Page 39 of Snowfall Over Halesmere House
‘Maybe I wasn’t.’ She hadn’t meant for that to sound as flirtatious as it did. Pete was still grinning.
‘And don’t you lot have homes to go to?’ There was a wry curve to Max’s lips as he addressed Pete.
‘Aye, but we’ve all got to eat sometime, and I like the sound of team meetings in the pub. Could be the new future and if you’re paying, then all well and good.’
‘Paying? Ella’s not even invited me.’ Max glanced at her. ‘So am I? Invited?’
‘What about Lily and Arlo?’ She’d love Max to come but she didn’t want to add any more pressure to his schedule. ‘It’s not that I don’t want them there, but they’d probably get bored pretty quickly.’
‘I’ll ask Maman to babysit. She owes me for stealing you away.’
‘It was only an hour or so.’ Ella was discovering how much she liked teasing him. ‘Are you sure you want to?’
‘I am. I’d quite like to hear more about all these plans you’re making. You certainly don’t let the grass grow underneath your feet.’ Max ducked his head beneath the door frame and Ella followed him out of the dairy.
‘I’ll sort out a date. It would make sense to meet around five thirty, if that works?’ She addressed Max and then the builders. ‘I know it’s early, but it saves anyone going home if they’re already on site.’
‘I’ll definitely be there if I can.’ Max fastened his coat against the cold.
‘Ella,chérie,’ Noelle’s voice was a roar. It took Ella a second to locate it; coming from Noelle’s flat on the top floor through an open window overlooking the courtyard. ‘You forgot your bra!’
She was merrily dangling the stray underwear in one hand. Ella’s cheeks flushed to match the hot-pink lace as she saw the faces of at least two of the men and the young apprentice transfixed at the sight of her bra, suspended in the air. She’d meant to wear something more practical and rather less skimpy this morning, but it had been the first one she’d found in her half-unpacked case, and she hadn’t imagined – rather foolishly as it had turned out – that she’d be removing it again before bedtime.
Own it, Ella, she thought grimly. She laughed and it was only a trifle forced. ‘Thanks Noelle. Keep it for me, will you, it’s part of a set. I’ll pop back later.’
Chapter Thirteen
Ella felt as though the days were flying by now that December had arrived, and Christmas was on its way. There was much to keep her busy as she took over supervising the builders’ work, researched retreats for the house, wrote content for the new website, met potential suppliers and invited them to the supper she was planning. She’d finally turned down the agency interview but had agreed to another one early in the New Year after the recruiter followed up two emails with a call. Another Michelin-starred restaurant, this time opening on the Norfolk coast. Ella knew it could be a great job, and she would need work after her time at Halesmere was over. But the future lay ahead, blurred, uncertain, and she was enjoying the present too much to commit to something more than a possibility right now.
She and Max had fallen into having coffee together each morning after he’d walked the children to school, if he didn’t need to be elsewhere. She liked it, looked forward to that time with him and sensed he did too. He’d show her the gardens he was designing and was enthusiastic and supportive about the plans she was making. Their conversations gradually eased into the more personal and she was enjoying a naturally developing friendship, discovering they shared similar values and a sense of fun she thought they’d both missed.
If Ella wasn’t in his office when he returned from school, he’d send her a coffee emoji accompanied by a grinning one to remind her. One morning when she couldn’t make it, she’d sent an emoji sticking out its tongue straight back. The row of laughing ones that had followed from Max was worth the moment of realisation that she probably shouldn’t be pulling cheeky faces at her boss.
Sometimes Noelle would join them, but she wouldn’t stay long if Ella and Max were busy; she’d disappear with a wave and a promise to see them another time. Ella ran down to school with Prim three afternoons a week to collect Lily and Arlo, and she loved taking care of them, despite the bickering over whose turn it was to hold Prim’s lead on the way back and Arlo’s reluctance to do his homework while she cooked their evening meal. Occasionally Max made it back in time for the school run when it was Ella’s turn, and he’d catch her up, taking the children by surprise and making them squeal with delight when he swung them into big hugs, and she was the only one who had to hide her pleasure when he arrived home from work.
She’d given up trying to evade his insistence that she eat with them on the nights she cooked for the family. Sometimes Lily and Arlo would persuade her to stay long enough to read them a bedtime story as well, and once or twice Max had been asleep when she came back downstairs. She’d let herself out of the cottage and return to the house, despite longing to linger instead and watch him wake.
Stan often brought her mugs of tea, and she was amused when he produced a sachet of instant coffee one day and said he’d make her one specially the next time she popped into his workshop. He was keen to help with Lily’s birthday party on Saturday and was taking his duties as campfire supervisor very seriously. Ella liked hearing Stan muttering or Pete whistling as they wandered past her base near Max’s office or stuck their heads round the door to ask how she was getting on and if there was anything she needed. Stan had also introduced her to Sandy, the ceramist and rector of the church next to the school.
Today was Wednesday and the first team meeting and dinner at the pub was set for five thirty. Before she collected Lily and Arlo from school, Ella had a Zoom with Kev, the paddleboarder she’d met on the lake during her first weekend at Halesmere. Afterwards she’d googled the centre where he worked and discovered Kev was the learning and development team leader, responsible for delivering the residential programmes. She’d emailed him and they’d arranged to chat through the requirements for volunteering.
Kev was no-nonsense, direct and empathetic, and Ella really liked him. After she’d run him through her previous experience, he was more keen than ever to have her join. There were several roles he felt she would fulfil with ease, and they agreed to meet after Christmas, although she reminded him her plans were flexible and she was very likely to move on in the spring. But she couldn’t deny the pull of the outdoors and the excitement at the thought of sharing her skills once again.
After talking to Kev, and fitting in a visit to a local vegetable grower, Ella left her car at Halesmere, fetched Prim, and ran down to school to collect Lily and Arlo. They were excited to see her and even more so when she promised them a surprise at home, all three laughing as they tried their best to make her reveal it and she refused.
Back at the cottage they hung up their belongings and fed the chickens. Dylan had left Ella a voicemail and she sent a quick message, promising to catch up properly online soon.
She’d already made a vegetarian cottage pie and left it on timer in the oven so she could help the children put together the pieces of a gingerbread camper van she’d picked up in town. She’d thought of them the moment she’d seen it, and it was only when Noelle arrived, so Max could join the meeting at the pub, and Lily was decorating one side of the van with sweets and icing and Arlo the other, that Ella wondered if Noelle or Max would mind her finding festive family things for the children to do. She had a few ideas up her sleeve for next week as well, the final week of term.
Arlo asked Noelle for help sticking the van together, and then Ella served their meal. It smelled amazing, with creamy mash over vegetables, sweet potato and cheddar, and Noelle was happy to eat with them. Ella left the three of them tucking in – and heard Noelle confirming to Lily and Arlo that both sides of the camper van were equally good and would be even more delicious to eat if they finished their tea – and smiled as she went off in search of Stan, who’d promised her a lift.
The pub was exactly as Ella had hoped, comfortable and welcoming with three rooms leading from the central bar, each one smaller than the last, all painted the same cosy shade of red. Wooden tables and chairs were scattered in between comfy-looking settles against the walls. There were a mixture of landscape and portrait paintings on the walls, and the fire was roaring, throwing out heat she was grateful for. The smell of food being carried to the tables was making her hungry and festive music was a pleasant backdrop to the chatter. Garlands were strung across the walls and a Christmas tree blazed brightly in a cosy corner.
‘What you drinkin’, young Ella?’ Stan propped a foot on the rail beneath the bar. Judging by the way people greeted him with either a grin or a raised hand, or a reminder about darts on Friday night, he seemed to know just about everyone.
‘I’ll have a pint please, Stan. This one.’ She pointed to the pub’s own beer on draught. ‘Ask them to start a tab for me, please.’
Stan introduced her to the landlord, Phil, who’d taken the pub over six years ago, and she promptly invited him to the supper at Halesmere next week. Surprised, he accepted, subject to staff coverage, and she ordered enough bottles of beer for the night with some to spare. He told her about the previous occupants of the house and how it had been two flats and then a holiday home. Not all the people who’d lived there had been well known around the community and he liked her idea of the house becoming a base for artists and retreats. Ella explained she believed having an excellent pub within walking distance was part of the house’s appeal and he was quick to agree.
