Hidden Cottage (20 page)

‘Oh, it was always going to do that. But the good memories far outweigh the bad ones.’

‘You’ve got to admit, not that I’m siding with Nicole, it is bloody odd what you’ve chosen to do.’

Owen took a sip of his wine. ‘It had to be done. When I saw that the house had come on the market, I had to buy it. And if it doesn’t pan out, I can always sell up and move on somewhere else.’

‘Do you think that’s likely?’

Without realizing he’d done it, Owen’s gaze had moved from the right to the left of the green, taking in the thatched cottages opposite before coming to rest on Medlar House. ‘Who knows?’ he said.

‘How about the locals – anyone remember you?’

‘A few, but it’s the name they remember. Or rather, my father’s name. I met someone yesterday I’d been at school with, not that I recognized him, but then we weren’t what you’d call close friends thirty-four years ago.’

Rich turned and looked straight at him. ‘And when you’ve had your fill of pottering about the new homestead, what will you do then?’

‘I thought I might grow a beard.’

Rich looked at him over the top of his sunglasses. ‘And when you’ve done that, what then?’

‘I haven’t made my mind up completely.’

‘Which suggests to me you have something rattling around inside that head of yours. A new business venture perhaps?’

‘There is something, but I’m not going to tell you what it is yet. All I’ll say is that it won’t be about making money. I’ve got enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life, I have no desire to flog myself like I used to.’

Rich smiled. ‘A bearded altruist – who’d have thought it?’

Their food arrived and after they’d got themselves sorted with salt and pepper, mustard and vinegar, they got stuck in and minutes later they both agreed that the steak was excellent. Rich topped up their glasses. ‘Tell me about the people who are coming this afternoon. Proper natives or incomers like you?’

‘Not natives, but well established—’ He broke off. Over to his right, hurtling down the lane with three carousing kids onboard and a noisy gang chasing behind, was the racing sofa he’d seen the day of his arrival.

Rich followed his gaze and laughed out loud. ‘Bloody hell! That looks fun.’

The sofa came to a halt in the same place Owen had seen it run aground before and as before the children tumbled out onto the grass.

‘Is it a village tradition?’ Rich asked. ‘Did you do it when you were here as a child?’

‘Sadly no.’

‘I’m telling you now, Owen, I have to have some of that action before I leave.’

Forty-five minutes later, their lunch eaten and paid for, it was all arranged. Having helped the children push the sofa back up the hill they were now being instructed on how best to ride it. The advice was enthusiastically given but wholly conflicting. Rich, however, was beyond listening; he just wanted to hit the thing fast and furious, like he did whenever they skied together. It said much of their friendship that skiing was the only time they pitched themselves against each other. Yet as they took up their positions, with Rich acting as lead man, Owen had the feeling that had they had another sofa to hand, they would have raced one another to the finishing line on the green.

Being so much bigger and heavier than the children, it took all of the motley crew to get the sofa off the starting blocks. ‘Come on, you guys,’ Rich yelled at them, his head down, ‘get your backs into it!’

And boy did they ever. Suddenly the sofa was shifting at speed, careering down the lane at a hell of a lick. Holding on tight, they hurtled faster and faster, cottages and tiny front gardens little more than a blur. Above the deafening noise of sofa wheels on tarmac, Owen could hear the cheers of encouragement from the kids running behind them. As they approached a bend in the narrowest part of the road and he and Rich instinctively leaned to the right, banking hard, they picked up even more pace and Owen began to wonder at the wisdom of what they were doing. This was madness on an unprecedented scale; they were too old for this kind of caper. But at the same time, he was enjoying the colossal rush of adrenaline.

God knew what speed they were doing when they hit the green, but suddenly they were catapulted out of the sofa and were flying through the air with equal speed. With an almighty thud, Owen landed on top of Rich and they both let out a shout that was part relief and part elation.

‘You OK?’ Owen asked his friend when he’d caught his breath. Some of the children had gathered around them; the others were righting the sofa.

‘I will be when you get your foot out of my groin,’ Rich replied in a strangled voice.

Laughing, they disentangled their legs and arms from one another and rolled onto their backs on the grass. Owen could hear clapping. He turned his head towards the pub and saw that people were on their feet and leaning against the balustrade of the decking area. ‘My reputation here has either just been made or destroyed,’ he said.

Rich sat up and rubbed his shoulder. ‘I don’t suppose anyone took a picture of us, did they?’

‘Give it five minutes and it’ll be on YouTube,’ Owen said with a laugh. Then glancing over towards the church and the clock on the tower, he saw what time it was. ‘Uh-oh, we need to get home and plump up the cushions ready for my guests.’

‘Don’t suppose you could plump up my arse, could you? I think the stuffing’s been knocked out of it.’

On his feet now, Owen put a hand out to Rich. ‘Come on, old man, shift it.’

‘Don’t you want another go?’ one of the boys asked.

‘Ask us again when we’ve recovered,’ Rich groaned as they limped across the green.

Chapter Twenty-Three

While Owen poured drinks and passed them round on the veranda, Rich took up his God-given role as jovial
bon viveur
and regaled everyone with an exaggerated account of their sofa escapade.

‘Heedless of life and limb and to the detriment of Owen’s dignity, I was the one who talked him into it,’ he told the group when he’d finished, ‘so I must insist that if there are any accusations in the village of disreputable behaviour, they have to be laid fairly and squarely at my door and not Owen’s.’

‘To hell with any accusations,’ Scott said. ‘Jensen, I vote we get our own two-man bob team together and have a go ourselves.’

‘Oh, no you don’t,’ Daisy said, swiping him playfully on the shoulder, ‘I’m not having you coming to any harm when we have so much to do for our move to Sydney.’

Getting up from where they had been sitting on a blanket on the lawn, Madison and Beth approached the veranda. ‘Owen,’ Madison said, ‘can we have a go in your boat now, please?’

Owen turned to Tattie. ‘Is that OK with you?’

‘Sure. But, girls, no messing about. You do exactly as Owen tells you. Right?’

Madison rolled her eyes and wobbled her head from side to side. ‘Yes,
Mum
.’ Next to her, Beth giggled.

‘Or perhaps I should come with you, if you’re not prepared to take me seriously?’ Tattie said in a stern no-nonsense voice.

‘Oh, Mu-
um
.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Owen assured Tattie, ‘I’ll keep a good eye on them.’ Then to the girls, he said, ‘I’m the captain, OK? You do as I say at all times. And the first thing you have to do is give me a salute as befits my high-ranking position.’

He showed them how and they copied him perfectly, just managing to suppress a couple of sniggers.

He looked over to Rich. ‘You’re in charge up here. Keep the drinks flowing and the stories about me to the minimum.’

Rich laughed. ‘Aye, aye, Captain Haddock.’

Owen led the girls down to the wooden jetty. ‘Right,’ he said, pulling the boat towards him, ‘I’ll get in first and then I’ll help the two of you in.’

They nodded obediently and after he had them settled side by side on the seat at the stern, he untied the rope from around the post and pushed the boat away from the jetty with one of the oars.

‘Is the water very deep?’ Madison asked, once Owen had started to row.

‘It varies,’ he said. ‘In places, nearer the bank, it’s really shallow, about knee-high.’ He pointed over towards the island. ‘But there, it’s much deeper and would probably cover the top of your head, which is why you mustn’t do anything that might tip the boat over. Can you both swim?’

‘Yes,’ they said simultaneously.

‘But not very well,’ Madison admitted. ‘I can only do one length of a big pool.’

‘I’ll let you into a secret,’ Owen said. ‘When I was your age I couldn’t swim at all. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that I learnt. It was Rich who taught me.’

‘If I don’t lean over too much, can I put my hand in the water?’ Beth asked.

‘Of course.’

‘Is Rich your boyfriend? Is he going to come and live here with you?’

Owen laughed at Madison’s question, mostly for the matter-of-fact way she’d asked it. Children today were so different from when he was growing up, so much more worldly. ‘No,’ he answered. ‘Rich is my oldest friend. We were at school together. Would you like to go over to the island and see if we can find the heron who’s a regular visitor here?’

On the jetty with his mother, having removed his shoes so he could dip his feet into the water, Jensen took a long, satisfying swig of his beer, then tipped his head back to enjoy the sun on his face. ‘Thanks, Mum,’ he said, turning to look at her.

‘What for?’

‘For this weekend. For making Madison feel so welcome. And for cheering her up.’

She smiled back at him. ‘I haven’t done anything.’

‘You made it possible. Trouble is, I reckon it’s going to be difficult to prise her away.’

‘Do you have to rush back so soon? Can’t you stay on for a few more days?’

‘Unfortunately not. Tattie’s got some bookings and I’ve got a client to meet on Tuesday.’

‘That’s a pity. But – and I know this is a long shot – as it’s half-term you could always leave Madison here and come back for her later in the week. I’m sure Beth would love to see more of her. That’s if Madison would like to stay on without her mother; she might not want to.’

Jensen laughed. ‘Are you kidding? She’s already been on at Tattie. Apparently Beth wants to have her for a sleepover so they can stay up late and do some star gazing.’

‘Then why not see what Tattie says? But I’d quite understand if she felt she couldn’t leave her daughter with someone she hardly knows.’

‘You two talking about me?’

They both turned to see Tattie behind them. Jensen held out his hand, inviting her to sit next to him. ‘Mum’s come up with a genius idea.’

‘But are you sure you’d manage?’ Tattie said when Jensen had explained. ‘You’ve got work to factor in.’

‘I’ll manage. Besides, I think Madison would enjoy helping me, don’t you?’

‘Look, Mum! I’m rowing!’

They looked over to where Madison was rowing towards them. ‘
Yay!
’ Tattie called back to her with a wave. ‘You go, girl!’

Jensen pulled out his mobile from his jeans pocket to take a photo. ‘Hold it right there, Madison,’ he called to her. ‘Big smile. You too, Beth and Owen.’

Laughing, Tattie said, ‘What do you mean, smile? She hasn’t stopped smiling since she got here.’

The pictures taken, Jensen put his mobile away. ‘So what do you think about Mum’s offer?’

‘I think it’s a brilliant idea. But are you absolutely sure, Mia?’

‘Yes, it’ll be fun having her around. She’s a real credit to you. You should be very proud of her.’

‘I’d like to take the credit, but the truth is, she’s a credit to no one but herself.’

Jensen put his arm around Tattie. ‘Take the compliment or take the consequences.’

‘What consequences?’

‘You get pushed into the water.’

‘Oh yeah, and what kind of example would that give Madison and Beth?’

‘It would teach them to accept a compliment.’

Mia laughed. ‘I’ll leave you to bicker it out.’

She was on her feet when Owen brought the boat alongside the jetty.

‘We saw a heron on the island,’ Madison said excitedly. ‘It had the longest legs and when it flew off, its wings were like
so
big.’ She spread her arms out wide to show just how big and accidentally biffed Beth on the nose. ‘Oops, sorry,’ she said and for no reason that Jensen could fathom, the two girls started to laugh.

‘Oh no, they’ve reached the giggling loopy stage now,’ Tattie said, ‘which means it’s time to get them back on terra firma.’

‘Chuck us the rope, Owen,’ Jensen said, now on his feet.

The dinghy securely tied, Owen passed Beth to Jensen, followed by Madison. Still laughing, and at Owen’s instruction, the girls ran off up the garden to ask Rich for a drink.

In the peace and quiet they left behind them, Owen said, ‘Anyone else care for a spin around the lake? How about you, Mia?’

‘Oh, no, let someone else have a go.’

‘Go on, Mum. Why not?’

‘Yes, Mia,’ joined in Tattie, ‘you’ve done nothing but chase after us; it’s time for you to enjoy yourself. Hang on, I’ll go and get your glass of wine topped up, then you can really kick back.’

Jensen helped her into the boat and by the time she was seated, Tattie had returned with her refilled glass and a can of San Miguel for Owen. Throwing the rope to Owen, Jensen waved them off. ‘Have fun,’ he said, his arm around Tattie.

‘I could get used to this,’ Tattie said with a happy sigh as they watched Owen pull on the oars.

‘Used to what?’

‘This idyllic lifestyle. It’s just so unbelievably perfect.’

Jensen turned and kissed her. ‘Then maybe we should think about getting out of London.
Together
. You, me and Madison.’

She looked up into his eyes. ‘Could we?’ she whispered.

‘We can do anything we want.
Anything
.’

And standing there in the arms of the woman he loved, the sun shining down on them, Jensen had never felt happier or surer about a thing than he did right then.

Chapter Twenty-Four

As Owen rowed them away from the jetty, Mia saw that further up the garden Rich and Scott were kneeling on the long grass so that Madison and Beth could climb onto their backs. Daisy then began pointing where they had to stand and indicated the opposite side of the garden where, with one hand raised in the air, Eliza stood in front of a sprawling rhododendron bush vibrant with pink flowers.