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

could protest, she found herself being propelled along in Tina’s light, but insistent, grasp.

The scene that met them, made Thea smile despite herself.

Dylan was covered from head to toe in bubbles. Helping Sam and Shaun to wash all the mud and leaves from the driveway had developed into something far more exciting.

Sam, who was adorned with a spattering of stray bubbles, grinned as he saw them. ‘I think it’s safe to say we used rather too much washing up liquid.’

Tina laughed. ‘That’s an understatement. What did you do, drop the bottle in the bucket?’

‘Yes!’ Dylan giggled as he did a little jig. Bubbles flew off him in all directions, making them laugh out loud.

‘How on earth did you get so covered, Dylan?’ Not ready to acknowledge Shaun, Thea focused on the little boy.

‘I was sweeping. My brush hit the buckets and some bubbles flew up and hit my nose.’ Dylan could hardly talk for giggling. ‘Then I got decorated.’

‘Decorated?’ Tina raised a questioning eyebrow.

‘We decided he looked good in white foam.’ Sam winked. ‘I think we might have got a bit carried away, Dylan mate.’

‘Aww, does that mean I can’t be a bubble monster anymore?’ He did another jig, sending globules of foam dancing across the air where they landed on his spectators.

‘It wouldn’t look good if your dad came home to find you with a cold because you’d got all wet helping us clean.’ Tina gave him a smile.

‘It’s a nice day though.’ Shaun spoke for the first time. ‘Maybe Dylan could play for a little longer, then I’ll bundle him into a nice hot shower.’

‘Yes!’ Dylan immediately stuck both arms into the nearest frothing bucket, pulling them out and walking around like a zombie, his frothy arms dripping as he held them out before him.

As the others pretended to be afraid of the boy, Thea’s heart constricted. She knew Shaun wanted children one day, she’d assumed with her. But now…

She was pulled out of her depressing thoughts by Tina’s hand tapping on her shoulder. ‘I think we’d better fetch some bath towels to wrap this lot in.’

Seizing an excuse to be on her own to collect herself, Thea said, ‘I’ll get them. You stay here and watch the show.’

*

Taking refuge in the laundry, Thea took her time collecting three bath towels from the store cupboard. She clutched them to her chest, inhaling the newly washed scent. She imagined Shaun holding Dylan’s hand as they chatted on their way to the shower, ready to hose him down after his bubble adventure.

‘You’ve been ages. Have you taken root?’

Shaun’s voice made her jump.

‘I was thinking.’ Thea swung round, holding out the towels like an offering. ‘You’d better go. I’d hate Dylan to get cold.’

‘He’s fine. He’s running around so much, there is more chance he’ll overheat than freeze.’

‘Right. Good.’

They looked at each other, or rather, at each other’s feet, neither knowing what to say.

Shaun gave up first, spinning around on the soles of his boots. ‘I’ll take these then.’

‘Okay.’ Thea let him go.

*

Helen couldn’t settle.

As she’d driven through the night, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about anything except getting to the house safely. But ever since pulling the Land Rover onto the drive of her home in Bath just before three o’clock in the morning, her mind had been a mass of regrets. Yet, her resolution that she’d done the right thing, remained firm. Not that knowing that made it any easier.

Helen hadn’t been able to sleep in her double bed. There was too much space after so many months in a single. It felt cold and alien, even though the bed, and the room it was in, had been hers for over twenty years.

With no fresh food in the house, and not being able to face the outside world, Helen had eaten nothing since she’d arrived but a pile of fish fingers she’d found in the freezer. For the past two hours she’d paced the house like a caged tiger; disorientated and lost.

Every surface was dusty, but she couldn’t face getting the cleaning things out of their cupboard.

Cleaning. ‘That’s what I’m supposed to be doing at Mill Grange today.’

Helen headed into the bathroom. ‘Enough moping, you made your decision. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do. Shower, change and go out. Get some food. Then, pop into the Baths. Tell them you’re coming back fractionally before expected.’

They’ll ask why.

‘I don’t have to tell them why. I can say that the remaining work can be done from here.’ She thought of the book and its notes. That, at least, is the truth.

Forty-one

Wednesday April 8th

Sweat prickled down Tom’s neck as he spotted the road he’d been looking for. Thea hadn’t been joking when she’d said it was on a steep slope, nor had she exaggerated about how hard it would be to find a parking space.

He spotted Helen’s Land Rover as he drove up the narrow road. At least she’s here. There were no free parking spaces though.

After doing a twenty-three-point turn, Tom eased his car back down the hill. This time he pulled onto Helen’s drive. He knew the boot of the Fiesta would overhang the pavement, but as he was far from the only driver to park in that manner, he guessed the local pedestrians were used to having their access encroached.

Sitting where he was, Tom stared at the house. It was just how Helen had described it. A small, well presented terrace that looked as if it could only have been built in Bath. He glanced at each window in turn, but no curtains twitched.

Suddenly nervous, Tom fired off a text to Sam, letting him know he’d arrived and to check on Dylan. Then, getting out of the car, rubbing his palms down his jeans, he headed for the front door.

*

Helen had wandered around Waitrose without any real clue what she was throwing into her basket. Now, as she stood in the busy street, she glanced into her two