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

not to mind that Sam hadn’t consulted her about Helen staying. ‘I expect he intended to tell me when I got back. I’m hours later than planned.’

‘Tough day?’

‘Difficult client. Luckily I only have to visit them twice a year.’

‘Why don’t you put your feet up? The others will be down in a minute.’

Tina poured herself a coffee and headed to the door. ‘Thanks, but I think I’ll go and change into something warmer.’

*

‘You weren’t going to change. You were going to join in.’ Tina thumped the bed in her attic room. ‘And the clothes you’d usually wear to keep warm while eating outside aren’t in here, they’re in the tent.’

The pillow seemed to be calling to her, and she fell onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Unlike the walls, it hadn’t had a coat of paint in the recent renovation. It was off-yellow compared to the rest of the room.

Yawning widely, Tina wished she could cuddle up with Sam and talk to him. She wanted to tell him how uneasy she felt, although she didn’t know why.

She pulled the quilt up over her shoulder. ‘I’ll just be cosy for a while. I can have ten minutes before I go down again. I didn’t walk out on Helen. I went to change. And I don’t mind Helen being here.’

Knowing that was strictly true, but not sure why, she wondered what the Roman Baths curator was still doing there. Assuming it was connected to the forthcoming excavation, Tina decided to ask Thea out for drink and a chat once Helen had gone away again. Shivering, Tina tucked further into the bed. There was no doubt the evenings were getting colder. Her car’s temperature gauge had pointed at two degrees as she’d turned into the driveway at six o’clock. It was going to be almost freezing by the time they crawled into the tent.

Tina closed her eyes. Winter was coming, and the idea of being under canvas at night was becoming less appealing by the day, however much she loved Sam.

*

‘I can’t believe it’s our last night,’ said Woody as he lay down his knife and fork. ‘It’s so beautiful here.’

Sam looked up at the star-studded velvet black sky. The scene was so precise; as if a primary school child had drawn it. ‘I can’t believe my luck in finding this place, and Tina being here too well… There was a time when I thought nothing good would ever happen again.’

‘That I understand.’ Woody stared across to the woodland beyond the garden. The tops of the trees blended into the skyline, making it appear enchanted. ‘I’m not keen on returning to reality.’

Ann and Dave murmured in agreement, their mouths full of Helen’s roast potatoes.

‘It’s been great having you here.’ Sam switched his attention back to his friends. ‘As we’re all here, do you mind me asking if you have any suggestions on how I could improve things? Any activities that you think would work, or wouldn’t work? Anything that you think might help make Mill Grange the best it can be?’

*

‘Here.’ Thea placed a dinner plate wrapped in tin foil on the table next to the window. ‘The plate’s hot. Helen kept it warm for you.’

Embarrassed to have fallen asleep, Tina sat up and rubbed her eyes. ‘I was only going to have ten minutes. What time is it?’

‘Half past eight.’

‘Oh hell. And it’s our guests’ last evening here! What will they think?’

‘That you’re tired.’ Thea smiled. ‘Helen said you’d had a rough day.’

‘Did she?’

Thea sat on the edge of the bed next to her friend. ‘Are you alright, Tina? We’ve hardly seen you these past couple of days, and you’ve been quiet when you have been around.’

‘I’m fine. Just busy.’

‘Are you sure that’s all?’

‘Of course.’ Throwing back the bed covers, Tina dragged on a thick jumper to counteract the sudden chill. ‘There’s so much to do before October. Especially if Shaun and Landscape Treasures do come.’

Thea sighed. ‘I wish we knew for certain.’

‘Has Sam said anything about Treasure Hunters?’

‘All I know is that they’ve made another offer. We’ve had three now. If Shaun can’t give a precise date, then Sam may have to accept it.’

Tina nodded. ‘I was afraid of that. I don’t blame Sam, but it would feel wrong if it wasn’t Landscape Treasures filming it.’

‘I think it’s the idea of providing a certificated qualification that’s tempting Sam to take the Treasure Hunters money.’

‘What certificated qualification?’

‘Sorry?’

Tina pulled on her trainers. ‘What certificate?’

‘You don’t know about the idea to have an archaeological skills qualification available here?’ Thea didn’t know what else to say as Tina’s normally placid face flushed in anger.

‘Clearly not.’ She looked at the covered plate of dinner, ‘But you did, and I suspect Helen did. Maybe our guests did, but me? Not a clue. Why would Sam even think about consulting me?’ Fuming, she rounded on her friend. ‘I thought we’d sorted this. I thought we had reached an understanding about running this place together. Sam actually had the cheek to tell me this was a partnership. That we were in this together. And do you know what makes me really angry?’ Tina swallowed. ‘I believed him! How bloody gullible I’ve become.’

Following her friend as she flew to the door, Thea called, ‘Perhaps he wanted it to be a surprise or something?’

Tina stopped and turned to face Thea. ‘Did he tell you not to tell me?’

‘No.’

‘Then it wasn’t going to be a surprise was it.’

‘I don’t know what to say? I honestly thought Sam had talked it over with you, and I’ve been so busy with—’

‘With Helen. Yes, I know. You haven’t seen her for ages, and you’ve needed to catch up. Perfectly normal.’

The sad tone to Tina’s voice hit Thea as she watched her friend run down the corridor. It hadn’t been bitter, but resigned, as if being out of the loop was something she was coming to accept.

*

Tina wasn’t sure where she was going. Her intention had been to confront Sam there