Page 18 of Finding Home in Hartfell
‘S’bad for you,’ Harriet muttered. ‘You’ll knacker your joints and by the time you’re fifty you’ll barely be able to walk. It’s not that long off, either. You’re closer to sixty than you are to twenty now.’
‘Thank you for that, Harriet. I’m hardly a geriatric just because I’m about to turn forty. And technically I’m still closer to twenty, at least until my birthday.’ Pippa wasn’t used to the idea of her fifth decade yet, but it was a huge relief, whatever Harriet thought of the state of her joints. Her mum had died at thirty-four and it still took Pippa’s breath away to remember how young her three children had been too.
She hoped Harriet hadn’t noticed the occasional creak in her knees. Unlikely, seeing as her daughter was usually plugged into earbuds. Occasionally, Harriet would remove one and stare at Pippa when she spoke as though she’d never clapped eyes on her own mother before.
‘I’m going for a shower.’
‘Okay. Lunch won’t be long.’
A bit later Pippa poured the soup into a pan and only realised that the two plates on the range were either for boiling or simmering when she picked the wrong one and left it to warm up. The soup nearly exploded shortly after, splattering some on the tiles. She cleaned up the mess and divided what was left into two bowls and buttered some bread. She picked up her phone to text Harriet and changed her mind, instead going into the hall and shouting up the stairs that lunch was ready. That suit of armour was going too, and soon. She would need an awfully large skip to make this house look even halfway appealing to buyers, and shook away guilty thoughts of Gil’s grandmother.
Harriet returned, looking fresh and lovely after her shower, and Pippa just wanted to slide her arms around her daughter and hold her close. But any such attempt was bound to be rebuffed, so whilst they ate she settled for making general conversation, and at least the meal put Harriet in a better mood.
Pippa excused her the washing up and carried the dishes to the sink. Gil’s mug from this morning was still there and she decided that two could play the ‘what’s mine is mine’ game, conveniently forgetting that everything here probably was his. A few minutes later the door behind Harriet at the table flew open and Gil marched in with Lola.
Pippa flushed. How should she greet someone she was evicting from their own home? No, not his home, not any longer, she reminded herself. The farm belonged to Jonny and had done for a while. She was doing nothing wrong, and hopefully nothing illegal either, seeing as Gil was leaving of his own accord.
‘Hi Gil.’ Harriet had already perked up as Lola settled at her feet for a pat, and Pippa disliked him just a little bit more at Harriet’s easy warmth. ‘Mum said you’ve been treating a sick animal. Did it make it?’
‘Gil was just doing his job, Harriet,’ Pippa said coolly. She’d only mentioned it because Harriet had asked, not to make him out to be some kind of hero in her daughter’s mind. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary.’
‘I think it will.’ He smiled at Harriet before picking up Lola’s water bowl, carrying it to the sink and making Pippa wonder if he was trying to get in her way on purpose yet again. She’d been drying the dishes and made herself continue as he rinsed and refilled the bowl. She breathed out when he replaced it on the floor, but he was back at the tap again a moment later.
‘What was wrong with it?’
‘Acute pneumonia, which can become fatal in young cows and calves pretty quickly.’ Gil turned around, his back to the sink. ‘We caught this one in time, thanks to the farmer knowing his stock and recognising the symptoms. I’m pretty sure the heifer will make it, with continued treatment.’
‘So, like meds and stuff?’
‘Yeah. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Infection can spread quickly if the sick animal isn’t separated from the herd, and it’s vital to reduce their temperature and keep it within normal limits.’
‘Wow, that’s so cool.’ Harriet rarely looked impressed these days and Pippa offered a faint smile in response. She didn’t want to dampen Harriet’s rare show of enthusiasm, even if it was for Gil and his life-saving heroics. Harriet had even put her phone down and Pippa longed for the days when her daughter had wished to converse with her. ‘What’s a heifer?’
‘It’s a young female cow, one who hasn’t had a calf yet, usually under three years of age.’
He picked up the mug he’d left on the worktop earlier, raising a brow as his gaze caught Pippa’s. Warmth stained her cheeks, knowing he’d realised she’d refused to wash his single item on purpose. He refilled it and downed the water in one long gulp.
‘Right, I’ll get my things.’ He banged the mug down onto the worktop.
‘Where are you going to stay?’
‘Harriet, that’s none of our business.’ Pippa was folding the tea towel neatly. ‘Let’s go to our rooms and leave Gil to pack in peace.’
Harriet flashed her a defiant glare before addressing Gil. ‘Are you married? Do you have a family?’
‘That is—’
‘Divorced.’ He interrupted Pippa and bent to pat Lola, who’d wandered over and was giving him an adoring look she felt he didn’t deserve. ‘Two boys, Joel and Luca. Joel works on a vineyard in Adelaide now he’s graduated, and Luca is travelling with friends on summer break from university.’
‘So they don’t live with you?’ Harriet gave Pippa a look which implied she’d also quite like to be grown up and beyond her parents’ reach, thank you very much.
‘They come when they can, but Luca’s studying in Portsmouth and Joel’s a long way off, so…’ Gil shrugged, and Pippa wondered if she’d imagined the suggestion of sadness in his eyes. ‘Luca will be up for a visit over the summer.’
‘So where will he stay, if you’ve had to leave your home?’
‘Harriet, enough!’ Pippa wasn’t often sharp, and Harriet’s lips pressed together. ‘Gil’s family circumstances are private.’
‘Is that right?’ He turned those blue eyes on Pippa, and she breathed in slowly, trying to calm the leap in her pulse. ‘They don’t feel too private right now.’
