Chapter 20 #2
Gemma savoured the next few bites. It hadn’t been flattery; Vicky could bake a seriously good cake. The only trouble was they didn’t last nearly long enough. She sighed as she downed her coffee and popped the last sticky morsel of bun in her mouth. Time to get going.
Her phone pinged as she got back in her car and she fumbled to pull it from her pocket while doing up her seat belt at the same time. It was probably from Willow, with a request for something she’d forgotten. But it wasn’t from Willow, it was from Cat.
Can’t talk now, got a meeting to run to. But ring me later this afternoon. After three – v important! X
She frowned at the screen. Cat never usually asked her to call, especially not when she was at work. She definitely preferred messages over conversations and could text faster than anyone Gemma knew. She hoped everything was okay.
Dropping her phone into the cubbyhole by the handbrake, Gemma checked her mirrors before pulling away from the kerb.
She’d be back at the farm this afternoon, and would try to call Cat then.
She very much doubted she’d have any signal, but she could try.
She paused at the junction waiting for a small van to pass and, as it drew level, she realised that Ashley was in the passenger seat.
She raised a hand to wave, but it was too late, they’d already flashed past. She wrinkled her nose.
Another reminder that the garden was also something Gemma would need to think about.
The library had only just opened when she arrived, but she was pleased to see Hannah behind the desk. She had a pile of books to return and among them was the book about Flora’s garden. She had renewed it the maximum number of times she was allowed, and today was the last day she could keep it.
She slid the books onto the counter, with the gardening book uppermost. ‘I’m sorry I have to bring this back, but here you go. Time for someone else to have the benefit of it.’
Hannah smiled. ‘The sad thing is, probably no one will. I imagine before you requested it, it had sat on the archive shelves gathering dust for quite some time. And I’m guessing that’ll be where it’s going back to. It’s been useful, though, has it?’
‘It’s been the key which unlocked everything.
I can’t thank you enough for getting hold of it in the first place.
Without it we’d have been clueless.’ She stroked a hand across the cover.
‘We would possibly have found the location of the garden without it, but we would never be able to restore it to its former glory without the secrets this holds.’
Hannah gave her a quizzical look. ‘You don’t look very happy about it though.’
‘No…’ Gemma was surprised by the librarian’s astuteness.
‘I was so excited on the day I collected this. I had a feeling it would turn out to be something of a good luck charm – a sign that we were meant to find the garden and bring it back to life. Trouble is, I’m not sure we can carry on with its restoration.
I didn’t think I was particularly superstitious, but in my head it feels as if once I’ve returned this, it’ll be the end of the garden too.
I know that sounds stupid, but it’s one of those thoughts which, once they pop into your head, there’s no getting rid of. ’
‘But why won’t you be able to finish the restoration? Has something happened?’
Gemma shook her head. ‘It’s just circumstance.
At the moment, much of what we’re doing in the garden isn’t costing us anything aside from our labour.
But very soon we’ll need to start repairing things and eventually replanting, and all of that could prove to be very expensive.
It’s money the owners of the farm don’t have.
The original garden would have been quite an attraction in its day, and we were hoping we could create a replica of it, bring a little bit of history back to life.
I think we all got a bit excited. I got a bit excited. I didn’t really think it through.’
Hannah’s face fell. ‘I’m sure you’ll think of something,’ she said. ‘Don’t give up. Even if it’s not quite like the original, it can still be beautiful.’
‘I know. But even that could cost a fortune.’
‘Is Ashley still helping you out?’
‘Yes, but she volunteers, so that isn’t a problem. I’ve just seen her actually. She passed me on the road, in a van.’
‘It’ll be her husband’s,’ replied Hannah. ‘They’re probably going off to inspect one of their gazillion properties.’
Gemma nodded automatically but then checked herself. ‘Sorry, gazillion properties?’
‘Okay, so I might be exaggerating just a tad, but yes, that’s what they do.
Well, what she does anyway.’ She slid a glance along the counter.
‘I’ve always thought it was a bit dodgy, actually, which I know makes it sound as if I’ve got sour grapes about them rolling in money, but I thought there were rules in estate agency.
I’m not saying they do buy up stuff illegally, but it does make you wonder. ’
Gemma stared at her. ‘Say all that again. I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Well, her husband’s the local estate agent, isn’t he? And she has a portfolio of properties as long as your arm which she rents out. Too much of a coincidence, if you ask me.’
‘So you’re saying you think they buy them on the cheap? Through her husband’s connections?’
‘Something like that.’ Hannah shook her head.
‘Don’t listen to me. I am just envious they’ve got all that money, but I probably wouldn’t mind so much if they were a nice family.
They’re not though, they’re horrible.’ She put out a hand.
‘I mean, I’m sure Ashley’s very nice. I don’t know her all that well, but Merryn’s a bit of a witch and her family go waaay back.
There isn’t much around here they don’t know.
Or own, come to think of it.’ Hannah slid the pile of books towards her with an apologetic look.
‘Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said all that. I’ll climb down off my soap box now.’
‘No, that’s okay…’ Thoughts were racing through Gemma’s head. Unwelcome ones. ‘It’s probably better I know.’
Hannah pulled a face. ‘It’s not really work, is it? Being a dodgy landlord – more a way of life…’
Gemma made it outside and as far as her car before she stopped, her hand on the door.
She was troubled by something, a feeling she knew of old, but hadn’t experienced for a long while.
A whispering at the edges of her thoughts, a heart beating a little too fast, an unquiet sensation in the pit of her stomach.
Apprehension. And an odd but steadily increasing sense of panic.
She pulled out her phone to check the time, almost dropping it in surprise when it burst into life. Not a notification though, or a message, an actual call. And not Cat, or Willow, but Leo. She held it to her ear, pulse thudding.
‘Where are you?’ he said, his voice urgent.
‘In town, why?’
‘Can you come back to the farm?’
‘Yes, I’m almost finished, but I—’
‘Now, Gemma. Can you come now?’
‘Yes, I… Has something happened? What’s wrong?’
There was a pause. A distracted, I-don’t-know-what-to-say pause. ‘Just come home, please…’