Seventeen
Sally looked around the motorhome and could only exclaim at how luxurious it was. She’d been expecting something on a par with the old caravan her parents used to drag her and brother off on holiday in when they were kids. This was totally not that!
‘Oh, Essie, this is gorgeous. Are you sure you want to let it out to me, a complete stranger?’
‘If Sukie is vouching for you, then that’s good enough for me.’
Sally looked at the soft cream leather seating and thought of Herbie’s claws. She shuddered to think of the damage that could occur when they came together.
‘Essie, I have a cat and while he’s not destructive, I confess I am worried his claws and your leatherwork is not going to be a marriage made in heaven.’
‘Oh, don’t be daft. Just put some thick throws, or better still, some bed quilts over the seats and all should be fine.’
‘Won’t you be needing it over the summer? Isn’t that when most people make use of their motorhomes?’
‘Are you trying to find an excuse not to borrow Marvin because I’d rather you just came out and said so, I won’t be offended. I appreciate that living in such a small space is not for everyone.’
‘What? Oh, Essie, no, no, definitely not! I’m genuinely happy that you’re trusting him to me, I just don’t want to be an inconvenience for you or cause any damage.’
‘I can assure you that all is fine. Craig, my partner, and I are off to Italy soon. My daughter is travelling and we’re meeting her and her friends there before she flies to Australia. She currently has the use of Craig’s little VW campervan and we’ll be driving that back so by the time we get home, we certainly won’t be going anywhere that requires us to sit behind a wheel for a few months.’
‘In that case, I would love to rent it from you.’
‘Great! Now, where, and when, do you want it?’
‘Probably around a month from now, give or take. I might need it for three to four months… will that be okay?’
‘That’ll be fine. If we get itchy feet before then, we can use the campervan.’
‘Thank you for this, Essie, I really appreciate it.’
‘Hey, I’m happy to help. Now, I need to get on. Sukie’s looking after our West Highland puppies while we’re away and I thought I’d drop in some of their stuff while I’m here.’
‘Of course. I need to get on too – I’m meeting my builder over at the farm to confirm his services, when he can start and in what order he’s going to go about things.’
‘Are you using Matt O’Brien?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘He’s a good bloke and will do a good job for you. You won’t need to worry about any cowboy work there.’
‘Thank you, that’s good to know.’
Sally shook Essie’s hand and left her to walk up the drive to Sukie’s house – could you call a manor house just a house? – as she got into Frida to drive over to see Matt.
Apologies to Frida fell once more from Sally’s lips as they traversed the lumpy, bumpy lane again.
‘I promise, girl, that this will be one of the first things I’ll ask Matt to sort out. We can’t keep doing this.’
A thought crossed her mind that even with a nice smooth lane, Frida might not be the best vehicle for countryside living. She may need to look at getting something more substantial such as a Land Rover – wasn’t that what real farmers drive about in?
Matt’s pickup truck was already parked when she turned in through the gate which had now been moved to allow easier access.
She pulled up alongside and was surprised to find the truck empty. Sally looked around for Matt as she got out of her car but couldn’t see him anywhere. She walked over to the side of the house where she’d cleared the pathway through the brambles and walked down the steps to the yard at the back but when she got there, she found it empty.
Okay, where is he, she thought as she made her way back to the front.
‘Matt? Where are you?’ she called out.
A muffled reply came from the trees to the left of the house. She walked towards them and tried to peer through the thick bushes in front of her.
‘Matt, are you in there?’
This time she was able to make out the words, ‘Hang on, I’m coming round.’
A moment later, Matt appeared through the gate.
‘Hi, Sally, nice to see you again.’
He came towards her and as he shook her hand, she grinned at the twigs which were caught in his hair.
‘Matt, what have you been up to? You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards – quite literally!’
‘Come with me, I’ll show you.’
She followed him out the gate and down the lane until he stopped at the point where it turned up towards the farmhouse.
‘Look here…’
He bent down and parted the overgrown grass to show her the rough tracks underneath.
‘This is where the farm track used to be that went around the back to the yard. When I saw the gate between the farmhouse and the stable block, I knew there had to be an access point somewhere, it was just figuring out where.’
‘Of course! That makes total sense. I hadn’t given it any thought.’
‘So, do you fancy being Jane to my Tarzan as I hack my way through this jungle?’
Sally looked down at her sturdy boots, jeans, and sweatshirt – yes, she’d learnt that when it came to visiting the farm these days, thick, bramble-proof clothing was the way to go.
‘Lead the way but if we come across any snakes, you’re on your own.’
Matt grinned at her. ‘What about any lions or tigers or bears?’
‘Oh my! They’re all mine! Bring ’em on!’
With a chuckle, Matt turned and began to make his way into the dark overgrowth.
Sally pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt and gamely followed behind.