Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (best free e reader .TXT) 📕

‘To be fair, Father is right.’ Enjoying the flabbergasted shock on his father’s face, Sam added, ‘Of course they get to look good; that’s part of why they’re doing it. But as Tina said, the logos on the wheelbarrows and so on won’t be seen by many people compared to, say, sponsoring a festival or something. I’m okay with Landscape Treasures getting some kudos out of it, if it helps Mill Grange get off the ground. We’ve only had three people stay so far. Practice guests, but it felt rewarding.’

‘I bet it did.’ Lady Malvern looked as if she’d burst with pride. ‘And they were all happy with the set-up at Mill Grange?’

‘They seemed to be.’

Tina took his hand. ‘The reports they gave us were glowing. In fact, one of them, Woody, is back already. He’s helping Helen and Tom with the chickens while we’re away.’

‘How kind.’ Lady Malvern’s forehead creased into concern for the man she didn’t know. ‘Is he going to be alright when he has to leave? Does he have something to do afterwards?’

Tina felt awkward. It hadn’t occurred to her that Woody, so much the life and soul of the party, could be helping because he had nothing else to do. ‘Do you think he’s alright, Sam?’

Lord Malvern chipped in, ‘You don’t need a hanger-on, son. Harsh I know, but this is your business, not a charity.’

Tina had tensed, expecting Sam to react badly to his father’s implication, but instead he said, ‘Woody is doing well. He’s as used to his prosthetic legs as anyone can be. He decided to explore Exmoor a bit while he was down our way. The archaeology idea appeals to him. I suspect, although we haven’t had time to talk about it yet, that he’d like to do our course when it’s up and running.’

‘Course?’

‘Yes, Father. That’s another idea we’ve had. We’re planning to make our archaeological techniques workshops into an official course.’ Sam grabbed Tina’s hand as he spoke. ‘How does the Mill Grange Archaeological Techniques Certificate sound?’

‘Wordy!’ Tina laughed.

Sam’s parents exchanged glances, before Lord Malvern reached out to shake his son by the hand. ‘Dreadful title, but an excellent idea. Well done, my boy.’

*

The first raindrops fell on the open-topped MG as they pulled off the motorway at Taunton and wove their way towards Exmoor. Tina wrapped her shoulders and head in the thick woollen shawl Lady Malvern had given to her as they left. With her knees tucked under a travel rug that Karen had also found for them, Tina felt cold and damp, but nothing like as chilly as on the journey there.

She glanced at Sam. His face was screwed up against the raindrops and his hands looked cold, but the air of anxiety that had clouded the last few miles of their arrival had gone.

Closing her eyes against the elements, Tina smiled.

Forty-Two

September 26th

Sophie could see Thea, Shaun, Phil, and a gentleman she didn’t recognise, talking in a huddle around the table usually occupied by the AA. Every now and then they glanced in her direction.

‘You okay, Sophie?’ The local archaeologist next to her glanced up from the newly exposed section of wall she was cleaning. ‘You seem miles away.’

Taken by surprise by the enquiry from her previously silent trench companion, Sophie said, ‘Yes, sorry. I was wondering who that man with Shaun and Phil was?’

‘That’s Dan.’

‘Dan?’ Sophie felt offended, as if she was the only one in the dark. ‘They told you we were expecting visitors?’

‘Um, no, why would they tell me?’ The young woman looked as if she’d wished she hadn’t enquired after Sophie, and turned back to her work.

‘Sorry.’ Sophie swallowed, realising with a jolt that she’d sounded just like her mother. ‘That came out wrong. So, who’s Dan?’

‘Head of the Cornish Heritage Trust. My boss, so I’d better get busy, especially as he keeps looking this way.’ The girl took a trowel from her pocket and eased away a line of soil that clung to the row of brickwork near her knees.

Crouching back over her work Sophie cringed. Perhaps it wasn’t me who was being observed. Perhaps it was… I didn’t even ask her name. What’s the matter with me? When the dig first started everyone was so friendly. I fitted in – at least I thought I did, and then Shaun and now… Embarrassed by her own shortcomings, Sophie whispered across the trench, ‘Sorry, I’m having a bad week. What’s Dan like to work for?’

‘Good. He’s nice.’ The girl brushed the loose soil from around her knees. ‘Dan’s the sort of guy you want to work hard for because he always makes that work feel appreciated.’

‘Like Shaun.’

‘Very similar, yes.’ Tilting her head to one side, she introduced herself. ‘I’m Amber.’

‘Sophie.’ She found herself apologising. ‘Sorry I was short with you. My mother is giving me a hard time about bringing everyone here without considering what would happen once Landscape Treasures have gone again. I feel bad for the trouble I’ve caused. I get ratty when I feel guilty.’

Amber emptied the contents of her dustpan into the bucket by her side. ‘What’s done is done. What matters now is doing it well, so let’s make St Guron proud.’

‘Good idea.’ Sophie trowelled the soil at her feet with renewed spirit.

As Amber passed her the dustpan and brush she asked, ‘What’s it like living here? Don’t you get a bit lonely?’

*

Shaun and Thea stayed seated, too dazed to move as Phil took Dan on a tour of the site. ‘Did that really just happen?’

‘I think so.’ Shaun glanced at Sophie. ‘Do you think she’ll be pleased, or will she think we’re interfering?’

‘Could go either way, but if you look now, you can see her talking to the girl next to her. That’s a step in the right direction. I don’t think she spoke at all yesterday.’

Shaun sighed. ‘When Sophie first joined the team, she fitted in well. But slowly, as it came to light