Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (the little red hen ebook .txt) 📗

double. From the open kitchen door, Thea could hear the older man talking gently.

Turning back from the door, Thea put the kettle on. If Sam was talking about his claustrophobia with Bert, they’d both need a strong cup of tea.

Half watching the bench, not wanting to get her timing wrong and interrupt a private moment between the men, Thea filled four mugs, left one on the kitchen table for Tina, and placed the others on a tray, along with some chocolate biscuits, and took them outside.

Bert heard her footsteps on the gravel path, and gave Sam a warning tap on the knee. ‘Well timed on the tea and biscuits, lass.’

‘I have an ulterior motive, I need to talk to Sam, and hoped refreshment would help things along.’

Grateful that Thea had made no comment on his shaking hands, and had tactfully placed his drink on the gravel by his feet, rather than expecting him to take it from her, and consequently slop it all over the place, Sam asked, ‘Good news or bad news?’

‘I can’t decide; but good for Mill Grange certainly.’

‘Intriguing.’ Bert took his mug and got to his feet. ‘If you pass me one of those delicious biscuits, I’ll leave you two in peace.’

Replacing Bert on the bench, Thea watched affectionately as he shuffled into the kitchen. ‘What’s the betting he’s off for a kip in an armchair?’

‘He’s earned one. That man has the patience of a saint listening to me harp on about my troubles.’ Feeling safe enough to pick up his tea, Sam took a sip, before adding, ‘Don’t tell Tina, but Bert is helping me with going inside the house. I’m hoping to surprise her and my parents together when we go to see them.’

Thea grinned. ‘That’s great.’

‘Hopefully it will be – eventually.’ Sam shook his head. ‘Thank you for not asking how it went just now.’

‘You’ll get there.’ Thea passed him a biscuit. ‘The house is ready for our guests. Is there anything else you need doing inside or out that we may have forgotten?’

‘I don’t think so. I plan to try a few things with the guys coming tomorrow. They are game for pretty much anything, thank goodness.’

‘In that case, can I talk to you about the fortlet?’

‘Sure.’

‘As you know, Shaun and his team have created a space in their schedule to film here.’

‘Providing they finish on time in Cornwall.’ Sam dunked his biscuit. ‘Have you heard back from Shaun about how soon you can arrange for the students to start peeling back the topsoil?’

‘Not yet, I’m calling him this evening.’ Thea fished a piece of paper from her pocket. ‘The thing is; we’ve had an unexpected email. Here.’

Sam took the printed email from Thea. His eyebrows rose as he read. ‘In excess of five thousand pounds? This is for real?’

‘Yes.’ Thea swallowed. ‘It has to be your decision, unless you’ve signed a contract with Landscape Treasures already.’

‘Not yet.’ Sam folded the paper back up, holding it tight. ‘Shaun said the contract wouldn’t be sent until the last minute, just in case they got delayed and it was all off.’

‘Right.’

‘In excess of…’ Shaun repeated the same line that had first caught Thea’s eye. ‘What do you think that means? Surely it should state five thousand pounds or five thousand five hundred or something?’

‘I wouldn’t like to say.’ Thea felt awkward. ‘For obvious reasons, I’m rather torn on this.’

‘We do need income.’ Sam turned towards the manor. ‘I love this place, but it’s going to eat capital if we’re to keep it habitable.’

‘I know.’ Thea bit her lips. It was an effort not to remind him that if it wasn’t for Shaun, Andy and Ajay from Landscape Treasures, they’d never have known they had a Roman fortlet in the first place.

‘On the other hand, Shaun is our friend. Loyalty is more important than money.’

Thea licked her lips. ‘I agree about loyalty, and obviously I’d much rather have Shaun’s team here, but this has to be a business decision, not a personal one.’

‘Let’s check the viewing figures.’ Sam passed her a biscuit before tapping at his phone. ‘Landscape Treasures was the original archaeology show, right? Treasure Hunters and that other one on Channel Five that I can never remember the name of; they came on its heels… Ah, here we go. Shaun’s show is the most popular. The opening episode of last year’s series of Landscape Treasures had two million viewers on the day alone. It has been repeated umpteen times since. That’s a lot of marketing, Thea.’

Hardly daring to breathe, she pulled her mobile from her pocket. ‘I’ll check out the viewing figures for a standard episode of Treasure Hunters.’

Her fingers were suddenly clumsy as she tapped the keys. After the third try at hitting the right letters into Google, Thea held the screen up to Sam. ‘It doesn’t give figures for the first episode of the series, but it does report that the average viewing numbers for Treasure Hunters are just over a million per episode.’

‘That’s still a hell of a lot of marketing, isn’t it?’ Sam got to his feet. ‘I tell you what, for now, send them an email saying that Landscape Treasures got in first. But, also say I’m considering their offer. That might keep both options open for while, without actually being dishonest to either programme.’

‘Probably sensible.’ Thea jotted some notes onto her pad. ‘I just hope Shaun will be able to confirm that Landscape Treasures are coming, sooner rather than later.’

‘Hear hear. In the meantime—’ Sam waved towards the walled garden ‘—the new chickens are due at two. Fancy helping me settle them in?’

Eleven

September 6th

The hens and Tony Stark, the rooster, gingerly stepped around Sam as he hammered a peg into the ground. While he unrolled a chicken-wire fence, securing it with wire and further wooden pegs at regular intervals, Sam explained that they were about to have company, but that they weren’t to worry because he was going to build them a bigger home, so soon