Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage Read online

  For a moment, Mandy wondered who Molly was speaking to, but Jimmy was nodding. ‘I won’t,’ he replied.

  Mandy blinked. Jimmy had mentioned spending the weekend with his children and his corporate clients when they had been in the Fox and Goose. He hadn’t said anything about Molly.

  For a moment, she toyed with the idea of asking outright, but Jimmy had already turned to his troops and was rallying them for the journey back. ‘Better get moving,’ he was saying. ‘It’s not good for our muscles to stand around too long in the cold.’ The mobiles and cameras were being secreted away.

  ‘We should go too,’ Molly said. ‘We’ll need to take the horses down more slowly and we don’t want to run out of daylight.’

  She guided Georgie towards a clump of trees, where a stony path led back down to the valley. Mandy glanced back as Sasha headed across the grass. Jimmy’s hiking group had disappeared as if they had never been there. She pushed away disquieting thoughts about Jimmy and Molly, and let her gaze drink in the spectacular view. Far below, smoke was beginning to rise from chimneys. People would be sitting in their living rooms, Mandy thought, feet stretched out towards the fire. She would much rather be out here, with the wind on her face.

  The scent of warm horse filled her nose. Her hands were nipping and she tucked them under Sasha’s mane. She was enjoying herself too much to dwell for long on the mystery of Molly and Jimmy. She and Helen had jumped to the wrong conclusion before, hadn’t they? Jimmy had given her no reason to mistrust him.

  They arrived back in the yard as the sun started to dip behind the fell. Hooking her leg over Sasha’s back, Mandy slid to the ground with a thud. She was pleased when Nicole came over and took the reins from her. ‘I can see to Sasha,’ the girl offered.

  For a moment, Mandy considered objecting, but instead she bent over and rubbed her aching thighs. Since returning to work with farm animals, she had become used to finding unexpected aches and pains, but this particular brand felt like an old friend.

  ‘Thanks so much,’ she said to Molly, who had also dismounted and was standing with Georgie. ‘That was fantastic.’

  Molly grinned. ‘Come any time,’ she said. ‘There are always horses to exercise.’ She ran a hand down Georgie’s neck, then looked back at Mandy. ‘Definitely a fair exchange for Bill’s care.’

  It was, Mandy thought. She hadn’t known Molly for long, but her new friend’s love of horses and generous care for Bill made Mandy feel she was someone to be trusted.

  Mandy pulled herself up straight. She could feel her knees protesting. Nicole returned from Sasha’s stable with the saddle in her arms, the bridle hanging from her shoulder. ‘I’ll see you on Tuesday,’ she said to Mandy with a shy smile.

  ‘I’ll look forward to it,’ Mandy replied. ‘I just hope Molly doesn’t miss you too much!’

  Chapter Thirteen

  There was a knock on the door of the consulting room. Before Mandy had a chance to call out, it opened a crack. Helen’s head appeared through the gap. ‘Phone call for you,’ she said. Her head disappeared.

  Mandy smiled at Susan Collins, who had brought her cat in for vaccination. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

  Susan smiled. Her son Jack stood beside her and his dark eyes gazed up at Mandy. Susan had been at school with Mandy and they had become firm friends since Mandy’s return to Welford. Jack often visited Hope Meadows with his mum. ‘We can wait a few minutes,’ Susan said, then looked into the cat basket, from which the round eyes of a ginger cat were staring at her. ‘We’ll be fine, won’t we, Marmalade?’ Marmalade made no reply, though to Mandy he almost looked as if he was shrugging. The cat was in no hurry to see her, she was sure of that.

  Helen was sitting at the reception desk when she went through. For now, the waiting room was empty. The telephone receiver was in its cradle, but the light for line 1 was flashing.

  ‘Who is it?’ Mandy spoke in a low tone to Helen. When a client rang up and asked for her by name, she liked to be prepared before she lifted the phone. There were few things worse than facing an emotional query, only to realise she couldn’t remember the intricacies of a complicated history.

  ‘It’s the solicitor,’ Helen whispered back. ‘He tried your mobile but it was switched off, of course.’ The mobile was always off when Mandy was dealing with clients. It seemed incredibly unprofessional to field calls or check messages when she was supposed to be concentrating on an animal’s care. ‘I know you don’t like to be disturbed except in an emergency, but I thought you’d want to take this one,’ Helen added.

  Mandy lifted the receiver and pressed the button that would put her through to line 1. ‘Amanda Hope speaking,’ she said.

  Five minutes later, she set the phone back in its cradle and leaned her weight against the counter, feeling breathless. Helen was watching her with a look of amusement. ‘Good news?’ she hazarded.

  ‘Yes!’ Mandy wanted to throw her arms in the air and do a jig. ‘Yes!’ she said again. ‘My mortgage for Lamb’s Wood Cottage has been approved! The contracts are ready and I can pick up the keys tonight!’ She shook her head. After all this time it was hard to believe.

  Helen’s smile was as wide as Mandy’s. ‘Congratulations!’ she exclaimed. ‘Will you be going up there tonight? Only I’m free, if you’d like some company.’ She paused and winked. ‘Though I’ll understand if you have someone else in mind for your first official visit.’

  Mandy knew that Helen was referring to Jimmy. The nurse had expressed her approval when Mandy said that she had changed her mind about taking things slowly with Jimmy after their evening in the Fox and Goose. Helen thoroughly approved of ‘Mandy’s new relationship’ as she’d taken to calling it. Mandy had told Helen she intended to let him know and the nurse had encouraged her. It was good to know her friend thought she was doing the right thing.

  ‘I might just text Jimmy,’ she conceded.

  Helen’s eyes gleamed with triumph. ‘Go for it!’ she said.

  Pulling her mobile from her pocket, Mandy switched it on. After a moment’s thought, she texted a short message. ‘Mortgage approved. Can get the keys to Lamb’s Wood Cottage today. Are you free this evening?’ She pressed ‘send’ and switched the phone off with a pleasant feeling of anticipation. She had missed having someone to share good news with. Mum and Dad and Helen were lovely, but sharing with Jimmy was quite different.

  When she returned to the consulting room, Susan was sitting down with Jack on her knee. ‘Thanks for being so patient,’ she said.

  ‘No problem,’ Susan assured her, leaning forward to drop a kiss on Jack’s dark head. ‘I don’t think Marmalade is in any hurry to get his jabs, anyway!’

  Half an hour later, morning surgery was at an end.

  ‘Fancy a coffee?’ Helen offered as Mandy closed the door behind the last client.

  ‘Yes, please.’ Although coffee sounded good, what Mandy really wanted was a chance to gather her thoughts. She had been more than a little distracted through the past thirty minutes. Even as she had worked through the complicated process of calculating the dosage of wormer to treat a budgerigar, there had been a tiny part of her mind holding on to a seed of excitement.

  Tonight would be her first proper visit to Lamb’s Wood Cottage since she had carried out the rescue in the summer with Seb Conway. This evening, she would be visiting it as her first ever home. She wanted Jimmy with her. It was short notice, but already she had a picture in her mind of exploring together. They would push through the overgrown front garden. Perhaps they would kiss inside the front door. Not the fleeting kind of goodbye kiss they had shared after the Fox and Goose, but something more intense. She could still remember the delicious whirling feeling when he had kissed her in the copse beside the rope course. This time, she wouldn’t pull away.

  When she switched on her phone, she was disconcerted to find that, as yet, Jimmy hadn’t responded to her message. He had read it just after she’d sent it. And then nothing.
Not even a thumbs up or a smiley face. She stared at the tiny letters. ‘Read 09.30’. Trying to quell the swoop of disappointment, she shoved the phone back into her pocket. Probably her text had arrived at exactly the same time as one of his clients. Or maybe his phone had run out of power. She’d give him till lunchtime. If she still hadn’t heard, she would give him a call.

  As she was about to join Helen in the kitchen, the phone in Mandy’s pocket rang. Her heart jumped, but when she pulled the mobile out, it was an unknown number. Trying not to sound too disheartened, she answered. ‘Amanda Hope.’

  ‘Hello.’ The voice sounded familiar but she couldn’t place it. ‘Is that Hope Meadows?’

  ‘Yes, it is.’ Mandy held her breath. It could be anything from a complaint to a request for help. But to her pleasure, the caller introduced himself as Peter Dillon, the father of the family who had visited the rescue centre on Saturday morning.

  ‘How can I help?’ Mandy asked.

  ‘We were really taken by Melon, the little Westie,’ Mr Dillon told her. ‘Can you tell me if he’s still available?’

  Mandy let her head fall back against the wall with a thrill of satisfaction. Hadn’t she said to Tom Hope that she thought they had been interested in Melon? ‘He’s definitely available,’ she said.

  ‘Well, in that case, we’d like to adopt him,’ Mr Dillon announced. ‘I think you mentioned a house visit? What would that involve?’

  The door of the clinic clicked open. Mandy was about to ask Mr Dillon if she could put him on hold when she saw it was Gran. Mandy gestured to Dorothy Hope that she should go into the cottage. ‘It just means I’d come and have a look round your home,’ she explained to Mr Dillon. ‘I need to check everything’s safe and that you have as much information as possible before you agree to take Melon on.’ She always tried to describe the home visit as something positive and exciting. The last thing she wanted was for people to be nervous and over-prepare, or change their environment completely. She wanted to get the truest possible picture of the home that was on offer.

  ‘Okay. That seems a good idea.’ Mr Dillon sounded thoughtful. ‘What about Wednesday afternoon?’

  Moving behind the desk, Mandy checked the appointment lists for Wednesday. There was nothing too onerous at the moment. ‘That would be fine,’ she replied. ‘Is two o’clock all right?’

  ‘Perfect. Thanks very much. We’ll see you then!’ Mr Dillon sounded excited, and Mandy realised she was smiling as she ended the call.

  Mandy glanced at the screen on her phone. There was no reply from Jimmy. Still, it looked as if she had a new owner for Melon. She added the visit to Wednesday’s list. Then with a glance around the empty waiting room, she headed for the door that led into the cottage.

  When she arrived in the kitchen, she was greeted by the wonderful smell of pastry. Helen had sat Gran down and given her a coffee. Both of them looked up when Mandy came in.

  ‘What is that lovely smell?’ Mandy gazed around the kitchen. On the side, Gran had placed a box of fluffy golden pastries. ‘I’ve brought some cheese and onion pasties,’ Dorothy Hope explained. ‘I was having a practice run for the WI Christmas Fair. Thought you might like them.’

  Mandy breathed in deeply. The whole kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma.

  ‘You could sit down,’ Helen suggested.

  ‘I could indeed.’ Mandy laughed as she pulled out a chair.

  ‘Grandad sends his love,’ Gran told her, lifting her cup and taking a sip. ‘He enjoyed himself ever so much on Saturday.’

  Mandy smiled. ‘He’s welcome any time,’ she said. ‘And while I remember,’ she leaned over and gave her grandmother a hug. ‘Thank you so much for your wonderful gift.’ She was gratified to see the contented look on Dorothy Hope’s face.

  ‘I know you can manage,’ Gran said, ‘but every little helps.’ She smiled. ‘Speaking of which, I had a brainwave about the WI. One or two of them are always talking about you and all the good you do. I wondered whether you might think about having an open day at Hope Meadows? I’m sure several of them would love to have a look inside. You could ask for donations or charge a small entry fee. Maybe we could provide some baked goods for sale. What do you think?’ The blue eyes in the wrinkled face were filled with love.

  ‘That sounds like a great idea,’ Mandy told her. Perhaps they could get some publicity as well. Mandy was sure the local paper could be persuaded to cover the event. The more local people who understood the good she was trying to do, the better they would accept it, she thought.

  ‘And how are things going with all your lovely charges? Should your grandad come round again to help out?’

  Mandy grinned, remembering Tom Hope’s suggestion that Gran wanted him out from under her feet. ‘Actually, I’ve found a new volunteer called Nicole. She’s helping Molly Future at Six Oaks and she’s agreed to do a couple of evenings at Hope Meadows.’

  ‘That’s great.’ Helen beamed across the table at Mandy.

  ‘Do you mean Nicole Woodall?’ Gran said. ‘The one who moved into the house on the edge of Graylands?’

  Mandy looked at Gran, caught somewhere between astonishment and hilarity. She had no idea how Gran kept up her supreme knowledge of Welford’s inhabitants, despite the fact that the village now extended miles down the Walton road. ‘That’s the one,’ she agreed. ‘I thought I should take on someone before social services came calling. They might want to know why Hope Meadows is staffed by octogenarians,’ she added and was pleased when Gran let out a peal of laughter.

  Despite being hungry, Mandy didn’t enjoy Gran’s pasties as much as she had hoped. Not that they didn’t taste good. They were delicious. But she couldn’t help being troubled by the continuing silence from Jimmy. If he hadn’t got back to her by one thirty, she would have to call him. Adam was still out when they sat down to lunch, but Emily had returned. She was looking paler than ever, Mandy thought. It seemed stupid, but until she heard from Jimmy, she didn’t feel she could tell her mum about the solicitor’s call. All through lunch, she was willing the phone to ring, but when it reached one forty-five, she pushed her chair out.

  ‘I’m going upstairs for a minute,’ she said.

  To her relief, Mum just smiled. ‘See you soon,’ she said.

  Even though she told herself she was being daft, Mandy’s fingers were shaking as she pressed the buttons to dial Jimmy’s number. She wondered if his phone was switched off, which would explain why he hadn’t replied. She perched herself on the edge of the bed and stared out of the window at the orchard. On the other end of the line, Jimmy’s phone was ringing. So it was turned on, thought Mandy.

  After what seemed an age, she heard his breathless voice. ‘Mandy! Sorry I didn’t get back to you.’ He sounded as if he was running. ‘It’s been crazy up here this morning.’

  Mandy frowned. Even if there had been a lot going on, couldn’t he have found time to respond to her text? It would only have taken a minute. He must have known it was important to her. ‘I was wondering whether you’d like to come with me this evening?’ she said, cringing at the note of hope in her voice.

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t,’ he said. ‘Not tonight.’ Mandy could hear voices in the background, then Jimmy’s voice again, filled with tension. ‘Hope it goes well. I’ll call as soon as I can.’ The phone went dead.

  Mandy could feel the wooden edge of the bed pressing into her thighs. Had something happened at Running Wild, she wondered? If there had been an accident, it would explain Jimmy’s strange tone. But wouldn’t he have told her? Putting her hands behind her on the bed, Mandy leaned back. Had it really been necessary to be so short with her? She had been so excited. Now she just felt worried.

  Pulling herself upright, she crossed the bedroom floor, walked over the landing and into the bathroom. After splashing her face with cold water, she felt slightly better. She knew what it was like to be rushed off her feet; she wasn’t such a sensitive snowflake that she had to take Jimmy’s response personal
ly. She would ask Helen to come to Lamb’s Wood Cottage instead. And it was about time she told Mum as well.

  Emily was delighted. She hugged Mandy and congratulated her. Adam too was excited when he returned. But Mandy’s own happiness was tempered by a worm of unease about Jimmy. He hadn’t even congratulated her. What could possibly have been so urgent that he didn’t care about her purchase of Lamb’s Wood Cottage?

  ‘You had a good time the other night, didn’t you? Nothing went wrong, I mean?’ Helen frowned as she sat down behind the reception desk. So far, evening surgery had been quiet. With a bit of luck, they would get away early.

  Mandy thought back to Friday evening in the Fox and Goose. You could hardly say it had been a night of romance and starlight, but she and Jimmy had got on well, hadn’t they?

  ‘It wasn’t the best evening ever,’ she conceded. ‘It was busy because of the Christmas light thing, but …’ She shrugged. ‘It was fine.’

  ‘What about the end of the night?’ Helen’s eyes studied her. ‘He walked you home? What did he say? Did you talk about seeing each other again?’

  ‘Yes.’ Mandy thought back to those few minutes when Jimmy had asked her if she would change her mind about going on a real date. What had she replied? Had she been definite enough? She thought she had. ‘He said something like …’ She rubbed her forehead. ‘Could I be persuaded to go on another date … something like that. And I said maybe I could.’ She rolled a Biro across the counter. ‘It sounds a bit feeble when I say it like that, but I’m sure it didn’t come across that way.’

  ‘Did he say anything after that?’

  Mandy closed her eyes, trying to remember. She had suggested something else to him, hadn’t she? A picture of Holly and Robin came into her mind and she smiled. ‘I told him he should bring Abi and Max round to meet the donkeys,’ she said. ‘Don’t you think they’d love that?’

  But Helen’s expression was ambivalent. ‘I’m sure they would,’ she said. Her mouth had stretched to a straight line and her eyebrows were raised. ‘But perhaps he thought that was rushing things? When my sister and her husband split and she met someone else, it took ages for her to introduce their kids to her new boyfriend. Even though she liked him very much, she wanted to be absolutely sure. She was really mad when her ex introduced her two girls to a whole series of girlfriends. It caused no end of trouble between them.’