Page 89 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
Lonan sits down again as I go through to the hall.
‘Hi,’ Callum says cheerily, as I open the door. ‘Sorry I’m a bit late. I brought a bottle.’ He holds up a bottle of wine. ‘Hope that’s okay?’
‘It’s lovely, thank you.’ I stand back to let him in.
Callum is dressed casually, as he always is when he’s not ‘on duty’. Tonight, he wears a pale blue open-necked shirt, indigoblue jeans and chocolate-brown suede laced boots.
‘I’m sorry about what happened earlier at the church,’ he says as he walks into the cottage. ‘I forgot all about Mrs Bunting.’
‘It’s fine,’ I say quickly, aware that Lonan is only a room away.
‘No, it’s not,’ Callum says, moving closer to me. ‘We had things we needed to finish—’
‘Callum, Lonan is in the sitting room,’ I say, throwing him a warning look. ‘He popped round a little while ago to tell me about some of the interesting history he’s discovered about Bluebell Wood.’
Callum looks towards the sitting room. ‘Ah, I see,’ he says, nodding. ‘That does sound intriguing.’
Callum follows me through to where Lonan is sitting on the sofa drinking his wine. He notices at once my half-empty glass resting on the table close to the sofa.
‘Seems like you stole my idea!’ Callum says, holding up his bottle. ‘I brought wine too.’
‘Not at all,’ Lonan says good-naturedly. ‘I’m embarrassed to say I’m drinking our hostess’s.’
‘Wine left from Easter Sunday,’ I stress for Callum’s benefit. ‘But thank you for this.’ I take the wine from him. ‘I’ll pop it in the fridge to chill. Would you like a glass of the wine we’re drinking?’
‘Sure,’ Callum nods. ‘Why not?’
While Callum sits down in the armchair by the window, I hurry through to the kitchen. I thrust the bottle of wine into the fridge, and then I grab a glass for Callum and dash back through to them.
‘Here we go!’ I say cheerfully, as I re-enter the sitting room. Lonan lifts the bottle and pours wine into the glass while I hold it. I then pass it to Callum.
‘Thanks,’ he says. ‘Lonan was just starting to tell me about the things he’s found out about the wood.’
I sit back down on the sofa and listen to Lonan tell Callum what he’d told me.
‘Sounds great,’ Callum says at the end. ‘You should do some digging into the church’s history, too. I know parts of the building date back to Norman times; Jonah mentioned something once. It might help?’
‘I’ll do that,’ Lonan says. ‘Now, I must be going. I feel I might have outstayed my welcome.’ He looks between the two of us.
‘No, of course you haven’t,’ I protest. ‘Stay as long as you like.’
But Lonan stands up. ‘Three’s a crowd, and all that. Thank you, dear Ava, for your kind hospitality and your wise words.Both are greatly appreciated, and I shall act upon your advice forthwith.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ I say, standing up and leading Lonan to the door.
‘Enjoy your evening,’ he says to Callum.
‘I shall. Thank you,’ Callum replies. And a knowing look passes between them.
I see Lonan out of the cottage and then I return to Callum.
‘Sorry about that,’ I say, sitting back down on the sofa. ‘I wasn’t expecting him, he just turned up.’
‘Don’t be silly. That happens all the time when you’re the local vicar. People rarely make appointments; they think you’re on call all the time!’
‘And knowing you, you probably are.’
‘Only when I have my dog collar on.’ Callum grins.
