Chapter 25 #3
I crossed the room and picked up the frame. Caleb looked completely different, clean shaven, wearing a suit and positively beaming. The man beside him looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties and, if it was possible, had an even wider smile than Caleb’s.
‘He looks very proud of you.’
‘He was. Fergus and his wife, Monica, couldn’t have kids and he used to say I was like the son he never had. Monica treated me like one of the family too but…’
‘But what?’ I asked gently as I returned to the sofa.
‘She blamed me for Fergus’s death.’
‘Why?’
‘She said I worked with him every day and should have noticed how bad his cough was and pushed him to get it seen to sooner but, the thing is, I did. I commented on it every single time he coughed but Fergus was a stubborn old goat and, if Monica couldn’t get through to him, I don’t know why she thought I was going to. ’
He glanced at the photo and shook his head.
‘I went to Fergus’s funeral and Monica didn’t speak to me or even catch my eye but I thought that was fair enough – she was grieving and it’s hardly the place for chatting.
At the wake I tried to speak to her but she walked away from me and then her sister asked me to leave, saying I was distressing her.
At the time, I didn’t understand why – the blame thing came out later – but I didn’t want to make a scene so I left.
‘I’d kept the business running, only taking the day off for the funeral, and I went back to the forge the following day to find the locks had been changed.
I rang Monica but she didn’t answer. I had a packed day of appointments but I couldn’t go to them because my tools were in the forge and the van was locked in the garage.
I rang my first customer to cancel and he told me Monica had phoned first thing to tell him the business no longer existed.
Long story short, solicitors got involved and I eventually managed to get my belongings back after producing receipts to prove they were mine, but Monica wouldn’t sell the business to me and threatened legal action if I stole Fergus’s clients.
’ He accompanied the word stole with finger quotes.
‘So there I was at thirty-five, sacked again, but this time through no fault of my own.’
‘That sounds horrendous, especially when you were also grieving for the loss of your friend and mentor.’
‘I’m not sure I really got the opportunity to grieve for him.
I’d worked flat out to keep the business going in the gap between his death and the funeral and then the legal battle with Monica was all-consuming.
I tried to put myself in her shoes. Her husband was gone and I could understand her being angry about that, but why take it out on me?
The only thing I could think of was that she blamed herself deep down and that was too much to bear so she directed the blame my way. ’
‘It’s unfair, but that would make sense,’ I said, feeling so sorry for him.
‘It hurt to lose Monica as well as Fergus. I just hope that directing the blame at me made it easier for her to cope with his death and brought her some comfort. I personally think that letting me continue with Fergus’s legacy would have been far better for her but it’s funny how things turn out because what happened next was better for me.
I needed a holiday but I didn’t have the energy to travel far.
I found The Dovecote online and the farm looked so peaceful – perfect place to get my head together.
I booked the cottage for a few weeks intending to read, watch TV and think.
What I really did was spend all the time with Shelley and the horses and I never left. That’s her in the silver-framed photo.’
I rose again. Shelley was an attractive blonde with a huge smile and, in the photo, Caleb had his arm round her and they were laughing.
‘You and Shelley were together before Shelley and Adam?’ The words were out before I’d censored them and I wondered if it was too personal a question, but Caleb laughed.
‘No! Never even a hint of it. She’s a great friend but our vibe was always more like brother and sister.’
I returned to the sofa and Caleb resumed his story.
‘I was intrigued by the former forge and Peartree Cottage and wondered if there was a chance for me to start over and build my own business here so I did some research. There was competition in the area but room for another farrier. The forge hadn’t been used for decades and the cottage needed a major update but it was liveable.
I wanted to buy it and the Garstangs did consider it but it wasn’t an option – some complicated technical thing about land ownership – but they were willing to do a deal for a long-term lease on the cottage and forge at a reduced rent if I did all the work myself.
I moved in almost exactly six years ago and found a part-time role with a local veterinary practice which I’ve balanced alongside building my own farrier and blacksmith business ever since. ’
He gave me a rueful smile and shook his head. ‘I can’t believe I’ve just spilled out my entire career history. I don’t know where that attack of the verbals came from. Sorry.’
‘No apologies needed. It was really interesting and I love how coming here helped you start over after everything went wrong. The farm must attract a certain type of person because it’s my sanctuary after everything fell apart for me too.’
‘Sorry to hear that. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m listening if you want to share.’
Caleb had opened up to me about a dark period in his life, treating me as though we were friends, and I wanted to do the same for him.
He was so easy to talk to. I loved how open and honest he was and I particularly loved that he wasn’t afraid to talk about his feelings.
So I shared the challenges which had led me to my fresh start at Hazelwick Farm, although I didn’t go into masses of detail – that felt too much for a fledgling friendship.