Page 34 of The House at Hope Corner
‘Okay… listen, Flora, I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll see you later, yeah?’
‘You will… Thingswillbe okay you know, Ned.’
There was a long pause. ‘I’ll see you later… Love you.’
‘I love you too…’ But Ned had already gone.
Right, that’s it. It was time to leave the house. She marched back into the kitchen and opened the pantry door, taking several trays of eggs and placing them into the wicker basket that Hannah used to transport them.
‘Come on, Brodie,’ she called. ‘Get your coat, we’re going out.’
She scarcely even thought about what she looked like, jamming a purple hat onto her mass of curls and pulling on her boots. It was definitely milder today, but she’d still need her warm coat and the fact that it clashed horribly with her skirt and leggings was of no concern. She was ready to go before Brodie had even made it to the door.
It was only after a couple of minutes, when she realised that Brodie was lagging way behind her, that she slowed her pace and waited for the elderly dog to catch her up.
‘I’m sorry, boy,’ she said. ‘I’ve got a bit of a route march going on. And you don’t know what’s in my head, do you? So if it looks like I’m trying to run away, well…’ She trailed off as the dog reached her. Then she took a deep breath, ruffled the fur on top of his head and started off again, much slower this time.
The air was still a little fresh, but it felt like the first time for days that Flora was actually breathing it in. She pushed back her shoulders and consciously tried to let them drop, relaxing into the rhythm of walking rather than hunching herself over.
Under normal circumstances a day like today would have filled Flora with joy. She would have revelled in the beauty of the natural world around her and the sheer wonderment of all it had to offer. And she could feel this same sensation today, but it felt as if it was behind glass and she couldn’t quite reach it. She knew there was a huge amount to feel grateful for, but this only made her sense of detachment from the outside world worse. She cared for Fraser and Hannah, and it broke her up to see the family so upset and in total disarray, Ned especially. But in a very short space of time her life had also changed beyond measure and, right now, she had no idea where it was headed. Everything was in total freefall, and yet she felt trapped at the same time.
She stopped and looked around her. There was nothing she could do about it, nothing any of them could do about it. One day at a time was all she could cope with. Get through it and on to the next, and trust that somehow, in some way, the path would become clear once more.
After checking that Brodie was happy to wait outside, Flora pushed open the door to the shop with its tinkly bell and walked inside, amazed again at just how much was crammed in here, and how much it looked like her parents’ front room when she had been growing up.
‘Afternoon!’ Grace’s sunny greeting was like a breath of fresh air. She was about to say something else but instead she stopped and came around the counter, taking Flora’s arms gently and easing her to one side.
‘I heard about Fraser,’ she said in a low voice. ‘You must be out of your minds with worry.’
‘Well…’ Flora was hesitant. The fact that Fraser’s heart attack was seemingly common knowledge ought not to surprise her, given how small a community it was, but she still didn’t want to say too much.
‘More importantly,’ continued Grace, ‘is there anything I can do to help?’ She looked around her at the shop, which was empty of customers. ‘I could put the kettle on?’
Perhaps there was something in Flora’s face that had given away how she was feeling; the suggestion was perfect.
‘Do you know, that would be wonderful.’ She gave a grateful smile.
Grace slipped back behind the counter, reappearing a few moments later with a packet of chocolate Hobnobs. ‘Get one of these in you first,’ she said. ‘The tea won’t be long.’ She patted a stool next to hers behind the counter and Flora needed no second invitation.
‘I just came in to drop off some more eggs actually.’ She held out the basket for inspection. ‘Are you sure it’s okay?’
‘What, the eggs? Of course it’s okay. I think Hannah has a pretty firm arrangement with Bill. He takes whatever she can provide.’
Flora smiled. ‘I didn’t actually mean the eggs… I meant the tea and sympathy…’
Grace took her own seat and fixed her with a stern expression. ‘Friendship, Flora. I’m not the vicar’s wife, I don’t do tea and sympathy.’ The corners of her mouth twitched and Flora’s smile widened into a grin.
‘That’s me told then,’ she said.
‘Yep… and if you don’t mind me saying, you look like you could use a friend right now. You look as if your brain’s going in twenty different directions at once.’
Flora groaned. ‘It feels like it. There’s been rather a lot to take in.’
Grace nodded in understanding. ‘Now, first things first. How is Fraser?’
‘Double bypass,’ she said, swallowing. ‘He had it this morning. We’ve just found out it went okay, but he’s in recovery now and we can’t really see him until tomorrow. So, Hannah’s gone to have a lie-down and I’ve—’
‘Escaped?’
