New Beginnings for Bryony Bennett

Chapter Eleven

Which was how, after just over a week of Scotland and London, Bryony found herself driving a brand new 4x4 westwards down the motorway. Money did indeed talk. The car had been available when she’d asked for it, but the chance to really get her act together had swayed her, and she’d taken the time to come to discover what she really wanted from life. A pity certain other people didn’t, and she couldn’t absolve herself from blame there either. She still hadn’t received more than one text from Maddie. A very stilted, ‘Glad you are okay. Strange though it may seem to you, we were worried.’

She’d replied to that , with, ‘I do apologise for being upset at the general distrust shown to me. I’ll be home before the Friday of the fete, for the bookstall to be open at 10 am as planned . A bit more arsy than she’d meant it to be, but she’d pressed send before she thought, and now it was with Maddie and couldn’t be withdrawn. She would -not might - have to do some fence mending there if she wanted to feel comfortable in her own skin once more.

Dario had sent a couple of messages. One to say he’d watered the garden and her seedlings were showing, and one to say he’d used the key she’d given him for the barn to start setting out the books. That one had ended with, ‘Lou is still covering for you, you owe her one.’

What could she say? I know. She hesitated. Sod it, time to put her money where her mouth was. ‘Driving back tomorrow. No idea how long it will take.’

The reply was prompt. ‘I’ll put the kettle on. Not sure it suits me, but there you go.’

The next text was from Maddie. ‘Don’t know if you’ll get this, or if indeed you are bothered or still willing to help, but catastrophe. Some idiot left the water running in hall. Sink blocked. Village hall flooded. Freezer damaged, all baking spoiled.’

That was easy enough.

‘Back tomorrow.’

The next text made her laugh. ‘Yeah, I know, Dario told me, but I wanted to hear it from you. Half an hour later . ‘I really do need help. It is a catastrophe. People are wondering whether to cancel. All the effort and money expended for nothing? Doesn’t bear thinking about.’

‘Do not cancel. We will sort something out. Hold on. The cavalry aka Mop and Bry will soon be there.’

That got her a smiley face emoji.

All of which combined to give her a large dose of nerves. They of course communicated to Mop, who, once in the car, whined and tried to get out of his doggy harness to scramble into the main part of the car. Even though she had a grid between the seats and the cushion-strewn boot was full of creature comforts, he wasn’t to be placated. His incessant farts and moans gave her a headache. Once she picked the cats up and put them in their baskets, they pooped and hissed. Bryony yearned for a large gin and tonic, a comfy seat and no animals whinging near her for a good ten minutes at least.

The drive seemed interminable, the traffic, although supposed to be light, had never got above fifty miles an hour once she got onto the M5, and a broken down caravan just outside Yeovil added a good half an hour to the journey. No wonder she was tired and irritable when the ‘Little Brindish three miles’ signpost showed in her windscreen. As she turned off the main road and into the minor road towards the village a car tooted, and someone waved. She had no bloody idea who it was and surely they wouldn’t know her either. Her car was different for a start. Milly was still inside Maisie’s garage, fuelled up and ready to be driven down when Maisie could make it.

Bryony raised her hand in return, after all she might as well start as she meant to go on, and drove past the pub, past the shop—where for once no one stood gossiping outside—around the green and headed for the track towards Cliff Cottage.

No thumps, no wheezing, and no scraping noises. Bliss.

Three minutes to go. She edged over the railway bridge and around the corner. Mop stopped whining and looked out of the window. He yipped; a happy noise. It felt like coming home to him as well as her. Two minutes…one... and blessed relief, her gateway was open, and she couldn’t have given a toss, even if every sheep, cow and pig in the land made free with her grass. Not having to get out and move the chains and barrels was one less thing to do.

She coasted the car down the semi-gravelled, bumpy drive and pulled up outside the full-of-boxes garage. At least she wouldn’t have to battle with the boxes to find a home for Milly in it any longer. The one thing she had done was persuade Maisie to ring up the owner of the garage to rent—she’d found the details online—and arranged to rent for a year with an option to renew. Maisie, bless her, an avid bargain hunter, had quibbled with him—it transpired the owner was Jim the postman—over the rent and bartered the price down with a gleeful thumbs-up, and a promise to Bryony to drive the car to Devon and if at all possible attend the Mandi with an ‘i’ talk, even though she had said it might not be possible. She’d do her best, just in case no one else showed.

‘Well, you might as well save money there and spend elsewhere,’ Maisie said, as she high-fived Bryony over the rent. ‘Shoes, and handbags are a good alternative. Down with plutocrats.’

Bryony didn’t have the heart to say in not in Darkest Devon on a wet Thursday. Wellies and a rucksack would be better then. Or that if truth be known, wasn’t Bryony the plutocrat not Jim?

With a sigh of pleasure, Bryony turned off the engine, opened the door and listened to the countryside. No sirens, no roar of traffic, no…okay she looked up and saw a plane leave a vapour trail from west to east…not as many planes above as Wimbledon, and definitely not as low, she amended silently. And this plot of land and the buildings on it was hers. Hers outright, and with no mortgage. Right down to the weeds in the yet to be dug over flower beds, and the patch of soil and stones that Dario had told her was once a thriving vegetable patch. Her few shoots which she hoped would be potatoes, peas and broad beans were in some grow bags. Even the thorn hedge between her land and the field beyond belonged to Cliff Cottage.

Bryony stared at the cottage. Next year she’d repaint the woodwork. A cheerful blue, maybe rather than the dismal and peeling green it now sported. That might look as if the cottage was part of the countryside, but it did little else. Maybe she would try roses round the door. Twee but lovely, especially if they had a good scent. Someone at a garden centre would tell her what to buy. Now though, she was home; green, blue, or whatever.

Bryony got out of the car, put her arms in the air to de-kink them and trilled a few off-key and out of tune lines from The Sound of Music, and laughed. Thank goodness for no close neighbours.

‘Want to sell?’

Mop barked. Bryony spun around. Dario put his arm out to steady her as cramp shot up her leg and she gasped.

‘Do not creep up on me like that. Hells bells. Argh…’

‘Sorry I guess you couldn’t hear me on my pushbike over the sound of your er…’

‘Caterwauling?’

‘You said it,’ he pointed out. ‘Not me. What’s wrong? Apart from the village hall, arsy neighbours, semi-delinquent primary school kids—Dunc told me when he asked why I was here, and I asked him why he was—and a shed full of books to sort.’ He grinned. ‘Scratch that last one, I’ve done most of them. Just add a flooded hall, Maddie tearing her hair out, worried villagers and look, what is wrong?’

‘Cramp. Driven too long.’ She tried to remember all the things you ought to do to alleviate cramp. Sadly, most of them were preventative rather than how to get rid of it. ‘Darned sore, but never mind, it’ll go. I could have cried when I heard about the flood, but I came back ASAP instead. Poor Maddie. Can it be sorted?’

‘If we all pull together, I reckon so. It’ll take a bit of hard work, but too much effort’s been put into it all just to say, okay that’s it.’

Bryony nodded. ‘I’ll do whatever’s needed. Even cheat and buy scones.’

‘Ohh, no shop bought stuff.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Bad woman, home made or not made.’

Bryony gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘I’ll get the scales out. And thank you.’

‘What for?’

‘Everything.’ She flexed her toes and pain shot through them and up her legs. ‘Ouch.’

‘Where?’ He knelt on the ground in front of her and pushed Mop away as the dog tried to sit on him. ‘Which leg?’

‘Left calf… ahh…’ Dario began to massage her calf firmly. She might be in agony but couldn’t help that stupid tingle of awareness that coursed through her. ‘A man at my feet,’ she quipped as the pain lessened. ‘Unknown to me but ohhh…nice one.’

‘Well, don’t get to used to it,’ he said drily, as he stood up again. ‘It plays hell on a bloke’s knees. And I’ll scare off any other men with a manly scowl.’

‘Wild and wicked?’

‘You betcha. Pistols at dawn.’

‘Maybe harsh words?’

‘Better.’

’I guess a stand in vicar doesn’t do that sort of stuff very often?’ Damn, she could have bitten her tongue off as his expression changed from pleasant to shuttered. ‘Sorry, that was uncalled for.’

‘Ex stand in vicar, and yes it was.’ Dario dusted his jeans off. ‘Lay Reader to be precise. I’m not, nor ever was, ordained. As you’re home, I’ll be off and let you water your own veg. Don’t drown the seedlings, they’re still delicate.’

His voice was level, but his expression told its own story. She’d annoyed him.

‘No, don’t go, please. Look.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I owe you an apology.’

‘Yes, you do.’

He didn’t intend to help her out then.

‘But, you owe me one as well,’ Bryony pointed out.

Dario looked puzzled. ‘I thought I gave it to you. But if you missed it, I’m happy to apologise again for perceived slights. None of which were intentional.’

He was, of course, right. ‘Yeah, so you say but… oh, Lord…oh shoot, sorry…’ Her face must be scarlet. Ashamed heat streamed through her. So much for her intentions to be cool, calm, collected and adult.

Luckily, he laughed. ‘Bryony, if I took offence every time someone took the Lord’s name in vain I’d be permanently cross. Don’t stress. Even I’ve been known to cuss Him at times.’

‘That’s easier said than done.’ She took a deep breath and wondered when he’d swear like that? ‘Look, I know I over reacted, but I was embarrassed. And hurt. It was like the whole village was in on a big joke and I was the butt of it. The fact that it looked like you and Maddie, the two people I really like and trust, were in on it as well more than stung. With hindsight, I should have waited to hear what both of you said, but hindsight is a wonderful thing, and to be honest, I was so wound up that even if I saw it written in stone I’d have said it was fake.’

‘And now?’

Bryony bit her lip. Now or never she reminded herself. ‘Now I accept I over reacted, and although you didn’t tell me who you were, it wasn’t intentional.’

He let his breath out in one long, low hiss. ‘Thank the Lord for that. And I mean, thank the Lord.’

Should she say amen?

She still had no idea why Cliff Cottage was so important but had decided not to ask there and then. She was home and Dario had forgiven her, and her him, so surely that was enough to be going on with?

Well, no not really, she needed to make her peace with Maddie, thank Lou and Dunc, and help sort out the flooded hall and spoiled food, but it would have to do in the meantime.

Dario helped her unpack the car, admired it, and said all the right man-who-knows-cars-things. Looked under the bonnet and grunted. ‘Yes, it’s an engine.’

Bryony blinked, and he grinned. ‘I can change a tire, make sure the pressure is right and do the things like check the oil, add water to the washer bottle, and look to see all the lights are working. Much else and I’m clueless. That’s why I’m in one of the rescue services, and get the car serviced when it needs it.’

That made perfect sense to Bryony, even though she could do a lot more. Each to their own.

Dario watered her garden for her whilst she found a fresh bottle of gin and made them a couple of stiff drinks. They settled in her two, new, all singing, all dancing, garden chairs. By which, she explained, they had comfy cushions and cup holders. With a gin and tonic each and a plate of sesame bites—Bryony made sure they were well out of Mop’s tongue and tail—Mop himself in his favourite position between them, she felt ready to tackle her next problem. She braced herself to ask the question that was bugging her.

‘So why are you an ex stand in for a vicar?’

He laughed. She loved the ways his eyes crinkled up at the edges and his face lit up. Talk about sex on legs.

Sheesh, calm down. Bryony took a swig of gin and tonic. Getting all over excited by a laugh and crinkled up eyes was somewhat excessive.

‘Strictly speaking, I never was a vicar.’ He said, as he stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles. ‘Well, not with regarding the vicary bit. I’m a lay reader. That means I’m not ordained and can’t do everything a vicar would do. I can take a straightforward service as you saw, which I have always enjoyed and felt it was right to do. As a lay reader, depending where I am, I have to apply for a new license every three or five years. My license is almost up, and I don’t know if I’m going to renew it. I’ve taken a step back these last few years and only filled in when I had to. That’s what I was doing the couple of weeks when you arrived. Plus, praying and thinking over where I go from here. The previous vicar retired and there was no one to fill his place until now. I was asked to hold the fort, or the church. It was easy enough, after all I was born and brought up here and it was actually the first place I did a lay reader’s job. Many moons ago. If I were the retiring vicar, I would be asked not to come back here for at least six months, so I couldn’t influence the congregation, but the strange thing is even though we’re so close to the village, this house and the farm house are in a different parish, so it would have made no difference. Even so, I wouldn’t have helped out otherwise. It might be a different parish, but it’s closer to Little Brindish than anywhere else by a long chalk.’

Well, that told her half the story. ‘But you must have left before then?’ she persisted. ‘Being a lay reader. To be asked to come back.’

‘Yeah well.’ He looked somewhat embarrassed. ‘It’s complicated and it’s not my story to tell yet.’

‘Defrocked?’ She didn’t think it possible, but it felt good to tease him. ‘Delicately asked to resign?’

‘Bloody hell, no,’ he said. His face was a picture of incredulous surprise. ‘You don’t really think that do you?’

Bryony laughed and put him out of his misery. ‘No, of course I don’t. But it was worth saying it just to see your face. And hear you cuss.’

‘I’ve cussed more around you than I have in years.’ Dario said. ‘I always said swearing shows a lack of imagination, and here I am, displaying that lack.’ He shrugged. ‘Ah well, at least there isn’t anyone around to tut and frown at me.’

Mop yawned and farted. Dario shook his head and smiled.

‘Is that him showing his disapproval?’

Bryony giggled. ‘No that’s him acknowledging the fact that Mrs T, who he spent a lot of time with in London, feeds him sprouts. They are even worse than the raw cauli he filches whenever he gets the chance.’

‘A dog pinches raw cauliflower? That’s weird.’

Mop growled.

‘Sorry, but come on, Mop.’ Dario ruffled the hair around the dog’s neck. ‘Raw cauliflower? Why not cooked and covered in a good cheese sauce?’

Bryony shrugged. ‘He doesn’t like cheese.’

Dario blinked. ‘You know this is one of those strange surreal conversations when I wonder if I’m back at uni and eaten some magic mushrooms. A veggie eating dog who doesn’t like cheese. Anything else?’

‘Nope, I don’t think so. Unless you count liking jelly babies, but not the orange ones.’ Dario roared with laughter. Mop took one look at him and a sniggering Bryony and walked into the house.

‘Now we’ve upset him.’ Bryony said, once she calmed down. ‘He’ll sulk.’

‘He’s a dog.’

‘A dog with an attitude.’

Dario finished his drink and stood up. ‘Then, I’ll have to let you sort his attitude out. I need to get back. There’s an emergency meeting of the parish council tonight and another to decide what to do about the fete tomorrow at three o’clock. How about we check over the barn tomorrow morning? Finish the pricing, and sort out what else is needed, where we put the refreshments and so on for the evening’s entertainment or whatever we should call it. The bun fight at the O.K. barn maybe? If we get it all sorted, that will lift the resigned and defeatist attitudes.’

‘But the food and drink?’

Well, it was all sorted and provided for by the committee and I was going to bring it down an hour or so before. That might need a bit of a rethink. People had put a lot of money and effort into it, and they can’t be expected to pay for it all over again.’

‘Hmm.’ Bryony had an idea. Whilst she was in London, she’d gone to the solicitors and broached the idea of a grant for good causes. This was about to be its first good cause. ‘I might be able to help. I know a place that helps out in times like this. It might mean a lot of shop bought I guess, but it’s a grant to enable local communities to put on events to better their villages. This comes into their remit.’

‘You know that how?’

She thought fast. ‘I’m on the committee and I got the go ahead when I told everyone last night once Maddie texted me. The fund will give you five hundred pounds to cover your costs. Any more is negotiable. I’ve got the cash.’ She decided it was better that way.

Dario sat back down with a thump. ‘You what?’

‘You heard. Now hold on whilst I get the money, and then you can go and spread the good news.’

‘Er, yeah. Wow.’ He ran his hands through his hair and twiddled his rainbow earring. ‘You gonna come and be thanked?’

‘Go...goodness, no. Nowt to do with me. I’m just a mouthpiece.’ She intended it to stay that way.

‘Fair enough. I’ll merely acknowledge the charity.’

Bryony went indoors and came out with a large brown envelope. ‘There you are.’

Dario took it and turned it over and over in his hands. ‘So, who do we thank?”

Thank goodness she’d thought of that. ‘It’s called Milly’s and it’s done through a solicitor. I’ll hunt out the address tomorrow.’

Dario stared at her through narrowed eyes and finally nodded. ‘Yes please, thank you. We need to decide where to sit the audience, who I have to tell when the punters have snapped up all the tickets and think of the best place for the portaloo. So, around ten? Then after the meeting , maybe dinner at Ode?’

She would love to say yes to it all, but that would be a cop out. Bryony had to see Maddie first. ‘Dinner, yes please, if you can get a table. For the elusive Ms Rook, who I still don’t believe exists? Can we do it later on? I’m not sure I’ll make the meeting either. I want to try and make amends with Maddie, but I must hang around first thing to discover who a mysterious green van driver is. It goes up and down the lane like a yoyo and I’ve never yet seen who drives it. Or who dislikes me enough to try and intimidate me. Mind you, I guess that’s ninety percent of the populace around here. And why this house has something mysterious attached to it, which means everyone wants it.’

Dario sighed. ‘Dinner will be fine, I’ll own up and say I’ve booked with hope. It’s early doors though, because it’s a cancellation. The green van? I’m the driver, sometimes. I borrowed a van from Dex, who uses it when he’s off on a lecture tour with artefacts and stuff. Then he kits it out as a motor home, so he can sleep with his precious bits of pottery. I’m moving all my stuff from my old home but decided to do it myself in dribs and drabs. Keep me fit and all that. I wish I just arranged for a removal company, but I had this misguided idea it would be easier to hire a skip, dump what I didn’t need, move what I do and know where I put it. I, er… have a helper, who I need to give a metaphorical kick up the jacksy for scaring you. Another case of misguided loyalty.’

‘That’s not helpful. Who is it, do I need to look out for him elsewhere and why this house?’ It niggled her to know someone had it in for her and she still had no idea why and who. ‘What sort of misguided loyalty? Is he or she dangerous?’

Dario shook his head. ‘Ronnie Herron. He...’ He broke off and rolled his shoulders in an uneasy gesture. ‘I can’t break confidences, but let’s say, he needs his energies diverted from mischief, bordering on criminal, to something less excessive. I thought driving for me was it. But…’ He sighed. ‘There was a story going about that some land around here was earmarked for social housing. The inference was I’d go for it, and you’d bought the house and stopped it. Hence several local couples not getting to live here, and Ronnie’s attempt at intimidation, which I hoped I’d stopped.’

‘What?’ Bryony was aghast. No wonder they all hated her. ‘Nothing like that was ever mentioned.’

‘I only found out about it by chance. Lottie was sounding off and saying one more reason to...’ he coughed. ‘Well, that’s her. And I’ve had very strong words with her. Let’s hope it’s the end of that crap. Ronnie will be around to apologise.’

‘Eh? Oh goodness, no. No need.’

‘Oh goodness, yes. Every need. He needs to see the results of his behaviour, so don’t let him off too easily.’

Bryony nodded. ‘Fair enough. And Lottie?’ Dario laughed ‘Don’t push your luck. So, where was I? Ah yeah, the red van Dex drives is just that. A van. But the rest? I’m on top of it.’

‘Poor deluded man. You might start out like that but then...’ She shook her head. ‘Ah, you’ll soon see.’

‘I’ve seen, and it’s never ending. How can one bloke have so much stuff? It must be if there’s a space, fill it.’

‘Or the old man-thing, it might come in handy one day.’

‘Enough of the old man bit. I’m in the prime of my life.’ He put his hand to the base of his spine and groaned in an over the top way. ‘Allegedly.’

‘Are you moving out of the vicarage?’ She knew Maddie had told her he wasn’t in the vicarage, but for some strange reason she wanted to hear him say it.

‘Men don’t do the handy thing. We conserve and… okay yeah, guilty as charged. And it’s not out of the vicarage. I was only covering here for a couple weeks. I’ve kept most of my stuff in the apartment over the old coach house at Maddie’s ever since we split. Dex’s parents are moving in soon, so I needed to clear it. I found stuff I forgot I even had. And to be honest, I’d never lived there for more than the odd night at a time until recently. I was a lecturer at uni.’ He grinned. ‘My last lay reader post was there. That was after Maddie.’

‘You know I can’t imagine Maddie as a vicary type person’s wife.’ Bryony smiled. ‘She calls a spade a spade.’

‘Not many people could but she was a darned good one. Evidently her chicken soup was famous far and wide, and the way she organised the Sunday school was second to none. Her spade was definitely a bloody shovel, but everyone adored her. She’s a lovely lady. We just weren’t a darned good couple.’

‘That I understand, but why, did you want to buy this when you have what— that farm house you wouldn’t let us walk close to?’

He nodded. ‘Greenfields. I didn’t want to have to go into explanations then.’

About what? ‘So, why want this?’ That was the question Bryony really wanted to know. ‘It’s lovely but not a patch size-wise on the farmhouse.’

‘The farmhouse is rented from Mads and Dex. They won’t charge me a proper rent and it seems wrong. Plus, of course it’s time I became a home owner. Cliff Cottage was in my family years ago. It seemed a good idea to buy it back.’

His explanation was plausible… but some things just didn’t ring true. After all, he’d admitted his rental property didn’t come with a fixed term, and as it was part of the big house estate, he was unlikely to be kicked out. Still, Bryony made the grown up decision to let bygones be bygones.

Her next task would be to apologise to Maddie. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be as easy as saying sorry to Dario had been.

Bryony went to bed in a pensive mood.

Maddie lived up to the mad part of her name. She scowled when she answered the door to Bryony just after ten o’clock the next morning. ‘Oh my. Look what the cat’s dragged in.’ Sookie glanced out of a doorway from down the corridor and sat to watch what might happen. She evidently wasn’t impressed either.

The sky was overcast, the walls of the house appeared dark and dismal, and the atmosphere matched the expression on Maddie’s face. Not a good start. Bryony waited.

‘No dog?’ Maddie asked. ‘Do you think I’ll corrupt him or something?’

Mop, to his disgust, was once more in the only room he didn’t seem inclined to escape from. Bryony’s bedroom. That had annoyed the cats, who saw it as their private domain. He howled as she left the house. It would have worried her except she knew from past experience he stopped as soon as her footsteps—or car—went out of hearing and started as he heard them again. She and Maisie had tested that out on more than one occasion, and Mrs Tennyson had confirmed it. He was, Mrs T said, a great big scammer.

A few fat raindrops plopped on her cheeks and Bryony shook her head. Damn was she going to be left on the doorstep and have to retrace her steps? In the rain? That was all she needed. Squelching feet and frizzy hair. ‘Nope, don’t talk daft. But sorry and all that, it’s just me. At least Sookie won’t need to go and hide in the utility room like you seem about ready to. Please can I come in?’

Bryony had chosen the time carefully. She wanted to give Maddie the chance to get the children to school, return home and tidy up, have at least one mug of coffee and hopefully be ready to listen to Bryony’s explanation and apology. Then, with a bit of luck and not too much grovelling, move on to the catastrophe of the flood. She hadn’t expected Maddie to fall on her with gratitude but had hoped for a warmer reception. By the expression on Maddie’s face it might not be easy to get. Bryony wiped her damp palms on her skirt as Maddie shrugged and took a step back.

‘Why not? As you can find time to visit.’

Oops.

‘I only got back last night, I saw Dario, not because I hunted him out but because he was passing by.’ Why the hell was she so damned defensive? ‘I chose not to disturb you during what I assume is family time. That’s why I’m here now.’

‘Not to disturb family time?’ Maddie turned her back on Bryony and began to walk down the long echoing corridor towards the kitchen. Bryony followed her. At least, it would be warmer in there than the welcome she’d got.

‘No, you sod, to apologise for my arsiness,’ Bryony shouted, fed up with it all. ‘And help you sort out the festival. But hey, why should I bother? You’re no better.’

Maddie stopped dead. Turned on her heels and put her hands on her hips. ‘No?’

‘No.’ Bryony matched Maddie’s stance and jutted her chin out.

‘Who says?’ Maddie struck an aggressive model’s pose.

‘I say.’ Bryony responded, with her chest out.

‘Yeah, talk is easy.’ Maddie looked at Bryony’s boobs and snorted. ‘That’s cheating.’

‘You reckon?’ Bryony smothered a laugh. ‘So is a model’s pose.’

‘You reckon?’ Maddie frowned. ‘Boobs are the unfair advantage. Cheating. Too easy.’

‘It’s not. It’s bloody hard.’

‘Tough.’

Were they going to go on like a pair of kids and end up with hair pulling and sticking their tongues out? The memories of boiled cabbage, old glue, chemistry experiments gone wrong and sweaty plimsoll clad feet almost made her grin. The swats around the legs with the whiteboard pointer didn’t. Against the law or not, the school she went to could be very creative in its punishments.

‘Good grief, listen to us.’ Bryony rolled her eyes. ‘Blimey, you’d think we were snotty teenagers arguing over who’s got the best bum or something.’

‘That’s easy.’ Maddie struck her posterior out and waggled it. ‘You have the boobs, I have the bum. As long as you discount Kylie Minogue. Oh, and our lovely Michael F. He can fast bend me over any time.’

‘Madalena Monk, bending over for a film blokie. What would Dex say?’

Maddie grinned. ‘Give him more time to do the garden?’

They both burst out laughing.

‘Oh, Maddie I am so, so, sorry.’ Bryony hoped she sounded as remorseful as she felt. ‘I know I over reacted and went off in a huff like one of those arsy school kids. But… nope no buts. Well except Michael’s.’

Sookie gave them a look of disgust and stalked off.

‘Oh yeah def. Keep his.’ Maddie walked back and pulled Bryony into a big hug. ‘Lord, I missed you. We might not have known each other long, but you know sometimes you just click and realise you’ve made a friend? That was us, and I was so flipping mad. With me and Dario as well as you. We all mucked up.’

‘Me most of all?’

Maddie tilted her head to one side. She reminded Bryony of the robin that hung around Cliff Cottage garden. ‘Hmm. I’ll be generous and let you have it.’

‘Gee, thanks.’ Bryony giggled, happy it seemed that they were friends again. ‘Isn’t it so easy to get things so wrong?’ She followed Maddie into the kitchen. The warmest lightest room in the old gloomy house, it oozed comfort and welcome. Sookie jumped down from a chair and sniffed Bryony’s ankles. Satisfied there was no Mop about she curled up in front of the Aga and went to sleep. Bryony plonked her bum on an old rattan chair that had seen better days and manoeuvred the cushion seat, so no sharp edges scratched her. ‘I mean, I was all indignant, and woe is me, but I think if I’d actually thought about it rationally, I might have had the sense to ask why no one told me, in a cool, calm and collected manner.’ She paused. ‘Ah nope, that’s a lie. I would have over reacted anyway.’ She kicked off her sandals and put her feet on the rung of the adjacent chair. ‘Over reaction is today’s way of stamping my feet.’

‘Tell me about it. Oh, not with regards to you. I had lovely Lottie the Leech around and stating in her usual aggressive manner that I was ruining Dario’s life all over again because I’d chucked him out. Who the hell is she to give me grief? Anyone would think he was an old carpet or something. Bloody hell, overreaction central. And I did not chuck. He offered. Not that she’d listen. We all agreed that five years in your ex’s garage, so to speak, was long enough. You think she’d be happy he was, and I quote, “out of my clutches”. And Dex’s parents, bless their little cotton socks, would go crazy with the kids in their faces all the time. Luckily, it’s only temporary, until their new house is finished. They’re downsizing and even though this might be a big house, it’s not big enough these days for three generations when only half of it is habitable.’ The coffee pot gurgled to a stop and she made the drinks. ‘The roof, you know.’

Bryony didn’t know. She took the mug offered to her. ‘All of it?’

Maddie shrugged. ‘A good half. Holes, leaks, and well more holes. My poor Pa and the financial crash. I know he felt bad, but there’s no point in harping on about it. He did what he thought was best to ensure the family fortunes, and it didn’t, just the opposite. Ma was a trouper and went into the Dunkirk spirit, or so I reckon. Even so, it was a bad few years, and it’s not over yet. But that’s life. Got the t-shirts already. End of. So yes, we might just say enough is enough and sell. We’ve had an offer from a hotel chain, a good and fair one, subject to all those ‘if this and as long as that’ stuff is as they want. Dex says it’s up to me. I’ve got until the end of September to decide, but between you and me and Dex?’

Bryony nodded. ‘Cross my heart and all that stuff.’

‘I reckon we’ll sell and find somewhere smaller in the area. With effective central heating, a family room we don’t have to shout across to be heard, and pretty please, a power shower. The trickle we get is piss poor. Dario, of course, says he’ll move out of Greenfields, so we can go there, but he’s had enough upheavals without that.’ She passed a packet of Rich Tea biscuits towards Bryony. ‘Gluten free.’

Bryony nodded her thanks as she opened the packet. ‘So, you’re out a few thou?’

Maddie snorted. ‘Times a few more. It’s an old house. Listed and all that gumph. We’d either need to match the slates or do all the roof. Anyway, we’re getting it patched for now. Like darning it, not throwing it away and buying a new one. Thank goodness I’m not at that stage anywhere else. I can’t darn for toffee. As long as it stops us from waking up in a wet bed. We’ve all passed the bed wetting stage.’

It didn’t seem fair really, Bryony thought, as she grinned at the picture Maddie painted. ‘Won’t the hotel people do that?’

‘Can’t wait that long,’ Maddie said frankly. ‘Be ready to see the scaffolding next week, and me doing the housewifery bit, and no doubt running out of tea bags to keep Len, Don, and Billy-Mac hydrated. Anyway, we sort of intimated the roof wasn’t as bad as it is and …’ she trailed off and made a funny face. ‘They haven’t done the big, big survey yet. So, it’s tighten our belts, and well… as long as the horses can stay. Just suck it up. They are non negotiable.’

Bryony nodded. She had the money but understood Maddie wouldn’t accept it as a gift or a loan. ‘Are you devastated about the thought you might have to move?’

Maddie looked at her over the top of her mug. ‘Honestly? I don’t mind. This is big, barnlike, and until Pa’s dad popped his clogs, we lived in a nice, warm all modern conveniences bungalow in Great Brindish. We’ve almost decided we will sell and…once… well once we get Mum and Dad back up north, and Da… decide where.’

Da? Dario? ‘Not away? That would be just my luck. New friend, moved away friend.’

Maddie looked embarrassed. She fidgeted in her chair and turned her coffee mug around in circles.

‘Okay.’ Bryony pointed her finger at Maddie’s face and noticed her nail varnish was chipped. When was the last time she’d had them done? At least a month before. The wary expression on Maddie’s face brought Bryony back to the present, and what she’d been about to say. ‘You look shifty. Tell me. What else don’t I know? Apart from the Mysterious Ms Rook, of course, but that’s secondary now after the village hall catastrophe. Which we need to talk about before this meeting.’

‘Dario said about the charity. That’s fab news. I can now sleep easy. Well easy-ish.’ Maddie bit her lip.

‘Come on Maddie, I thought we were past stuff that others know, and I don’t. Share if it’s not a secret time.’ Although wasn’t she being as secretive as Maddie? But how did you slip ‘oh by the way I’m a millionaire’ into a conversation and not sound up yourself?

‘Well, people in the village might not know but I bet they have a good idea. Dario put an offer in for your cottage and had it accepted.’

That wasn’t news. ‘I heard that, and that social housing was supposed to be built somewhere, but what’s that got to do with anything? Whatever Dario thought it was still on the market when I put my offer in and bought it. I told him.’

Maddie sighed. ‘I know. Someone somewhere made a monumental mess. Anyway, he was going to have Cliff Cottage and once Dex’s parents moved back home, we…’

It all made sense now. Horrible gut churning, oh Lord, sense. ‘Were going to have the farmhouse?’

‘Yeah.’ Maddie’s lips trembled, and she took a deep breath. ‘It’s not your fault.’

‘Shit.’ But a cash buyer over one who needed a mortgage might have helped to sway it. No wonder he’d been arsy then reticent. Hold on I don’t even know if he was going to buy it with a mortgage. Stop getting my knickers in a twist over something that might not even be the reason.

‘Yeah. Ah well, can’t be helped something will come up.’ Maddie smiled. A bit forced, but still a smile. ‘I can feel it in my waters. And very funny that can feel on occasion, I can tell you.’

‘Lady pad time?’

Maddie stuck her tongue out. ‘Ha, cheek. Not yet. Now how about some more coffee and we’ll finish putting the world to rights before we go to this damned meeting and you go and help Dario with the books.’

‘You make me sound like an accountant—a crooked one at that. Hold on, how did you know about me meeting Dario later?’

Maddie grinned. ‘I cannot tell a lie.’ She crossed her fingers and raised her eyebrows in a very exaggerated manner. ‘Not here and now about this, anyway. I retain the right to lie about how much chocolate I’ve eaten when Dex cross examines me, or the kids complain I ate all the brownies, and I insist they were stale, so I gave them to the poor starving birdies.’

‘You don’t.’

‘What give them to the birds or tell the kids that? Either or, depending on how hungry I am and how stale they are. The brownies not the kids. But on this I’ll do cross my heart and hope to die if I lie truthful. Dario rang me to make sure I would be in. He thought I might have been out on Tiny otherwise.’

‘Tiny’s loss is my gain then. Where’s that coffee?’