Page 42 of Boomerville at Ballymegille

Starting a new business was so exciting, but as Hattie reached reception, she wondered where Jo was and, flicking the computer screen to the security camera settings, her eyes scanned the images of the house and grounds. The camera found Jo in the garden, pacing the lawn, clipboard gripped tightly in her hand.

Hattie turned the cameras off and opened the front door to run across the lawn until she came alongside Jo. ‘Everything in order?’ Hattie asked.

The two women studied the whirl of activity. James was issuing instructions as workmen set up a stage in front of the lake and several marquees had been erected around the lawn.

‘It’s bedlam,’ Jo said. ‘Everyone in Ballymegille has their own way of doing things and I may as well throw my lists away.’

Jo’s face was flushed and her hair dishevelled, sprouting wildly as she ran her fingers through the thick copper locks. She chewed at her lips as she watched scaffolding being manoeuvred into place, scraping ruts in the lawn as it was unloaded from a truck.

‘Declan will be furious when he sees the damage to his garden,’ Jo said, her forehead creasing.

‘Nonsense, nature soon restores itself,’ Hattie replied. ‘It all looks very organised to me.’

She waved to James, who returned the greeting as he issued instructions to the stagehands.

‘By heck, you picked a good ’un there,’ Hattie said.

Tall, handsome and efficient, with the sleeves of his perfectly-ironed shirt rolled to the elbow, James was in his element, at the cutting edge of an event.

‘I’m sure that your manager has managed many a celebrity A-list party in his time. Imagine the capers and carry-ons he’s witnessed working for the hoi polloi.’ Hattie took Jo’s arm. ‘Let’s leave him to it.’

They sat on a bench on the edge of the lawn; shaded by the low hanging branches of a willow tree, it was a perfect spot to observe the preparations.

‘I bought you something to eat,’ Hattie said, ‘get your laughing gear around this.’ She reached into a pocket and held out a crumbling scone, sticky with strawberry jam.

Jo stared and pulled a face. ‘Where on earth have you dredged that from?’

‘Off the cake mountain that Connor’s building.’

‘I hope the rest is more appetising.’ Jo took the scone.

‘I think you’re starting to panic, but there’s no need, we always get there in the end.’

‘It’s all very well saying that, but I’m absolutely knackered and, on top of everything else, I haven’t slept in days.’

‘I’ve slept like a baby.’

‘Yes, you have.’ Jo rolled her eyes. ‘You’ve snored every night since you arrived. I’m not complaining but I’ve had to take a quilt and sleep on a sofa in the lounge.’

‘You should have given me a poke, that usually calms it down.’

‘Hattie, a double decker bus driving over your head wouldn’t stop your snores.’

‘Aye, well, I’ve been tired too.’

‘I know, don’t think I don’t notice how hard you’ve been working, and I do appreciate all your help.’

Hattie’s snores created sleepless nights for Jo, which in itself was an ordeal, but even as she settled far away on a sofa, her restless mind still hadn’t found the sleep that she yearned for. Persistent thoughts of Pete and his new love played on her mind and time and time again she imagined him with Saint Amanda, hand in hand as they wandered through his garden or sitting together on a wooden seat as they looked out over the Cumbrian fells, arms around each other as the sun set on another happy day. As her wounded pride mixed with anxiety over the opening and everything that had to be done before the guests arrived, Jo was exhausted.

‘I must be getting old,’ she said. ‘I used to be able to exist on very little sleep but right now I feel like I could lie down and not get up for a week.’

‘Just a bit of nervous tension.’ Hattie picked a crumb of scone from a tooth. ‘I’ll make you one of my pick-me-ups, that will sort you out.’

‘The last time I had one of your potions, I didn’t sleep for four days.’

‘Then it’s time I made you another one.’

Jo closed her eyes. One of Hattie’s pick-me-ups was exactly what she needed to keep her going. In the last couple of weeks, the days had flown and with Hattie alongside, they’d burned the candle at both ends, pulling out all the stops to get Boomerville Manor operational.

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