‘I’m not quite out of the woods yet, but it all sounds positive,’ Chantal said. ‘Livia’s really pleased with how it’s gone. Thank goodness.’
‘We’ll have you out of here and back at Chocolate Heaven in no time.’
‘That sounds wonderful.’
‘The Chocolate Lovers’ Club needs you. You’re not going anywhere on our watch, Chantal Hamilton. You just remember that.’
Then she cried with relief, with fear and gratitude, with having come through the first step and, most of all, for having the best of friends.
Chapter Thirty
‘It is totally pants having a meeting of the Chocolate Lovers’ Club without Chantal,’ I declare. ‘We should have a minute’s silence for her before we eat our cakes.’
‘She’s not flipping dead, Lucy,’ Nadia says with a tut. ‘Stop being a drama queen.’
‘But what if it had been worse? She’s so lucky that she went to have that lump checked out and they found it early.’
‘I know. It’s too awful to think about. How can I possibly trot off to the Lake District while she’s in the hospital?’ Nadia asks forlornly. ‘I’d feel terrible. I’ll have to cancel.’
‘No!’ Autumn and I shout together, making her jump.
‘You have to go,’ I say. ‘Chantal will be furious with you if you change your plans on her account.’
‘You’d lose a lot of money, too,’ Autumn reminds her. ‘She wouldn’t want that, either.’
‘You needn’t have paid me back so quickly,’ I tell Nadia. ‘It would have waited.’
‘I know you’re not flush with cash at the moment,’ Nadia says.
‘It’s better since I’ve been here,’ I admit. ‘Autumn’s right, though. Chantal would definitely be upset if you cancelled because of her. Besides, you and Lewis both need the break.’ The cut on Nadia’s lip was healing nicely now, but you could tell that she’d lost some of her nerve and was jittery.
‘I suppose you’re both right, but it doesn’t feel proper going off to have fun while she’s poorly.’
‘I insist that you have lots of fun. We need some juicy gossip when you get back.’ It would make a change for someone other than me to be the number one topic on the gossip list.
‘That’ll cheer her up. Promise me that you’ll go and that you’ll behave really badly while you’re there.’
Nadia laughs. ‘I’m not sure that’s going to be possible when we’ve got three kids in tow.’
‘Give it your best shot,’ I beg. ‘For the team.’
‘You’ll make sure Chantal’s all right until I get back, won’t you?’ Nadia is clearly worried.
‘As soon as we’ve eaten this very delicious chocolate cake in her honour, Autumn will be going to look after Lana so that Jacob can go to the hospital and I’ll be taking over as soon as I’ve finished my shift here.’ We have the rota down to a fine art.
We’d all been hoping that she’d come out today, but the consultant has said that she’s to stay in for another night. ‘Why do you think they’re keeping her in?’
‘They said it was a precautionary measure.’
I don’t like the sound of that, but I don’t voice my opinion. I do know that I’ll be relieved to see her tonight.
Ms France is having a day off today, so I’m at the helm on my own. Bliss. Had I remembered that I wouldn’t have dressed up quite so much this morning. As it is, I’m getting up half an hour earlier so that I can do my hair, put make-up on, iron things. It’s all bloody hard work having a glamorous assistant.
I’d like to tell you that she’s stopped rolling her eyes and making some sort of disdainful French guttural noise in her throat every time I ask her to do something, but she hasn’t.
‘I’d better eat my cake and get going,’ Nadia says. ‘The train is just after lunch. I’m collecting Lewis from school and going straight to the station.’
‘Aren’t you excited?’ Autumn asks.
‘I’m terrified,’ she admits. ‘This could make or break our relationship.’
‘You shouldn’t think of it like that,’ I say. ‘It’s simply taking it to another level. And it’s a week. If you find that you can’t stand each other, you’ll be back before you know it. Chantal will be out of hospital by then and everything will be back to how it was before.’
Nadia downs her coffee and has the last bite of her cake. ‘I hope you’re right on all counts.’ She plants a peck on my cheek. ‘I’d better get a wiggle on. I’ve still got a few things to pack.’
‘Jeans and wellies, that’s all you’ll need, woman,’ says me, style adviser. ‘You’re going to a farm in the middle of nowhere. Leave those killer heels at home.’
‘I’m looking forward to walking on some of those hills we saw at Christmas.’
I shake my head knowingly. ‘It must be love.’
‘On that note, I’m off.’ Nadia goes round to kiss Autumn goodbye. ‘Wish me luck.’
‘Text us when you get there to let us know you’ve arrived safely,’ I tell her.
‘I will. And keep me posted on how Chantal is doing.’
‘I’d better be going, too,’ Autumn says. ‘Jacob will be wanting to be with her.’
‘Give them both my love,’ I say and then they both disappear, leaving me to clear up.
While I’m tidying the tables, Crush comes in. ‘Hello, Gorgeous.’
‘This is a nice surprise.’
‘I’m on my way back to the office from a meeting and took a very slight detour.’
I put the tray of crockery down and give him a big hug. ‘I’m glad you did. Have you time for a coffee?’
‘Just a quickie.’
‘We can’t do that,’ I joke. ‘Look where it got us last time.’
Crush shudders. ‘Don’t remind me of that. Marcus isn’t here today, is he?’
‘No. I haven’t seen him all week. Thank goodness. Now that the figures are picking up again, he seems happy enough to leave me alone.’
‘You do seem in your element here. Glad you came back?’
‘Yes. I love it. And Marcus really isn’t a problem.’
Crush doesn’t look convinced.
‘Let me make you a cappuccino. And I’ve got some mini coffee and walnut cakes that you might like.’
‘Sounds great.’ He follows me to the counter. ‘How’s Chantal doing? Have you had an update?’
‘They’re keeping her in for another night, which I’m a bit worried about.’
‘She’s in the best place.’
‘Yeah,’ I agree. ‘I keep trying to tell myself that. Stay positive and all.’
‘You’re going to see her tonight?’
‘I can’t wait.’
‘I can come with you, if you like.’
I shake my head. ‘Go straight home after work. Make sure that my dad isn’t up to any mischief.’
Crush laughs.
‘I won’t stay long at the hospital. I just want to pop in for a few minutes.’
Crush stands and waits patiently while I serve a couple of other customers before him, then I make his coffee.
‘We should get one of these for the flat,’ he says.
‘No way. It’s a beast. I’m glad to see the back of it when I leave. Plus, if we start making great coffee at home, we’ll never get my father to leave.’
‘He does seem quite comfortable.’
‘He’s got to go. He’s driving me nuts. His stuff is everywhere. We can’t get near the television remote. He leaves his dirty dishes in the sink. His laundry is all over the bathroom floor. No wonder Patty the Pilates instructor got fed up with him if he was like this. Do you think I should give him an ultimatum?’
‘We should give him a few more weeks yet. Let’s just start making strong hints.’
‘You’re being so patient.’
‘It’s one of my biggest virtues.’
I laugh at that, but it’s true. ‘We should be making wedding plans. The date is rushing towards us and I haven’t
done anything yet.’
‘We’re keeping it low-key, remember. And Jacob is on the case.’
‘I’d be a lot happier if I’d found my dress. Or even started looking.’ I’m thinking something a bit sticky-out and fifties style. Something that doesn’t scream ‘wedding gown’.
‘It will all be fine,’ Crush assures me. ‘The sun will shine. We’ll have a great day. And, most important of all, the groom will be there.’
And that’s why I love him. Crush is calm, collected, chilled. Reliable. The perfect partner for me.
Chapter Thirty-One
Nadia looked out of the window with Lewis. It was a threehour journey on a direct train from London to Penrith and she’d brought plenty for her son to do to entertain him. By the time they were beyond Manchester, he’d exhausted the delights of his sticker book and a dozen different games on her iPhone, plus he’d eaten most of the stash of chocolate she’d brought to bribe him with. She’d hoped that he might be able to have a little sleep, but he was far too excited. They hadn’t been on holiday together by themselves before and Lewis had been buzzing for days. But, for the moment at least, he was content to snuggle into her and look at the passing scenery. She wrapped her arms around him and hoped that she was doing the best thing for Lewis as well as herself.
They were getting closer to their destination now and the train was whizzing through open countryside that was becoming increasingly green and rugged. As the size of the hills increased so did the number of butterflies in her stomach.
‘Are we nearly there yet?’ Lewis asked in time-honoured fashion.
‘Yes. Not long now and you’ve been a good boy all the way.’ ‘Will Seth and Lily come to meet us?’
‘I think so,’ Nadia said. ‘If not, they’ll be back at the house. You’ll see them shortly.’
‘Will there be lambs yet?’
‘Yes. James said that they’ve got quite a lot now.’
She’d hated leaving the girls behind. It had been a lot of fun when they’d spent Christmas up here together. Making the solo journey was much more nerve-wracking. She knew that one of them would have readily come with her if she’d asked, but that wasn’t really the point. It was time to decide whether she and James could possibly make a future together and part of that was to see how feasible the journey up here was on a regular basis. The train tickets alone had cost an arm and a leg. How often would she be able to afford that expense?
Eventually, the train slowed into Penrith station and she pushed down the feelings of terror and concentrated on hauling their case onto the platform, fussing with Lewis as she did. When she stopped and looked up, James was standing there waiting. The smile on his face told her that he was as delighted to see her as she was to have finally arrived.
What she wanted to do was drop her case and run into his arms like they did in the movies. Instead, she stood there feeling embarrassed and inhibited, waiting until he came to her. When he did, he gave her a stilted and awkward welcoming hug, though she could feel the warmth behind it. Perhaps he just felt as unsure as she did.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you.’
‘I’m glad we’re here.’ He was taller, more handsome than she remembered. He wore a Barbour jacket and a flat tweed cap. His face was rugged, lined, but kind. At forty-three, he was ten years older than her but didn’t seem it. She liked that he was solid, reliable and had lived a bit.
‘We saw massive mountains,’ Lewis said, bouncing up and down. ‘Everywhere!’
‘It’s one of our specialities,’ James said. ‘Fancy walking up one or two of them?’
Lewis was wide-eyed. ‘Now?’
James laughed. ‘Not right now. We’ve got to go home and see Seth and Lily. They’re waiting for us. But you’re here for a whole week.’ His eyes caught Nadia’s and he smiled softly. ‘Perhaps we can do it tomorrow? How does that sound?’
‘Cool. Can we, Mummy?’
‘I came prepared,’ she said. ‘At least I think so. I brought jackets and sturdy shoes.’ As Lucy had advised, she had eschewed her pretty dresses and shoes in favour of jeans and trainers. She was sure that she didn’t own nearly enough waterproof clothing. If it rained in London, you simply did something indoors – one of the museums – but she wasn’t sure if that was an option up here. If they wanted to go out, it could be in all weathers.
James smiled. ‘You’ll certainly need them in this neck of the woods.’
‘I’m looking forward to it.’ She wasn’t generally an outdoors kind of person, but she found to her surprise that she was keen to give it a go.
‘Ready to head home?’ James picked up her case. ‘The Land Rover’s outside.’
They fell into step beside each other and he took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Glad you made it.’
She suddenly felt shy with him. ‘Me too.’
In the car park, he loaded their case into the Land Rover, which looked very spic and span; she wondered whether it had been spruced up especially for her arrival. There was a sheepdog sitting on the back seat and Lewis clambered in next to him. The dog tried to lick him to death.
‘Sit down, Jep,’ James said.
He helped Nadia to climb into the passenger seat. ‘This looks suspiciously tidy,’ she noted.
James grinned at her. ‘The kids earned some extra pocket money yesterday. This is usually more used to being a taxi for sheep rather than people.’
‘You and your country ways,’ she teased.
‘Had to make a good impression. I didn’t want you getting the next train home.’ James got into the driver’s seat and gunned the vehicle into life. ‘Not long now.’
He set off from the station and they were soon out in the country once again. Dusk was gathering and Nadia wanted a hot bath. Lewis, still excited, would soon be overtired and tetchy. They both needed something to eat and then to get him straight to bed so that he’d be fresh for tomorrow. After that, a glass or two of good red might be in order. It had been a tiring day.
It wasn’t long before they got back to Keswick. It would be rush-hour in London, but the traffic here was light. Though, clearly, it wasn’t yet the start of the main tourist season.
The farmhouse, when it came into view, was much as she’d remembered. It was an imposing building constructed from traditional Lakeland stone and nestled into the landscape. It wasn’t as big as the cottage that James had rented out to them further down the lane, but it was still a substantial family house – certainly compared to her cramped London terrace.
They swept up the gravel drive past a large pond which she hadn’t been able to see at Christmas as it had been covered with snow. The whole place looked so different. The hills that loomed behind the house were now less bleak and looked inviting. James parked up.
‘That’s Blease Fell and Blencathra,’ he said as he got out of the Land Rover. ‘This place is known as Fell Farm. It’s stood here for quite a while now. It was my father’s home before it was mine and it belonged to my grandfather before him.’ Then he laughed. ‘But I’m sure I must have bored you with all this before.’
‘I don’t find it boring at all. It must be nice to have such a heritage.’
‘Yes, but it’s a responsibility too. It’s a mammoth effort to keep this place going, yet I wouldn’t want to be the last of the Barnsworths to be at the farm. One day, I hope that Seth or Lily will take over from me. But kids these days, they want the bright lights. I couldn’t hold either of them here if they don’t want to stay. Thankfully, for now . . . ’ James crossed his fingers, ‘ . . . they both seem to love the mountains and the farming life as much as I do.’
They walked to the house and he swung open the heavy door. They entered straight into the kitchen and a blanket of warm air enveloped her. Clearly something wonderful was cooking in the oven.
‘I hope you’re hungry.’
Her stomach rumbled. ‘I am now.’
‘Penny’s got supper on for us. Chicken stew with a posh name.’
‘Penny?’
‘A woman from the next village who helps me out,’ James said. ‘She was away with family in Cornwall over Christmas.’
‘Oh. You haven’t mentioned her before.’
‘I haven’t? She’s a treasure.’
Wasn’t it a bit strange that he’d never said anything about this lady?
‘I don’t want you lifting a finger while you’re here. This is your holiday. So she’ll still pop in every day. She collects the kids for me from school and, more often than not, gives them their tea. Then she puts something in the oven so that it’s ready when I get home. I don’t know what I’d do without her.’
Hmm. Truly indispensable. She wondered how long Penny had been on the scene and what else James hadn’t told her.
‘She’d normally be here still, but she had to rush off for something tonight. You’ll see her tomorrow.’ He took off his cap and hung it up. His hair stood up in untidy tufts and he ruffled it with one hand, making it worse. ‘Come in. Take your coats off. Make yourselves at home. Mi casa es tu casa.’
There were a few steps down into the main kitchen area, which was fitted out with hand-crafted oak cupboards. A dark blue range took precedence on one wall. Centre stage there was a large kitchen table, filled with the detritus of a busy and untidy family. There was a sturdy log burner kicking out heat in the fireplace. It was so cosy and welcoming.
‘Kids!’ he shouted out. ‘Our guests are here.’ A second later they both barrelled into the kitchen cheering. ‘Whoa,’ James said. ‘Calm down. Calm down.’
‘Daddy, can we show Lewis the lambs?’
‘Dinner’s ready now,’ he said. ‘But you can go out afterwards for half an hour, if you’re good. I want you in bed early though as tomorrow we have an action-packed day planned. We want to show Nadia and Lewis our lovely lakes, don’t we?’
They both nodded, earnestly.
‘We have our own pet lambs,’ Lily said proudly. ‘Daddy said that you can have one, too.’
Lewis’s eyes widened. ‘Can I?’
‘Let’s talk about that in the morning,’ Nadia said.