Chapter 22
Sam had managed to book the girls in for a lesson late on the Wednesday afternoon and had fully expected that Jenna would take them alone. He was, therefore, amazed when she asked him if he’d like to come with them.
‘Are you sure?’ He couldn’t imagine why she’d want him there. She knew the way to Weltringham all right. You couldn’t miss it. She drove through the village every time she went home to Hull after visiting Kelsea Sands, and the riding school was well signposted.
‘I think the girls would really enjoy having you there, and after all, it’s your present to them, not mine.
’ She hesitated. ‘I mean, if you’d really rather not come, it’s not a problem.
I just thought… Well, I’m going to be a bit bored by myself while they’re having their lesson, and it would be nice to have someone to chat to. ’
‘Oh.’ Sam smiled, his eyes alight with pleasure. ‘Well, in that case, of course I’d love to come with you. I’ll see if I can get cover in the bar.’
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to cause problems.’
‘Someone will want overtime,’ he said quickly. ‘Besides, we don’t want you sitting there all fed up because of me. Should I bring sandwiches and a flask again?’
Jenna laughed. ‘No, you’re all right. I think we can do without supplies this time.’
He had a bit of a problem trying to get cover, as it turned out.
No one seemed able or willing to take the extra shift.
Cathy admitted she’d got a job interview lined up, which made his heart sink even though he was pleased for her, if it meant she wouldn’t be unemployed when this pub finally sold.
Ollie had promised to take his sister’s children to a zoo in North Yorkshire for the day.
‘I guess that’s that then,’ he’d said gloomily, as he made himself and his dad a mug of tea on Tuesday afternoon. ‘I’ve tried everyone, but I can’t get cover. Unless…’
He gave his dad a hopeful look.
‘What are you looking at me for?’ Seb said irritably. ‘Don’t go getting any ideas, just because I’ve helped you out once or twice.’
‘Fine,’ Sam said, passing him the tea. ‘Forget I said anything.’
‘I already have.’ Seb sipped his tea then winced. He’d clearly forgotten how hot it would be. ‘Why do you need the afternoon off, any road? Thought you were going to see your friends at teatime? You’ve already got cover for the evening. You want jam on it, you do.’
‘Well, that’s rich!’ Sam said indignantly. ‘It will be the first time I’ve been to Luke’s in months! And if you must know, I need the afternoon off because Jenna asked me if I’d like to go with her to keep her company while the twins have their riding lesson.’
‘Did she now?’ Seb nodded. ‘Well, well.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Not supposed to mean anything. Bit touchy, aren’t you?
’ Seb took the precaution of blowing on his tea this time before he took another sip.
‘So, she wants you to go with them then? Well…’ He paused, considering.
‘I reckon that would be right nice for you all. Them little ’uns deserve a nice afternoon after what they’ve been through, and I reckon Jenna could do with the company an’ all. ’
‘Yeah, that’s what I thought, too,’ Sam said carefully. ‘But if I can’t get cover…’
His dad sighed. ‘I want my head read. Go on then, I’ll do your afternoon shift for you. Don’t say I never give you anything.’
‘Seriously? Dad, you’re a star!’
Seb grunted. ‘I’m a lot of things, lad,’ he said quietly, ‘but I don’t think “a star” is one of them.’
So Sam had told Jenna he could make it after all and had been gratified to see and hear her obvious delight at the news.
Wednesday was bright and sunny, but it was cooler and there was a strong breeze. Jenna said she thought that was probably better than the sweltering heat they’d had the previous week. Better for the ponies, if nothing else.
The cottage at the riding school was, like most of the buildings in the area, built of red brick, with a pantile roof. There were a number of outbuildings clustered round a stable yard, including many looseboxes where various horses and ponies gazed out over the stable doors.
Lindy Bramhall introduced herself as the proprietor and said she would be giving the twins their lesson. She was probably in her thirties, quite well-built with curly red hair and a friendly smile.
The twins were then introduced to their ponies: a little bay called Boris and a piebald called Jigsaw.
‘They’re old hands at this,’ Lindy reassured Jenna. ‘We put all the complete novices up on them. It’s like sitting in an armchair. Nothing fazes them, so don’t look so worried.’
‘I didn’t know I was looking worried,’ Jenna whispered as Lindy let the twins try on various sizes of hard hats until she was satisfied that they had ones with a perfect fit.
Sam grinned. ‘You were a bit. Well, you looked mildly terrified. It’s only natural, I guess. They are your precious children, after all.’
Another woman appeared, apparently to assist Lindy, and after the twins were hoisted into their saddles, the ponies were led into the paddock on lead reins.
The twins looked absolutely beside themselves with joy and waved frantically to Jenna and Sam, who were leaning on the bonnet of Jenna’s car watching them from a reasonable distance.
They’d considered going over to stand by the paddock gate but didn’t want to put the girls off.
‘I thought they’d be with other children,’ Jenna admitted.
‘Lindy told me, when I booked, that for a first lesson she likes to deal with the rider one-on-one,’ Sam explained.
‘Later, if they stick around for further lessons, they’ll get to join a small group, which will be more fun for them, but she likes them to master the basics first.’ He watched her as she nodded, eyes never leaving her children.
‘Do you think… I mean, what are the chances of them having more lessons?’
‘I suppose it depends how much they like this one,’ she said.
‘I’m not averse to bringing them here at the weekend for a lesson if they really want one.
’ She slumped suddenly, her tone becoming flat and lifeless.
‘Of course, it depends on Joel. He might want access every weekend, and I really can’t see him driving all the way out here every Saturday, can you? ’
She’d told him about the twins’ sleepover at Joel’s house and, although she’d laughed about the cat litter tray and the fact that Joel was still just being Joel, stuck to his laptop and refusing to get in the swimming pool, he could see that it had affected her, having to share the girls with a strange woman whom she’d never even met.
‘I suppose not,’ he admitted. ‘Seems a shame, though. They’re clearly loving this.’ He watched them fondly, a smile on his face. ‘Look at Ada! She’s trying so hard, isn’t she? Hallie looks like she’s taking it all in her stride, which doesn’t surprise me. She’s always more confident than Ada.’
The lesson was only thirty minutes long because the riding instructor said it was best not to overwhelm new riders, and that their legs would ache quite badly enough the following day just from this one session.
Sam looked at his watch. It had been nearly ten minutes.
‘Shall we go for a walk?’ Jenna suggested suddenly.
He looked at her in surprise. She sounded quite nervous, and he’d assumed she’d want to keep a close eye on her children.
‘Are you sure? We don’t have to. I don’t mind sitting here if you want to watch them.’
‘I know you don’t, but there’s no point really. They’re in safe hands, and I don’t want to distract them. Let’s go for a walk down the lane, shall we?’
He nodded, and after a brief glance at the twins, who weren’t paying the slightest bit of attention to their mother, being far too focused on doing what the instructors were telling them, they headed out of the gate and began to walk down the lane.
The verges were a vivid mass of cow parsley, buttercups, dandelions, oxeye daisies and even poppies, their colours cheering the route as Sam and Jenna walked without talking along what passed for a footpath.
They’d decided to head towards the village, rather than the sea, and Sam wanted to show her something.
The village square wasn’t large, by any means.
Weltringham was a bigger place than Kelsea Sands, but it was hardly what anyone would call busy.
It had one village shop, two pubs – The Queen’s Head and The Seagull Inn – a primary school and a church.
The church of All Saints seemed out of proportion for the size of the village.
It stood on elevated ground and boasted a tower with a castellated parapet, and a beautiful churchyard.
‘That must be ancient,’ Jenna said.
‘Not as ancient as you think. It was only built in the late nineteenth century on the site of an old Norman church. They think there was a Saxon church here before that. Just think, once upon a time there was a church even grander than this one at Kelsea,’ Sam said. ‘Old Kelsea, I mean. Not Kelsea Sands.’
‘And now it’s under the sea,’ Jenna said with a shiver. ‘Scary, isn’t it?’
She turned her gaze to the row of Victorian terraced houses opposite the church. ‘Stella lives in one of those,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure which one, though.’
‘Let me show you something,’ Sam said. He led her round the side of the church, following the road as it bent left.
‘If you continue going this way you’ll eventually end up back at Kelsea Sands,’ he said. ‘It’s another route. Have you ever been this way?’
‘I have a couple of times,’ she said. ‘The twins prefer the way we came today, though. There are alpacas grazing in the field if we go by that route.’
He nodded. ‘Fair enough. Well, down here is where my friend, Luke, lives. You know the builder I told you about?’
‘Oh yes.’