55. Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Five
‘ W ow, this is quite the gathering!’ The dining room was bursting at the seams. As well as the residents of Lowen Farm, we were joined by Beryl, Mel, and Zoe, who rushed to greet us with open arms.
‘Oh, maid, it’s good to have you back,’ said Beryl. ‘I’ve been storing up so much of the customers’ news to tell you I feel like I may burst. You can start back at work on Monday, can’t you?’
I disentangled myself from Beryl’s arms and laughed. ‘That depends. Do you have the latest gossip on Mavis’s naughty neighbours?’
‘Do I heck!’
‘Then yes, you’ll be seeing me bright and early on Monday morning.’
Mel had bent down to talk to Bertie and was engaged in what looked like a serious conversation.
‘Good,’ she said, standing with her hands on her hips. ‘Bertie tells me he’s been keeping up his cornet practice, which is fortunate as we’re working on a very special piece for the grand fundraiser and need him up to scratch.’
‘Hello again,’ I said, sitting down opposite Michael and Carly. ‘Those windows are looking good.’
‘Thank you,’ said Michael with a wide smile.
I thought arriving home to new residents would feel strange, but Michael and Carly seemed to slot in just as well as Andrea and Christine had all those months earlier. In fact, it felt good not to be the newbies, a sentiment Bertie seemed to share as he gave a monologue on animal care like he’d never been away.
With so many dinner guests, there wasn’t much room around the table, and a shiver of nerves went through me as my leg pressed against Seb’s. We hadn’t yet talked about where things stood between us, and I was itching to get the conversation out of the way. Part of me suspected he’d struggle to take me back after all that had happened, but there was a kernel of hope deep inside me I couldn’t ignore however hard I tried.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ said Pat, making us all laugh as he appeared in the doorway wearing a chef’s hat. ‘Dinner is served.’
Pat and Harry came out carrying trays of pizza.
‘My favourite,’ said Bertie.
‘I know,’ said Pat. ‘That’s why I moved my cooking night forward by a day. I wanted to welcome you back properly.’
Bertie climbed off his chair, walked around to Pat and gave him a big squeeze. As Bertie released him and walked back to his chair, I noticed Pat pull a handkerchief from his pocket and dab his eyes.
‘It’s so good to have you back,’ said Maggie. ‘The place hasn’t been the same without you.’
‘And our boys’ nights have been extremely dull,’ said Stephan.
‘Can we have a boys’ night next weekend?’ asked Bertie. ‘I want to watch Spider-Man .’
‘Sounds wonderful,’ said Pat.
‘Count me in,’ said Stephan.
‘My favourite film,’ said Seb, giving Bertie a fist bump. ‘Michael, are you up for a boys’ night?’
‘If it involves Spider-Man , just try stopping me.’
‘What is it you do, Carly, if you don’t mind me asking?’
‘I’m an accountant,’ she said with something between a smile and a grimace. ‘Not the most glamorous profession, I know.’
‘I’ve recently left a job as a toilet cleaner,’ I said. ‘Accountant sounds wildly glamorous by comparison, and your skills will come in useful here.’
‘Carly’s already offered her services,’ said Harry. ‘She’ll make an excellent addition to the Lowen Farm team.’
Carly’s smile spread wider as she looked across at Harry.
Sitting around the table enjoying the busy hum of conversation, it felt as though we had never left. Beside me, Seb reached under the table and squeezed my hand. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt so happy or relieved.
‘Back in your happy place?’ he whispered.
‘Yes, I think I am,’ I said, tears of relief filling my eyes.
After dinner I was looking forward to a quiet evening settling into our new home, but it took a lengthy game of chess before I could prise Bertie away. By the time we reached the cabin, the excitement of the day had caught up with him and after giving him a piggyback from the car to the cabin, Bertie fell into bed and was asleep in seconds.
I took my glass of wine out on the deck and lit one of the paraffin lamps Pat had left behind for me. Within seconds, an influx of fluttering moths dulled the lamp’s light. I lit a citronella candle as a precaution against mosquitoes and pulled a blanket across my legs. Beyond the deck, the lake lay still, like an emerald, its smooth surface caught by the light of a waning moon.
‘Do you mind if I join you?’
I jumped as Seb stepped out of the darkness. ‘Sorry, you scared me.’
‘If you’d rather be alone, that’s no problem.’
‘No, of course not. Take a seat. I’ll get you a drink.’
‘How does it feel to be back?’ asked Seb, as I handed him a glass of wine.
‘Amazing. Leaving here was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Coming back is a dream come true, not to mention the bonus of living in Pat’s cabin.’
‘Well, I for one am happy we’re neighbours.’
‘You are?’
‘Yes.’ Seb reached over and clinked his glass against mine. ‘Cheers.’
‘I thought you might hate me after I left the way I did.’
‘Hate you?’ Seb laughed. ‘I could never hate you, Liv.’
‘We should probably talk about us.’
Seb took a sip of his wine. ‘Yes, we probably should.’
Between us, a silence developed, interrupted only by the beating wings of insects and the gentle lap of water against stone. It became a battle of wills, who would break first. Inevitably, it was me. ‘I understand if you’d rather just be friends.’
‘Hmm.’
‘I wouldn’t blame you after the way I behaved.’
‘Right.’
‘And of course, being in a relationship could be complicated given we’re now neighbours.’
‘Yes.’
‘And then there’s Bertie to think about. Although he’s taken to Nicola amazingly well, and at least we know he already likes you.’
‘Liv?’
‘Yes?’
‘Stop talking.’ Seb got up from his chair, took my wine glass from me, and placed it on the table. He took my hands, pulling me up from my chair. He moved my hands around his neck and placed his own around my waist. ‘Dance with me.’
‘What?’
‘Dance with me.’
‘But there’s no music.’
‘There is. Listen.’ He rocked me back and forth to the rhythm of the lapping waves, the call of a fox, the song of an owl deep in the forest. The rowing boat played out a slow, soft bass line as it brushed against the jetty.
‘Mum!’
I stepped back from Seb and turned my attention to the cabin. ‘Bertie? Are you OK?’
‘It’s so dark in here. Can you turn the light on?’
‘You’d better go,’ said Seb. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. ‘In answer to your question about us. Of course there’s an us, there’s always been an us. But let’s take things slow. You’ve been through some massive upheavals in the past few months and probably need time to process it all. But for now, go and see to your son. You know where I am if you ever need me.’ Seb kissed me again, then climbed down from the deck and disappeared into the night.
‘Coming, Bertie,’ I said, blowing a kiss in Seb’s direction before closing the cabin door.