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

and then. To demand to know what decisions he’d made about the manor without her. On reaching the kitchen, however, she’d been met by a wall of laughter from beyond the open back door. If she stormed outside now, she’d humiliate Sam, and although she was furious with him, he didn’t deserve that. Nor did Tina want them to laugh at her. And they might. The idea made her toes curl.

Changing direction, ignoring the growl of her empty stomach, Tina headed to the front door, and quietly took her coat off the peg.

Twenty-One

September 10th

Thea rushed back to the kitchen. Keeping out of sight, she checked on Sam and his friends. Her relief at finding all as convivial as before was followed by anger at herself for thinking Tina would have a public row with Sam. She knew her friend hated confrontation as much as she did.

Assuming Tina was hiding in the house, Thea moved from room to room. By the time she’d reached the laundry, the final door around which to peep, she had to accept that her friend had left the manor.

Thea checked her watch. It was almost nine o’clock. Not only was it late, but she’d been gone from their guests a long time for someone who’d just said they were nipping to the bathroom.

Wishing she had Shaun there, Thea sat on the bottom step of the staircase and tried to think what to do. If she told Sam his girlfriend was missing, then the successful week they’d spent with their practice guests would end with them all hunting for Tina. She didn’t want Ann, Woody and Dave to have a memorable week at Mill Grange for entirely the wrong reasons. On the other hand, if she went on a longer search for Tina, and didn’t return to the group herself, then eyebrows would be raised at her absence, especially by Helen.

‘Why are you faffing? You need to find your friend.’ Annoyed with herself for being just as culpable in the neglect of Tina as Sam had been, Thea crossed her fingers against the lie she was about to tell. She returned to their visitors.

‘Tina’s fast asleep, so I’ve left her where she is.’

‘Good idea.’ Sam reached for his drink. ‘She’s probably exhausted. She’s had a very busy few days with the Trust’s most challenging clients.’

Seeing at once that he hadn’t a clue how Tina was feeling, although heartened that he’d at least taken note of what his girlfriend had been doing for the past few days, Thea said, ‘If you wouldn’t mind me spiriting Helen away, Sam, I’ll show her to her room.’

‘No problem.’

‘I ought to do the washing up first.’ Helen gestured to all the dirty dishes. ‘I made the mess after all.’

Ann was already shaking her head. ‘It’s my turn to face washing-up duty, fear not.’

Waiting until they were out of earshot, Thea turned to Helen. ‘I’m sorry to do this to you when you were having such a good time, but I need your help. Tina’s missing.’

‘Not asleep?’

‘I can’t find her anywhere in the house and she isn’t in Sam’s tent.’ Thea kept walking until they reached the back door and returned to the outside world. ‘Her car is here, so I can only assume she’s gone to the Stag and Hound.’

Helen was hot on Thea’s heels. ‘Tina didn’t seem pleased to see me earlier. Are you sure I should be there when you find her?’

‘Definitely.’ Thea kept going. ‘I’ve a feeling it’s partly my fault she’s gone off. I was so excited to see you, and I’ve been so wrapped up in the site and Shaun that I didn’t stop to think about Tina.’

‘Should you have?’ Helen frowned. ‘I know she’s a friend, but this is a business you’re trying to build here. It isn’t about your friendship. And she has her own job.’

‘She does, and she is very good at it. That isn’t the problem.’

‘Then what is?’

‘Although, technically, Mill Grange belongs to Sam, it’s a joint venture for their future together.’

‘Ahh. I didn’t know that. I got the impression it was Sam’s show, with you as an employee and Tina… well, just being here as Sam’s girlfriend, I guess.’ Helen winced. ‘And Tina came home from work today and found me in the kitchen without having been consulted. Ouch.’

‘That, in itself, would not usually be a problem. Tina’s lovely, and would welcome you with open arms as a rule.’

‘She was really friendly when I first turned up.’ Helen wasn’t convinced she wasn’t to blame. ‘But I’m sure I’ve offended her by still being here.’

‘Not at all. Sam has put his foot in it big time, and now Tina is feeling sidelined. Pretty much the worst thing you can do to Tina.’

‘What’s he done?’

‘It’s what he hasn’t done.’ Thea slowed her pace as they reached the village and the pub came into sight. ‘And I made it worse because I didn’t know she didn’t know.’

‘You realise you’re making no sense whatsoever?’

‘I’ll explain over a drink when we’ve found Tina. A large one.’

*

‘Here you go, lass.’

Bert passed a box of tissues to Tina as Mabel placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate next to her.

Taking a big blow of her nose, Tina tried not to feel a total fool – and failed. ‘Thank you.’ She gave a brave smile. ‘I don’t know why I came here.’ She stopped talking. The words ‘I didn’t have anywhere else to go’ formed on her lips, but got stuck. If she spoke them aloud the tears would start again.

Cradling the hot mug, she stared into its creamy contents. This wasn’t the “just add boiling water” stuff she was used to. Mabel had made this from scratch. She’d taken the time to do it properly. The idea of that much effort being taken for her, when she’d turned up on their doorstep as they’d been preparing to go to bed, embarrassed her.

As if reading her mind, Mabel said, ‘It was no trouble. It’s soothing to prepare