Page 38 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
‘Hey, it’s all right,’ I say to Merlin as I crouch down next to him. ‘That idiot was driving ridiculously fast. He scared me too!’
We’re about to step out again, when to my surprise the car reappears, reversing back down the road.
‘Did I scare you?’ the driver says as he pulls level with us, one arm around the passenger seat and one on the steering wheel. ‘I may have been going a tad too fast there.’
‘You were going far too fast,’ I tell him angrily. ‘This is a village, not Silverstone race track! You frightened the life out of my dog.’
‘Apologies!’ the man says cheerfully, not seeming in the least sorry. ‘I’ll be more careful next time.’
He glances at the board behind us, and smiles, and I wonder why.
‘Bye then!’ he calls, with a casual wave of his hand. ‘See you again!’ And he speeds off up the road as if nothing ever happened.
I shake my head, and look a little more carefully this time before we step out to cross the road. Bluebell Wood may be a small village, but because it’s situated on a long straight road that joins several other small villages and towns, it seems to attract more than its fair share of through traffic.
But luckily, I rarely hear any of it when I’m at the cottage – it’s tucked far enough away off the road for it not to bother me.
Our way back to the cottage is through the quieter end of the village. The shop, the church, the school and farm shop are all at the other end, so I feel quite sure we won’t bump into anyone we know before we get back home. But as we walk along the long straight pavement, happily minding our own business, I hear a voice:
‘Ava!’
I stop and look around but I can’t see anyone.
‘Over here!’ the voice says again, and I realise it’s coming from one of the gardens we’re passing. I look over the hedge and see Lonan and Jonah standing on one of the paths leading up to a whitewashed cottage.
‘Hi,’ I say, surprised to see them both, and I walk back a little way to the gate. I’m becoming much more comfortable now in my interactions with the villagers I know in Bluebell Wood – especially those in the quiz team.
‘Sorry if we startled you,’ Jonah says, walking up the path towards the gate with Lonan.
‘Oh no, you didn’t startle me,’ I say, smiling at them both.‘It was some mad man tearing through the village just now in a sports car. He almost took us out as we were about to cross the road.’
‘Oh dear,’ Jonah says, while Lonan pulls off his gardening gloves and opens up the gate so he can bend down to fuss Merlin. ‘We heard someone driving too fast just now but we didn’t see the vehicle. We don’t get too many problems with speeding here, but it happens occasionally. Where was this?’
‘Just up the road a little way. We were next to that field that’s for sale, on the way out of the village.’
‘Yes, I know it,’ Jonah says, sighing. ‘Everyone in the village knows that field.’
‘Sounds intriguing,’ Lonan says, his ears pricking up. ‘What’s the story?’
‘Ah, it’s a long one, I’m afraid, and it doesn’t have a good ending. That field was sold a while back to some developers. They want to put quite a lot of new houses on it. The village objected, of course – quite vehemently. But the permission still went through, much to our disappointment.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Lonan says. ‘But I suppose it’s the modern way, and I’m sure a few new houses won’t affect the village too much.’
‘If it were only a few,’ Jonah says sadly. ‘But that field is just the start: they intend to build on many of the other fields that adjoin it too. It’s a whole new estate, completely at odds with the rest of the village.’
‘How awful,’ I say, trying to imagine a brand-new housing estate in Bluebell Wood, with its quaint old buildings and picture-perfect cottages. ‘And there’s nothing you can do?’
Jonah shakes his head. ‘Nope. Like I said, we tried. There were petitions and protests, but to no avail. It’s still goingahead. Just between us, I think the developers had someone on the inside and that’s how they got their permission. I’m surprised the “for sale” sign hasn’t been changed yet to “sold”. Maybe they’re too scared to come back. Some of the villagers got pretty fierce in the meetings that were held. Anyhow,’ Jonah says, obviously keen to change the subject, ‘I mustn’t stand here gossiping. I’m glad I’ve seen you, Ava, because it’s saved me calling on you again. I knocked at your cottage a little while ago but you weren’t in. Now I see why,’ he says, looking at Merlin. ‘I’ve just been talking to Lonan about how successful the quiz was last night with you two joining our team, and I just want to make sure you’re definitely up for coming again?’
‘And as I’ve just been telling Jonah, I can’t wait,’ Lonan says eagerly, standing up again. ‘I had a whale of a time. As I’m sure you did too, Ava?’
‘Yes, of course,’ I reply, with slightly less enthusiasm than Lonan.
‘That’s wonderful,’ Jonah says. ‘I’m glad you both enjoyed it.’
‘I must say this village is turning out to be much more fun than I thought it might be,’ Lonan says. ‘I never dreamt I’d be sitting drinking in a pub with the local priests.’
Jonah looks a tad uncomfortable. ‘Yes, well, a public house isn’t usually my favourite haunt. But needs must with the quiz team. It seems to be a popular venue; my choice of the village hall didn’t go down too favourably when I suggested it.’
