Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (fiction books to read .txt) 📕

them, Thea moved closer to Helen. She was about to confide her concerns about Julian when she suddenly registered what they were doing. ‘But first, can you tell me why on earth we are filling all these bags, when we could have just carried a tray of fifty eggs at a time to the Land Rover?!’

‘Stupidity?’

Thea laughed. ‘That’ll be it.’

*

Dylan scrambled onto the sofa next to Bert, holding out the bag of freshly cooked cheese scones. ‘Sybil said to say these would get you better faster than chicken soup.’

Bert gave a throaty giggle as Tom took the bag from his son. ‘Would you like one, Bert, or did Mabel stuff you with a full English breakfast before she went off with Tina?’

‘I’d love one, but best not tell Mabel! She’s worried I won’t get in my suit for the wedding. Bless her, she’s already clucking about the fact I’m not in a position to go shopping for a new one.’

Tom saw the glint dip from Bert’s eyes and saw he was disappointed about that too. He could picture him in an old-fashioned gent’s outfitters, proudly chatting away about being father of the bride by proxy.

‘Forgive me, Bert, but I think you ought to be putting weight on if you want the suit to fit.’

‘Me too young fella, so let’s get eating! After so long without an appetite, now I have it back, I’m constantly peckish.’

As Tom disappeared into the kitchen to find plates, Bert put his arm around Dylan. ‘Now, you will look after me at the wedding, won’t you?’

‘Me look after you?’ Dylan’s round eyes widened. ‘I’m only little.’

‘But growing all the time. I’m much better now, Dylan, but I get tired quickly. If I need things fetching, like one of Sybil’s scones, will you be my wedding helper?’

‘Course.’ Dylan opened his dinosaur rucksack. ‘I’ve got my school stuff. Do you want to see?’

*

The Land Rover bumped along Mill Grange’s driveway, back towards Upwich for the second round of Easter egg collection. Thea had told Helen all about the dolphin mosaic and the villa’s location, how the work was satisfying and that the archaeologists were fun to be with.

‘It sounds fantastic, yet I can feel a “but” coming on.’ Helen sent up a silent thank you to whichever god was passing by, that the parking space outside the village shop was still vacant.

‘How did you know there was a but?’

‘Because I’ve worked in the industry all my life. It doesn’t matter how good it looks from the outside, there’s always a niggle under the surface. A problem the public never get to see. A breach of health and safety that results in the need to fill in a million forms, or a measurement that was out, so all the plans need redrawing. You know the sort of thing.’

Thea snorted. ‘I do indeed, but this time, so far at least, we’ve escaped those issues.’ She stayed in the passenger seat, watching the village around her, many of the locals waving as they passed by. ‘This time, as they say, it’s personal.’

‘Go on.’

‘The producer. Julian. Shaun was convinced he had a thing for me at first. I didn’t see it, and it took a while to convince Shaun he was mistaken. Finally, he accepted he’d just been jealous and that was that.’

‘So, what’s the problem?’

‘Julian wants me to consider presenting on television as a career.’

Helen gave a puzzled smile. ‘But that’s wonderful. Congratulations.’

Shaking her head, Thea sighed. ‘The thing is, from what Julian has implied, it isn’t that he wants me to present alongside Shaun. I think he wants me to take over from him.’

‘Oh my God!’

‘Exactly.’

‘What does Shaun say about this?’

‘I haven’t told him. How can I? Where do I even begin that conversation? And anyhow, Julian has asked me to keep quiet about his offer.’ Thea looked longingly across the road at Sybil’s Tea Rooms. ‘So far, I haven’t answered Julian’s emails, but he’s arranged a meeting about my future. A meeting in a local hotel. Just the two of us.’

‘Ah.’ Helen saw the problem straightaway. ‘So you think this Julian wants you to be the show’s new presenter, hence wanting to talk to you away from the team.’

‘I feel awful. Poor Shaun. He loves his job so much.’ Thea scrubbed her palms over her face. ‘What do I do?’

‘You have to tell him. Start with explaining why you didn’t tell him straight away – not wanting to hurt his feelings, respecting your producer’s confidences etc. But you have to tell Shaun, because if he finds out by accident, he’ll think he was right about Julian’s crush, and that you fancy Julian right back.’

‘I know.’

‘Remember how hurt you were when you thought Shaun had his eye on that Sophie in Cornwall. If Shaun finds out about this from someone else, he could jump to the same conclusions you did.’

Opening the door, Thea swung her legs out of the Land Rover. ‘I wish I’d told him instantly, but I thought Julian would get fed up and try someone else if I ignored him. If Shaun’s days as host on Landscape Treasures are numbered, I don’t want them to be numbered because of me!’

‘Come on.’ Helen locked the vehicle. ‘Sod the dresses fitting. We need scones.’

*

‘That was delicious.’ Bert put his plate down with a flourish. ‘Now you two, what else have you been up to apart from young Dylan here moving in?’

‘We’ve been plotting, haven’t we, Dad?’

‘Plotting? That sounds very secretive.’

Tom cradled his mug of coffee between his palms. ‘As well as the Easter egg hunt, I’ve been helping Sam’s parents sort a wedding present for the happy couple, as well as trying to organise my old army uniform to come out of storage in time for the wedding. It hadn’t occurred to me I’d have a role, but they want me to be the usher. The phone calls and emails have hardly stopped over the past few days. Plus, it’s Helen’s birthday on Sunday. Her fortieth.’

‘So