Chapter 28
When Molly brought out the coffees and cakes to their pretty table in the Cranbridge tea room, Hannah had to concede that they were truly delicious.
Her grandmother agreed.
‘That was lovely,’ said Dotty, leaning back in her chair. ‘I must say, Molly has done well with the place. It’s a real success.’ She smiled. ‘Although I like to think that I played my part.’
Hannah was surprised. ‘How?’ she asked.
‘I helped out with the clearing of the garden when it first became a community shared scheme,’ said Dotty. ‘They asked for volunteers and, you know me, I can never sit still.’
It was true, thought Hannah. Her grandmother was almost eighty years old and yet was still a powerhouse of energy. For most of the time, in any case.
The death of her son, Hannah’s father, had been the only time when Dotty had become more reserved, unwilling to see people whilst she quietly went through the grieving process.
Now, she met her friends in the snug more often and yet she still wasn’t the same. Perhaps you never were after the loss of a loved one, thought Hannah, knowing how much she missed her dad as well.
Dotty was still staring over at the garden. ‘Of course, I only did a bit of weeding and digging,’ she carried on. ‘I’m not a florist. I leave that to your dear mother.’
‘I definitely haven’t inherited that talent,’ said Hannah, with a grimace.
Dotty smiled at her granddaughter. ‘But you’re a brilliant baker, just like Faye. And lovely Molly too, come to think of it. See what a little success can do you for, my sweet girl,’ she said, waving her hand at the busy tea garden.
If you have a supportive partner, thought Hannah as she considered Molly’s words.
‘Who’s Molly’s fiancé?’ she asked.
‘Logan,’ replied Dotty. ‘He makes the most amazing furniture. His shop’s next to the tea room. But he also runs the watermill over there.’
‘Oh!’ exclaimed Hannah. ‘I’ve used his flour for my bread. It’s wonderful.’
Dotty nodded. ‘Local businesses,’ she said. ‘It’s great to support them.’
Hannah made a mental note to ensure that she sourced her ingredients as locally as she could. She could use the farms in the villages all around them for local fruits as well as dairy. She had heard about a new chocolate shop in Cranfield and also added that to the list of future places to visit.
‘Seems like you’re going to be busy over the next few weeks and months,’ said Dotty in a wistful tone before looking cross. ‘Unlike me. I need to get a move on.’
‘With what?’ asked Hannah, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
‘Life, dear girl. Life,’ said Dotty, looking more determined. ‘And swimming. I enjoyed it so much when I went out with young Alex recently. I reckon my friends will love it too.’
‘If not finding it a little cold.’ Hannah shuddered, knowing that the water temperature would be at its most refreshing at the moment. ‘Rather you than me.’
‘It does wonders for the circulation,’ said Dotty. ‘And I’ve already broken my duck for this year. You know, I’ve swum in it every summer.’ She paused before carrying on. ‘Apart from last year, that is.’
Hannah reached out and squeezed her grandmother’s hand.
Dotty sighed. ‘It was quite a year and not in a good way. We lost your dad. And then Jane, of course. Such a dear friend. And then Maud became a widow. Suddenly our happy little group wasn’t so happy.
’ She frowned to herself. ‘I must get in contact with Maud. It’s been too long since I saw her.
Word on the street is that she’s become something of a recluse. ’
Hannah stayed quiet, she knew all about hiding away when you were feeling vulnerable and upset.
‘Of course, old age is not so bad when you consider the alternative,’ carried on her grandmother.
‘Growing old is inevitable, if we’re lucky.
Growing up isn’t a guarantee, thankfully.
’ Dotty frowned to herself. ‘I feel that I need to gather my friends around me this summer. Last year, we had a lot of funerals to go to. It all became rather depressing and it gets you down after a while.’ She suddenly turned her piercing gaze upon her granddaughter.
‘And how are you doing, darling? We don’t get much time to talk on our own these days.’
Hannah looked at her grandmother. ‘I miss Dad,’ she confessed.
‘Of course you do,’ said Dotty. ‘But he would want you to live life to the full. And love too, come to think of it.’ She broke into a wicked grin. ‘Any handsome men in your life that I should know about?’
‘Absolutely none,’ said Hannah, blushing furiously as she thought briefly about kissing Alex.
‘Well, that is indeed a travesty which we’ll need to do something about,’ said Dotty in a determined tone of voice.
Hannah decided to swiftly change the subject, unable to bear the thought of her own grandmother setting her up on a date.
‘So you think you’ll swim every week over the summer like you used to?’ she asked.
‘Absolutely,’ said Dotty, bringing out her mobile. ‘And no time like the present to get the gang back together again.’
She spoke out loud as she typed:
Who’s up for a wild swim tomorrow? 10 a.m. at Dragonfly Lake. Be there or be square.
Hannah grinned. ‘Do you expect any replies?’ she asked.
‘Of course,’ said Dotty. ‘I’m always telling them that it’s the swimming that’s kept me looking this young and gorgeous!’
Hannah was still laughing when Dotty saw someone she knew who had just walked alongside the garden and went over to say hello.
As her grandmother chatted over the low wall, Hannah watched her.
How wonderful to go through life with that amount of confidence, she thought.
How different her life would have been had she had an ounce of self-assurance.
She wouldn’t have got involved with Sean, that was for certain.
She thought about her grandmother asking about whether she had any handsome men in her life. The only single men she knew were Del. Not on your life, she mentally added immediately. And Jake, who was far too much of a ladies’ man and anyway she thought of him like an elder brother.
So that left Alex. He too had been like an elder brother to her.
And yet recently, she had found herself letting her eyes remain on him for just a bit too long as she studied his wide shoulders and muscles.
Her mind drifted to thinking about him more often than it had ever used to do.
She even knew what it was like to kiss him although it was only a drunken, hazy memory.
She shook her head to herself. So he was handsome, so what? It was his personality that she liked. And anyway, they were just friends. Really good friends and nothing was going to ruin that.
Dotty returned to the table and told Hannah all the local gossip that she had just caught up on.
‘You know, I’ll take you up on that offer of help in the café if anyone turns up,’ said Hannah.
Dotty looked delighted. ‘Thank you, sweetheart. And of course they’ll turn up. You just mark my words.’
They finished their drinks sitting in companiable silence, listening to the chatter around the garden. The whole garden seemed alive with conversation and the gentle clink of china.
Hannah wondered whether it would ever feel the same at the Boathouse Café. Surely it was too much for her to expect to enjoy making a living from her favourite thing in the whole world?