Page 9 of The Beekeeper's Cottage
‘Only you’ve checked your watch at least three times in the last couple of minutes,’ he added, ignoring her comment. ‘And on none of those occasions have you looked particularly happy. Are you waiting for someone? Or something?’
Grace sighed and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just that—’ She broke off and made a noise that sounded almost like a growl. ‘It’s just so… frustrating!’
Amos waited to see if she would continue to explain, thinking that perhaps it wasn’t something appropriate to share in public, or with a complete stranger like himself. He smiled, nodded encouragingly and waited some more while Grace chewed the corner of her lip.
‘It’s the not knowing, you see,’ she said. ‘Whether anyone is even going to turn up… And if they do turn up what they’re going to say. I can’t be there, obviously, because I’m here. If I’d have had more notice, I could have arranged with Bill to change my shifts. Which is of courseexactlywhy Paul planned it for today.’ She stared at Amos, as if waiting for his reaction. ‘In fact, if it hadn’t been for his secretary tipping me off, I still wouldn’t be any the wiser.’
‘No, quite…’ murmured Amos. ‘Is there anything… perhaps I can help?’
Grace was just about to reply when she suddenly stopped. ‘Oh, God, listen to me. I’m so sorry, Amos,’ she said, searching his face. ‘I don’t even know why I did that; blathering on about things which you know nothing about and which I had no right to trouble you over. Goodness, I’ve only just met you…’ She touched a hand to her hair as a slow flush spread up her neck.
But Amos smiled. ‘Perhaps it’s just that it’s easier to talk to a complete stranger…’ He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. ‘I’ve been told I’m a good listener…’
Grace cocked her head, thoughtfully. ‘You are, aren’t you,’ she said. ‘There’s something about you. Something still… and calm.’ She shook her head. ‘No, it wouldn’t be at all fair. I’m not going to move house whether an estate agent turns up today or not, and I absolutely meant what I said yesterday. If my husband thinks—’ She broke off. ‘I’m doing it again. Oh, for goodness’ sake.’ She turned away and moved back behind the counter.
Amos looked down at the print still in his hand, her words tumbling through his head, the memory of raised voices from her garden pricking at him.
‘Grace?’ He stood still, waiting for her to look up. ‘Can I help?’ he asked again. ‘I could go to your house, not inside, but stay in the garden, and just see if anyone appears? At least then you’d know.’
‘But you don’t understand anything about this.’
‘Do I need to?’ Amos was thinking fast. ‘I could just say I’m the gardener or something…’
Grace looked at her watch.
‘When are they due?’
Her sigh was audible. ‘In ten minutes… but you don’t even know—’
‘I know where your house is, Grace, I realised I was at the bottom of your garden last night when I went for a walk. Flora had mentioned it, you see, she talked about your bees… So I could just climb over the fence and, hey presto, I’m in the garden, just like I said.’
‘I don’t know, it doesn’t seem right.’
Amos smiled. ‘Look, you don’t need to tell me anything. All you’re interested in is whether an estate agent arrives to value your house today, is that right?’
Grace nodded. ‘Yes, but I—’
‘So, I can go and see if anyone turns up and report back to you. End of story. I don’t need to know any more. And I won’t talk to them, I’ll just act like I’m a clueless gardener – which won’t be hard under the circumstances.’
The clock was ticking and Amos could see how aware Grace was of this fact. She looked at him again, and then back down at the slip of paper on the counter, the note that Flora had given him. She picked it up, read through it once more, a small smile gathering at the corners of her lips.
‘Right,’ she said decisively. ‘I must bemad, but yes, it would be great if you could go and see for me… please. Just observe though – if anyone comes, don’t talk to them, okay…?’
Amos rushed forward, placing the print on the desk. ‘I’ll come back,’ he said, already turning and heading for the door. He paused as he got to the doorway. ‘What’s your last name, Grace?’ he asked.
‘It’s Maynard… why?’
But Amos had already gone.
4
Amos was more than ten minutes away. It would take at least that length of time to walk back to the farm, and then he would have to cut through the yard, across the garden and through the flower field beyond before climbing the hill into Grace’s garden. But perhaps the estate agent would be late? And they would need time to look around as well, they could well be at the house for half an hour or so…
He broke into a run. He had told Grace that he wouldn’t say anything while he was there, but Amos had no intention of doing that. That wasn’t the point at all.
Not owning a car and choosing to walk everywhere he went had made Amos pretty fit over the years. He wasn’t used to moving quite this fast, but he didn’t feel too bad at all as he turned through the gates of the farmyard, shot around the house, and into the garden. He was just about to vault the fence into the field when he met Flora coming through the gate. He raised a hand to wave.
‘I’m sorry!’ he shouted. ‘On an errand for Grace! Got to run, I’ll explain later!’
