Page 52 of The Midnight Bakery
Beth stared at him. ‘Of course we want you to.’ Jack was nodding in agreement. ‘But what about your job?’
‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ Tam replied. He’d been thinking about little else. ‘And I reckon I could work around my shifts. I might even be able to tweak my hours. Summer’s coming and the days will be drawing out, I could potentially put in a good few hours each day.’
‘But that would mean you’d be working almost every hour of the day,’ said Beth. ‘And hard, physical work at that. I’m not surethat’s fair. I mean, we couldn’t even pay you, Tam. I wish we could, but we barely keep our heads above water now as it is.’
Jack sighed in frustration. ‘She’s right, Tam. I can’t ask you to take all this on. I feel so much better from just being outside all day, and being able to see our land, its potential, is the icing on the cake. It’s given me renewed determination to make something happen here, but it’s too much to ask of you – you’d end up being exhausted. The work would begin to feel like a chore, and you’d come to hate it. It’s the very worst thing that could happen.’
Tam’s heart sank like a stone. After everything they’d accomplished today…but even as he opened his mouth to argue, he knew that what Jack had said made sense. He was letting his own desire run away with him.
Up until today, their conversations about the farm had been just that – discussions about ideas and plans. None of them were based on the reality of what lay beyond the yard gate, and without this, they might as well be meaningless. He’d seen for himself how much work there was to do, and he knew how hard that work would be. His job at Chawston House wasn’t physically tiring, but sleep was hard to come by at times and spending hours at the farm as well would tax his body to its limits. He’d be in real danger of falling at the first hurdle, and if he did that then all Jack and Beth’s plans would fail. Again. It would break Jack’s heart, and it would be Beth who would be left to pick up the pieces. There was no way Tam could do that to either of them. As much as it hurt him to push aside his own dreams, he knew he must, for everyone’s sake. He shook his head.
‘Sorry, I was letting myself get carried away by this place. And you’re right. No pun intended, but it’s never a good idea to run before you can walk.’
‘Wewillfind a way to make this work though,’ said Jack, his warm smile showing how much he understood Tam’s disappointment. ‘I’m convinced of it, but it’s important to take our time and not rush in. For now, maybe we should just focus on something small. Getting even a tiny aspect of the farm up and running would be a huge achievement.’
‘But you’re still welcome here any time,’ put in Beth. ‘Come and make plans with Jack for a few hours and help him work out what’s feasible. He’d love that. We both would.’
‘I really would,’ agreed Jack. ‘Help me keep the dream alive.’
Tam glanced at his watch. It was probably the best solution all round, and he brightened his smile. ‘In any case, I reckon the quad bike will need a fair few adjustments if it’s going to be viable for the longer term. I could come and have another tinker, perhaps.’
Jack shifted in his chair, moving his weight from one side to the other and wincing as he did so. He rolled his eyes. ‘A little more padding, maybe?’
‘I’ll put it on the list,’ said Tam, grinning. ‘I really ought to get going now, and leave you two to the rest of your afternoon.’
‘But you haven’t even had any lunch,’ exclaimed Beth. ‘Chocolate biscuits don’t count.’
‘They do with the number I’ve eaten,’ replied Tam. ‘And it’s no problem. I’ll get dinner when I’m on shift tonight.’
‘Rubbish,’ replied Beth. ‘How about a fat bacon sandwich before you go? Bacon and egg, even?’
There had been no way Tam could pass up crispy bacon and oozing, drippy egg, but he was paying for it now. He practically had to run down the road to get to Chawston House on time. Tam had never been late yet, and he wasn’t about to start now. Today would not be a good day for that to happen.
As it was, Trish caught him by the door as soon as he entered, looking unusually flustered.
‘She’s done it again,’ she said, clearly exasperated. ‘I told her we didn’t have time, but she never listens, and you know what Enid is like if we rush her. She won’t be happy, and it’s completely unnecessary. We could move her tomorrow when we’ve got more time and then everyone will be happy. You know, I think she winds the residents up on purpose, just to keep us on our toes.’
Tam blinked, surprised by the force of Trish’s words. She was usually so calm. In fact, he couldn’t remember ever seeing her so riled before. He also had no idea what she was talking about.
Trish’s face softened, no doubt in response to his blank look. ‘Sorry,’ she said, shaking her head in irritation. ‘It’s Donna. She’s convinced herself that Enid and Roberta aren’t getting on and wants to swap their rooms around. And she wants it done before Roberta’s daughter arrives so that she can prove she’s resolved the situation before she complains.’
‘But I spoke to Fiona the day before yesterday,’ said Tam. ‘And I doubt very much she’s going to complain. She laughed once I explained about her mum and Enid pinching each other’s biscuits as soon as backs were turned. In fact, she said it’s just the kind of thing her mumwoulddo. Apparently, she’s always enjoyed “being cheeky”, as she put it.’
‘They’re both as bad as one another,’ said Trish. ‘Just two old ladies who delight in causing trouble. They might grumble about it, but secretly they probably both live for the excitement.’ She shook her head. ‘But what do I know? I’ve only worked here eleven years.’
Tam gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘So where are we moving Enid to?’
‘Eleanor’s old room. Which Enid will hate because it’s too cut off from what’s going on in the lounge. Sorry, Tam, but would you mind giving me a hand?’
‘Sure, let me take my coat off, and I’ll be on it.’
Trish touched his arm. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed and rushed off.
Eleanor’s room had been empty for just over a week now and Tam hated to see it so forlorn, stripped of everything that had made it hers. Her daughter had been in for her belongings the day after she died and since then it had lain, cold and impersonal, until needed by a new occupant. They could put as many people in it as they liked; to Tam it would always be Eleanor’s room. He stood in the doorway for a moment, thinking of better times. Eleanor would have understood how he was feeling.
Trish wasn’t the only one up against the clock, however. Tam had only fifteen minutes to go before his review meeting with Donna, and although it had already been explained to Enid, several times, that she was moving, if she decided she didn’t want to go at that precise moment, that time could disappear in the blink of an eye. He hurried back down the corridor, praying that Enid would prove willing.
Half an hour later, his meeting over, Tam stood outside the door to Donna’s office, swallowing hard. He had no idea what he was going to do. He, and all his paltry belongings, had hitherto been balanced precariously on a very small rug, and now even that had been pulled from under him. There’d been a complaint, Donna had told him. Well, not a complaint as such, but it had been brought to her attention that he’d been sleeping in his car and didn’t actually have anywhere to live. She had a duty of care, blah-blah-blah…She hoped he understood. So, no permanent contract for Tam. No job at all, in fact.
