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

garden and pointed to an orangery that ran along the far wall. ‘What do you think?’

Sam was astounded. The last time he’d been in this part of the gardens, it had been little more than a glorified allotment with a bare wall and a heap of wasted opportunities. ‘It’s beautiful. It’s so in keeping.’

The earl’s stature relaxed a fraction as his son strode ahead, making for the right-hand side of the structure. It was largely glass, made up of eight large picture windows, joined together by wrought-iron frames and supported on a low red-brick wall. It would take an expert eye to know it wasn’t an original Edwardian construction.

Sam ran a hand along the first piece of iron work he came to. It was exquisite. Looking through the glass, he could see rows of terracotta pots containing lemon and orange plants. There were grape vines climbing the original wall at the back of the structure, and a neat line of raised beds had been fixed to the nearer side of the greenhouse; perfect for any plant to catch the sun’s rays as they reflected through the glass.

‘When did you this get done? It’s wonderful.’

‘Last year.’ Lord Malvern kept his eyes on the orangery. ‘Your mother always wanted one.’

Sam wasn’t sure how to respond to this evidence that his father could behave like a normal human being. There was no doubt this was a labour of love.

Not sure if he would be scorned, but taking the chance anyway, Sam pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his photographs until he found shots of Mill Grange’s dilapidated greenhouse.

‘I aim to do this up. It’s one of the projects I want my guests to help with. First though, I need to get advice on the best techniques and materials. I got a quote to have it restored professionally, but it was rather more than I wish to pay out. And after the fire at the mill—’

‘A fire?’ The earl broke through Sam’s words. ‘You’re alright? Tina and your friends are alright?’

‘Yes.’ Sam found his mouth opening and closing, before saying, ‘Tina and Thea got trapped in the old mill as it went up in flames. We lost the mill, but my friend Shaun and I got the girls out.’

Gesturing to a bench at the side of the garden, Lord Malvern sat down heavily. ‘Did you go into the mill to get them out?’

‘With Shaun.’

‘You went into a burning building to rescue someone? Again.’

‘Yes.’

The earl was quiet for a long time before he asked, ‘Will you tell me about your plans for Mill Grange, Sam?’

Forty

September 24th

Having finally managed to convince Sophie that a moment’s embarrassment wasn’t the end of the world, Thea had got her charge halfway to the dig site before she suddenly stopped walking.

‘I promise, Sophie, they all think you’ve been ill. You’ve nothing to worry about.’

‘No, it’s not that.’ Putting her hand in her pocket and, checking to make sure no one else was watching, Sophie sheepishly produced a mobile. ‘It’s Shaun’s. I found it.’

Thea felt her palms prickle. ‘Found it?’

Sophie shuffled her feet. ‘Yeah.’

‘Where?’

‘The pub.’ Averting her eyes from Thea, Sophie mumbled, ‘I was going to give it back in the café, but I never got the chance.’

Thea stared at the phone in her hand. ‘Are you sure you didn’t pick it up off the pub table and pocket it?’

Panic flashed in Sophie’s eyes. ‘It wasn’t like that. I was trying to help. To find out if…’ She let out a frustrated groan. ‘Oh what’s the point? You’ll all be gone soon. It’s all been for nothing.’

Thea was no longer listening. Her eyes were fixed on the phone’s screensaver. It showed Shaun and Sophie, standing very close together, silly smiles on their faces.

Without a word, Thea walked away, leaving Sophie behind her.

*

Sat alone on nearby Bodmin Moor, it was ten minutes before Thea dared look at the rest of the phone’s photographs.

They could have been worse. As far as Thea could tell, they’d all been taken in the pub with the AA in attendance. This is the selfie session Shaun told me about then.

Feeling like she was breaking a trust, and hating herself for doing it, she scrolled through Shaun’s texts, exhaling slowly. There was nothing incriminating.

He told you about the photos. He was blind to Sophie’s advances. You can trust him.

Vowing to give Shaun a lecture about the importance of having his mobile password-protected, Thea rescrolled until she found the photograph that was acting as his screensaver. It was dated from the night before he’d lost his phone.

It was Sophie who made it the screensaver – not Shaun.

Thea clambered to her feet. ‘Lady Hammett, I think you’re off the hook.’

*

Helen was already regretting her offer to take Tom to Sybil’s for lunch. The invitation had been rashly given in one of many painful silences that had hung between them since they’d started work that morning.

They hadn’t even got to the edge of the village, and Helen was already wondering if she’d made a huge mistake. Surely it would be worse to be sat across a café table in silence than over the site at Mill Grange?

Maybe he’d have preferred the pub instead.

Her supply of small talk almost down to zero, Helen found herself pointing out facts about the village as they went.

‘The mill is more or less a shell now. I expect Sam told you about the fire.’

‘He did. Sounds like Tina and Thea were lucky to get out alive.’ Tom glanced at the charred structure as they passed. ‘I wonder what he’ll do with it.’

‘Sell it to developers I expect.’

‘Makes sense.’ Tom scanned the view of the Upwich as they walked down the slope into its heart. ‘I haven’t known Sam long, but I suspect he’d only sell it to someone who’d rebuild it in keeping with the village.’

Agreeing, Helen pointed towards Sybil’s. ‘If you’d prefer the pub, I’d understand.’

‘Actually, the tea rooms would be good. I’d like to see if it’s