Chapter Thirty-three
Sunday morning arrived. It had been such a crazy weekend so far, and now was the last hurdle before she could properly relax.
With Sam and all their possessions squashed in her car (there wasn’t much to take, Matt was leaving the cottage furnished and the furniture at the farm belonged there) she drove away, noting how happy she was to be doing so.
She had said her goodbyes to her mum so long ago now that she didn’t feel any guilt at moving on; she was more than ready to embrace her future.
A future with her and Sam sharing their little house and it just being the two of them – her dream since his conception had been this, she just hadn’t expected it to take so long.
She drove down the hill and through the lanes from Lovage Farm into Penmenna as she and Sam sang loudly to the radio. Thankfully he no longer insisted on having ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ on a constant loop. A couple of months in school and he was a much more sophisticated being.
The village felt like it was singing to her as she drove through…
‘You’re coming home…’ to the tune of the old football song, which was ridiculous because Lovage Farm had always been her home, rather than the village itself.
She swung around the corner past the old granite school, empty on a Sunday, and then past the church where the last of the congregation were heading out into the graveyard, the vicar shaking everyone’s hand.
Alice was there and spotted their car as it dawdled past – with the narrow streets you were limited as to how fast you could go – and Sylvie saw her wave her hand and mouth something at her. She assumed it was, ‘See you in a bit.’
Alice from school, the teaching assistant for the terrifying Mrs Adams, was one of a whole army who had offered to help move Sylvie’s stuff, but despite Sylvie’s insistence that it was unnecessary they had all stuck firm and planned to meet her at the cottage later because they claimed it was still a huge job and many hands make light work.
They passed the butcher’s, also shut on Sundays, and the village shop that seemed to always be open these days. Not like when Sylvie had been a child and it only opened in the mornings and the queue was around the block as everyone stopped to chat as much as pick up groceries.
The beach still had people meandering down across the sands; it was a sunny day and ridiculously warm for November.
Locals were locals, and as such would head to the beach at all times of the year.
With two cars in front of her stopped at the intersection and having a chat she was able to see all across Penmenna Sands.
Dogs were allowed on once the summer season had passed and not only could she see numerous dog owners and their pets, she could also see that Marion was one of them and being pulled along by her puppy, clearly as headstrong as the entire family.
They looked rather like a comedic before shot for a before-and-after dog-training class.
‘Is that Mrs Marksharp from school?’
‘Yes, looks like.’
‘For someone who is so bossy, her dog isn’t being very good.’
In fact the Weimaraner was now haring after a smaller dog and dragging Marion across the sands at speed.
Sylvie wondered if she should help, but how she wasn’t entirely sure.
At that point, and only because of some frantic beeping from a car behind her, presumably an out-of-towner, the cars ahead went their separate ways and she could drive on.
Around the corner, over a little bridge, past some fisherman’s cottages and there was her own new home.
The two cottages sat in front of her. Rosy’s she assumed was the one with a car on the drive and a little walled garden all around and Matt’s, the one soon to be hers, was the one without the wall and an empty driveway.
She drove up onto it and got out of the car.
Should she go next door and ask for the key, or would they be in the house waiting for her?
Maybe she should just try the door first.
Sam had no such qualms and jumped out of the car, raced to the door and wrenched it open, upon which there came a great big shout of, ‘Surprise!’ and there were Rosy and Matt, Alex and Ellie, Pippa from Class One and two tall blonds who she didn’t know, one male with a huge welcoming smile on his face and a woman who was yawning whilst staring at her phone at the same time.
She was dripping silk and effortless glamour and had the most complicated hair of anyone Sylvie had ever met – and that included the swans from Swan Lake.
How on earth did she manage that on a daily basis?
Oh my goodness, could this be the woman who had attacked Mary Berry?
And she was in her house. That was hilarious.
‘Hello. We know you didn’t need any help but we wanted to support you anyway.’
‘Yep,’ said Matt as his dog raced out of the hallway and bounced so high up Sam’s legs that the look on the small boy’s face was priceless.
‘Plus, we figured you’d need the keys, so here you go, and then you can choose whether to chuck us all out while you unpack and we would sod off next door or we could help you and then crack open a bottle or two to celebrate. ’
‘Let’s do that then. I didn’t agree to unpacking, for Christ’s sake.’ The glamorous blonde spoke, already halfway out the door and still staring at her phone.
‘Angelina!’ the tall, very clean, Viking-looking man said, in tandem with Ellie who was looking at the blonde in dismay. Ellie continued, ‘Sylvie is nice and we should help her. I think that was rude. It was rude, wasn’t it, Sam?’
Sam nodded sagely and gave her a broad beam which Sylvie noticed made Alex look very pleased indeed. Pippa gave Ellie a thumbs-up.
‘Wow, really!’ Angelina looked at her little friend with surprise tinged with disappointment but she did turn around again and come back to the others, although very dramatically yawning once more as she did so.
‘Yep, you’ve just been called out by a five-year-old.’ Matt went to high-five Ellie, who leapt up, cornrows and all, to tap his hand. ‘Well done, that girl. I’ve been trying to teach my sister some manners her whole life and failed.’
‘You’re such a drama queen.’ Angelina smiled back at her brother.
‘Right, watch this. Hello, I’m Angelina.
’ She came in and double air-kissed Sylvie’s cheek.
‘I’m Matt’s sister and I used to live here too.
Welcome to the neighbourhood. I’m sure you’ll love it.
’ The words were drawled out with such boredom at their mundanity that Sylvie couldn’t help but smile.
‘Is that the sort of thing I’m supposed to say?
That’s what she said when we moved in and we all know she’s the patron saint of all that’s good and holy.
’ Angelina gestured in Rosy’s direction.
‘Actually, Ange, you never lived here, you just visited and didn’t leave until you met Chase if I remember correctly and even then you didn’t say anything, just disappeared.
Although I’m ever thankful.’ Matt nodded at Chase.
‘And stop having a go, no one thinks you’re funny, just rude, and you’re supposed to be trying extra hard at the moment, if I remember correctly. ’
‘Hello, you two, I’ve made you a welcome cake, it’s on the side.
I went for carrot cake, I think it was just because I assumed ballerinas didn’t eat chocolate, but now I realize that’s a bit daft.
I’m happy to make a chocolate one if you prefer.
’ Rosy motioned to the most delicious-looking cake on the side topped with little carrots that looked like they had been made out of marzipan, whilst Angelina made a gagging noise until both Sam and Ellie gave her very hard stares à la Paddington Bear.
Pippa, upon seeing the children, started to laugh.
‘No, that’s OK, we love carrot cake,’ Ellie stepped in. ‘This is going to be my home-home now. Our house is home. Chase’s used to be home-home but this is now, which means Chase and Angelina’s will be home-home-home.’
‘Oh, OK.’ Sylvie was a bit blown away by this welcome.
There seemed a lot of people and they were all being so nice.
‘I don’t know how to thank you for such a welcome.
Let’s get the stuff out of the car and popped in the rooms and then I guess we can open a bottle or two and have some cake.
Ooh, here’s Tom with the last of the stuff, ooh and Alice behind him – has she brought the vicar? ’