Chapter 9
Tess wandered down the hill from Hollyhocks Cottage, into Lower Leaping, taking her time to soak in the atmosphere of the village.
Even after living here for over twenty-five years, she still appreciated how lucky she was to call this delightful part of England her home.
The honey-coloured stone buildings and the low-arched stone bridge that crossed the meandering river that weaved its way through the centre of the village, created a picture-postcard effect.
Sometimes, in the height of the season, the number of visiting tourists brought a busy and hectic vibe to the sleepy village, but Tess had always enjoyed people-watching, and she relished the buzzy atmosphere, knowing that she could always slip away to the calm and tranquillity of Hollyhocks if it ever became too much.
Besides, the key was to get out early in the morning, or later in the evening if you wanted to avoid the crowds.
Today, it was relatively peaceful and even Barney wasn’t in a hurry, as he mooched along the familiar route, stopping to sniff at every scent along the way.
Although it was now October, the only concession Tess had made to the change in season was to dig out her long-sleeved tops and a padded gilet, which were perfectly adequate against the still relatively mild climate.
Tying Barney to the post outside the village store, urging him to be a good boy and telling him she wouldn’t be long, she wandered into the shop, which was still delightfully old-fashioned even though it had seen a revamp in recent years.
Once the village greengrocer’s, it was now the post office and general store, which stocked a whole range of items, including groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly baked bread, home-made chutneys and jams from local suppliers, flowers and greetings cards, and stationery too, catering for both locals and tourists alike.
Tess always thought it was like stepping back in time when the overhead brass bell tinkled to welcome her arrival and a wonderful sense of nostalgia emitted from the walls of the old building, along with a reassuring sense of community from the friendly volunteers who had banded together to keep the shop open.
Tess had just handed over her parcel to Arthur on the post office-counter when she heard an almighty commotion coming from outside.
Her heart sank, recognising the unusually deep barks of Barney reverberating out, along with another dog’s excitable woofing tones in response.
Generally, Barney was a well-mannered and friendly dog, but occasionally, if a four-legged stranger was overfamiliar or pushy, then Barney would pull himself up to his full height, which wasn’t very big at all, but that never deterred him in the slightest from showing the interloper just who was boss.
It was what she suspected might be going on right now if the racket outside was anything to go by.
‘Thanks, Arthur. I must dash. I think Barney is causing havoc outside, the little scamp. I’ll see you soon.’
Tess hurried out of the front door to find Barney, in full voice, fighting off the playful advances of a stocky, black Labrador who was running around in excitable circles, his long lead wrapping around Barney, who was growing increasingly frustrated at not being able to join in fully with the game.
While she tried to disentangle the lead that had gone round the post several times, being ambushed by two over-friendly dogs in the process, she heard the approach of pounding footsteps, followed by heavy breathing and an apologetic tone.
‘Oh God, Monty, what are you doing? I’m so sorry.
’ The man leaned over, resting his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath.
‘We were just coming out the front door when an important phone call came through that I needed to take and, of course, in that split moment, Monty spotted a squirrel on the other side of the road, and there was no stopping him. His recall still isn’t brilliant, I’m afraid.
It was lucky that he managed to dodge the traffic.
If it had happened in our old place in London, then it could have been a very different story. ’
Tess looked round at the man who was now scolding the dog, which Monty obviously understood completely, as he responded with a proud wag of his tail.
Tess bit on a smile, taking the opportunity to appraise the man properly.
In smart, grey trousers and blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to show tanned, strong forearms, she put him at about fifty.
He had short, grey hair, tortoiseshell-framed glasses and a warm, friendly smile.
‘Hi,’ she said, ‘you must be the new owner of The Old Post Office?’ She’d already joined the dots together as soon as she’d heard the dog’s name.
The man cast her a questioning expression.
‘It’s okay, I’d already heard we had a new lovely black Lab in the village called Monty. I’m Tess Alexander,’ she said, holding out a hand.
‘Lovely to meet you, Tess,’ he said with a smile.
‘I’m Michael Parrish and it sounds as though you know more about me than I do about you, so apologies.
And double apologies for the rogue behaviour of my hound.
We’re a bit late getting out this morning so Monty has plenty of energy to expend.
We were just heading over to the woods before we got distracted. ’
‘Don’t worry, Barney has his moments too, so I know what it’s like.
We were heading that way ourselves. Do you mind if we join you?
It will give the dogs a chance to get to know each other better and have a proper run around.
I can answer all those burning questions you have about Lower Leaping as well.
’ She wasn’t about to admit that it would be good to get to know him better too and give her the opportunity to report back to Dilly with any interesting snippets she might glean.
‘Not at all. We’d both be glad of the company, wouldn’t we, Monty?’
Tess and Barney led the way, taking the well-trodden path over the bridge, walking alongside the river before heading into the field that led into the woods.
‘Tess…’ he said, not as a question, but rather in a moment of understanding. ‘Are you at Hollyhocks Cottage?’
‘Yes, that’s right. I’ve been there for almost thirty years now.’
‘Ah, well that is opportune. I was intending to come and see you anyway because I understand you run the only B&B in the village. Is that right?’
‘I suppose that’s true.’ There was a farm a couple of miles to the east of the village that provided bed and breakfast, but that was the nearest accommodation.
‘Well, it’s a new venture for me. Something I’ve been working on since the break-up of my marriage.
I’ve converted the annexe in the grounds of the cottage into a self-contained lodge.
It’s called The Garden Retreat. I have my first guests arriving next week. ’
‘Excellent, because I’d be interested if you have any availability over Christmas?
My daughter and mother will be coming to stay with me at the house, but we have some family friends coming down for a couple of nights as well, and it would be a bit of a squeeze to get us all under one roof.
Although, thinking about it, I suppose you’re already fully booked for Christmas? ’
‘No… we’re not, actually. We don’t officially open until the new year, but I’d be more than happy to help you out if I can. Why don’t you come and have a look at The Garden Retreat sometime to see if it’s suitable for what you need?’
‘Definitely, I’ll do that. I’ll double-check with our friends on the dates and see if we can get it booked in.’
Barney and Monty’s initial wariness and bluster towards each other had quickly thawed and now they were trotting along together as though they were best buddies.
‘So, what brings you to Lower Leaping?’ Tess ventured. ‘It must be quite a big change from London.’
‘Yes, and that’s exactly why I’m here. I’m an architect by trade and I recently sold my share of the business to a younger colleague.
I’m doing some consultancy work these days, but I can do that from anywhere in the country so there was no need for me to stay in London.
My daughter, Poppy, is grown-up and living happily with her partner in South London and my mother lives in Bramlingham so it kind of makes sense to move closer to her so that I can help out a bit more.
But really, just look around you. This is the real reason why I moved here. ’
They both took a moment to stop and admire the view: the rolling hills and the lush, green landscape, the scent of the great outdoors and the birdsong emanating from the trees.
It wasn’t as though Tess took it for granted in the slightest, but it was always special to share it with someone else, especially a newcomer.
‘I’m looking for a quieter way of life. I loved my time in London, but I’m more than happy to commute in now when I have to. Monty and I are looking forward to being a part of village life.’
‘Well, that’s the lovely thing about Lower Leaping. You can find peace and quiet here, if that’s what you’re looking for, but there’s also a busy and vibrant community that you can get involved in if you so wish.’
‘That’s good to know. Everyone’s been so friendly and welcoming. A kind lady even brought me along some cakes,’ he said with a wry smile.
‘That was probably my neighbour, Dilly. She mentioned that she’d called round to introduce herself.’
‘Ah, yes, Dilly. I have met her on a couple of occasions now. She’s very…’ He paused, searching for the right word. ‘Enthusiastic. In hindsight, she probably thought me a bit rude. I didn’t really have the time to stop and chat. She had that look in her eye.’
Tess flashed him a sidewards glance as they walked side by side along the shaded trail through the woods.
‘Although, that was probably me being oversensitive,’ he added.
‘How do you mean?’