Chapter 30
Clive and Summer were in the stables the next morning with Barney. Clive had popped round to Whispering Willows expecting to find Bethany having a lazy Sunday breakfast, but she’d already gone out. According to Summer she’d said vaguely that she was heading out for a day of shopping.
He’d been going to suggest they went out for the day themselves. Not shopping, but maybe a wander along the river at Kirkby Skimmer, and a tour of the abbey there. Perhaps a pub lunch or a cream tea.
Plans scuppered, a disappointed Clive had offered to help Summer bath Barney. Now they were putting a clean rug and hood on him and applying the barrier cream he needed to keep the midges at bay.
‘Did Rafferty speak to you last night?’ Summer asked as she worked the cream into Barney’s legs.
‘About what?’ Clive asked her, amused. ‘I take it you don’t mean to tell me how good he thought the cake was.’
‘No. Not that.’ She peered up at him. ‘About the horse sanctuary in Norfolk.’
Clive frowned. ‘No, he didn’t. What sanctuary’s this?’
‘He remembered there was one near where he used to live in Hoxbridge. It’s nothing like this one. It’s massive. They’ve got over a thousand horses apparently. It’s a registered charity and they’ve got a great reputation. He suggested we contact them about our residents. He thinks they might even be able to take all of them. I mean,’ she added dully, ‘there are only nine to rehome aren’t there? Now she’s found somewhere for the donkeys.’
‘It’s quite a long way from here,’ he said dubiously.
‘I know. But at least they’d all be together, and we’d know they were safe.’
Clive was surprised and a bit sad that Summer had finally accepted the animals needed to find somewhere to go. He knew he should be glad, but somehow it made it all so much more real now that Summer was facing up to the situation.
‘I’ll tell Bethany,’ he said quietly. ‘She can ring them later.’
If she still wants to. If this is still what she’s planning, even now.
Was she? She hadn’t said anything specific, but her attitude towards the horses had definitely changed, and would she really think about turning the box room into an en suite if she still planned to leave? He knew he might be grasping at straws, but he just couldn’t imagine it. Was he seeing what he wanted to see, or had Whispering Willows finally started to feel like home to Bethany?
Maybe, he mused, it was time they had a proper talk. He needed to see how she was feeling about everything now. She’d seemed so much happier on Friday night that he was certain she’d changed her mind.
‘Looks like we’ve got a visitor,’ Summer said, straightening up. She nodded towards the stableyard where a van had just pulled up.
‘I’ll see what they want.’ Clive headed out of the loosebox, carefully shutting the lower door behind him, and strode into the stableyard, where a man was climbing out of the van, which had V.B.B. Building Services written on the side. Must be here about the plastering in the kitchen he thought, greeting the man with a smile.
‘Hi, can I help you?’
The man beamed at him. ‘Now then. Sorry to disturb on a Sunday morning but I was in the area on my way to another job and I thought I’d pop in to see you, rather than have another conversation on the phone. So, about the demolition job. I’ve had a look in my books and I’m a bit pressed for the next six weeks, but after that?—’
‘Wait, demolition job?’ Clive stared at him. ‘What are you talking about? I thought you were doing some plastering inside the house not pulling it down.’
The man laughed. ‘Oh, we’re doing the plastering next week, never fear. It’s not the house that’s coming down any road. It’s the stables.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘You didn’t know? I spoke to your lady wife about it, and she assured me that was what you wanted.’
‘If you mean Bethany, she’s not my wife,’ Clive said dully.
‘Oh. You’re not Mr Marshall then?’ The builder rubbed the back of his head. ‘Is she around?’
‘She’s out for the day,’ Clive told him. ‘Perhaps you could tell me why the stables are being demolished and when this was decided.’
‘Well, not sure I can actually.’ The builder backed away towards his van. ‘If you’re not Mr Marshall I’d be best speaking to Mrs Marshall about this. No offence, mate, but I don’t know you from Adam.’
‘I just want to know?—’
The man climbed into the van and started the engine. ‘Ask the owner if you want to know anything, mate. Tell her I’ll give her a ring tomorrow.’
With that he drove out of the stableyard leaving Clive staring after him in dismay.
He was so lost in thought he didn’t even hear Summer walk up behind him.
‘So that’s that then,’ she said flatly. ‘She’s demolishing the stables. We’d better contact that sanctuary because it seems we only have six weeks to rehome the horses.’
‘She wouldn’t do that. Not without telling me.’ Clive spun round to face her, feeling sick with misery.
Summer evidently saw he was in shock and her expression softened.
‘But she has, Clive. You heard the man. She’s had this all planned behind our backs. Obviously she didn’t tell you what she intended to do.’
‘She said they were just going to do some repairs on the roof and do a bit of plastering,’ he murmured. ‘She told me the stables needed a new roof but no mention of any demolition. Why would she keep that from me?’
‘Makes you wonder what else she’s keeping from us, doesn’t it?’ She sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you were hoping for. Look, can you do me a favour? Can you take Barney up to Harston Hill? I need the loo.’
He nodded dumbly and while Summer headed into the house he collected Barney who, bless him, looked like Batman in his hood and rugs, and led him to his favourite grazing area, where the midges were less likely to bother him due to its exposed location.
Returning to the house he went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for himself and Summer, stooping to fuss Viva who’d been left in there while he saw to Barney. At the distinct sound of a drawer being closed in the living room he straightened and spun round, noticing the living room door was slightly ajar.
Tentatively pushing it open, he peered round, his mouth falling open as he saw Summer busily rifling through the cupboards in Joseph’s old dresser.
‘What on earth are you doing?’
Summer jumped guiltily. ‘Sorry, but I had to look.’
‘Look for what? What are you up to?’
Summer gave him a defiant stare. ‘She’s lied to you about the building work, and she’s kept the plans to demolish the stables to herself. Aren’t you curious about what else she’s hiding?’
‘Summer, you can’t just go spying on her like this. It’s not right!’
‘Do you think keeping us in the dark is? We have a bloody right to know, Clive, and if she won’t tell us we’ll have to find out for ourselves.’
‘What’s that?’ he asked, nodding at the folder tucked under her left arm.
‘I don’t know yet. I haven’t had the chance to look. I’ll do that now.’
‘No you won’t.’ He took it from her and returned it to the cupboard, closing the door firmly. ‘You’ve no right to do this, Summer. Besides, you won’t find anything.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. Look.’
She beckoned him over and, half reluctantly, he moved to stand by her side. ‘What are we looking at?’
She jabbed a notepad with her finger. ‘See? Exhibit one.’
Clive peered at what was written there in Bethany’s neat handwriting.
Russell from Greystones Estate Agency
Viewing Monday 10th June 2pm.
‘Right,’ he said heavily. ‘So she’s getting someone to value Whispering Willows.’ She hadn’t changed her mind about leaving then.
‘Exhibit two,’ Summer said.
To his discomfort she pressed play on the telephone answer machine.
‘Summer, you can’t!’
‘Listen,’ she hissed, and despite his misgivings he did.
‘Message received yesterday at fifteen hundred hours.’
The voice was friendly but professional.
‘Hi, Mrs Marshall, this is Rachel at Folly Farm, just returning your call. Sorry to have missed you yet again but if you’d like to give me a call back we can discuss the matter in full. Thank you.’
‘She’s contacted Folly Farm?’ He felt dazed. ‘But she was so adamant. She said if they couldn’t take all four Shetlands they weren’t having any, and when I said they might have room for Barney instead she wouldn’t hear of it.’
‘Well,’ Summer said bitterly, ‘seems she’s changed her mind, doesn’t it? If you ask me she’s been in talks with the estate agents round here and they’ve told her she’ll make more money if the stables are gone because of the work they’d need to fix them. She’s got pound signs in her eyes.’
‘But—I don’t understand.’ Clive sank into an armchair, barely noticing as Viva jumped into his lap. He really didn’t understand at all. He was so sure she’d changed her mind, that she wanted to stay. How had he got her so wrong?
He hadn’t wanted her to stay in Tuppenny Bridge just for him, but he had to admit he’d hoped he’d at least be a consideration. It seemed she wasn’t swayed by their relationship at all. All the progress he thought they’d made had been in his head. She hadn’t budged from her initial decision to get rid of Whispering Willows, and what hurt him the most was that she’d been arranging all this behind his back.
‘She could at least have told me,’ he murmured.
Summer sat down next to him and ruffled Viva’s ears. ‘I’m so sorry. You really liked her, didn’t you?’
‘I did. I mean, I do.’ He just couldn’t take it in.
He’d been so besotted with Bethany he hadn’t seen what she was up to.
Maybe it was true what they said. No fool like an old fool. And he suddenly felt very old and very foolish.