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

booking enquiry emails and direct bookings. As she checked the calendar, she smiled. August and September were fully booked. October was almost full as well, and they even had a spattering of bookings for November and the following spring.

She looked around the old scullery that she and Thea used as an office. It wouldn’t be the same if Thea left. Not that her friend had mentioned leaving, but Tina knew that the last time Thea had had a relationship fall apart, she’d wanted to move away – have a fresh start. That fresh start had been at Mill Grange. The circumstances were different of course. John had made life so difficult, that Thea had been compelled to leave Bath behind her. Shaun would never do that. So…

Tina’s thoughts were interrupted by the ring of her mobile. It was Thea.

‘Fancy escaping for a while?’

Tina’s eyes automatically flicked to her wedding notebook and the clipboard with today’s to-do list. There was so much to do. ‘Where did you have in mind?’

‘Glastonbury Abbey.’

Forty-five

Thursday April 9th

The words, ‘Fancy a catch up as we walk around Glastonbury Abbey’, had come out of her mouth before Helen’s brain had registered that by offering Thea a day away from Mill Grange she was holding up work at the house and wedding arrangements even further. A crime she’d compounded by asking if Tina would like to come too.

Now, as she climbed into her Land Rover, Helen was relieved to be doing something positive. She’d never be able to relax until she’d apologised to her friends for walking out on them.

As she backed out of her driveway, Helen glanced at her watch. Tom should reach Tiverton in the next forty minutes or so. I hope he’s okay.

*

Sam had virtually pushed Tina into Thea’s car.

‘But there’s a wedding to plan! And what about Dylan?’

‘Mabel has promised to bake cakes with him this afternoon. Now off you go. Have some fun! And if you can, find out what’s going on with our bridesmaids. The wedding will be easier to plan with them as part of it.’

*

On the drive to Devon, Tom had been determined that he and Sue would manage a whole conversation without him getting exasperated. He’d told himself it was reasonable that she’d be cross, and that if their situations were reversed, he’d have demanded an explanation too. However, hit by a torrent of accusations about not caring for their child, his resolve had fractured approximately thirty seconds after his arrival at Sue’s front door.

‘Sue!’ Tom slid his hands into his pockets. ‘Will you just stop shouting and let me speak!’

‘You abandoned our son!’

‘Says the woman who dumped her child at Mill Grange for longer than planned so she could go away for the week, having just assumed I had no plans of my own, but then came home.’ Feeling his temper fraying, Tom snapped, ‘Why did you do that? Was it some sort of test to see if I could cope, or is lying to me becoming a hobby?’

‘I was away. I’m back now, that’s all.’

Sensing a slight softening in Sue’s anger, Tom asked, ‘Good back now, or been dumped by boyfriend back now?’

‘As if you’d care either way.’

‘Don’t be childish.’

‘I had a few days away with friends, that’s all.’ Sue jutted her chin out, steering the focus away from herself. ‘So, why did you leave Dylan alone?’

‘For a start, I did no such thing. I left him with people who care for him, and in my defence, the situation I found myself in was unexpected. It was a split-second decision. If Dylan was not in safe hands, I wouldn’t have gone.’ Tom levelled his eyes on Sue’s face. ‘You know I wouldn’t.’

Resting her back against her front door, Sue uncrossed her arms. ‘Okay, yes, I know you wouldn’t. It was a shock that’s all. I need to know I can trust you with Dylan. It’s important.’

‘Of course it’s important.’ Tom frowned. Something about Sue’s tone set alarm bells ringing. ‘Why didn’t you call my mobile last night? Why ring the house?’

Sue averted her gaze to Tom’s feet. ‘I was looking at the website for Mill Grange, saw the number and thought I’d ring it for a change. I wondered who’d answer, and if, should there be an emergency and I couldn’t reach you, it was a good number to use instead.’

‘O… kay.’ Tom felt his unease rising. ‘Who answered?’

‘Someone called Thea. Sounded like she’d been crying.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. She said you’d gone to Bath and would be back today, and that Dylan was fine.’

‘I spoke to him this morning.’ Tom’s lips curved upwards. ‘Apparently they had a bubble session yesterday. He was being a zombie.’

Sue sighed. ‘He’d have enjoyed that.’

Tom was becoming more confused than ever. ‘Sue, what’s all this about? I mean really about. You know I wouldn’t endanger Dylan, so your calling me to rant about that was an excuse. What I can’t figure out is if you’re being awkward for the sake of it, or if you called because you feel guilty about something.’

Sue suddenly looked up from studying her feet. ‘Would you like to come in?’

‘You’re inviting me into your home? You never do that.’

‘Some conversations shouldn’t happen on the doorstep.’

*

They’d got as far as the motorway before Tina couldn’t hold back from asking the obvious question. ‘Have you spoken to Shaun yet?’

‘No.’ Thea concentrated on overtaking a lorry.

‘Um, you will still be my bridesmaid, won’t you?’

‘Of course!’ Thea let out a puff of breath. ‘I’m sorry, Tina. Your wedding party is dissolving in front of your eyes, isn’t it?’

‘It rather is.’ Tina shrugged. ‘I wish you were all okay though, and not just for selfish wedding reasons.’

‘Me too.’

‘Did Helen give any clue as to why she ran away?’

‘No, but she said Tom had been and gone again and that she’d explain when she saw us.’

‘Is it good that he’s left already or not, do you think?’

‘I’ve no idea, but he wouldn’t leave Dylan at Mill Grange without him for