CHAPTER NINE
Beth raised her face to the sun and closed her eyes, feeling the welcome warmth on her skin. It was peaceful in Walter’s garden, just the drone of insects and the occasional bleat from Flossie, who was missing her little goaty friends. Petra had taken them to the stables to have their hooves trimmed, leaving the sheep on her own for the morning. Flossie wasn’t happy and was letting everyone know.
Walter was in the garden with Beth, reading his newspaper and huffing now and again when he came across an article he didn’t like. Since the weather had become warmer, they’d taken to coming into the garden for an hour after breakfast if they didn’t have anywhere to be.
Today was a quiet day. Beth had chores to do in the house, and later she would take Peg for a walk. She quite fancied going further afield and calling in on Maisie. She would drop her a text later and ask whether she would be in this afternoon.
A few more minutes, then she’d get a move on. It was a perfect day for drying washing and she had a mind to put fresh sheets on both their beds. Beth was quite content sitting here, though. She was quite content, full stop.
Without opening her eyes, she said, ‘Do you realise it’s exactly a month today since I moved in with you?’ Not moved in, as such, because her living here was a temporary arrangement, but Walter would know what she meant.
‘A month? It feels like longer.’
Beth’s eyes flew open.
‘In a good way,’ he added hastily.
She closed them again. ‘It does,’ she agreed.
Yet at the same time, the month had flown by. Soon Walter’s cast would be coming off and although he would continue to use crutches for a while, he would become increasingly more mobile and increasingly less dependent on her.
Beth suspected that he could manage most things well enough on his own now anyway, but she hadn’t mentioned it and neither had he. Both of them were far too comfortable with their current arrangement to want it to change. Sharing Walter’s house was preferable to living with Dulcie – although Beth never thought she’d hear herself say that.
She was about to begin her chores, when her phone rang. She had left it in the kitchen and hurried inside to answer it.
The number on the screen made her pause, and for one ridiculous second she was tempted to ignore it. However, it couldn’t be ignored forever. They would call back and eventually she would have to answer.
‘Hello?’
‘Mrs Fairfax? It’s Zander. I thought you’d like to know that all the repairs on the house in Hazelnut Road have been completed. I’ve just been out to check, and I’m happy to say that you can move in whenever you’re ready.’
‘Oh, great. Thanks. I’ll, um, pop in for the keys.’
Although she had been expecting a phone call at some point, now that she had received it Beth wasn’t sure how she felt. She should be delighted. But she wasn’t. She felt flat. Sad, almost.
As she thought about the little terraced house, she could no longer imagine herself living there. It wouldn’t feel like home. Walter’s cottage felt like home. And despite the new friends she had made and the active social life she now had, she feared she would be lonely living on her own.
With a heavy heart she returned to the garden to tell Walter the news.
‘Beth doesn’t mind taking me,’ Walter said to Otto for the third time that morning.
‘I want to take you, Dad. I’d like to be there when they remove the cast, so we know how best to help you when Beth moves out.’
‘I don’t need any help.’ Walter knew he was being surly and ungrateful, but he couldn’t help how he felt. He didn’t want Beth to leave. But if she had to (and he knew that she did), he wasn’t going to be railroaded into moving into the farmhouse for a few days, or having anyone stay here. It was Beth, or no one.
And he was beginning to think that no one might be preferable to Beth, because since she had given him the news four days ago, they seemed to have reverted to their sniping, carping ways. It was as though the past month had been a dream. The way things were going at the moment, he might actually be glad to see the back of her.
So, maybe her moving out was better for everyone. But, despite trying to convince himself of that, he still didn’t want her to go.
Beth, on the other hand, appeared eager. She had arranged a van and a couple of blokes to move her stuff and had spent the last three days cleaning both Walter’s cottage and the house in the village. He hadn’t realised his place was so dirty.
It had given him a pang to see her cases packed, ready for the move tomorrow. The house would feel empty without her.
‘Dad, come on,’ Otto urged. ‘We’re going to be late.’
Walter pressed his lips together grabbed his crutches and followed Otto outside.
As they got in the car Otto said, ‘I hear Beth has been stocking your freezer for you.’
‘Hmph.’
‘That’s kind of her, isn’t it?’
‘Stop being so patronising.’
Otto looked shocked. ‘I’m not. I was simply making an observation.’
‘You were speaking to me like I’m five years old.’
‘I don’t know what’s got into you lately. Are you worried you won’t cope on your own?’
‘Grr.’ Walter gritted his teeth.
‘Dulcie and I will make sure you’re okay.’
‘I don’t need anyone checking up on me. I’ll be fine.’
‘You’re still going to need a bit of help. It’ll be a while before you will be able to put much weight on that leg. Then there’s the physio and the exercises you’ll have to do.’
Walter took a deep breath. He knew Otto’s comments were coming from a place of love. He knew Otto worried about him, and he knew he deserved all this fussing because his track record of taking care of himself in the past hadn’t been great.
But without the farm to run and the associated money issues, things were different now. Otto didn’t need to worry. Walter could take care of himself. And once the cast was off, he would soon be back to his pre-accident self. He would have his house all to himself again, and he wouldn’t have to consider anyone else. He could put the kitchen cupboards back the way they were (Beth kept changing them), there wouldn’t be any mysterious potions and lotions in the bathroom, and no having to watch Beth’s smalls blowing on the line next to his. His house would be nice and peaceful again.
But was that really what he wanted?
‘Bye, then.’ Beth wondered whether she should give Walter a hug. Maybe not: he didn’t come across as a hugger. She settled for a smile and a self-conscious wave instead.
‘Good luck in your new home.’
‘You’ll have to come visit when I’ve settled in.’
‘I will.’
Beth was fairly certain he wouldn’t. ‘Will I see you at Half Board?’ Her gaze flickered to his leg, now free of its cast.
‘Maybe.’
‘If it’s transport that you’re worried about, I can fetch you and bring you back.’
‘We’ll see.’
‘And if you need me to take you to your physio appointments, just ask. You’ve got my number.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Okay, then, I’ll be off. Take care, Walter.’
‘You, too.’
The exchange had been stilted and awkward, and by the time Beth had opened her car door, Walter had gone back inside the cottage.
‘You’re welcome,’ she muttered. After everything she had done for him, Walter hadn’t even thanked her. He’d waved her off without a second glance.
Irritated and feeling rather flat, Beth drove to her new house in the village. She had been looking forward to this day for such a long time, but now it seemed something of an anticlimax.
With a feeling of deja vu, Beth pulled into the kerb near the house on Hazelnut Road and cut the engine.
‘Here we go again,’ she said, seeing the van arrive in her rear-view mirror.
She had just unlocked the door and stepped inside, when she sensed someone behind her. Assuming it was one of the removal men, she glanced over her shoulder and was shocked to discover Dulcie and Maisie. And behind them were Otto and Adam.
‘We’ve come to give you a hand, Mum,’ Dulcie said.
Maisie added, ‘You didn’t think we’d let you move house on your own?’
It hadn’t occurred to Beth to ask for their help, but it was very welcome nevertheless, and she was touched that her daughters were here.
‘Nikki says she’ll pop in to see you after school,’ Dulcie said.
Beth felt the prick of tears and she swallowed hard. How could she have ever thought that her daughters wouldn’t want her living near them?
‘Where do you want this, love?’ a gruff voice asked, and everyone hurriedly moved out of the way as two burly men manhandled her sofa through the front door.
‘Just there, please.’ Beth pointed to a spot in front of the fireplace, and when they set it down, she shoved one end until it was at the perfect angle.
After that there wasn’t any time to think, as a succession of boxes, white goods and pieces of furniture were ferried into the house. Beth directed proceedings, darting upstairs and downstairs, then back again to ensure everything was placed where she wanted it.
In much less time than she had anticipated, the van had been unloaded and most of her things had been put away.
Adam was on his hands and knees connecting the telly, when Dulcie suggested a break.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ Beth said and bustled into the kitchen, wondering which cupboard held the mugs.
She needn’t have worried, because no one would be having a hot drink. Otto was opening a bottle of champagne, and the pop of a cork made her jump.
‘Here’s to your new home,’ he said, pouring the sparkling liquid into tall flutes. He handed the first one to her.
Beth took it, her lip wobbling. ‘I didn’t expect this.’
‘I know you didn’t,’ Dulcie laughed. ‘You had hoped to fly in under the radar, and you would have done if the ceiling hadn’t come down.’
Everyone looked up at it.
‘You’d never know.’ Adam said. ‘They’ve done a good job.’
‘They took their time,’ Beth grumbled.
Otto said, ‘I bet my dad is glad they did, otherwise you would have moved in sooner, and he would have ended up back with us.’
Beth said, ‘I bet he’s not. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me this morning.’
‘Don’t you believe it! He’s gutted.’ That was from Dulcie.
‘Only because he’ll have to make his own cups of tea from now on.’
Dulcie was looking at her oddly. ‘I thought you two were getting on better.’
Beth had thought so, too. She had been wrong. Now that her services were no longer required, the cease-fire was over.
It was gloves off once more.
Beth sat on the sofa in her new living room, a mug of cocoa on the table next to her, the TV remote in her hand as she flicked through the channels. She was tired, but she was also restless. This would be her first night in her new house, and she guessed it might take her a while to get used to the place. And to being on her own. It was strange how quickly she had become used to someone else’s presence.
Or maybe not. After all, Maisie hadn’t left home too long ago. But then again, when she had lived there, Maisie hadn’t been in much. Always out gallivanting, that one. Gallivanting… Her own mum, the kids’ grandmother, used to accuse her of doing the same thing. Beth had always had somewhere to go, and someone to go there with. Those were the days when she had been young, free and single. The only one of those things she could lay claim to now, was the single bit. Her youth had disappeared under the weight of being a wife and a mother, and the decades in between. She had been single after the kids’ father had passed away, but it hadn’t bothered her then because she had been too busy getting through the days.
It bothered her now, though. The month she had spent with Walter had made her realise that her loneliness hadn’t gone away; it was still there, despite having three of her four children on her doorstep. The house had been full when they had helped her unpack, but they couldn’t stay forever. They had returned to their own lives, their own homes, and their own loves, leaving her alone and lonely once more.
Turning the telly off in irritation, she wondered what Walter was doing now. Revelling in having his house all to himself? Or wishing she had been there to warm up the casserole she had left him for his supper?
The first, probably.
And with that she finished her cocoa and took herself off to bed.
‘How are you coping, Dad?’
‘Fine.’ Walter was glad that this was a phone call and Otto couldn’t see him roll his eyes.
‘Is there anything you need?’
‘I could do with some milk and bread.’
‘I’ll drop them in on the way home from the restaurant this evening, if you’re still up.’
‘I’ll be up.’
‘Or I could pop in tomorrow?’
‘Whatever suits you best, Otto.’ Walter didn’t mind either way; he would be pleased to see him regardless.
Amos and Lena had called in yesterday and they’d had a nice chat, but in the three days since Beth had left, time had dragged. It would be better when he was able to get out and about, he told himself. At the moment he couldn’t walk far because he wasn’t able to put much weight on his bad leg and he was still reliant on crutches, and neither could he drive yet. So he was stuck in the house.
Amos had kindly offered to have Peg for a couple of hours, so although Amos hadn’t been taking her for an actual walk, she had been able to potter around the stables with Petra’s dog Queenie. Walter felt quite envious. It came to something when his dog had more of a social life than he did.
Maybe he should go to Half Board tomorrow? Get out of the house for a bit. He could have a taxi there and back. Beth would probably be there, and the thought of seeing her made his heart leap. How was she getting on in her new house, he wondered. He had offhandedly asked Otto, who had told him that he’d helped her move in, along with Dulcie, Maisie and Adam, and they’d all had a glass of bubbly afterwards to toast her new home.
Walter felt quite put out that he hadn’t been invited, despite knowing that he would only have been in the way and would have been as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Remembering her offer to take him to Half Board, he reached for his phone, but chickened out before he made the call. She had probably only offered out of a sense of obligation, considering she had taken him the other times he’d gone. He bet she didn’t expect him to take her up on it.
His hand dropped to his side and he let out a despondent sigh. Having his house back wasn’t living up to expectations. He had assumed he would enjoy the peace and quiet.
How wrong he had been.
The peace was like a heavy blanket, slowly suffocating him in loneliness, and the quiet was like a precursor to the grave. He was rattling around in the house, each room emptier than the last. It didn’t help that he kept expecting Beth to walk through the door, or see her pottering in the kitchen, and he had lost count of the number of times he’d thought he’d heard her tread on the stairs, or smelt her perfume, only to find that his senses had deceived him.
A knock on the door made his heart surge with hope, and although he was pleased to see Amos, who had brought Peg back, a part of him had hoped it might have been Beth. A stupid part, because why would Beth want to visit him?
‘Are you okay?’ Amos was studying him.
‘I’m fine.’ Walter bent to ruffle Peg’s ears. She licked him on the hand and dashed inside. A second later she was back, her tail down. She looked forlorn. ‘I think she’s missing Beth.’
Amos gave him a keen look. ‘She’s not the only one, I warrant.’
Walter let out a snort. ‘As if.’
‘Have it your way, but you were a happier bloke when she was around.’
‘Never!’
Amos shooed him inside. ‘Put the kettle on. The least you can do is make me a cuppa after I’ve minded your dog this morning.’
Walter scowled at his old friend but didn’t argue.
‘Have you heard from Eliza?’ Amos asked, and Walter was glad to change the subject.
‘I have. She’s doing great! Five months pregnant now.’ He sobered. ‘I wish Emrys was here to see it. He would have been chuffed.’ Walter’s brother had emigrated to New Zealand thirty-odd years ago, and had died there a couple of years back. Eliza was his daughter. She had visited Picklewick at Christmas, searching for her father’s roots, and had found love in the form of Jay, Beth’s son.
It was strange to think of the ties that bound Walter and Beth together: Otto and Dulcie, Eliza and Jay… When Dulcie had won Lilac Tree Farm in the lottery, Walter could never have imagined how rich his life would become. He now had a whole new family, Beth included.
But he didn’t actually think of Beth as family, though. He thought of her as… The word eluded him.
‘It’ll be Otto and Dulcie’s turn next,’ Amos was saying. ‘There will be the patter of tiny feet at the farm.’
Walter chuckled. ‘The only tiny feet Dulcie is interested in at the moment belong to the goats.’
‘Pity. I think you could do with a grandchild to keep you occupied, and to keep you company.’
‘I’m fine as I am.’ He would like a grandchild, though.
‘You can’t fool me, Walter York; I’ve known you too long. It’s not too late, you know.’
‘Too late for what?’
‘Love.’
‘You’re talking out of your backside.’
Amos ignored him. ‘Look at me and Lena. Who would have thought we’d ever get together. Yet here we are.’
‘I don’t think of Beth like that.’
Amos got to his feet. ‘You do; you just can’t admit it.’
Thankfully Stanley was fully clothed for the art class today, and neither was he posing. He was sitting at an easel, staring at the basket of fruit arrangement that was on a table in the middle of the room.
Beth thought the subject of today’s composition was considerably more boring.
She hadn’t been back to the art class since that first time with Walter, but boredom and loneliness had driven her out of the house. There was only so much cleaning and baking one could do, and her girls were all at work so she couldn’t pop in to see them either. She had considered driving up Muddypuddle Lane to visit Walter, but she didn’t know whether she would be welcome.
It was daft to miss him so much, but she couldn’t help how she felt. The question she didn’t have an answer to though, was did she miss him for himself, or did she miss looking after someone – anyone?
It surprised and dismayed her to realise that she felt lonelier in Picklewick than she had felt in Birmingham. How was that possible? There was an ache in her chest that she couldn’t explain, a kind of longing, but she didn’t know for what.
‘Walter not with you today?’ Stanley asked, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.
‘Not today.’
‘Did I put him off?’
‘Pardon?’
He nodded at his crotch. ‘Not everyone is as well endowed. Some men feel threatened or inadequate.’
Beth coloured, but she rallied quickly. ‘Walter doesn’t need to worry on that score,’ she replied, with a suggestive wink.
Stanley’s face fell. Clearly that wasn’t the response he had expected. ‘So, are you two an item?’
Beth simpered and smiled coyly. Let him make of that what he would. She had met men like Stanley before; the slightest encouragement and he’d be sniffing around her like a dog searching for leftovers in a bin. But if he thought she was unavailable, he’d look elsewhere for his entertainment.
Stanley nodded slowly, his expression solemn. ‘I’m pleased for him. Walter deserves a second chance of happiness.’
Beth’s eyes widened. Gosh, that was profound.
‘Treat him right, Beth,’ Stanley said. He brightened. ‘But if you get fed up with his cranky farmer ways, you know where to find me.’
‘Right. Thanks.’ What else could she say?
‘You make a lovely couple, by the way,’ he added.
‘You do,’ Melanie said, making Beth jump. She hadn’t realised the art teacher was so close. ‘I wish I had a fella who looked at me the way Walter looks at you. That’s love for you – makes me go all gooey-eyed. It’s a shame he’s not here today; I loved his caricature of Stanley.’ Stanley scowled as Melanie continued, ‘I’d like to see what he could do with a basket of fruit, but I suspect still life isn’t his speciality.’
Beth had stopped listening. She was stuck on the word love. It couldn’t be true. The woman was talking out of her backside. Walter didn’t love her. He didn’t particularly like her. But for Stanley and Melanie to think the same thing…
Could there be some truth to it? Did Walter have feelings for her?
The thought made her knees go weak and she had to sit down. Shuffling towards the nearest unoccupied easel, she plopped onto the chair. Her pulse was racing and there was an odd sensation in her tummy. Her heart felt full and the ache in her chest was one she hadn’t experienced in decades. So it wasn’t surprising that it took her a while to understand what it signified.
Beth was in love.
The realisation caught her unawares, and she froze.
Suddenly everything made sense – the loneliness, the restlessness, the longing for something she couldn’t name…
And, Beth being Beth, there was only one thing for it – she had to speak to Walter.
Leaping to her feet, she ran out of the room, ignoring the startled looks of her fellow artists, and raced home to fetch her car.
Cursing at the slow-moving traffic in the high street, she put her foot down when she left the village and was soon zooming up Muddypuddle Lane, before coming to an abrupt halt as she slammed on the brakes outside Walter’s cottage.
It was then that her courage failed her, and she began to question her impulsive flight. What kind of madness had overtaken her? All it had taken were a few misguided and ill-informed comments, and she was daft enough to believe that Walter might have feelings for her. She was behaving like a schoolgirl with a crush. And she had been about to make a total and utter fool of herself. Thank goodness she had come to her senses in time.
Taking a moment to catch her breath and tame her too-fast heart, she closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. She would go home, have a nice cup of tea, watch some drivel on the telly, and try to forget that she loved Walter.
Knuckles rapped on the driver’s window and Beth’s eyes flew open as she uttered a shriek.
Walter was peering in at her. ‘Beth?’ He made a wind-the-window-down motion.
She wound it down.
‘Did you forget something?’ he asked.
‘No, I…’ She trailed off. ‘I shouldn’t have come. Sorry.’
‘Would you like a cup of tea, since you’re here? I’ve got your favourites, pink wafers. And Peg would like to see you. She’s missed you.’
‘At least someone has,’ Beth muttered.
‘I’ve missed you too.’
‘You have?’
Walter nodded. ‘The house is empty without you.’
Beth stared at him, trying not to read too much into it.
‘So is my heart,’ he added.
Beth blinked. ‘Excuse me?’
He froze, his expression closed. ‘Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.’ He turned away and she heard him mumble, ‘Stupid, so stupid.’
‘Walter!’ Her voice was sharp, but she couldn’t leave it like that. She couldn’t leave him. She had to know if he meant what he’d said.
He stopped, his back to her.
‘Do you love me?’ she called, amazed and frightened at her boldness, dreading his reply. If he said no, if she’d got it wrong, she didn’t know how she would be able to face him again. She would die of embarrassment. Or possibly a broken heart. Either way, the result wouldn’t be pretty.
She saw his shoulders stiffen, read the tension in his back, and feared the answer.
‘Yes.’ Then a low, almost furious, ‘God help me.’ She guessed he didn’t want to love her but he couldn’t help himself. She understood that, because she felt the same way.
‘And I love you, Walter.’
He didn’t turn around, not for a long time, and the silence stretched between them.
Peg broke it. The dog came charging out of the house, thundered past Walter and threw herself at the car door, whimpering ecstatically.
In slow motion, Beth watched Walter topple as the dog unbalanced him.
Beth was out of the car in a second, pushing Peg away as she knelt beside him. ‘Are you hurt?’ she cried, scouring his face for signs of pain.
‘Only my pride. Damned dog. I swear she likes you better than me.’ He was on his side, gazing up at her, his expression as grumpy as when she’d first met him.
It made her laugh. ‘Thank goodness. For a minute, I thought I’d have to move back in.’
‘Would that be so bad?’
‘No…’
‘I love you, Beth.’ He pushed himself into a sitting position, as Beth fended off Peg’s enthusiastic licks. ‘Peg’s a good judge of character,’ Walter said. ‘She’s been pining after you.’ He looked deep into her eyes. ‘So have I. Can I kiss you?’
‘I think you should. But can I get up first? There’s a lump of gravel poking me in the bum.’
It took Beth two attempts to get to her feet, and Walter three. She had to help him up.
‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ she asked.
‘I am now. How about that kiss?’
‘Go on then. And afterwards you can make me the cup of tea you promised, and I’ll have two pink wafers, please.’
‘You’re wish is my command. I’m going to look after you for a change.’
Beth’s hand slipped into his. ‘How about we look after each other?’ she suggested. ‘That’s what married folk do.’
‘Beth Fairfax, are you proposing to me?’
‘Not on your nelly! If there’s any proposing to be done, I expect you to do it. Anyway, I would probably say no – after all, we can’t stand the sight of each other, can we?’
‘Nope, that’s why I’m going to close my eyes when I kiss you. Now, stop talking woman, and pucker up.’
‘What’s going on, Mum?’ Dulcie’s gaze roamed over Beth’s face, then Walter’s. ‘Why have you called a family meeting?’ She did air quotes with her fingers.
It was Sunday morning, and Beth was well aware that everyone in her family were busy people. But they could spare her half an hour. ‘I’ll tell you when Nikki gets here,’ she said.
‘I see you picked Walter up on the way,’ Maisie observed. ‘It’s nice that the two of you get on.’
Beth bit back a smile and ignored the hip bump Walter gave her. ‘Get the kettle on,’ was all she said.
‘It’s on.’ Dulcie rinsed out the teapot. She was adding a couple of fresh teabags when Sammy and his dog burst in through the door, Nikki and Gio following.
‘Are we having a party?’ he cried.
‘No party, Sammy.’ Beth gathered him to her, inhaling his little boy smell and swearing that he’d grown since the last time she’d seen him.
‘Can we have one?’ he persisted.
‘Not right now, your nanna has got something to tell us.’ Nikki was looking concerned.
‘Make the tea and bring it into the living room,’ Beth instructed, ushering Walter ahead of her.
‘You’re enjoying this,’ he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. ‘They’re probably taking bets on what it’s about. Do you think any of them have guessed?
‘I expect so. But it’s nice to make it official. They can gossip amongst themselves after we’ve left.’
Dulcie appeared with a tray and began to pour. Once or twice, she opened her mouth to speak, but Beth quelled her with a look.
When everyone had a drink in their hands, Beth cleared her throat. ‘We’ve got an announcement,’ she said, then paused for dramatic effect. ‘I’ve moved in with Walter. Permanently. We’re a couple.’
‘A couple of what?’
‘Don’t be dense, Maisie – a couple, couple.’
Maisie’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh, that kind of couple. Bloody hell, Otto, you were right. I thought you were pulling our legs.’
Walter turned to his son. ‘You guessed?’
‘I knew. I’ve known from the minute you two met. It was just a question of time, wasn’t it, Dulcie?’
Beth stared at her middle daughter and everything clicked into place. ‘You set us up!’ she accused. ‘You knew I’d agree to help Walter out, if only to get rid of him. Dulcie Fairfax, you conniving, sneaky—’
A cork popped. Otto was opening a bottle of champagne for the second time in a week. ‘I think this calls for a celebration.’
‘Hang fire a minute,’ Walter said. ‘There’s more.’
Beth took up the baton. ‘As I’m living with Walter now, I’m not going to need my house in the village.’
A chorus of groans erupted, and Dulcie cried, ‘Don’t tell me we have to help you move again.’
‘Not necessarily,’ Beth said. She glanced at the faces of her family, settling on Maisie. ‘My tenancy agreement was for six months initially, so there’s no point in moving all my furniture again if I’ve got to pay the rent on it for half a year.’
Dulcie said, ‘Can’t you get out of it? It seems silly to pay rent if you’re not living there.’
‘Unfortunately, I can’t,’ Beth replied. ‘Anyway, I’m happy to continue paying it, especially if someone else is living there.’
‘Who?’ Nikki demanded.
Beth focused on Maisie again. ‘Maisie, Adam, how much longer until the old farmhouse is ready to live in?’
Maisie shrugged. ‘I dunno… Five, six months.’ Beth grinned as realisation dawned on her youngest child’s face. ‘Are you saying that me and Adam can live in your house in the village?’
‘I am. I’ve spoken to the estate agent and it will take a bit of rejigging of the contract, but it can be done. If you want to live there rather than in that cramped and dingy caravan whilst you do your house up, you can.’
Maisie’s eyes filled with tears and she leapt up to give Beth a hug. ‘That’s so kind of you, Mum,’ she sobbed. ‘We can’t thank you enough.’
Beth added, ‘I’ll take the bits and pieces I want and move them into Walter’s cottage, but you can have the rest. They’ll do you for the time being, and what you don’t want, you can get rid of.’
‘Thanks, Mum,’ Maisie said, sniffling. ‘We’ll be able to live in comfort until we can move into our forever home.’ Then she let out a gasp. ‘That’s it! That’s the perfect name for our new place – The Forever Home. We’ve been trying to think what to call it.’
Everyone began talking at once, and with a meaningful glance at Beth, Walter and he left them to it.
‘They seemed happy for us,’ Beth said when they were outside. ‘I can’t believe Dulcie and Otto were so sly.’
Walter took her in his arms. ‘I’m so glad they were. We might have got there on our own, but it could have taken a while. Who knows how much time we would have wasted bickering at each other?’ He kissed her on the cheek. ‘Come on, let’s go home to your forever home.’
As she drove the short distance to Walter’s little cottage, Beth realised that Walter was right; it was her home now. And by coming to Picklewick, both she and Walter had a second chance at love, and this time she knew it would last forever. Even if they did bicker now and again…