knew about Algy’s family rift, my hopes for the new floral enterprise and of course, my current concerns for the man I loved like a grandad and was striving to make happy.
‘You’re a good listener,’ I told Josh as I leant against the doorframe and flicked through the mental Rolodex of everything I’d told him.
He’d sat and quietly listened and barely said a word at all, and I hoped I got the chance to return the favour for him soon as it had felt wonderful to share, vent, reminisce.
‘I’ll tell you what else I’m good at, shall I?’ He smiled seduc-tively, before flinging himself on the bed.
‘I’d much rather you showed me!’ I giggled.
I quickly leapt onto the duvet and sat astride him. I pinned his hands above his head and prepared myself to receive a wholly satisfying explanation.