Page 46 of The House at Hope Corner
In the scarce moments Flora wasn’t helping to prepare food, she was systematically cleaning the house from top to bottom according to Hannah’s instructions. Curtains were taken down and washed, carpets were cleaned, window sills and skirting boards were scrubbed. It left Flora exhausted and with little time to think about Grace’s words, but they stayed with her, at the back of her mind, biding their time.
Now, one week and two days after his operation, Fraser was finally coming home, and Hannah was as nervous as a kitten. By now, she’d read all the information that the hospital had given her so many times she’d practically committed it to memory and would repeat it verbatim to anyone who dared suggest what Fraser would, or wouldn’t, be able to do when he came home.
Despite her initial misgivings over the use of the dining room, Hannah had now taken the furnishing of the room very seriously and had seemingly brought most of Fraser’s possessions down from their bedroom. The room was consequently stuffed to the gills with things that he might need, and just looking at it all made Flora feel claustrophobic.
‘Come on, let’s go and bring him home,’ said Flora, as she watched Hannah plump the cushions on his bed for the zillionth time. ‘He’s waited long enough, let’s not keep him any longer.’
‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Hannah looked flustered, and Flora took her arm.
‘It will be okay you know,’ she said. ‘I know the thought of having him home is scary for all sorts of reasons, but we’ll all be here to help, and the hospital wouldn’t let him go if they didn’t think he was ready.’
Hannah smiled gratefully. ‘You’re right, I know, but…’ She trailed off, looking around the room again, and Flora began to wonder if she’d ever get in the car. Flora took a deep breath; Hannah wasn’t the only one who was nervous.
* * *
After the last few days of milder weather, the temperature had been getting steadily colder as if reminding them that winter wasn’t quite over yet. The evening was bitter and, as early as teatime, a frost was already beginning to form outside. But Flora didn’t mind; being outside was far preferable to being inside, and Brodie, bless him, was a willing accomplice.
Fraser had been home now for exactly one hour and forty minutes and Flora already felt like screaming. In fact, if she heard Hannah ask him how he was feeling one more time, she probably would have. To give him his due, Fraser, despite catching her eye with a wry smile on one or two occasions, didn’t seem to mind. He was just pleased to be home, delighted with his new room, and obviously exhausted from the journey.
She hadn’t intended to walk as far as she had, but the clear sky was lit by an almost full moon and the garden was enticingly silvery and mysterious. It drew her onward until she realised that she was standing by the fence at the bottom. In front of her lay the sweep of fields she had walked through her first morning at the farm.
She hadn’t a clue what had prompted her vision a few days ago, but it had been as clear to her as her surroundings were now and, as she stared around her, the echo of Grace’s appeal to never let go of her art made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.
Before speaking to Grace, Flora had almost come to terms with having to give up her creativity; at least she thought she had. She’d packed away her art materials and decided to throw everything she had at life on the farm. Except that now she realised that she just couldn’t do that. The call of nature and art was stronger than ever, and it just might be the only thing that could save her sanity. She felt her heart lift slightly as her decision settled in her head. Fraser was home, and things would surely improve. Somehow she would just have to find the time she needed.
Turning around, she scoured the garden for Brodie and spotted him by the back door. Now used to her bouts of introspection, he was waiting patiently for her to finish so he could return to his place by the Aga. She hurried over and threw her arms around the old dog.
‘You understand, don’t you, boy,’ she said. ‘Otherwise I think I might go completely mad. I mean, I know I’m mad already, but mad in a bad way…’
Brodie’s dark eyes glinted in the moonlight as he licked her hand. He was a very wise dog indeed.
‘Come on then,’ she said. ‘Let’s get back inside. Best foot forward and all that.’
But her heart sank again the moment she opened the back door to the sound of Caroline’s trilling laughter coming from the kitchen. Resisting the urge to turn on her heels and run, she pasted on a smile and went to join the others.
Ned was sitting at the table but barely looked up when she came in; he was clearly exhausted. Hannah was standing in the middle of the room looking flustered and Caroline was just taking possession of a small tray filled with two mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits.
‘Hannah, please go and sit down and take a breather for a bit. I can entertain Fraser for a few minutes, and I promise I will call if there’s anything wrong.’
Hannah looked from Caroline to Ned and back again but, met with no reaction from Ned, reluctantly drew back a chair from the table and made to sit down.
‘Well then, see if you can get him to eat something,’ said Hannah. ‘He’s had virtually nothing all day.’
‘Mum, we’ve only just had tea. He isn’t going to want anything else,’ said Ned, without looking up from the table.
‘Yes, and he barely ate a thing. A couple of biscuits won’t hurt.’
‘Leave him to me,’ said Caroline, smiling. ‘I’ll see if I can entice him.’ The way she said it left Flora in no doubt that Caroline had every faith in her ability. ‘Hi, Flora,’ she added.
Flora nodded. ‘Hi,’ she replied. ‘Blimey, it’s freezing outside. It’s very brave of you to venture out tonight.’
There was a tight smile. ‘No, well, when I heard that Fraser was coming home today, I just had to pop over and welcome him back to the fold. I feel bad that I didn’t get to see him in hospital, so it’s the least I can do.’
‘Just don’t expect too much,’ said Hannah. ‘He’s still very poorly.’
‘Don’t worry. I won’t be too long.’ She smiled directly at Flora, who went to take a seat opposite Ned.
‘We might have to go and rescue him,’ she whispered once Caroline had left the room. ‘It’s really kind of her to visit, but I would imagine that Fraser is worn out from the emotion of being home as much as anything. He probably just wants to be left alone.’
