Page 42 of The Beekeeper's Cottage
Grace swallowed. She feared as much.
‘And don’t you go looking like that either. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the past six months it’s that if there’s something you need to say or something you need to do, then do it or say it. Don’t wait, Grace, because you may never get the opportunity. The same goes for happiness. Life can turn on a sixpence, so don’t waste the time you have now worrying about the rights or wrongs of a situation, or what other people might think about it. If it makes you happy, clasp it to you and never let it go. It took almost losing Fraser to make me realise that.’
Grace touched a hand to her friend’s arm. ‘Oh, Hannah. I can’t imagine how it must feel to love someone so much that you can’t bear to be without them. I just know I never had it with Paul.’
‘No, but none of us have a crystal ball either. You didn’t know what was going to happen all those years ago when you married Paul, and no one can accuse you of not giving it your best shot.’ She gave Grace a coy glance. ‘You’ve had a lightness about you recently, as if something bright and shiny, deep inside, is bubbling closer and closer to the surface. All I’m saying is if it’s Amos that has done that for you, then that’s a good thing. Don’t let the opportunity to be happy pass you by just because Paul has only just gone. The reality is he left years ago.’
Grace sighed. ‘I hadn’t realised it was that obvious.’
‘It isn’t. But I’ve known you for a very long time, don’t forget. Besides, I can recognise it in you only because I now recognise it in myself, Grace. I’ve come to life again these last few months, we all have, and seeing the same happen to you now makes me very happy.’
‘I don’t even know what it is about Amos,’ Grace confided. ‘And it’s not as if anything has happened between us – I cried all over him and I held his hand, or he held mine, that’s all. He’s like someone I’ve known all my life and a total stranger at the same time. Let’s face it, none of us know very much about him.’
She could see Hannah thinking about her words, trying to summon all the information she had about Amos and, like her, finding it lacking.
‘That doesn’t worry you, does it? I just think perhaps he’s a very private person. I don’t think there’s anything sinister in it.’
‘No, neither do I. In fact, given the way he lives I would imagine it’s something he’s very keen to protect. When you don’t have much, perhaps the last thing you want to give away is your identity, it’s the only thing left that’s sacred to you.’
‘So ask him, Grace. I don’t think he’d be offended.’
Grace chewed the corner of her lip. ‘That’s just it, I did ask him. I was probably a bit heavy-handed but something I said really seemed to spook him and, although he tried to hide how he was feeling, it was pretty obvious I’d upset him.’
She paused, trying to recall what had happened on the day they opened the beehives. Amos had paled, claiming that his blood pressure fell every now and again, but Grace wasn’t altogether convinced that had been the truth. At the time they’d only been talking about the bees though – it hadn’t been until much later that she’d asked him why he had left his home. So why the strange reaction? She couldn’t understand it. She looked back up at Hannah.
‘I tried to apologise on the day when Dominic came around and, after I’d finished crying all over Amos, he claimed he had been on his way to see me too, saying he felt he owed me an explanation about his past. But although he opened up a little, somehow I knew I wasn’t getting the whole story.’
‘Then perhaps all you can do is carry on as you are. You need Amos’s help, we all do, and he’s prepared to give it, whatever the reasons. He’s not going to be around forever, Grace, so whatever you’re feeling now, just enjoy it while you can.’
Which was exactly part of the problem, thought Grace. From what he had said, Amos would be moving on as soon as he finished work at the farm, but the thought of him leaving wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on at all. She didn’t know quite what it was about him, but she did know that things felt better when he was around.
‘So, what do you think then, Hannah?’ she said, changing the subject. ‘I really need your help here; I haven’t cooked for a dinner party in years. What on earth am I going to feed these people for an entire weekend?’
Hannah’s notebook was still tucked underneath her arm – it went pretty much everywhere with her these days – and she took it out now, pulling out the pen that was clipped to the spine. ‘Run it by me again,’ she said. ‘When are they arriving?’
‘Dominic is going to send over full details by the end of the day, but they fly in on the Friday, getting to us late-ish evening, so a light supper is all they’ll need. Then a full breakfast the next morning, after which they’ll be taken out and about by Paul and Dominic for the day, returning here for an all-singing, all-dancing dinner. Sunday will be breakfast and lunch, or possibly brunch if they want a slightly lazier morning. Then they leave mid-afternoon.’
Hannah tapped the end of the pen against her lips. ‘You know, if the weather holds it might be nice to have at least one meal in among the trees so that they can take in the wonderful view across the field of flowers. It would show them a slice of our wonderful British countryside.’
‘I was thinking that,’ replied Grace. ‘But what with my bees and the number of wasps which are starting to appear, it could be an unmitigated disaster. I had visions of everyone running around screaming.’ She pulled a face.
‘Hmm, you may have a point. But wouldn’t it be glorious though? I’m sure we could think of some way to make it work.’
‘I’ll ask Amos, he’s bound to know.’ Grace stopped then, realising what she’d just said, and groaned. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake,’ she muttered, catching the smile on Hannah’s face. ‘And you can stop that as well.’
Amos was struggling to concentrate, and realised he had missed what Ned had said again. Halfway up a ladder was not a good time to have your mind on something other than the job in hand, but ever since he had found himself unaccountably holding Grace’s hand, Amos had thought of little else.
‘Sorry, Ned. What did you say?’
‘I wondered if you’d seen the pig flying past, that was all.’
It took a moment for Amos to process what was being said.
‘Oh, haha, very funny… Sorry,’ he added. ‘I was miles away.’
‘So I see,’ replied Ned, grinning from his own ladder. ‘Although as the crow flies, not that far away as it happens.’ He nodded in the direction of Grace’s house.
Amos declined to answer.
