Chapter 26
‘So, tell me something else about yourself.’ With her head in his lap, Nicola took Charlie’s hand in hers, their fingers interlocked as she held it aloft, the flames from the campfire glowing in the background.
Spending the evening at the farm with Charlie after the Landownes’ wedding was the perfect end to a perfect day.
She didn’t have a clue what the time was, but the sun had set hours ago, and they’d spent the time talking, getting to know one another.
He’d told her about his childhood, about moving across the country when his parents had split up, and she’d told him about her life here in Meadowfield at Pennycress Inn.
They’d spoken about how their dreams had changed and grown as they’d got older.
And she now knew he could name each and every character from all the Marvel films in less time than it took her to count them off on her fingers.
‘What do you want to know?’ He swept a strand of her hair back from her face.
‘Ooh, I don’t know.’ She watched the light from the flames flicker off her silver bracelet. There was a subject they hadn’t spoken about. One which they’d both skirted around. She swallowed as a lump formed in her throat. ‘What do you like about London so much?’
Charlie caressed the back of her hand with his thumb as she still held it aloft in the air. ‘That’s easy. I love the vibrancy of the city. The fact that whatever the day or time, somewhere will be open and something will be going on.’
‘The city that never sleeps…’
‘Exactly.’ He continued. ‘I love the fact that I can jump on the Tube and visit new places, go on new adventures and that there is always something, somewhere, new that I can learn about the place. Something I didn’t have a clue was there before.’
Nicola lowered their hands, letting them rest against her stomach.
‘I love the fast pace of my job, my apartment…’
‘Everything then?’ She spoke quietly, an uncomfortable heaviness forming in the pit of her stomach. London was a stark contrast to Meadowfield. And how could the calmness and slow pace of village life even try to compare with the bustling city?
‘Not everything, no.’ He leaned down to kiss her. ‘I don’t like the fact that you won’t be there when I go back.’
She smiled sadly. ‘I?—’
A loud crash sliced through the quiet and Nicola sat bolt upright, looking around, searching the shadows for any hint of what may have made the noise.
‘Stay here.’ Jumping up, Charlie made his way towards the edge of the field where the noise had come from.
‘No chance.’ Standing up, Nicola followed him, making sure to keep close.
As they made their way across to the fence, she frowned and tugged on Charlie’s sleeve, pointing to a gap which had formed in the wooden fence.
That’s what the sound must have been, the splintering of wood as the hole was formed in the fence panel.
Glancing at her, Charlie held his index finger against his lips as he crept closer.
The hole was big, big enough for a person to crawl through, but why would someone have bashed a hole in the fence instead of jumping over it? It wasn’t as though it was six feet tall or anything; it was barely three feet, just enough to border the farmhouse’s garden and the field.
Shrieking, she jumped back as a flash of white pushed past her. As whatever it was ran towards the campfire and the farmhouse, it triggered the outside lights into action and she realised it was Claudette.
‘Claudette!’ Charlie shouted as he ran after the sheep.
The sheep, clearly stunned by the lights, halted in her tracks as Charlie raced towards her.
Shaking herself, Nicola joined in the pursuit before slowing down as Charlie held his hand up.
They crept up slowly behind Claudette, sure the element of surprise was on their side as they inched their way forward, but just as they both dived towards her, Claudette sprinted off again, darting from between their arms and causing both Nicola and Charlie to fall in a heap in the mud.
Looking across at Charlie, looking as stunned as she was feeling, Nicola threw her head back and laughed.
‘She’s done it again! I’m quickly learning that one is the best escape artist I’ve ever heard of.’ Charlie chuckled as he stood up and held his hand out towards Nicola.
‘Oh, she really is.’ Gripping his hand, she let herself be pulled up before wiping her palms down the front of her jeans. ‘She must have been on the loose for months now.’
‘Wow, really? She’s doing well then. I wouldn’t have thought a sheep could survive that long in the wild.’
Nicola shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I guess there’s enough grass in the village, plus all the flowers from people’s gardens she destroys.’
‘Yes, and I suppose my uncle’s farm is a one-stop shop for her.’ He ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled.
‘Absolutely. I can see why she has taken a liking to hanging out here.’ She shook her head. ‘Should we try and find her? See where she’s got to?’
‘No, I think we’ve done enough chasing for tonight. I’ll have a look for her tomorrow.’ Charlie nodded towards the farmhouse. ‘Now though, do you fancy a hot chocolate after all that drama?’
‘Yes, one of your special hot chocolates sounds perfect.’
Slipping her hand into his, they made their way into the farmhouse.
He held the door open for her and Nicola stepped inside. ‘Thanks.’
‘How long shall we give the lovely Claudette until she sneaks back through again?’ Charlie poured milk into a saucepan and turned the hob on. ‘I think I’ve caught a glimpse of her or had a run-in with her every day this week.’
‘Ah, I can imagine the villagers are pretty happy having her occupied for a bit.’ She laughed.
She could just picture Miss Cooke congratulating Officer Duffey – who had been heading up the manhunt for Claudette ever since she’d turned up in Meadowfield – for a job well done in the next village meeting, unaware that the sheep had in fact just strayed a little further afield than been caught, reprimanded and sent away to the farm animal rescue they had lined up for her.
Charlie chuckled. ‘Maybe I should invite them all up here with their pitchforks?’
‘Haha, maybe. Although I do wonder if they secretly love having something juicy to gossip about during the village meetings rather than rant about how the number of cyclists using the High Street as a through-run has increased by two in the last six months.’
‘Is that true?’ He raised his eyebrow as he set down two mugs.
‘I doubt it. I’m not really sure Meadowfield can be accused of being a through-run to anywhere but farmland.’ She shrugged. ‘Still, I don’t know what Miss Cooke will find to talk about when Claudette finally sits still long enough to be captured.’
‘Maybe I should try to lure her into the barn myself, pop her in the back of my truck and return her to the stomping ground she so loves.’ After mixing heaped spoonfuls of cocoa powder into the saucepan, he poured the hot chocolate into two mugs.
‘Umm, and how’s it going catching her? So far, I mean?’ Nicola looked pointedly at the shirt that was hanging over the back of the pine kitchen table, certain it was the one he’d ripped when trying to catch Claudette before.
‘You’ve got me there. Not so well as it happens.’ He grinned at her before pulling open the fridge door.
She watched as he topped the hot drink with squirty cream before stepping forward and taking the can. ‘I’ll pop that back for you.’
‘Thanks.’ Brushing his lips against hers, he turned to pick up the chocolate flakes to sprinkle on top. ‘I’ve no marshmallows today, so chocolate flakes will have to do.’
Just as she pulled the fridge door open, she caught sight of a letter stuck to the fridge with a magnet. A letter headed with the local estate agent’s logo – Country & Farm Estate Agents of Meadowfield. Forcing herself to shut the door again, Nicola cleared her throat. ‘Sounds nice.’
‘Hopefully.’ Picking up a mug, he handed it across to her. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Umm, I noticed you’ve got a letter from the estate agents on the fridge…’
‘That’s right.’ Turning, he leaned against the counter, his mug in his hands. ‘They’ve been brilliant and even think they might have a potential buyer on the books.’
‘Oh, really?’ She forced a smile, although all she wanted to do was to cry or to tell him to stay.
Placing his mug back on the counter, he stepped towards her, taking her mug and sitting it next to his. Taking her hands in his, he looked her in the eye. ‘I?—’
They both looked to the open back door as another noise sounded. This time a series of clatters which continued. Looking back at each other, they spoke at the same time, ‘Claudette!’
‘I wonder where she is now.’ Nicola followed Charlie outside. Whatever he was going to tell her about the letter would simply have to wait. She’d have to speak to him about it another time, perhaps when or if they could find the stray sheep.
‘Over there. The noise sounds as though it’s coming from that barn.’
‘Oh no, is that where your equipment is stored?’ It definitely wasn’t the hay barn he was pointing to. And it didn’t sound like hay that was being knocked over or thrown about.
‘No, it’s where Jill’s carnival float is.’ He picked up speed as he jogged towards the door to the barn.
‘I thought that was in a field at the back of the farm?’ Picking up her pace, Nicola reached the open doorway just after Charlie.
‘Nope, sadly not. Miss Cooke has her stuff down there.’
Pausing in the doorway, they took in the scene in front of them.
The trailer sat in the middle of the large barn, the plywood tree attached to one side hanging in half, wooden and cardboard cut-outs of forest animals either side of it, and in the centre of the float was a line of hay bales, presumably for the children to sit in.
And then Claudette was running full pelt towards them, a trail of bunting cut into the shape of leaves dragging behind her, a plywood fox clattering on the floor behind.
‘Stop!’ Charlie leapt towards her, missing her and landing heavily on the floor, the bunting now wrapped around his ankle and the plyboard fox sitting on his lap.
Nicola slapped her hand over her mouth to try to stifle the laughter erupting from inside her.
Looking up at her, Charlie held his arms out and began to chuckle.
Doubling over, she let the laughter out, wiping the tears which cascaded down her cheeks.
She just couldn’t help herself, not when she was looking at him sitting on the floor of the barn strewn with stalks of hay, paintbrushes and pots of paint, whilst cradling a cut-out of a fox, a string of bunting hanging from his head. ‘I’m so sorry. I just…’
Placing the fox on the floor next to him, Charlie tried to stand up, falling back down after realising the bunting was wrapped around his ankles too.
‘Here, let me help.’ Still laughing, she began untangling him. ‘I really wish I’d thought to take a photo before helping you.’
‘Oi!’ Finally released, he leaned forward and pulled her towards him, them both falling against the floor.
She looked across at him as he pulled a strand of hay from her hair and cupped her cheek, their lips touching before he pulled away again.
‘About what I was going to say earlier…’ He sat up and pulled her to sitting next to him.
‘About the farm being up for sale?’ She swallowed. Did she really want to know?
‘Yes, about that.’ He raked his hand through his hair. ‘I’m really enjoying getting to know you…’
‘But you can’t put your life on hold to see where it might go.’ She finished his sentence for him and dusted off the knees of her jeans. ‘It’s fine. I understand.’
‘Well, that’s not quite what I was going to say. What I wanted to say was that I hope we can continue things even when I go back to London?’ He looked across at her and took her hand in his.
‘Oh.’ Although it’s what she’d hoped he’d want, hearing him say it was a whole different thing. Yes, he wasn’t saying he’d stay longer for her, but she couldn’t expect that. He had a job back in the city, a life. ‘That would be nice.’
‘Good.’ Leaning over, he pecked her on the lips before looking across at the float.
‘Wow.’ The damage was worse than she’d first thought. Not only had the fox and bunting been torn off and the large plywood tree been broken in half, but numerous cardboard animals lay strewn across the floor. ‘I guess we should probably try to fix it up before the forest school kids see it?’