24
THE FOLLOWING WEEK, the Court was a hive of activity. After the excitement of the vase selling at auction for far more than even the auction house had predicted, the work to repair the roof was underway. It was still a patch-up job, but a thorough one that would last long enough to enable Archie to have a breather from worrying about leaks every time it rained for a few years. And hopefully by then, a couple of years of income from the lake and the Christmas market would be enough to fund a proper renovation of the roof. Unless a more urgent maintenance issue cropped up in the meantime, but that was old houses for you.
Seb had submitted the plans for the lake shortly after their meeting with Ben from the planning office. Ben had recommended the plans be approved, so they hoped it would be only a formality. Work had already started to reinstate the gateway and to clear an area for car parking between there and the little brick shed.
The removal of all the greenery that had been allowed to run riot made the area around that side of the lake feel bare and exposed, so the gardeners had suggested planting a living willow hedge that gave almost instant privacy and separated the lake from the car park quite nicely.
The Finnish hut had been delivered in pieces and was waiting until the planning permission was in place before being erected, as was the canopy that would extend out from the brick shed and act as a changing area.
‘You know we were thinking about what to do with the island now that we’re having the bridge made,’ Seb said, when they strolled down to the lake to see how the hedging was coming along.
‘To save Tatty having to swim across every day?’ Archie joked. The dog still jumped in, swam, rested on the island and then swam back when Archie headed home.
‘Yes, purely for the convenience of your dog,’ Seb said, drily. ‘Actually, I was thinking we could have the sauna over there.’
They’d applied for planning permission for everything they wanted to do now, but they’d do the work in phases, as funds allowed. The sauna was less important than the Finnish hut to begin with and at the moment, it had to be either or.
‘That sounds pretty idyllic, a sauna on a little island.’
‘It might help us police who’s paid for the sauna on top of a swim. I don’t know how, exactly but we can work it out.’
‘Nora thinks we ought to have a lifeguard on the island because it’ll give them a clear view of the entire lake. So I suppose they could check people across the bridge.’
‘Sounds good to me.’ Seb sat on the edge of the dock. It was the only one remaining now that the others had been taken out. They were trying to cut down on entry points into the water to make it easier to monitor who was in the water and how long they’d been in.
Archie sat down next to him, idly picking a piece of grass and tying it in knots.
‘So you and Nora had a good time in Dorset?’
Archie grinned. ‘We both loved it. Jess’s family are wonderful. How was the honeymoon?’
‘Bloody fantastic. I’m very lucky.’ He and Jess had enjoyed a week in the Italian Lakes, a last-minute wedding gift from his father.
‘Great that your father came.’
‘That was completely unexpected. I think Clare and Joe had a hand in that. I had no idea until he rocked up at theirs the night before. Do you think you’ll be next?’
‘No. We’ve talked about it but neither of us want to change how things are,’ said Archie. ‘It’s working for us.’
‘Is Constance going to be happy with that? Because of your title?’ Even though Seb’s family life had imploded when his mother had died, before that he’d grown up in a privileged family, so he knew better than most the kinds of pressures Archie sometimes faced.
‘I’ve explained it to her. I’m not sure she is happy, but what’s the alternative? I’m not going to compromise to suit an outdated view of what might be expected of a lord. Even so, there’s a lot of baggage that comes with me, not least the house, and it doesn’t seem fair to ask Nora to take that on. It means a lot to her to have her independence and her own place. I can’t see her ever wanting to live at Croftwood Court with me and Mama.’
‘So what’s the plan? You carry on like you are now? Living between places?’
‘That’s it exactly,’ Archie said, grinning at his friend. ‘And I feel very lucky to have it.’
‘After that contract I did in Germany last year, I knew I couldn’t bear to be away from Jess like that again. It was torture.’
‘Slightly different for us. We see each other every day and spend most nights together. I think it’s working.’
‘Good for you, Arch. And I know it’s not what you want, but I can’t recommend being married highly enough.’
‘Glad to hear it.’
‘And you should talk to Nora properly. I’m not sure this is going to work as a long-term plan for you.’
Archie wasn’t sure whether to be amused or affronted that Seb thought he might not have thought of any of this. ‘What would I do without you?’
‘I think you’d still be working up to asking Nora out for dinner for the first time,’ Seb laughed.
Archie gave Seb a friendly shove. ‘Careful. Although I admit, I couldn’t have pulled it off without Andy the barber.’
‘Lending you all my secrets, you see? But seriously, Archie. If what you have with Nora is anything like I feel about Jess, do whatever you can to keep it. I’ve never seen you happier.’
‘You sound like my mother.’
‘Constance knows what she’s talking about,’ said Seb. ‘And she likes Nora from what I hear. That’s not an easy battle to have won.’
‘Nora seemed to have the measure of her from the start. It helped that they’d met at the book club before anything started between us.’
‘At least they’d get on if Nora did move into the Court.’
‘I’m not sure I would get on with that,’ said Archie. The thought of living with his mother and Nora filled him with dread. Yes, the house was big enough that everyone could have their own space, but it would never feel like home to Nora in the way that her cosy little cottage did. She’d never be able to put her own stamp on it.
‘You’ve got to go with what’s right for you both,’ Seb said. ‘It’d be nice to have someone to share all of this with, though.’
‘I’m not sure I’d have pursued the lake project were it not for Nora. But I can see what the attraction is now. I know it’s not the same swimming in the sea as it is in the lake, but I have to say, I quite enjoyed it while we were in Dorset.’
‘Jess had me in there on New Year’s Day last year,’ Seb said shivering. ‘You won’t get me in there, unless we’re in the middle of a heatwave.’
‘I need to get back and see how the roofers are getting on. They’re going to try one of Nora’s chimney pots up there today.’
‘I still can’t believe she can actually make stuff like that,’ Seb said. ‘There’s got to be a way to make that into a money-spinner.’
‘Yes, it’s called Hart Pottery.’ Archie said. ‘I went to work with her last week. Honestly, Seb, it’s incredible. It’s a proper factory with a production line. Way beyond what I was expecting. Her factory manager suggested a collaboration. They’re going to help us design a bespoke Croftwood Court Christmas bauble that we can sell at the market.’
‘Now that’s what I’m talking about!’ Seb said, clapping Archie on the back as they began strolling back to the Court across the fields. ‘I knew you’d find your entrepreneurial spirit eventually.’
Archie grinned and shook his head. ‘Sometimes I wonder if you think you came up with the idea for the Croftwood Christmas market.’
Seb frowned. ‘I thought that was my idea.’
Simon, the roofer, and the other two men in his team were working hard when Archie went up through the attics to check on the progress.
‘How are you getting on?’
Simon stood up and put his hands on his hips. ‘Not too bad. You’ve got some rotten roof timbers, so we’ll get started on replacing the worst of them. We haven’t found anything we weren’t expecting, which is good news for you.’
‘That is good news,’ Archie said, finally feeling as if he was beginning to regain control over the parts of his life that had felt so overwhelming. Why, he wondered for the millionth time, hadn’t he thought to try and sell something like the vase before? He could have saved himself so many sleepless nights.
‘And we offered up your new chimney pots. They fit a treat. What we’ve done is swap a couple of the more ornate ones over so that the plain new ones are less visible.’
Because Nora had made the chimney pots, it seemed ungrateful to relegate them to somewhere they wouldn’t be seen. But then, she had made them as an experiment and if she decided she wanted to embark on making more elaborate ones, they could give those pride of place. At least this way, there was no great rush if she decided not to.
‘That’s fantastic, thank you.’
‘Bloody good pots, those are. The frost isn’t likely to touch those in a hurry.’
‘I must remember to pass on your praise to my potter. She’ll be thrilled.’
‘Seb let on that you’re seeing Nora Hartford who runs Hart Pottery. I suppose that explains it,’ Simon said with a smirk.
‘It does,’ Archie agreed, full of pride for Nora. He’d had very little experience of being proud of someone that he loved. Of course he was proud of his parents in the way that anyone would be; particularly of how his mother dealt with losing his father, picking herself up again and making a different life for herself. But the pride he felt for Nora was making his heart swell, and he was constantly surprised at how much he loved her. Surprised that it was possible to love anyone this much. And it felt quite marvellous, especially when he allowed himself to contemplate that she might just love him that much too.
‘Archie!’ Constance called him from across the landing as he was heading back outside. ‘I’ve just had word that Betsy et al are arriving on Friday evening and will be spending the weekend.’
‘Ah, right.’ It was always with mixed feelings that Archie welcomed his sister to the Court. Betsy was high maintenance and expected to be waited on hand and foot. He could already imagine Ursula’s face when she found out. ‘What’s the occasion?’
‘She wants to meet Nora and she’s mentioned that she’d like to talk about the proceeds from the sale of the vase.’
Archie wanted to ask his mother how Betsy knew what the vase had fetched, but he suspected that she already knew she’d made a grave error in confiding about that to her youngest child.
‘I am sorry, darling.’ Constance looked devastated.
‘No bother, Mama. There’s very little to talk about since we’ve spent the money already.’
‘I think she may be expecting something by way of a cut.’
‘No. I shall explain to her that every penny has been spent on investing in the future of the estate, in one way or another. It’s her family who will benefit from it, and I am very happy to remind her of that.’
‘Oh, darling. I do enjoy this new commanding side of you. Being with Nora has given you a new confidence.’
He hoped that’s what his sister would see rather than the weak, hopeless excuse of an older brother and head of the family that he’d been until a few months ago. Things were different now and he would make sure his sister understood that.
‘It has,’ he said, because he didn’t mind crediting his relationship with Nora for the change in him. Even at the age of forty-one, he felt as if his life was just getting started again. ‘I’d better make sure Nora’s forewarned.’
‘And you will be here over the weekend, won’t you?’
‘Of course. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll talk to Ursula and Mrs Milton and we’ll arrange everything.’ He walked over to Constance and kissed her cheek.
‘Thank you.’
He called into the kitchen on his way back to the office and let Mrs Milton know that Betsy, Caspar and Florence would be staying for the weekend. Mrs Milton loved Betsy and doted on Florence so she was thrilled.
‘I’ll make some butterfly cakes for the little one,’ she said. ‘And I’d better ask Ursula to put the blackout blind over the nursery window.’
The last time they’d visited there had been terrible trouble getting Florence to sleep because the curtains didn’t block out every tiny sliver of light and poor Ursula had been sent out to source a blackout blind, which fortunately had been available in Worcester. But Betsy had made Ursula feel personally responsible for the full moon daring to shine right outside the nursery window.
So it was no surprise that when Ursula found out Betsy was coming, she gave Archie the most sullen look she could summon.
‘Oh lovely. Your sister is a delight. I’m so looking forward to it,’ she said in a monotone voice, leaving Archie in no doubt about her feelings. He didn’t blame her at all.
‘I’m so sorry, Ursula. I will make it up to you somehow.’ He’d love to promise her the spruce up her rooms so desperately needed, but even though selling the vase had taken the pressure off, they were a long way from any other revenue coming in, so he bit his tongue.
‘You don’t owe me anything, Archie. It’s an absolute pleasure working here. And don’t worry, I won’t let on how much I detest your sister. Sorry,’ she added, not looking it in the least.
‘Perhaps Nora being around will encourage Betsy to be on her best behaviour.’
‘We can but dream.’
When he was finally on his way to the estate office, Archie’s phone buzzed with a text from Nora. She was in Stoke today for the final firing of the test pieces of her new collection and she was throwing for a new bespoke order.
I’m feeling under the weather so going to stay here tonight. Back tomorrow xx
Rather than text back, to find out what was wrong, he called her.
‘What’s wrong? How are you feeling?’
‘Disgusting. Sicky and tired. It’s just a bug but I can’t face driving back today.’
‘You poor thing. Is there anything I can do?’
‘No. Val’s booked me a hotel so I’m going there now and I’ll sleep it off. I’ll call you tomorrow.’
She sounded tired and he didn’t want to keep her. ‘I love you. Take care of yourself.’
‘Will do. Love you too.’
He’d hoped to talk to her about Betsy’s visit. He wasn’t sure whether it was too much to ask that she stay one of the nights at the weekend at the Court with him. He certainly couldn’t disappear to Nora’s house now that he’d promised his mother he’d be around but he hated the thought of being apart from Nora just when he needed her supporting influence to help him navigate the weekend with his difficult sister.
Still, she’d be back tomorrow and then they could spend the evening together before he would have to be back at the Court the following day to greet Betsy. It would all fall into place.