Page 33 of Daydreams at the Farm on Muddypuddle Lane
‘That’s a fine welcome, I must say. I’ve come all this way to see you, and all you can ask is what am I doing here?’ She huffed loudly, pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and plopped down onto it.
Maisie winced. Dulcie looked far from happy as she took a deep breath. Maisie could almost see her counting to ten.
‘What I meant was,’ her sister said after a pause, ‘We weren’t expecting you. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’
Their mum’s eyes briefly flickered to Maisie, and Maisie guessed she was thinking that if turning up unannouncedwas good enough for Maisie, then it was good enough for her. Maisie also guessed that if Mum had asked Dulcie whether she could pay her a visit, Dulcie would have tried to talk her out of it.
Maisie felt quite sorry for her sister.
Beth’s expression grew sly. ‘I thought I would surprise you.’
‘You’ve done that alright,’ Dulcie muttered, then she said in a louder voice, ‘Why did you phone just now?’
‘I couldn’t remember where the turn-off to Muddypuddle Lane was, but then I saw it.’ She licked her lips. ‘Aren’t you going to offer your old mum a cup of tea? Oh, and fetch my case from the car, will you?’
Dulcie held up her gloved hands. ‘I’m in the middle of something. If you want tea, you’ll have to make it yourself.’
‘Charming.’
‘Mum, this isn’t a hotel. If you’d told me you were coming...’ She shook her head, her exasperation obvious.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ Maisie offered, hoping to diffuse the situation. ‘And while it’s coming to the boil, I’ll fetch your case, Mum.’
Hurrying out to the car, Maisie wondered who it belonged to. Mum had learnt to drive a long time ago, but she didn’t own a car. She must have rented it for the journey.
When Maisie caught sight of the size of the case, her eyes bulged. This wasn’t anovernight bag; this was an on-holiday-for-a-fortnight jobbie. It was blimmin’ heavy, too.
Huffing and puffing, she heaved the case out of the boot and trundled it across the yard and into the house.
‘Bloody hell, Mum!’ Dulcie exclaimed when she saw it. ‘Is the kitchen sink in there? I thought you said you were only staying for a few days.’
Bethsniffed and gazed up at the ceiling. ‘A few days, a week – whatever.’ She brought her attention back to Dulcie. ‘I thought you could do with some help with this Easter thing.’
Dulcie turned back to her soap mixture. ‘It’s all under control,’ she said.
‘Another pair of hands is always useful,’ Beth insisted. ‘Anyway, it’ll be nice for us to spend Easter together. It’s just a pity Jay can’t be with us.’
‘The way it’s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns up out of the blue as well,’ Dulcie grumbled.
‘Aw, wouldn’t that be nice!’ Beth crowed.
Maisie was only half listening: she was too busy worrying about how their mum’s unexpected arrival would impact on her own hopes to remain on the farm. And she wished she had found an opportunity to speak to Dulcie about it before Mum had turned up, because she definitely couldn’t now.
‘Anyway,’ their mother was saying, ‘I’ll be here if you need me, and as soon as Easter is out of the way, Maisie and I cantravel home together in my brand-new car. Won’t that be nice, Maisie?’
Maisie’s heart dropped to her feet. That was the last thing she wanted.
Adam was a few minutes early to pick up Maisie this evening. It was either that or be unacceptably late. The job he had been working on had overrun, and he hadn’t had time to go home for a shower and a change of clothes, so he’d decided to pick Maisie up on time, then go to his. Considering they were spending the evening snuggling on the sofa with a takeaway and a film, it made sense.
Maisie must have heard him arrive, because her bedroom window opened and she stuck her head out. When she held her hand up, he nodded to show heunderstood that she would be there in five minutes.
Adam got out and stretched, feeling incredibly stiff. He had been contorting himself into odd shapes to be able to get at an exhaust, and he was extremely grubby to boot. A shower was long overdue.
When the back door opened a minute or so later, he expected to see Maisie, but instead it was Dulcie who walked across the yard towards him. She was followed a second later by an older woman with the same high cheekbones and green-blue eyes, and he guessed she might be Maisie and Dulcie’s mother.
‘Hiya,’ Dulcie said. ‘I wondered whether you’ve had a chance to think about the old farmhouse?’
Adam wasn’t sure how to reply. He wanted to put in an offer but he was waiting to see what Maisie intended to do. ‘Um, I’m not sure I’m in a position to—’ he began, but the woman who had followed Dulcie out of the house interrupted him, saying, ‘Aren’t you the chap who did the work on the milking whatnot?’
