Chapter 22
Summer returned from Australia on the Monday morning, but it was Wednesday before she came back to Whispering Willows. Bethany wasn’t sure whether she was glad Summer had booked the extra day off to recover from jet lag or if it would have been better to get this over with once and for all.
She’d kept her promise to Clive, but now Summer was home, and it was time to be honest with her about her plans to rehome the horses and sell Whispering Willows. She couldn’t say she was looking forward to it.
Sure enough, her only employee arrived at the stables bright and early that Wednesday morning and was clearly stunned to find Bethany in the process of cooking breakfast for her.
‘Careful,’ she said, trying to sound jokey, ‘or I’ll be expecting this every day.’
‘We get this every day,’ Maya told her cheerfully, as she cut into a succulent sausage. ‘Bethany comes here every morning to make us breakfast. Sometimes we get one of them continental breakfasts, but mostly it’s the full English.’
Summer looked stunned. She glanced at Clive who was sipping from a large mug of tea.
‘Wow, things have changed around here,’ she said lightly. ‘Who’d have thought it?’
‘Aye, it makes a cracking start to the day,’ he said, smiling. ‘It’s good to see you, Summer. You’re looking very refreshed. How was Australia?’
‘Different.’ Summer grinned. ‘I loved it.’
‘Did you get attacked by giant spiders?’ Maya asked with a shudder.
‘Or see any snakes?’ Lennox queried hopefully.
Summer laughed. ‘Can’t say I did, no. Sorry to disappoint you. Wrong time of year for spiders—or right time, depending on your point of view. They mostly come out in spring and summer and it’s autumn over there at the moment. They were probably around somewhere but I didn’t see any. Mind you, they don’t really worry me anyway, but I think you’d be on permanent alert, Maya.’
‘I know. I’ll never visit Australia, that’s for sure,’ Maya said firmly.
‘Never mind the spiders,’ Clive said, ‘how was your holiday?’
‘It was great. I loved seeing Billie and Arlo again, and it was smashing to spend so much time with Dad.’ She smiled her thanks as Bethany placed her breakfast in front of her. ‘I’d forgotten how much I missed him. Wow, this looks great.’
‘Enjoy.’ Bethany sat down and picked up her knife and fork. ‘How long is it since you last saw your dad then?’
‘I spent a couple of days with him at the New Year,’ Summer told him. ‘I wish I could see him more regularly but there never seems to be enough time.’
‘Doesn’t he live nearby?’
‘No.’ Summer shovelled some bacon into her mouth and chewed blissfully while they all waited. ‘He lives in Bemborough in East Yorkshire, so it’s a bit of a hike. I mean, Ben could drive me there and back in a day to be fair, but we’re both always busy so… Mind you, I’ve decided I’m going to make more of an effort. He’s great company and I do love him so much.’ She gave a wistful smile. ‘It’s funny how you forget—the good times, I mean. I’d been so focused on remembering the bad stuff I’d forgotten that he can be lovely. Besides, he’s changed a lot since he and Mum split up. Even Billie said so and she’s always on the lookout for him to revert to type.’
‘What type’s that?’ Bethany asked curiously then blushed. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to pry.’
‘Oh, it’s okay. It’s hardly a secret.’ Summer shrugged. ‘Dad was a womaniser and a liar. Gave my mum an awful time of it until she’d finally had enough.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Bethany remembered the times her own father had flaunted his affairs. She clearly remembered Joseph raging at his father about his other women, demanding to know how he could treat his wife so badly, and she’d been aware that Father had ‘female friends’ even at such a tender age.
Funnily enough, she didn’t remember her mother ever saying a word about it. Maybe that was what the tears had been about all those times when they’d sat together in All Hallows’ churchyard, but somehow Bethany didn’t think so. She thought those tears were about something far more complicated than her father’s affairs. ‘Your poor mum.’
Summer looked surprised by her response and her fork hovered midway between her plate and mouth for a moment as she stared at Bethany. Then she blinked and said, ‘Yeah, it wasn’t good.’
‘But it’s all fine now,’ Clive said quickly. ‘A happy ending for your mum at least.’
‘Absolutely.’ Summer popped a mushroom into her mouth and said, ‘She got together with Rafferty, and honestly she couldn’t be happier.’
‘And your dad’s okay?’ Bethany asked tentatively.
Summer ate the mushroom before she replied. ‘He is now. He was heartbroken when they split up. Sounds mad, doesn’t it? But he really loved her, even though he did all those awful things. He’s pulled himself together now, though, and seems to be much more contented.’ She grinned suddenly. ‘Actually, he met someone in Melbourne. She’s not Australian. She’s from Derbyshire, but she was on holiday with her sister and brother-in-law, visiting her nephew. The two of them really hit it off. They exchanged phone numbers and promised to meet up soon so who knows?’
‘Well, let’s hope he gets his own happy ending then,’ Clive said. His gaze flickered over to Bethany, and she tried not to read too much into his comments.
They’d hardly spent any time together over the last couple of days as he’d been busy with the horses, and she’d been dealing with the electrician and contacting various decorators.
She’d been relieved to discover that the wiring at Whispering Willows was in good condition but had booked the electrician to install some new sockets in various rooms where there weren’t enough, and to replace some of the older sockets and light fittings.
Bethany had told Clive the good news over breakfast yesterday, but he hadn’t said much. In fact, he’d hardly spoken to her at all since the day of the wedding and she couldn’t help wondering if she’d scared him off. She had, after all, kissed him, if only on the cheek. But then, he’d kissed her back and if he hadn’t wanted to no one had forced him.
She’d seen the look in his eyes and was quite sure he’d felt the same way she had the moment their lips touched. But then he’d just walked away without looking back and since then he hadn’t mentioned their kiss at all, so she wasn’t sure what to think. After all, it had only been a couple of light goodbye kisses. Nothing too serious. She was probably overthinking this.
But perhaps his talk of Summer’s dad’s happy ending meant something, the way his glance had fallen on her as he said it. Was that his way of telling her he hoped they’d get their own happy ending at last?
Breakfast continued with Maya and Lennox pumping Summer for information about her holiday before they decided it was time to start work.
‘Tell Summer about Shirley Bassey and Dylan Thomas,’ Lennox said to Bethany. ‘Proper drama we’ve had while you were away, Summer.’
Summer laughed. ‘Who?’
‘Len! She doesn’t want to hear all that on her first day back,’ Maya chided him. ‘Come on, let’s get out there or we’ll be late for school.’
Clive drained his cup of tea and got to his feet, giving Bethany a sympathetic look.
‘I’d better make a start, too. I’ll see to Barney this morning. Summer, take your time with breakfast, there’s no rush. Ease your way back into work, okay?’
‘When are Maya and Lennox finishing here?’ Summer asked. ‘I mean, the morning work and the couple of evenings they’ve been doing?’
‘They’ll be back to Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons this weekend,’ he told her. ‘And I’m back to the day job on Monday, so you’ll be pretty busy. Are you sure you can cope?’
‘I’ve managed so far,’ Summer said. She hesitated. ‘Maybe we can think about taking on someone to help permanently?’ She gave Bethany a hopeful look. ‘Even if it’s just part time.’
Clive looked at Bethany, whose heart sank. There was no more putting this off. She’d have to be honest with Summer.
‘Do you need me to…’ Clive’s voice trailed off and he shrugged slightly.
‘It’s fine,’ Bethany said. This was, after all, her decision. Having made it she should at least have the courage and decency to break it to Summer herself. ‘I’ll see you later.’
He nodded and left, but not before giving Summer a compassionate look which she missed, as she was dipping the last of her bread in her tomato gravy.
‘So, who are Shirley Bassey and Dylan Thomas?’ she asked at last, after eating the last mouthful of her breakfast and pushing the plate away. ‘I mean, I know who the real ones are of course, but I’m guessing we’re talking about someone other than a singer and a poet, right?’
Bethany’s expression softened. ‘Shirley’s a beautiful little Welsh Mountain pony, and Dylan is—was—her foal.’
‘Was?’ Summer gave her a stricken look. ‘What happened?’
Bethany falteringly explained about the call-out she and Clive had gone on, and how they’d found the ponies in such a terrible state.
‘I thought they’d be treated at the equine unit and then come to us,’ she admitted sadly, tears welling up as she remembered Dylan’s little face. ‘Sadly, the foal didn’t make it. It’s just awful. I hope whoever abandoned them there is caught and punished.’
She looked over at Summer and swallowed down her own tears as she saw the girl was quietly crying.
‘That’s so awful,’ Summer managed. ‘Poor little thing. He barely had any life at all and what he did have was just…’ She shook her head. ‘This is why it’s so important,’ she said passionately. ‘Whispering Willows, I mean. Joseph was determined to help as many ill-treated horses, ponies, and donkeys as he could, and he gave so many of them happy lives after rotten starts just like Dylan’s. You see how much it matters?’
Bethany stared at her, feeling sick. ‘I—I know, but?—’
‘What about the mare?’ Summer asked suddenly. ‘What’s happening with Shirley?’
Bethany admitted, with some shame, that she had no idea.
‘You didn’t find out?’ Summer said incredulously. ‘So is she still at Walter Harding’s or has she been rehomed or what?’
‘I really don’t know. Clive never mentioned her, so I just assumed she was okay.’
Summer got to her feet. ‘But we have to find out! Maybe she’s still at the unit. She can come here, can’t she?’
‘I really don’t think…’ Bethany began, but Summer wasn’t listening.
‘I’ll ask Clive for the number. I’ll call him. We can bring her home to Whispering Willows. She’ll be grieving for her foal. She needs us!’
She headed towards the door and Bethany knew the time she’d dreaded was finally here. No more putting it off.
‘Summer, wait!’
Summer turned, clearly puzzled. ‘What? We need to act fast, or this vet might place her somewhere else.’
‘She—’ Bethany swallowed hard. ‘She might be better off somewhere else. It will be less unsettling for her.’
Summer frowned. ‘What do you mean, less unsettling?’
She walked slowly back to the table and sat down, eyeing Bethany suspiciously.
‘What’s wrong? You look as white as a sheet.’
Bethany closed her eyes and silently prayed for courage. When she opened them again Summer was looking at her with something approaching horror.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she whispered. ‘You’re not…’ She shook her head, denying the possibility. ‘No, you wouldn’t. Would you?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Bethany said, feeling ashamed. ‘The fact is, Whispering Willows is going up for sale soon, and I’ll be looking for homes for the horses we already have here. I can’t take on any more. Not even Shirley Bassey.’
‘But—but you said you wanted her here! Her and Dylan! You said?—’
‘I know what I said, but I was thinking with my heart instead of my head. The fact is, taking them in would have been a mistake, because they’d barely have settled, before being moved on again. It’s better for Shirley if she gets a new, permanent home. You must see that?’
Summer stared at her in disbelief. ‘You’re serious? You’re really getting rid of all our residents? You’re selling Whispering Willows?’
Bethany nodded. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said again. ‘I understand how hard this must be for you to hear. I know it’s your job and I promise, I’ll give you excellent references, and of course there’ll be redundancy pay and?—’
‘You think I care about that?’ Summer leapt to her feet and glared at her. ‘References? Redundancy pay? What about the horses? What about Barney and Diamond and Sapphire and Chester? What about Midge, Titch, Smokey, and Fudge? What about?—’
Bethany held up her hand. ‘I know all their names,’ she said wearily. ‘You don’t have to list them for me.’
‘Do you? So you’ve learned what they’re called,’ Summer said. ‘Have you learned their histories? Do you know what they’ve been through? Why they ended up here? Did you bother to learn all that, Bethany, or didn’t you care?’
‘Of course I care,’ Bethany cried. ‘How can you say I don’t?’
‘If you really cared you wouldn’t dream of selling this place!’ Summer was openly sobbing now, her voice thick with a mixture of sadness, anger, and frustration. ‘You said you were thinking with your heart instead of your head when you considered taking in Dylan and Shirley, but I find that hard to believe. You don’t have a heart. If you did you wouldn’t be doing this. Where do you think you’re going to find new homes for all these animals? Have you any idea how hard it’s going to be? And if you can’t find homes before you sell this place, then what? Will they end up in cans of dog food? Is that what you want?’
Bethany blanched. ‘Of course I don’t want that. It won’t happen. I’m going to make enquiries at other sanctuaries. See if they can take them.’
She should have done that already, she realised. Before Summer got back. If she’d secured good homes for the animals to go to Summer wouldn’t have been so angry or upset. Or afraid. And right now, she was afraid, Bethany could see that.
‘I won’t let anything bad happen to them, Summer,’ she said gently. ‘I promise.’
‘You promise?’ Summer’s lip curled. ‘Forgive me if I don’t trust your promises. You don’t strike me as someone who cares much about anything or anyone. You couldn’t even be bothered to see Joseph, who was the kindest, most decent man that ever lived. You didn’t even turn up for his funeral. So don’t make promises to me, Bethany, because you’re wasting your time. I don’t believe a word you say!’
She gave a strangled sob and ran out of the house, no doubt to find the others. She could picture them all now, standing together in the stables having a good rant about her terrible, selfish behaviour.
Could she blame them?
The awful thing was, she couldn’t really. She wished things could be different but couldn’t see a way out of this mess.
She gazed tearfully around the kitchen. There were times she wished she’d sold Whispering Willows the moment she’d inherited it, even if it did mean making Joseph homeless. Now was most definitely one of those times.