Page 26 of Forgive Not Forget
Katherine nodded. “I’ll pop back later and help you clear up. I’ve got a few bits to do in my office anyway. I’ll leave the basket with you in case you get peckish. Bye, Abi.”
Abigail looked up from her drawing and smiled at Katherine. “Bye. Thank you for the lovely picnic.”
* * *
After lunch, there was a constant stream of people coming into the barn, either to start the trail or collect their eggs at the end. Anna had expected the afternoon to be busier than the morning, with people likely to be having a family get-together and a big lunch. The demographics certainly indicated this, as more grandparents arrived with the younger families.
Anna admired Abigail’s tenacity; it was tiring dealing with so many people, yet she soldiered on, not complaining once. They split the duties equally, with Anna welcoming those starting the trail, explaining what they needed to do and handing out the trail sheets, whilst Abigail handed out the eggs on their return.
As the afternoon drew to an end, Anna realised how much she had enjoyed Abigail’s company. She’d asked lots of interesting questions and had an eagerness to learn more about the world. She loved that about children; they had a raw passion to learn. Her enjoyment today had purely come from passing on knowledge as a teacher would to a student, rather than a mother to a child. Though the more she thought about it, the more she could see herself steering a young person through the world, being able to teach them about it every day, helping them take their first steps, giving them their first solid food, watching their faces as they tasted things for the first time. Her stomach tingled at the thought.
Would Katherine feel the same? If Anna could be a good mother, Katherine could be an even greater one. Although they both had a caring nature, Anna had always felt Katherine was more mothering than she was. She had an instinct for things, was nurturing, full of empathy and compassion. They were traits that had made her a great doctor.
A ping from her phone pulled her from her thoughts. It was a text from Katherine.
Give me 5 mins and I’ll be there. Shall we walk Abi home together and see if we can get something to eat at the pub? X
Anna tapped out a reply.
Sounds like a plan. I’m starving! X
CHAPTER11
Katherine was surprised to see everything cleared away as she entered the barn. Anna and Abigail were waiting in their coats. “You’ve cleared up already! I was coming to help.”
“There wasn’t much to do. Abi collected all the signs from around the site.”
“It took me three trips!”
“Only three?” Katherine replied. “You must be very strong.”
Abigail’s eyes sparkled at the compliment.
“I’ve done everything in here,” Anna said. “Oh, hang on one moment, though.”
She disappeared into her office, returning moments later with an abbey guidebook.
“This is for you. It’ll tell you all about the history of the abbey,” Anna said, holding the book out to Abigail.
“Thank you.” She opened it and shoved her nose into it. “I love the smell of new books.”
Anna and Katherine chuckled at her.
“We do, too, don’t we, Kat?”
“Yes, you’re in good company here. Sniff away,” Katherine replied, picking up the picnic basket. “I’ll run this back into the house as we pass.”
“One last thing.” Anna extracted two chocolate eggs from her pocket. “For my helper. Don’t eat them all at once.”
“Thank you, I won’t. I’m not Tom. I’ll have to hide them, though, or he’ll eat them.”
Katherine locked up Abbey Barn, and they made their way across the site.
“You live in that house?” Abigail asked as they stopped at the end of the driveway of Abbey House. “It’s beautiful, like something from a fairy tale. The flowers are lovely,” she added, admiring the crocuses, daffodils, and tulips that covered the beds around the drive.
“I can’t claim any credit for them,” Katherine said, as much as she’d have liked to. “I have gardeners that do it all for me. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Katherine crossed the drive and placed the basket inside the front door. As she pulled the front door shut, Virginia shot out.
