Second Chances in Tuppenny Bridge: A totally heartwarming feel-good read, page 14
She watched him as he concentrated on the road ahead; the relaxed manner with which he drove, those large, masculine hands, so used to hard, heavy work, holding the steering wheel with a light, easy touch.
She gulped. ‘You’re amazing.’
‘Sorry?’ He turned to her, one eyebrow raised.
‘It’s amazing,’ she said quickly. ‘How attached you can get to a pile of bricks and mortar I mean.’
‘Absolutely. But then again, I suppose both our homes have long family histories. Your great grandma started the wool shop, didn’t she? And my family have been farriers and blacksmiths for generations, living in Forge Cottage. Mind you, it was half the size in my grandad’s day.’
‘It was?’
‘Oh yes. Then he had the wisdom and foresight to marry the girl next door.’ He laughed. ‘When her parents died, the cottage was left to her, so they knocked through and made it one big house. That’s why we have four good-sized bedrooms instead of two, and why we have a big kitchen/diner as well as a living room.’
‘I thought it was odd,’ Kat admitted. ‘The aunties’ cottage is much smaller. That explains it. Your grandad was very smart.’
‘Oh, it wasn’t a business move,’ Jonah said. ‘He genuinely loved Granny to bits. They were very happy.’ He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they waited in traffic at the junction of Station Road and Chestnut Lane. ‘I vaguely remember them when I was little. They were very smiley and cuddly with each other even then. Shame Dad and I didn’t have the same luck in our marriages.’
Kat looked at him in surprise. Obviously, she knew his own marriage to Sofia had ended in divorce, but she hadn’t realised his parents’ marriage had been unhappy. She remembered that not many people liked Mrs Brewster, but it hadn’t occurred to her that her own husband hadn’t been keen either.
‘Sorry,’ Jonah said. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Anyway, let’s not talk about such gloomy things. How are you feeling about moving in? Nervous?’
‘Should I be?’ she asked, trying to sound calm, even though her stomach was churning just at the thought of living under the same roof as him.
‘No, you really shouldn’t,’ he reassured her. ‘I promise I’ll do everything I can to make you and Hattie feel at home.’ He glanced over at her as the van entered Chestnut Lane at last. ‘I really want this to work, Kat. For all our sakes.’
‘Me too,’ she managed. ‘I’m sure we’ll get along fine.’
As long as I keep my mouth shut and my feelings (and hands) to myself.
Once they arrived at Forge Cottage, it took depressingly little time to unload the van and get all her stuff inside.
‘Not a lot to show for thirty-six years, is it?’ she said, looking sadly at the few boxes that belonged to her.
‘Well, if you ask me belongings are overrated,’ Jonah said. ‘We can’t take it with us, after all, and you’ve already left your mark on the world in the form of Hattie. What more do you need?’
‘Cheerful thought,’ she observed.
‘Come on, buck up and be a rabbit. I’ll help you carry this lot upstairs and then I’ll see if I can put Hattie’s cot back together for her.’
He was as good as his word, and while he set the cot up in Hattie’s room, Kat unpacked her belongings in her new bedroom, thinking at least she didn’t have to worry about decorating. The room was done quite beautifully already, in neutral shades of cream and taupe, with a duck-egg blue blind at the window.
Her wardrobe, chest of drawers, and double bed were in place, although Jonah said she only had to say if she would prefer them in a different position and he’d move them round for her. She assured him they were fine as they were, and began to make the bed up, then unpacked some of her personal belongings to give it a more familiar feeling.
The buggy, Jonah said, could easily stay in the hallway without causing any obstruction, and Hattie’s playpen was portable and could go in any room she happened to be in, so that was all right. The baby’s bath things, he added, could go in the bathroom with no problem.
‘That’s her cot done,’ Jonah called. ‘Just needs her bedding putting on now.’
Kat walked into Hattie’s bedroom and shook her head. ‘It blows me away how big this house is. I mean, this is the fourth room and it’s still twice the size of her bedroom in the flat. I don’t know how to thank you, Jonah.’
‘You don’t have to thank me,’ he said seriously. ‘You’re the one who’s doing me the favour, remember? I can finally relax knowing Tommy will be okay, no matter what, and that I can start to fill my workbook up with more jobs at last.’ He smiled and got to his feet, then put his hands on her shoulders. ‘I know it’s not easy for you, moving in somewhere strange, but I hope you’ll be happy here, Kat. I really do.’
She stared up at his kind face and her stomach fizzed again. He was looking at her with such gentleness and sincerity, and she was so tempted…
There was a loud knock on the front door, and she blinked, silently offering a prayer of thanks that someone had stopped her from making a total fool of herself.
Honestly, she’d only been here five minutes and already she’d almost kissed him! She had to be more careful. Keep those raging hormones in check or she’d never make this work.
Jonah cleared his throat and let her go. ‘Who can that be?’
He left the room and was galloping downstairs before she could even begin to formulate an answer. Had he realised what she’d been about to do? She’d never live it down, and he’d be throwing her out before she’d even had chance for a cup of coffee.
‘Kat, we’ve got visitors!’
Kat steadied herself, took a deep breath and went to the top of the stairs. She groaned inwardly, wondering why she hadn’t guessed who it would be. Standing in Jonah’s hallway were the aunties, along with none other than Eugenie Lavender.
‘This is a surprise!’
Even as she said the words, she saw the amused look in Jonah’s eyes and realised he was thinking, Really? Is it?
She ran downstairs and greeted her aunties with a hug, before looking awkwardly at Jonah.
‘Is it okay if they come in?’
He laughed. ‘Kat, you don’t have to ask permission! This is your home now. Of course they can come in. Nice to see you, ladies. I’ll put the kettle on.’
‘Ooh, isn’t he lovely?’ Birdie said approvingly, as they all followed Kat into the living room. She nudged Rita and they both beamed at her.
Miss Lavender, meanwhile, gazed around her in obvious surprise. ‘I hadn’t realised how much difference knocking the two cottages together had made,’ she said. ‘This is quite spacious, isn’t it? I remember George Brewster carrying out the work. We were never invited to have a look at the finished building.’
She said it with clear disapproval, as if she and her parents had had every right to inspect Forge Cottage after the work had been carried out, and Jonah’s grandad had committed a grave sin by not allowing them to do so. Kat supposed that even a young version of Miss Lavender would have had a sense of entitlement.
‘Look what we’ve brought you,’ Birdie said, handing her a cake tin.
‘I can’t begin to guess what it is,’ Kat said, smiling as she prised off the lid. It was a sponge cake, clearly decorated by her aunties because there was a rainbow of multi-coloured confection sprinkled over the icing, making the cake beneath almost impossible to glimpse. ‘Aw, that’s lovely. I’ll take it through to the kitchen and we can all have a slice with our drinks.’
‘Tell Jonah he can have an extra-large piece,’ Rita said with a wink. ‘We saw him lugging your furniture onto the van. He needs to keep up his strength.’
‘He’s very—muscular,’ Birdie added, an appreciative gleam in her eyes.
‘Only you could make that sound so disgusting,’ Miss Lavender said, giving her a disapproving look. ‘For heaven’s sake take that look off your face, Birdie Pennyfeather. It’s disgraceful at your age.’
‘Well, you can’t blame us,’ Rita said, winking at Kat. ‘You’ve landed yourself a proper hunk there, Kat. We’re right pleased for you.’
‘No, no!’ Kat almost dropped the cake tin in her efforts to persuade them they were wrong in their assumption. ‘Jonah and I are just friends. I’ve moved in here to care for Tommy so Jonah can get on with running his business. It’s to our mutual benefit.’
‘Too right it is,’ Rita said, grinning.
‘So you’re not together?’ Birdie asked wistfully.
Kat was very aware of three pairs of beady eyes watching her, waiting for some weakening of her defences. She wondered if the bet was already up and running or if they were holding off until they’d scouted Forge Cottage and gathered some intelligence.
She fixed them all with a stern look and said, as convincingly as she could manage, ‘There’s absolutely nothing between Jonah and me except friendship. We are not, and never will be together, so if that’s what you’re hoping you’re sadly mistaken. It—well, it would be weird! I mean, he’s just Jonah!’
‘Tea or coffee?’
She spun round and inwardly groaned as she saw Jonah standing there. He must have heard every word she said, but he made no mention of it. He simply stood, smiling at the Lavender Ladies as if her statement meant nothing to him at all.
Which it obviously didn’t.
‘Tea please,’ Miss Lavender said, and Rita and Birdie agreed. Jonah headed back into the kitchen, and she wanted to follow him and explain that she’d just said those things to make sure they didn’t start running a book on the two of them, but how could she?
As far as he was concerned, she’d been speaking the truth. She’d probably just voiced his own opinion anyway.
‘Don’t forget to give him the cake,’ Birdie said pointedly, and Kat glanced down at the tin in her hands.
‘Oh yes, of course. Take a seat, ladies. I won’t be a moment.’
She hurried into the kitchen and put the tin on the worktop.
‘They’ve made us a cake,’ she said.
He peered at the colourful sponge inside the tin and laughed. ‘Well, even if I hadn’t known who brought it I’d have guessed. That’s got Rita and Birdie all over it.’
‘I know it looks awful,’ she said, ‘but it will taste good.’
‘Great. I’m up for a slice if you’re offering.’
She took five small plates from the cupboard and put them on a tray, then placed the cake on a larger plate, along with a knife.
‘You go through,’ Jonah said. ‘I’ll bring their teas and our coffees in.’
Kat realised he hadn’t asked her if she wanted tea or coffee, and wondered how he knew what she would have chosen.
‘You’ve made me coffee?’
He frowned. ‘That’s what you like isn’t it? Tea at breakfast, coffee throughout the day, and tea or hot chocolate at bedtime, depending on your mood and the weather, I expect. I remembered it right, didn’t I?’
‘Remembered it…’ Kat’s voice trailed off. She recalled saying that to him the other day. It had been a throwaway remark, and she was amazed he’d remembered it at all. ‘Yes, that’s right. Thank you.’
She took the tray into the living room and set it down on the coffee table.
‘Help yourselves,’ she told them, and they did. At least, Rita and Birdie did, although Miss Lavender seemed reluctant to do so, forcing Kat to cut her a slice and pass it to her, receiving a nod of thanks in return.
‘What have you done with the furniture, Kat?’ Rita asked, her cheeks bulging with sponge cake. ‘We noticed the bedroom stuff going in the van, but never saw anything else.’
‘You were watching us, were you?’ Kat asked knowingly.
‘Oh, we just happened to be in Little Market Place,’ Birdie assured her. ‘We’d have stopped to help but we knew we’d only get in your way.’
‘And Jonah seemed to have everything under control,’ Rita added.
Miss Lavender rolled her eyes. ‘I expect you won’t be needing a lot of your furniture will you, Katherine? Your cooker, for example.’
‘No, at the moment they’re still in the flat,’ she admitted. ‘But don’t worry, I’ve put them all up for sale and if I haven’t managed to sell them before the flat goes I’ll see if a charity shop wants them.’
‘You’re expecting to be here a long time then?’ Birdie asked shrewdly.
Kat sighed inwardly. ‘Until I can find somewhere else. Jonah’s kindly said there’s no rush.’
‘Well, it’s bigger than our cottage, that’s for sure,’ Rita said. ‘I suppose we can’t blame you for preferring to be here than at ours.’
‘Please don’t take it personally,’ Kat begged her. ‘It’s just, I could be here for months. Years. It all depends how long it takes me to save up for my own place, and you wouldn’t want me under your feet all that time.’
Birdie frowned. ‘Years? But, Kat dear, surely you realise—’ She scowled as Rita dug her in the ribs. ‘What the bloody hell was that for?’
Rita glared at her, and Birdie glared back. As Kat watched, Birdie’s expression changed, and she looked apologetically at her sister.
‘What must I realise?’ Kat asked suspiciously.
‘Only that you’d be very welcome at our place, however long it took.’ Birdie gave her a bright smile and hurriedly sipped her tea, while Miss Lavender shook her head slightly and nibbled on her cake.
‘We have another viewing next week,’ Rita said sadly. ‘We were wondering if you’d be good enough to be there when Mr Rustill shows them around? It’s next Tuesday, around lunch time. Would you mind?’
‘No, of course not.’ Kat broke off a piece of cake and eyed them thoughtfully. ‘What about that woman who came the other night?’
‘Not heard a thing from her. It was all very odd about her brother, wasn’t it? I’m not holding my breath about those two buying the place.’
‘I’m not sure I’d want them to,’ Birdie said, nodding vehemently. ‘If he can’t even be bothered to turn up and doesn’t seem to know if he wants it or not then I don’t want him anywhere near.’
‘Too true,’ Rita agreed. ‘Pennyfeather’s deserves respect at the very least.’
‘It’s such a shame,’ Miss Lavender said with a sigh. ‘I can’t believe it’s come to this. The idea of Market Place without Pennyfeather’s Wool Shop is abhorrent. And of course, we have no idea what the next owners will turn it into. It could be anything!’ She shuddered. ‘It could be a vape shop!’
‘Or a tattoo parlour.’
They all turned at the sound of Jonah’s voice. He brought in another tray, this time bearing cups of tea and two mugs of coffee. There was a twinkle in his eye that told Kat he was winding the poor Lavender Ladies up.
‘Well, quite!’ Miss Lavender said.
‘Surely there’s a law about such things?’ Birdie asked.
‘I dunno. I’d quite fancy a tattoo myself,’ Rita said thoughtfully.
‘Over my dead body,’ Miss Lavender told her, giving her a look that would have silenced Kat but seemed to make Rita even more determined.
‘A heart and a dagger maybe,’ she said. ‘Or a unicorn?’
‘Bit different,’ Birdie said, shaking her head. ‘Don’t do it, Rita. It’s all very well getting it done now but imagine how horrible it would look when you got old.’
Since her aunts were already eighty-two, Kat had great difficulty keeping a straight face, and she realised Jonah was struggling not to laugh, too.
‘So anyway,’ she said, ‘lunchtime on Tuesday. I’ll be there. Although I’m sure Mr Rustill could do it on his own, you know.’
‘We want to know what these people are like, and he’ll only be in it for the money,’ Rita said darkly.
‘And try to find out what they want the place for,’ Miss Lavender urged her.
‘Maybe,’ Jonah suggested, ‘you could run a book on it? Get people to place bets on what Pennyfeather’s will turn into.’
‘Jonah Brewster,’ Miss Lavender said, sounding shocked, ‘as if we’d do any such thing!’
‘That’s proper insensitive if you don’t mind me saying,’ Rita added. ‘This is our life, young man. You don’t make bets on something that means so much to people!’
Jonah’s eyes widened and Kat quickly stuffed cake in her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Considering the bets the Lavender Ladies had run in the past on people’s personal lives they had a real cheek expecting the fate of their shop to be exempt.
She braved a quick glance at Jonah, and her heart leapt as he winked at her before reaching for a slice of cake.
She inwardly sighed with pleasure, then her gaze fell on Miss Lavender, who gave her a knowing look before sipping her tea.
Kat knew, in that moment, that any protests she’d made about her feelings for Jonah had just been declared null and void. The Lavender Ladies would be taking bets before the day was out. She really was going to have to be more careful.
TWELVE
Early on Sunday morning, Kat and Jonah headed down River Road towards Daisyfield Cottage. There was a distinct nip in the air, and the sky was almost colourless. Only the gold and orange leaves on the trees added some cheer as they walked quickly, hands in pockets, their coats fully zipped up as protection against the chill of the day.
‘I hope Jennifer’s got that kettle on,’ Kat muttered.
‘Me too, although I’m sure we’ll soon warm up once we get started on the decorating,’ Jonah said.
They were wearing their oldest clothes and were ready for a day spent slapping paint on walls, pasting wallpaper, and hopefully having fun with their friends and neighbours.
Jonah had dropped Hattie and Tommy off at Whistlestop Cottage—along with toys and books and baby paraphernalia, and a whole raft of instructions from Kat—and had returned looking shell-shocked.
‘That place is like a time capsule,’ he’d said, shaking his head. ‘Trouble is, I can’t decide if it’s stuck in the nineteen-forties or the nineteen-seventies. Either way, it’s not pretty. What a dust trap!’
