Chapter 4 #3
‘Well,’ Constance said, sounding astonished, ‘I do admire you. I am sorry about your family home, though. I’d be devastated if I had to leave Fernside.’
I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t the one I’d spent my early years in or that Dad’s best efforts to make the one that came after it homely had never really worked.
Once Zack had left, it had felt even emptier and Dad and I both knew it, even though we’d never talked about it.
Willowell truly was the place I felt at home, but I didn’t want Constance to think I was spinning her a line if I said that.
‘I’m not surprised,’ I said instead, as I looked around. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled. ‘I was born here, you know.’
‘Wow!’ It was my turn to sound amazed then.
That meant she’d potentially lived her entire life under the same roof. What a thought that was!
‘So, where are you heading to then?’ she asked.
‘Bali,’ I sighed.
‘In that case, I won’t expect to see or hear from you again very soon.’
She sounded rather upset about that. As was I.
‘Between you and me,’ I said, ‘I don’t really want to go. I might try and find a Premier Inn or Travelodge that’s reasonably near to here. At least while I’m thinking everything over about the woods…’
I wondered if Zack would be upset if I didn’t immediately join him.
‘A place like that would be a far cry from Bali!’
‘I know,’ I agreed, thinking the contrast between an East Anglian town stopover spot and the Indonesian archipelago couldn’t have been greater.
‘But my heart feels like it needs to be here for longer now. I feel like I need to stay as close to Willowell and the woods as I can while I get everything straight in my head. I’d change the plan to fly out for good if I thought my brother wouldn’t mind… ’
‘The brother you used to holiday here with, along with your dad?’
‘Yes, that’s right, Zack. That’s who I’m supposed to be visiting. It was originally going to be a trip to Spain, but his work has relocated him.’
‘How exotic.’
‘He’s always jetting about. I wouldn’t have minded Spain, but Bali feels a bit far, especially now.
It’s partly a childhood dream of mine that I’m trying to recapture along with this new business idea and Willowell feels far more suited to helping me make it happen than an island on the other side of the world. Even though it is a beautiful one.’
‘Yes,’ Constance said. ‘I can understand that, and you know,’ she added thoughtfully, her next words suggesting that she had warmed to me far more than I realised, ‘I think I might have the answer, if you really don’t want to go.’
‘Oh?’
‘You could move into my garden apartment,’ she smiled. ‘But only, as you say, if your brother wouldn’t mind the change of plan.’
Her offer of accommodation, assuming I’d heard her right, had tripped off her lips as easily as if she was offering me another cup of tea. Surely, I must have misheard.
‘Your garden apartment,’ I parroted, feeling rather dazed.
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘It’s at the back of the house. A little self-contained place. I’m certain you’d be able to give your idea more thought there and with the added benefit of being practically on the doorstep of the woods.’
‘Are you being serious?’ I frowned.
‘I am,’ she laughed. ‘I mean it. I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.’
‘Constance, I don’t know what to say.’
The thought of living at Fernside even for just the shortest amount of time was a total dream come true. A prospect my much younger self would have immediately jumped at. And it felt wonderful to be so trusted, especially given that Constance and I had only just met, but should I accept?
‘The arrangement would benefit me, too,’ Constance pointed out, which helped me start to make up my mind.
‘I really do think that I want to seriously consider selling my woods to you, Tilly, and I’d appreciate the opportunity to get to know you better ahead of properly deciding.
Parting with them isn’t just a whim and I want to be completely sure that I’ve established the right impression of you before going ahead. ’
‘But what about the other interested party?’ I reminded her. ‘The local poised to put in an offer.’
She shrugged and looked mischievous. ‘Doesn’t exist,’ she confessed. ‘A ruse. I initially assumed you didn’t know anything about Willowell and wanted to put you off, so I made them up.’
‘I don’t believe it!’ I laughed, feeling the air leave my lungs and a sense of relief descend.
‘So, what do you think?’
Her generous offer had come completely out of the blue, but then so had the well-timed sound of ‘Clair de Lune’ the night I’d scattered Dad’s ashes and then later spotted the Willowell Woods for sale sign. Maybe this was all meant to be… Written in the stars…
‘What do you say?’ she asked again, hopefully.
‘All right.’ I swallowed, and I felt my heart rate rocket at the prospect. ‘You’re on. Thank you, Constance. Thank you very much indeed.’
‘Don’t thank me until you’ve squared it with your brother.’ She smiled. ‘Or until you’ve seen the—’
‘Yes,’ I said, as I quickly jumped up from the table and fumbled for my phone. ‘I’ll do it now.’ I nodded, punching in the security code to unlock it. ‘I’ll go and call him right away.’
‘Even before you’ve seen the accommodation I’m offering?’ she laughed.
‘Yes,’ I laughed with her. ‘It’s an apartment here in Fernside, so it’s bound to be perfect, isn’t it?’