Page 41 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
‘Yes,’ I hurriedly say, ‘of course it is.’
‘There’s usually a good turnout to these kinds of things at Bluebell Wood. All the local villages are very supportive of each other.’
‘I’ll try to pop along then,’ I say, wanting to sound supportive. But the more Callum talked the more I knew I was less and less likely to go. I’d assumed it would just be a few local villagers turning up to help out the school, but Callum was making it sound like it might be mobbed with people.
‘Get there super early or extremely late, then,’ Callum suggests, mirroring my thoughts. ‘It tends to be quietest then.’ He gives me a meaningful look.
‘Thanks,’ I say, realising he’s trying to help me.
Callum hesitates. ‘We still need to arrange to meet up for that . . . you know, we said we’d get together sometime?’
‘Yes,’ I assure him. ‘I remember.’
‘I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten; it’s just my diary is quite hectic with planning Easter at the church – it’s a busy time for us.’
‘I can imagine.’
‘Perhaps after Easter, when things have calmed down a little?’
‘I’d like that.’
Callum nods, looking pleased. ‘Right, well, I’ll leave you to your photography. Bye, Merlin!’ he calls to Merlin, who’s sniffing around the base of a tree. ‘See you later at the sale, then,’ he says to me, and his shy smile makes all the awkwardness and unease I feel melt away.
‘I hope so,’ I manage to utter, before he jogs away along the path, with me trying very hard not to ogle his disappearing figure too much.
‘Oh, Ava,’ I say to myself and any wildlife in the forest that might be listening. ‘Of all the men for you to fall for . . . why does he have to be a vicar?’
Twelve
After a lot of thought I decide I’ll try to go to the school sale this afternoon. I don’t want to let either Jemima or Callum down, but I know I’ll struggle if it’s busy. So I decide to go early, and if it’s too hectic I’ll just slip away quietly and hope no one notices. I’m about to leave the cottage when I see that one of the bird feeders has been knocked off its hook and is lying on the ground outside. ‘I won’t be a minute!’ I call to Merlin, who is waiting patiently by the front door for us to leave.
I slip through the back door and head over to the bird table. I pick up the feeder, which still has peanuts in it, and hang it back on the base of the table. But as I’m about to leave, something shiny catches my eye.
It’s poking out from underneath some discarded bird seed, so I brush the seed away and retrieve it from the table. It’s a polished and quite new-looking fifty-pence piece.
‘You’re leaving me money now?’ I ask the trees in the garden, knowing the birds like to hide out there before they come to feed. ‘That’s very lovely of you, and much appreciated,but fifty pence won’t go very far, I’m afraid. Your bird food costs a lot more than that!’
I haven’t got the time to think about the coin at the moment, so I shove it in the pocket of my jeans, then I head back through the cottage to collect Merlin.
Even though we arrive at the school gates thirty minutes before the sale is due to start, there’s already a number of people queuing outside. Realising I don’t know any of them, I just smile politely and stand back a little with Merlin.
Over on the playing field at the back of the school I can see people milling around a number of trestle tables that look to be piled high with things for sale. There are strands of colourful bunting hanging between the tables, and the whole effect looks pretty and very welcoming.
I glance over into the playground in front of us and I can’t help but notice the mosaic on the wall. I’m absolutely convinced that the pieces of broken pottery I have sitting on my mantelpiece are a match for it, but I’ve yet to figure out just how or why they’d ended up on my bird table. The Trivial Pursuit piece and the coin . . . well, it’s possible that a bird had dropped them – probably a magpie. But the pieces of mosaic are very odd. I had thought about trying to return them, but what if I’d been caught trespassing on the school grounds, attempting to stick pieces of pottery back on to the school wall? How would I have explained myself then?
‘Ava!’ I hear my name called, and I realise that it’s Jemima that’s calling it. ‘Ava, over here!’
I walk past the queue of people that’s getting longer by the minute towards Jemima. She opens up the gate and beckons me inside the school grounds. I’m sure I can feel the glares of the people queuing behind me as I slip through the gate with Merlin.
‘Ava, I’ve been let down by one of the parents. She was supposed to be manning the toy and book stall this afternoon. I don’t suppose you could help me out, could you?’
I stare at Jemima. Visiting the sale was one thing, I could escape if things got too much, but if I was manning a stall and I had a panic attack I couldn’t just abandon it and run away.
‘Ava?’ Jemima says when I don’t answer. ‘Can you help?’
I’m about to mutter something about Merlin being with me, when someone else says my name and I feel like the cavalry has just ridden in to save me.
‘Hello, ladies,’ a gentle voice says. ‘Did I hear you need someone to look after your toy stall?’
