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

smiled at Bea. ‘You are so lucky to live here.’

‘We are.’ The countess laid down her cake fork, her voice eager. ‘Did you like the orangery, Sam?’

‘It’s stunning.’ Sam swallowed his mouthful of cream cake. ‘I love the way it matches the style of the house.’

‘An orangery?’ Tina resisted the scone as she turned to Sam. ‘I love those.’

‘It was a gift from Charles.’ Bea gave her husband a look of such love that Tina was rendered temporarily speechless. ‘Sam could show you after lunch.’

‘That would be lovely, and to be honest, a walk would be welcome after all this delicious food.’ Tina tapped her belly. ‘We could get some ideas for how to develop our own walled garden.’

Taking a wallet from his inside jacket pocket, Lord Malvern produced a business card. ‘This is the chap who designed and built it. Good man.’

Taking it with a dip of thanks, Sam slipped it in his pocket. ‘I’d be grateful for his advice.’ Wiping his fingers on a napkin, he added, ‘That was lovely, but I don’t think I could eat another mouthful.’

‘Nor me.’ Tina dabbed at the dusting of icing sugar that coated her plate, about to lick it off her fingers, when she remembered where she was, and lowered her hands to her lap.

Lady Malvern made to rise from her chair. ‘Why don’t you young things have that walk, while Charles and I tidy up this lot? Then we can have coffee.’

‘We can help, Mum.’ Sam’s astonishment that his parents were doing their own clearing up was obvious. ‘I could try one more trip inside.’

Bea beamed at her son. ‘We are perfectly capable of stacking the dishwasher. Now off you go. See the gardens before it rains.’

Tina peered upwards, to see grey clouds gathering, and a flicker of panic clutched at her overfull stomach. What if they had to put the roof of the car up on the way home? Would that ruin a successful day?

*

There wasn’t a single crumb left on Tom’s plate. Helen had the impression he’d have licked the remaining butter residue off it if he could.

‘Good scones?’

Tom laughed. ‘How could you tell I liked them?’

‘Hunch really.’ Helen glanced at her own plate, also empty, but somehow not quite so polished off.

‘When I was a kid, my mum made scones. Cheese ones. She was a fabulous cook.’

Noting the past tense, Helen wasn’t sure what to say, and found herself adjusting the conversation as she would have done during a difficult work meeting at the Baths. ‘Does Dylan like them too?’

‘I don’t know.’ Suddenly more closed off, Tom reached for his coffee mug. ‘Perhaps I’ll bring him here on Saturday if—’

The ring of Helen’s mobile cut through Tom’s sentence. Answering fast, ignoring the tuts from other customers not impressed at the interruption, Helen headed into the garden. ‘Thea? How’s it going down there?’

*

Seated on the bench he’d recently shared with his father, Sam slipped his arm around Tina’s shoulders. ‘I knew mother would love you, I think father likes you too, although that’s harder to judge.’

‘I adore your mum. I like your dad too actually. He must love your mum a lot to have built that beautiful orangery for her. Was it a birthday present?’

‘No. It was because she’d always wanted one.’

‘As simple as that.’

‘Yes.’ Sam considered for a moment, before adding, ‘He’s changed. I can’t get over how old he looks. Mother too, but she’s always had an out-of-time air.’

‘When we haven’t seen people in a while, we expect time to have stood still for them, while our lives move on. Humans are weird.’

‘Can’t argue with that.’ Sam adjusted his ponytail. ‘I suspect Mum threatened him into being nice to me.’

‘Maybe, but maybe not.’ Tina decided to take a risk and said, ‘You’re a lot like your father. In appearance, build and stubbornness.’

‘Oh.’ Sam wasn’t sure if he liked the comparison.

‘You just come from a different generation; one where you’re allowed to express yourself. He wasn’t that lucky.’

‘Suppose not.’ Sam glanced at the sky just as his mobile burst into life. ‘It’s Thea.’ He flicked on the speaker. ‘Hi, Thea, I’m in Malvern with Tina. Everything alright?’

Forty-One

September 24th

‘Landscape Treasures?’ Lady Malvern clapped her hands in glee. ‘That is my favourite. I’m always watching it, aren’t I, Charles?’

‘That, QI, or Top Gear. Never off.’

‘Top Gear?’ Tina hadn’t meant to sound so surprised, but she couldn’t help it. Bea wasn’t exactly her idea of a car show fan…

‘I adore that James May. So clever, and rather cute, don’t you think?’

Never having considered Top Gear as anything other than an amusing show about three friends and their vehicles, Tina laughed. ‘He’s certainly clever.’

Lord Malvern gave a dry grunt. ‘Don’t see the attraction myself. Bloody man has long hair.’

Tina felt Sam stiffen, but Bea was ahead of him. ‘Don’t be so stuffy, Charles. I think it is wonderful news that Sam’s excavation may be filmed. And this Thea, she’s really going out with Shaun Coulson?’

‘She is.’ Relieved that they’d sidestepped the ‘ponytail’ conversation, Tina kept talking. ‘Thea’s my best friend. We’ve known each other since university. She met Shaun after coming to work with me at Mill Grange during its restoration, before Sam bought it.’

‘How romantic!’ Bea was clapping her hands again. ‘And the filming, how likely is that?’

‘Just a possibility at the moment, as the Cornish dig they’re working on has got behind schedule.’ Tina decided not to go into all the reasons for that. ‘But if they get back on track, they’ll be with us on the 1st of October.’

‘Let’s have a coffee while you tell us all about it.’ Lady Malvern gestured back to the marquee as Sam anxiously peered at the cloudy sky.

‘I’d love to, Mum, but we’re going to have to go if we aren’t to drown on the way home.’

Not wanting the day to end by disappointing Lady Malvern, Tina hooked her arm in his. ‘Ten minutes more won’t hurt. Quick coffee, first?’

*

Sybil took the plates away and waggled an