Page 66 of The House at Hope Corner
‘How dare I?’ she spluttered. ‘How dareyoumore like. What on earth made you think you could talk to me like that? Don’t you know who I am? I’m probably the oldest and closest friend Ned has and our families go back even further. I have always been welcome in this house and I would never do anything to hurt them… whereasyou…’ She drew herself up, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. ‘You’re nothing but a little gold-digger. Don’t think I haven’t worked out why you really came here.’ She gave Ned a triumphant smile. ‘I don’t have to dig for gold, Flora, I already have plenty of it.’
Flora suddenly felt icy calm as she lifted her chin and stared into Caroline’s cold blue eyes. ‘No, you don’t, Caroline, you have money, and there’s nothing golden about that. Not when you use it to create a world where you’re better than everyone else.’ She placed her hands palm down on the table and leant forward as if to emphasise her words.
‘Now… why don’t you take your manipulative, butter-wouldn’t-melt airs and graces and leave. And take your grubby money with you too, no one here has any need of it.’
Caroline’s mouth dropped open as she looked first at Ned and then Fraser and Hannah in turn. There was complete silence and Flora daren’t even breathe.
‘Well, aren’t you going to do something?’ She was looking back at Ned now. ‘Are you just going to sit there and let her talk to me like that?’
The seconds ticked by. It was all Flora could do to stand still and not flee the room. She looked at Caroline’s red flustered face, an ugly expression overriding her normal studied pose. She had finally lost her very practised but artificial poise and a part of Flora was pleased. Even if it meant that she had now blown any chance of remaining at the farm, at least she had stood up for the things she believed in. It almost made it worthwhile. Almost… She daren’t even look at Ned but then a movement caught the corner of her eye as, very slowly, he got to his feet. And she braced herself for his response.
‘No, Caroline,’ he said. ‘I’m going to stand up and let her talk to you like that, because Flora is right. She’s been right about a lot of things, and she has more honesty and integrity than you will ever have. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to stand up to you myself. You’ve tried to manipulate me into a corner and you’ve used my fear over losing the farm and worry over my dad to do it. Well, not any more. I am incredibly stupid, I’ve got two left feet, a body and a brain that doesn’t always know what it’s doing, but one thing I do know is right from wrong. So, yes, Iamstupid, but not stupid enough to believe your lies and lose the one thing that means more to me in this world than anything else. I love Flora and she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to this place. We don’t need your money, Caroline, and as for what we’ve already borrowed, we’ll repay it.’
A slow smile spread across his face. ‘And you can tell whatever stories you like to all your cronies, I really don’t care. About you, or your money… Flora was right when she said that you had never been a friend to us and all I can say is that I’m utterly astounded it’s taken me so long to realise it. Or to realise that everything – or rather everyone – I do truly care about is right here in this room, and they were here long before you came in.’
It was Flora’s turn to look astounded. Had she really heard that right? Her heart was pounding but she still couldn’t look at Ned in case she had got it wrong. She risked a glance at Fraser, only to find that he was smiling at her, a broad smile that lit up his face and chased away the tiredness from it.
‘That’s my boy,’ he said. ‘And Flora, why don’t you go ahead and tell Caroline why we won’t be needing any more of their money?’
Flora caught his eye and with a surge of affection beamed back. ‘We’re going to open a flower farm,’ she said.
Ned’s mouth split wide into a grin. ‘Yes, we are,’ he said, turning back to look at his mum and dad. He let the words roll around his head for a few minutes and then, ‘Bloody hell… we’re actually going to open a flower farm!’ He looked straight at Flora, his eyes filled with the same look she had seen on the very first day she had met him, a look that made her feel like there was no one else in the room.
‘You don’t seem too sure, Ned,’ said Caroline, unwilling to give up.
‘Oh I am,’ he replied, beaming. ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything. Because if Flora says that’s what we’re going to do, then that’s what we’re going to do. And do you know why, Caroline?’ he asked. ‘Because I gave nothing to Flora when she came here, apart from the chance to be by my side. I threw her in at the deep end, knowing the farm was in trouble, but still she swam, for the simple reason that she loves this place. She’s shown more care for all of us here in the last couple of months than you have in your entire life.’
He gave a curt nod. ‘I’m well aware that we still owe your father a great deal of money, but we will be taking some proper advice first thing in the morning and it will be repaid. You’ll be hearing from us, as they say.’ He was already moving towards Flora. ‘Oh, and Caroline, please shut the door on your way out.’
It had been the last thing she was expecting, but seconds later the door slammed behind Caroline and Flora was caught up in Ned’s arms as he whirled her round and round until she was giddy. They stumbled to a halt, still laughing.
‘Oh my God, you were brilliant!’ said Ned, his eyes lit with excitement. ‘I don’t believe it. Why the hell didn’t any of us stand up to Caroline before?’
‘That’s a very good question,’ came Fraser’s voice from the table. ‘And one of the many things I’ve been thinking about the last few days.’ He held a hand to his chest. ‘Yesterday, I told Flora that we needed waking up and what I meant is that we needed shaking from the roles we’ve all assumed over the years. Roles that have become so entrenched that we’ve followed their rules blindly, without even considering what they might mean for us. It’s no one’s fault, but it’s taken Flora to make me realise how blinkered to life we’ve all become.’
Flora smiled at him fondly. ‘That’s very kind of you, Fraser, but do you not think that staring death in the face might have had something to do with it?’
He pulled a face. ‘Certainly not…’ he replied, his eyes twinkling. ‘Although, that does remind me that I wanted to ask you something.’ He paused, looking up her with the look that she was beginning to recognise. The one that said he knew exactly what she was about.
‘Go on then,’ she said, a little warily.
‘Because I got to thinking about when Iwasstaring death in the face. I obviously didn’t think about it at the time, but these things come back to you and… well, it seemed to me that you were altogether more clued up about what was going on with me than you should have been. And I wondered why that was…’
Flora sighed. There really was no getting anything past Fraser. But then, as she looked up into his knowing eyes, she suddenly realised that it was okay. Her fear had gone. She had faced it just like Fraser had and they had both come through it.
‘I was thirteen when my dad died,’ she began. ‘I was with him when he had his heart attack; we were out in the garden raking up leaves and he suddenly got sick and keeled over. He hadn’t been feeling well all day but thought that the fresh air would do him good.’ She gave a sad smile as Ned pulled her wordlessly into his arms. ‘All but one of his arteries were blocked and so he was scheduled to have a bypass, Fraser, just like you. It took place on a Monday, two weeks after my birthday, but he died on the operating table, another massive heart attack. There was nothing they could do…’
Hannah’s hand went to her mouth. ‘Oh, my dear…’
Ned’s lips bent to her hair, his arms wrapping her in a cocoon. ‘Oh, Flora, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t we know?’
‘No one asked me,’ she said simply. ‘And I couldn’t say – it would have been too much. I couldn’t bear the thought that it would happen all over again.’
‘Aye,’ said Fraser, softly. ‘I thought as much. It was the way you looked at me, lass, like you knew every thought that was in my head. And I reckon you’ve had plenty of years where you’ve thought about little else. But it helped, Flora. I want you to know that.’
Flora loosened herself from Ned’s embrace and stood in front of Fraser. ‘May I?’ she asked, holding out her arms and, as he nodded, she gave him the gentlest of hugs.
‘You’re going to be okay,’ she said. ‘I know that too.’
