Chapter 12 #2
‘Wow,’ I whispered, as I googled the manor house and looked at the images of a stunning home set in a beautiful landscape.
Mr Fuller was potentially offering me the opportunity to pick up my career exactly where it had just been cut off. I felt confident that I was more than capable of sliding seamlessly into the role. I sat back and gave the proposition further thought.
I soon realised that I would also be back to working all hours, ironing out niggles long into the night because I lived on-site and probably yet again never be taking days off or the full holiday entitlement that was due to me. Is that what I really wanted?
Surely, I owed it to Rafe to properly immerse myself in this time that he had gifted me and think about it as the chance to explore making changes as Grandad George had suggested even if it was only to the structure of my working week in a similar position.
This offer from Mr Fuller might have been familiar and therefore comforting, but was it too familiar?
It was all food for thought but I couldn’t help wishing that I hadn’t checked my inbox.
Given how well the last couple of days living in Nightingale Square had gone, I was just starting to feel fulfilled and at home and useful, too.
Now I feared my head was going to be preoccupied with an offer that I might come to the conclusion was too good to turn down…
Knowing that Rafe was having a nap, I sent the document to his printer, then snuck into his writing room to retrieve it and put it in the drawer on my nightstand.
Having not made up my mind what to do, I knew I wouldn’t gain anything from trying to talk to my father because his opinion would be completely one-sided, but with what he considered to be my best interests at heart, and that would doubtless make me feel further conflicted.
No longer in the mood to languish in bed, I washed and dressed then packed up an apple and sausage roll which Rafe had sourced in the local butchers and walked over to Prosperous Place.
I took a quick wander around the garden, lingering to look at Finn’s dragons in the secret fern garden, which was fast becoming my favourite spot in the whole place, then made my way to the Grow-Well.
‘Good morning, Carole,’ I said when I found her in the bothy where I was going to leave my lunch.
‘Morning, Skylar,’ she said back. ‘I’ve just boiled the kettle if you’d like a drink.’
‘I could do with a coffee.’ My head was feeling better, but I didn’t have much oomph.
I wasn’t sure whether that was the impact of the night in The Dragon or the shock of Mr Fuller’s job offer and the tumult it had kicked off.
‘Decaf or fully loaded?’ Carole offered.
‘Better be fully loaded,’ I smiled. ‘And I’ll make it. You kept everyone topped up yesterday.’ I glanced into the garden as I prepared my drink. ‘I thought I might see a few people here today, but perhaps I’m a bit early.’
‘Finn and Neil have been and gone. And I’ve told Graham he’s to stay indoors today.’
‘Oh, that’s a shame, about Finn and Neil, I mean. I thought they were coming over later than me.’
‘Neil told me he wanted to get out of the house while Mark was swearing he’d never drink again,’ she laughed. ‘And Finn was eager to get to the studio because he’d had an idea for a new sculpture.’
‘Both valid reasons for putting in an early appearance,’ I said as I stirred my coffee and inhaled the restorative aroma. ‘A shame though because I was hoping to talk to them, and anyone else who might be here, about the equinox party.’
‘We’re all very excited to have an expert in charge of it,’ Carole said, making my temperature rise a little because I hadn’t specifically agreed to that.
‘Oh crikey,’ I puffed. ‘You’ve made me feel nervous now. And I’m not completely in charge; I know the food and drink is already taken care of. I was going to ask if there were any specific likes or dislikes, or dos and don’ts that I should be aware of.’
‘I can help you there,’ Carole offered. ‘We’re an easy lot to please and if you can add anything to the usual meal it’s bound to be well received. Just don’t stress over it. Do what you feel would be appropriate for this time of year.’
‘So, I’ve got free rein to add things to the celebration as long as they’re seasonal?’
‘I’d say so.’
That made me feel happier to forge ahead. Carole and Graham were the Grow-Well guiding hands and if Carole herself was giving me carte blanche to include some extras, then I couldn’t possibly go wrong, could I?
‘Has anyone mentioned budget?’ she asked.
‘No,’ I said. ‘I meant to ask Luke and Kate if there was a Grow-Well pot, but it slipped my mind.’
It turned out there was some money available, not much, but I was an expert at making funds go far and promised I would make every penny count.
‘I’m sure you will,’ Carole nodded in approval.
‘So,’ I said and looked out of the bothy window again, ‘now that’s sorted, what’s on the to-do list for today?’
The most pressing thing was cleaning out the hens, and it wasn’t going to be a quick job either. The monthly clean and sanitise was a few days overdue, and with the weather on the turn and the hens likely to spend more time indoors, Carole was keen to get it done.
‘Do you ever let them out into the garden?’ I asked as they were currently contained in a large run.
‘They’re excellent at cleaning bugs out of the empty raised beds,’ she told me, ‘but obviously we must follow the rules about how to house them during outbreaks of bird flu and we’re mindful of foxes, too. For now, they’re being kept in their run.’
Given the size of the run and the various structure and enrichment additions, I didn’t think the girls would ever be bored and they looked very healthy and engaged.
‘Erik!’ Carole called and I turned around to find him walking through the gate. ‘You don’t fancy giving us a hand, do you?’
‘That’s actually why I’m here,’ he said as he walked over. ‘I’d just got back from the gym when Luke remembered it was his turn to do the hens but as he’s catching up with some admin, I offered to take his place.’
‘That’s very gallant of you,’ Carole said. ‘Thank you.’
‘And I’ve done it plenty of times before, so it won’t take long,’ he reassured us.
‘It’s a complete clean out today,’ Carole reminded him.
‘I know the drill for that,’ he nodded. ‘Why don’t you leave me and Skylar to it? I’m sure there are plenty of other things you could be getting on with.’
‘Well, if you’re sure?’ she said hesitantly.
‘Why don’t you go and check up on Graham?’ I suggested.
‘Um,’ she said and looked at her watch. ‘That might not be a bad idea. I have been here a while.’
She reminded Erik about how much disinfectant to use and then went back to the square leaving the pair of us to get on with the rather mucky job of cleaning out the henhouse.
I’d never been in such close proximity to live poultry before, but Erik was clearly used to scooping them up and tucking them under his arm.
I thought I’d have to work my way up to feeling that confident and familiar, but I did enjoy the cleaning process.
The house and run looked quite transformed by the time we’d finished.
‘Are you all right?’ Erik asked, as the job neared completion. ‘You’re very quiet this morning. You haven’t got a sore head after last night, have you?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘nothing like that. Or not now, anyway.’ The truth was that while I had scrubbed and swept, my mind had returned to thinking about the job offer, but I didn’t want to get into that.
‘I’m a bit preoccupied with thinking about the equinox party.
It’s going to be the smallest celebration I’ve ever had a hand in helping with, but it feels like the most important! ’
That wasn’t a lie, even though it hadn’t been the reason why I had been quiet while we worked.
‘Have you seen anyone else to ask about it, like you mentioned you were going to last night?’
‘Only Carole,’ I told him. ‘And she said not to stress and just go for it. I had planned to catch Neil and Finn too, but they’d been and gone before I got here even though I arrived earlier than they said they might come over.’
‘I wonder what prompted that?’ Erik frowned.
‘Mark’s hangover,’ I smiled. ‘And Finn’s creative brain.’
‘Ah,’ Erik nodded. ‘I daresay both made for very early starts and you haven’t forgotten that I said I’d help with the party if you’d like me to, have you?’
‘I haven’t. Thank you. And you must have been up with the lark, if you’ve already been to the gym,’ I pointed out. ‘Do you go as often as when you were playing rugby?’
‘No,’ he said. ‘Nothing like as much, but if I don’t keep on top of my fitness and physio then my knee soon lets me know about it.’
‘That must be a nuisance.’
‘Not really,’ he said. ‘Because it’s as good for my mental health as anything else and gives my mind space to think about other things.’
‘Such as?’
He looked thoughtful. ‘There is something specific I’m mulling over but I’ll fill you in when I’ve got a bit further with it.’
‘Fair enough,’ I accepted.
‘And there’s another advantage to going to the gym.’
‘Oh?’
‘I get to walk by Blossom’s on the way back and the bakery is open by then.’
‘Isn’t that counterproductive?’ I pretended to frown.
‘It’s all about balance,’ he said, sounding zen. ‘I know exactly how long I need to be in the gym to earn myself a brownie or an éclair or—’
‘I get the idea,’ I cut in. ‘I’ve got a sausage roll in the bothy for my lunch. Do you think cleaning the hens out warrants eating it now?’
‘Probably, because you have worked hard,’ he said with a smile. ‘But it would taste even better if you shared it.’
‘Point taken,’ I grinned. ‘Let’s finish tidying up and give it the attention it deserves.’