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

I’m supposed to have him every other weekend, but Sue always makes it difficult. It’s like she enjoys the hold over me.’

Having no idea what to say, Helen played safe. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

Tom grunted as he said, ‘Yesterday, when we were in the stables sorting out the shelves and stuff, you said you’d only be here a few weeks. You meant months, right? You’re here for the same time as me?’

‘I’m afraid not. I’m on an extended holiday from work. I’ll have to go back soon.’

Tom sighed. ‘This is not turning into a good day.’ Excusing himself, he left Helen sitting at the desk, feeling rather confused.

*

Sam and Tina stood in the middle of the stable block. He was holding her hand; his breathing slightly too fast, but there were no visible signs of sweat or shaking. His back was to the doors, but both were fully open.

‘Are you ready for me to shut the first door?’ Bert asked from his chair in the corner of the room.

‘I think so.’

Sam couldn’t look at the old man as he got up. He didn’t want to see the painted blue door as it shut out the precious daylight.

‘The second door is still open,’ Bert said cheerfully. ‘And you know that’s okay because you’ve done it twice before and survived.’

‘Twice?’ Sam kept his eyes on the imaginary shelf system. ‘You mean once.’

‘No, twice. The door swung to when you and I were in here the other day. You didn’t notice, but we were enclosed for over ten minutes before the wind opened it up again.’

Sam didn’t move. ‘I had no idea.’

Tina kissed his cheek. ‘I’m so proud of you.’

‘Thanks, but we’ve got a bit of a way to go yet.’

‘Small steps, my boy.’ Bert got up again and went to reopen the door, but Sam stopped him.

‘Maybe leave it for a tiny bit longer.’

‘Okay.’ Bert sat back down again. ‘While we’re here then, tell me how you’re getting on with stepping inside the manor itself.’

‘Not great.’ Sam tutted to himself. ‘I can sit in the doorway to the kitchen, and that’s okay, but I haven’t gone beyond.’

‘But you come inside through the back door all the time. Well, every time you need the bathroom. Why is that different do you think?’

‘I don’t know.’ Sam shrugged. ‘It’s silly, because the kitchen has a big window overlooking the garden and is far less enclosed than the washroom.’

‘It’s probably because, not only does it have that huge window you can jump through, but you’re also on your own in the bathroom. If you have a panic attack you know you can have it in private. In the kitchen you have the added pressure of being seen to be vulnerable if anyone else comes by.’

Tina gave Bert a warm smile. ‘Makes sense to me.’

‘And me, but it isn’t getting me any closer to going inside.’ Sam waved to the doors behind him. ‘This is an outbuilding with two doors, and I’m having hot flushes even though one door is open.’

‘Patience, Sam. It will happen.’

‘I know, but, Bert, the first guests are arriving in seven days’ time. I wanted to be able to greet them myself in the kitchen, even if I couldn’t go any further.’

‘And that’s what you want more than anything?’ Tina asked quietly.

‘For now it is.’ There was so much loaded in Sam’s answer that the atmosphere felt choked with emotion, before Bert got to his feet and opened the door.

‘Seven days you say.’ The old man tapped his chin. ‘And Thea gets back from Cornwall when?’

‘Today or tomorrow.’ Tina added, ‘And the Landscape Treasures team might be here in three days.’

‘Three days will be pushing it, but with seven, if it’s really what you want, Sam, then we have a chance. I’ve had an idea.’

Forty-Six

October 1st

Thea stared down Mill Grange’s driveway, but no cars, vans or camera trucks drove towards her.

The church floor tiles, on further investigation by the medieval curator at Truro museum, had proved to be of great interest, and so they were waiting for another expert on the subject to come up from London, and Phil wanted the moment captured on camera. That meant Shaun had had to stay in Cornwall until the interview was in the can. Yesterday afternoon, that still hadn’t happened.

Knowing she was wasting her time standing on the drive, willing a Landscape Treasures van to appear as if by magic, Thea headed to her office. If the TV crew didn’t make it, then Sam was poised to call Sophie’s bluff and accept the Treasure Hunters offer. She didn’t blame him, although it galled her that, despite how hard everyone at Guron had worked, Shaun might still miss out on digging the fortlet.

*

Sweat trickled down Sam’s back, as for the eighth time in the last eight seconds he’d questioned why he was allowing Bert to do this. Then his stomach rumbled and he remembered.

Mabel had left his lunch on the kitchen table, just like she had for everyone else. And just like everyone else, Sam had to go inside and fetch it. The only difference was that Sam would double back at top speed to eat outside, rather than sitting at the table.

This was the third day of the experiment, and only Sam’s sandwiches remained on the table. On the first day he hadn’t made it at all. Visions of fainting and embarrassing himself by falling over in the kitchen again had stopped his feet going more than toe-to-toe with the back door’s threshold. Tina had gone through agonies not going in and fetching his food for him; but Bert had drummed it into her that if Sam really did want a quick, short-distance, one-room cure, it wouldn’t be easy. It could even seem cruel.

*

Yesterday had been better. His need to eat lunch had made him more determined. Waiting until everyone else was done, and checking no one was watching him, Sam had dropped to his knees at the doorway and