Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (a court of thorns and roses ebook free txt) 📗

Sam picked up his mug of tea and raised it towards Helen. ‘How’s progress fortlet wise?’

Relieved to be on safe ground, Helen slipped into professional archaeologist mode. ‘If you look at the original geophysics plans that Ajay and Andy did for Shaun when the site was first discovered, you’ll see that we have almost opened each point of interest.’

Laying out the original plan and placing her own working dig plan next to it, Helen pointed out each room that had been opened, each corridor, store and courtyard. She talked of sleeping quarters for the small household of soldiers and how they were probably supporting themselves from the land with the help of supplies from nearby rural settlements. Her finger ran across the plans as she spoke of supply routes and journey times to Exeter and the nearest main fort at Rainsbury. By the time she’d stopped speaking, Sam and Tina were looking very impressed.

‘Well no wonder you’ve been asked to write about this place.’ Tina dabbed up some cake crumbs with her finger. ‘You know it inside out. I’ve no idea how we’ll—’

Helen cut across her friend, not wanting the fact of her leaving mentioned. ‘As soon as Thea is here tomorrow, I’ll give her the full rundown on the dig, so she knows where I’m at. I don’t think it will take much more than a month to finish uncovering everything. Then it’ll just be a case of solidifying what we have.’

Sam nodded. ‘Which brings me to the next point. Thea and Shaun should be back late tomorrow. While it will be fantastic to see them, and have a few more hands on deck, we are without paying guests now until April twentieth.’

Helen doodled on her pad as she asked, ‘But bookings are good for the week of the twentieth, Tina?’

‘Fully booked that week, and every week until September. Then things trail off rather.’

‘Which is why,’ Sam flapped his to-do list before him, ‘I thought we’d open the house and gardens for Easter.’

There were general murmurs of approval as Tina said, ‘I’ve got two hundred small Easter eggs ordered from the village shop. I wondered if Dylan would help plan where to hide them Tom, or do you think he’d rather not know, and enjoy hunting them down himself?’

‘He’ll love hiding them.’

‘Excellent.’ Tina scribbled a note on her pad. ‘Maybe you could help Dylan with that, Helen? We’ll hide them around the house and grounds on Easter Sunday.’

‘How much are we charging, did you decide to stick to £2 per child?’ Tom asked. ‘I’m still happy to take posters to Dylan’s school.’

‘Thanks, Tom.’ Tina scribbled, ‘do poster’ on her list. ‘And it will be £5 per person to go into the house. I’m hoping Mabel will still help do tea and coffee.’

‘I’m sure she will. Especially now Bert’s home again.’ Helen felt herself relax now the emphasis was off her role at Mill Grange. ‘Will Thea do a guided tour? She told me she led them during your Opening Day back in July.’

‘I haven’t asked her.’ Sam turned to Tina. ‘Have you, love?’

‘Not yet, but I’m rather hoping she will. I have a few wedding things I want to ask her about, so I’ll mention doing tours at the same time.’

Sam smiled. ‘After bribing her with Sybil’s scones?’

‘Naturally.’ Tina laughed. ‘You’ll come too, won’t you, Helen? I need all the help I can get on the wedding front.’

‘Well, yes. If you’d like me to.’

Not leaving anyone time to ask if Helen would still be around by then, Sam ploughed on. ‘I want to take this fortnight to crack on with future plans and wedding plans. As you know, we intend to marry here, but my parents wish us to marry in Malvern. So we’ve invited them here in the hope they fall in love with the place. They are due tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow? But that’s when Dylan comes?’ Tom looked panicked.

‘Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten. My parents are just coming to see the house. I can’t imagine they’ll be here for more than a few hours. Dylan’s presence won’t be a problem.’

Tina nodded. ‘He might even help. Look how quickly he won a place in Bert and Mabel’s hearts.’

Sam, who thought his parents a very different kettle of fish to Mabel and Bert, glanced up at Mill Grange. It was a far cry from his parents’ Queen Anne mansion, but he’d get them to see its charms if it was the last thing he did.

‘We should crack on. Beyond our usual Friday tasks, there is a great deal of housework to do. I’m sure you’ll have lots to do to get your room ready for Dylan, Tom. Is there anything else you need? An extra chest of drawers or a little desk, or anything?’

‘Thank you, perhaps a little table for Dylan to draw at, but otherwise we’ll be fine.’ He glanced at Helen. ‘Because, the thing is—’

‘The thing is,’ Helen interrupted, ‘I’ve said Tom can take my desk for Dylan. Be easier than lugging extra furniture up there this weekend.’

Not glancing at Tom, Helen stared at an increasingly suspicious looking Tina. ‘Would you like me to change the bed linen, Tina, so you can get a few of your cakes made to wow Lord and Lady Malvern?’

Twenty-five

Friday April 3rd

Don’t panic. I haven’t changed my mind. I just thought we should tell Dylan first as agreed – and soon – I think Tina has guessed. Hope you understand. H xx

We’ll tell him tomorrow. T xx

Thanks for understanding. I’ll make it up to you. H xx

Looking forward to that! T xx

Helen blushed and her chest tightened as she read Tom’s last text. Relief mixed with guilt as she pulled an armful of linen out of the cupboard, ready to make up the rooms that had been occupied all week.

With a nagging feeling that she didn’t understand why she’d used Dylan as an excuse not to tell everyone about her and Tom