Chapter 3
‘Three months, but that’s all. One of them working with me, then by yourself for the two months your mother and I are travelling.’
Lettie saw the familiar determined expression on her father’s face and didn’t waste any of their time by trying to argue. She had explained her situation in London and suspected that her father and uncle felt too guilty about her being out of work and not giving her a chance to turn her idea down completely. ‘Thanks, Dad. You won’t regret it.’
‘I’d better not.’ He smiled at her and Lettie suspected her uncle had been right about him being happy that she wanted to give it a go.
Lettie gave her father a hug and turned to her uncle who, she noticed, looked pleased with the outcome. ‘Thank you, too, Uncle Leonard. I appreciate this isn’t what you had expected to happen.’
‘It isn’t, my love, but I would want your father to do the same thing should the tables be reversed and one of my boys had voiced his hope of having a go at running my farm.’
‘That goes without saying, I hope,’ Gareth said. ‘After all, being able to hand our farms over to our kids has been both our dreams, as it was for our father and uncle before us.’
‘That’s right.’
Lettie listened to the brothers’ nostalgic chat and wondered if there might be an opening for negotiating a bit longer. ‘Maybe I should have a little more time to see how things go,’ she suggested quietly.
Both men stopped speaking, their heads snapping in her direction. ‘What?’
‘No,’ her father said shaking his head. ‘We’ve agreed three months. That’s more than enough time for you to work out whether this life is for you or not.’
She wasn’t certain how she could do very much at all in that period but didn’t want to push her luck. ‘It was just a suggestion.’
‘Yes, well keep the next one to yourself,’ her dad said, but his tone was jovial.
She gave her dad a squeeze. ‘I will, Dad.’
Zac smiled at her. ‘I think this calls for a celebration.’
Their father groaned. ‘You think most things are worth celebrating. I have stuff to do, so don’t let me hold you back.’
As much as Lettie liked her brother’s idea, she wanted to start as she meant to go on. Proving herself to her father was going to take some work she now realised. ‘Maybe later, Zac. I’m going to stay here with Dad and pick up as much as I can before he retires.’
She knew she had said the right thing when her father gave a satisfied nod. ‘That’s what I like to hear. Right, Lettie, you come with me. Leonard, I’ll chat to you a bit later.’ He walked over to his brother and shook his hand. ‘I appreciate you doing this for Lettie, thank you.’
‘No need to thank me.’ He turned to Lettie. ‘If you need anything from your old uncle, just shout.’
Lettie ran over to him and hugged him. ‘Thanks so much.’
Zac laughed. ‘I just hope you don’t end up regretting that offer.’
Lettie nudged him. ‘Shut up.’
‘No, you shut up.’ Zac pulled a face. ‘Right, I’m off. I’ll be back later though, Letts. Then we can take a stroll to the village and have a celebratory drink in the pub if that suits you.’
‘I’d love that.’
Lettie followed her father and uncle outside when Zac left. As she watched her brother go, she mused about how much she had missed his company. He was always the boisterous one out of the two of them, always encouraging her to do things she might not have the confidence to try. It was enjoyable with them both being at home. She was happy that he wasn’t away working and was grateful to him for having her back with this situation. She decided she would join him at the pub as soon as she was finished on the farm.