33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
‘ H appy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you.’
As Bertie walked into the dining room carrying his home-made cake, Harry burst into tears. Bertie laid the cake down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her neck.
‘I’m sorry for making you cry.’
Harry laughed, brushed her tears away and kissed Bertie’s cheek. ‘These are happy tears, Bertie, not sad ones.’
‘You cry when you’re happy?’
‘Yes,’ said Harry, ‘all the time.’
‘Weird.’
Harry laughed again and blew out her candles to cheers from her friends.
‘Can we do presents now?’ asked Bertie, impatient to get to what he considered the most important part of the celebrations.
‘Go on then. Who’s going to go first?’
‘Me,’ said Bertie. He took a parcel wrapped in tissue paper from my bag and handed it to Harry. ‘I made it myself.’
‘You did?’
Bertie nodded, pushing back his shoulders and puffing his chest out in pride. Harry carefully peeled back pink tissue paper to reveal a misshapen clay pot with primary-coloured flowers painted around its sides.
‘Wow, I love it!’
‘Mrs Grange said these pots can be used for all sorts of tat.’
‘She said that?’ asked Harry, trying not to chuckle.
‘Yes, well, actually she said crap, but then changed it to tat, thinking we hadn’t noticed, but we all did. There’s a hole in the bottom so you can’t use it for cereal.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind.’
‘Shall I go next?’ I asked. Harry nodded, and I pulled a squishy parcel from my bag, wrapped in the same pink tissue paper as Bertie’s.
When Harry opened the knitting set with extra large needles and unusually thick wool, she grinned. ‘Are you trying to tell me something about my knitting skills?’
‘No, but I thought thicker wool might help disguise some holes.’
Harry reached across and gave a good-natured punch on my arm.
‘There’s something else in there,’ I said, helping Harry find a small package hidden among the tissue paper. Harry unwrapped two delicate silver earrings shaped like a woman about to dive into the water. ‘I couldn’t find any naked swimmers,’ I said as she hugged me.
Pat gave Harry a beautiful hard-back copy of Persuasion , its pink-fabric cover home to an intricate gold-leaf design. Stephan handed over a bottle of expensive wine, and Maggie produced a shoebox filled with treats ranging from dark chocolate to scented candles. ‘To give you a chance to look after yourself,’ Maggie explained.
Despite leaving two weeks previously, Elaine and Christine had left a package for Harry containing more wine, a book about walking the coast path, and a guide to Cornish wild swimming spots.
‘My turn,’ said Seb. He left the room and returned with a large square object.
Harry opened Seb’s package to reveal a beautiful oil painting of the lake. The artist had captured the multitude of greens and the way the light hit the water perfectly.
‘I know you see the lake all the time, but I thought this would be a nice addition to your living room.’
‘I love it,’ said Harry, bursting into tears again. ‘Who painted it?’
‘The planning officer from the council.’
‘What?’ Harry stopped crying, her mouth wide with shock.
‘Yes, he was admiring the lake and mentioned he paints as a hobby. I asked if he took commissions. It was a bit of a risk. He may have been an awful painter, but I thought it would sweeten him up a bit and thankfully, the risk paid off.’
‘It certainly did,’ said Harry. ‘Thank you, everyone. I was dreading turning thirty, but you’ve made it so special. Are you sure you boys don’t mind if us girls leave you at home tonight?’
‘Of course not,’ said Stephan. ‘I, for one, would rather have a quiet night with a beer and a film. We’re looking forward to our boys’ night, aren’t we, Bertie?’
Bertie nodded, unable to speak due to the large slice of cake he’d shoved in his mouth.
‘Yes, I’d rather stay here too,’ said Pat. ‘An evening with Big-mouthed-Beryl isn’t my idea of fun.’
‘I’ll tell her you said that,’ said Bertie with a grin.
‘Can I bribe you with a second slice of cake to keep your mouth shut?’
Bertie nodded, and Pat ruffled his hair.
‘Come on then, ladies, let’s get going.’
We said our goodbyes to the men, and headed into the night, Maggie linking arms with me and Harry, excited at the thought of a night out. I no longer worried about leaving Bertie. The residents of Lowen Farm had become as good as family, and it was important for Bertie to have such lovely male role models in his life. He was due to spend his first night with Rob the following weekend. I was dreading it as much as Bertie, though I kept my feelings hidden.
The pub was quiet when we arrived, few people heading out on a weekday evening. Aside from our group and a couple of local farmers, the only other drinker was a man I’d not seen before. In his dark jacket and tight black jeans, he looked like he’d be more at home in a city wine bar.
Beryl waved us over to a table in the corner. Beside her sat Mrs Grange, and a pretty redhead I’d not met before.
‘Happy birthday!’ they chorused as Harry walked over.
‘Thank you,’ she said, hugging each in turn. ‘Liv, I don’t think you’ve met Zoe. Zoe’s local gentry.’
‘Oi, don’t introduce me like that. Nice to meet you, Liv. I actually live in a little cottage in the village, but my parents live at Crow Hall, which backs onto Harry’s land. I’ve known Harry all my life.’
‘Lovely to meet you. Hello, Beryl, hello Mrs Grange.’
‘Good God, don’t be calling me Mrs Grange all evening, it will put me off my beer. Mel, please, we’re not at school now.’
I laughed and went to the bar to get the first round. As I ordered our drinks, I felt like I was being watched. I looked behind me and saw the black-clad man had his eyes boring into my back. He gave a slight jerk and turned his eyes back to the phone in his hand. The way he’d been looking at me sent shivers down my spine, but not the shivers Seb created. His lips had been drawn into a snarl, but given I’d never met him, I couldn’t think what I could have done to offend him.
‘Does anyone know that man over there?’ I asked the others, setting the tray of drinks on the table. ‘No, stop staring. Try to be discreet.’
There was nothing discreet about my friends as they craned their necks to see who I was talking about. They all agreed they’d never seen him before, and he definitely wasn’t a local.
‘He probably fancies you,’ said Maggie. ‘Take it as a compliment.’
‘Maybe.’
Beryl began discussing the latest shop gossip in a voice that was both hushed and dramatic all at once. As she told us about Mavis’s neighbours who since the weather warmed had moved their night time gymnastics into the garden, we forgot all about the dodgy man and his cold stare.
‘ Naturists , they call themselves,’ said Beryl. ‘I thought Sir David Attenborough was one of those, but according to Mavis, I’m getting muddled again. It seems the only nature Mavis’ neighbours are interested in is the human kind.’
‘I think I need another drink,’ said Mel.
I offered to help her carry the drinks, and as we walked to the bar, I noticed the dodgy man had gone and only an empty pint glass showed he’d ever been there.
It was after the fifth round of drinks that events took a turn for the worse, or better, depending on your opinion. Harry announced her birthday wish was to go skinny dipping in the lake with her friends.
‘God no,’ I said. ‘Have you any idea how cold it will be at this time of night? Not to mention the fact Pat might see us out of his window.’
‘It will be nothing he hasn’t seen before,’ said Harry.
‘In your case, maybe. Not for the rest of us.’
‘I’m up for it,’ said Zoe.
‘Me too,’ said Maggie, throwing her remaining wine down her neck.
‘Well, if you’re all game, so am I,’ said Mel, ‘but absolutely no photography, or phones, for that matter. The last thing the local headteacher needs is photos of her naked carcass being spread around the village.’
‘I think I’ll have to give it a miss,’ said Beryl, her words slightly slurred. ‘It’s not the skinny dipping I object to, but the walk to the lake. My legs couldn’t take it, not after five G and Ts.’
‘I’d better give it a miss too,’ I said. ‘I should get back to Bertie.’
‘Bertie? He’s got three very capable men looking after him. No, you’re coming with us.’
Harry grabbed hold of my wrist, pulling me out of my seat and towards the door. It looked like I had no choice in the matter.