Page 120 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
I turn to Callum. He hadn’t said anything to me. Linnet had obviously known about Lonan’s exciting news; I wondered why Callum hadn’t shared his with me.
‘I had a phone call from Evelyn just before I came out tonight.’
Immediately there are calls of ‘How is she?’, ‘Isn’t that lovely’, ‘How wonderful’, and I feel even more put out.
I’m sure Evelyn is lovely, everyone certainly seemed to adore her, but I still felt I’d never quite lived up to my predecessor’s reputation.
‘She’s very well,’ Callum says, trying to answer everyone’s questions at once. ‘And her daughter is much better now.’
‘That’s good to hear,’ Linnet says. ‘She was very worried about her before she left.’
‘Is that the good news?’ I ask, hoping that was the end of us talking about Evelyn tonight.
‘Yes, in part. The good news, as far as you’re concerned, Ava, is she’s decided to stay on in Australia indefinitely. She’s going to retire there permanently to be with her daughter and her grandchildren.’
‘Oh gosh, really?’ Jonah groans. Then he catches my eye. ‘I mean, that’s great news for you, Ava, and of course welovehaving you here in Bluebell Wood, but Evelyn was such an important part of the church, she’ll be sorely missed.’
‘Yes,’ Callum says, looking a tad uncomfortable, ‘she will indeed. But,’ he says, turning to me, ‘as Jonah has already pointed out, that means that you are more than welcome to stay on here in Bluebell Wood if you’d like to. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that we all love having you here, and you’ve become an important and valuable member of our village. I know you only took out a lease on the cottage for six months, but I really hope you’ll think about extending that now?’
I feel a mix of emotions as I look at Callum’s hopeful face. I’d become so used to being here in Bluebell Wood that I’d almost forgotten I was only renting the cottage temporarily. My plan had always been to come here for a few months’ peaceand quiet, to get my head together, and decide where I saw my future going. But what I hadn’t banked on, as I’d chosen my little cottage with its pretty-sounding name, in its even prettier sounding village, was that by moving here my life would change quite as profoundly as it had.
I’d come here a lonely, fearful shell of a women who went out of her way to avoid human interaction at every opportunity. But I’d emerged some five months later a different person. I was in a new relationship with a rather fabulous man, I had some amazing and wonderful friends, and I could never ever have believed what a difference to my life having a wise and loyal little dog like Merlin would make. In a few short months I’d found hope and happiness here in Bluebell Wood, and I couldn’t wait to see what might happen next.
I lift up my glass. ‘A toast,’ I say. ‘To Evelyn!’
‘Evelyn!’ everyone repeats, lifting their own glasses.
‘I hope she finds as much happiness in Australia as I’ve found in Bluebell Wood with all of you.’
Forty
‘Ava!’ I hear a voice call as I’m just on my way back from the shop with Merlin early one morning. ‘Ava, wait up!’
I turn to the voice and see Jemima walking quickly towards me along the street.
‘Hi, how are you?’ I say. ‘How are the long summer holidays treating you?’
‘Why I went into teaching!’ Jemima says, grinning. ‘I’m kidding, of course; but I can’t lie, it is one of the perks. Which leads me neatly into what I want to ask you.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘I hear you’re going to be staying on in Bluebell Wood now Evelyn is not returning?’
I only decided a couple of days ago. That got around quickly, even for here.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ I tell her.
‘Great! I wanted to ask how you found last term with the children?’
‘Merlin and I really enjoyed it, thank you. We’ll be happy to come back next term if you’d like us to. I can’t guaranteehow often, though; I’m going to have to look for a job now I’m staying permanently. Bluebell Wood was only ever supposed to be a stopgap.’
After the initial euphoria that I was going to be staying here had worn off, I’d realised that the generous lump sum my previous employers had provided in exchange for me taking voluntary redundancy due to my health was not going to last for ever.
I needed to earn a living from somewhere, but where? I really didn’t want to go back into the publicity industry. After the gentle, peaceful life I’d grown used to here in the village, I couldn’t imagine going back into the cut and thrust of events and promotions in a big city, and I definitely didn’t want to commute back and forth to London again.
‘That’s just what I want to talk to you about,’ Jemima says keenly. ‘I need a classroom assistant to start next term and I think you’d be perfect for the position.’
I stare at Jemima for a moment.
