A Year at Meadowbrook Manor Read online

  ‘What about your paid staff?’ Freddie asked.

  ‘They come once a week, you’ll barely know they are there, but I have to say the gardening club are the real stars.’

  ‘And about the open gardens, are you all keen on that?’ Pippa asked.

  ‘We love it, especially the gardening club. It’s a way of showing off what they do, and the village love walking around, having a nose. Of course it means a lot of work before and after but we don’t mind.’ She grinned and Harriet felt her earnestness. She wondered how they could turn the open gardens into more of a moneymaker than it was currently. At the moment people could just trample through, and were asked for donations … Harriet’s mind was whirring.

  She pulled her thoughts back as a minibus pulled into the drive. They all watched as it snaked its way up to the house. It parked near Amanda’s van, and the driver, a woman who looked as if she was Gwen’s age, got out, followed by the others.

  ‘Wow, some gang,’ Freddie said, wide-eyed, as a number of silver-haired women appeared.

  ‘This, is your gardening club,’ Amanda said, and introduced them all. The women lined up and hugged each of the siblings in turn. The driver turned out to be the youngest member of the gardening club and Harriet wondered how these – to be polite – older ladies managed the physical work.

  ‘We’re so happy you’re looking after the place for your dad,’ Margaret, the driver, said. ‘He loved his gardens and we do too, so it’s a real privilege.’ She had a broad Somerset accent and a twinkle in her eyes.

  ‘Thank you,’ Pippa said, impulsively giving Margaret a hug. ‘You’ve done such a wonderful job, don’t know what we would do without you!’

  ‘Oh it’s our pleasure, love, some of us have had hip replacements, or knee replacements, so fit as fiddles we mostly are now,’ one of the ladies, who also had a Somerset accent, stated. The ladies all started doing weird stretches as if to demonstrate the fact. As well as Margaret they were introduced to Rose, Edie, Mary, Dawn, Caroline, Meg, Bev and Lorna. Harriet wondered how on earth she would remember everyone’s names.

  ‘Look I can even do a star jump,’ Edie said, as she tried, and failed, to lift off the ground. ‘Well a star shape at least.’

  Rose lunged, then had to hold onto the person next to her to get up again.

  ‘See,’ Rose shouted, after she was once again upright, ‘fit as fiddles.’

  ‘This is going to be fun.’ Freddie shook his head.

  Amanda proved very efficient after she rounded her chattering ladies up and led them round to the back of the house. They all headed to the shed and retrieved their gardening tools and, still gossiping, set to work. Harriet was impressed as they all seemed to know exactly what they were doing. She wished she and her siblings were as efficient.

  ‘Wow, they’re good,’ Harriet said to Amanda. ‘They do this because they love it? Shouldn’t we pay them?’

  ‘Let’s just say your father was very generous with gifts, because they wouldn’t hear of being paid. They love having these beautiful gardens to work on, and as most of these ladies live alone, it’s a social event for them to look forward to coming here. Also if any of them need anything, they tell me, and me and your dad would sort it. Sue had a burst pipe in the winter and worried about the cost plumbers, so your dad arranged for it to be fixed for her. He took care of them, of anything they needed.’

  ‘Well, absolutely,’ Harriet felt a rush of warmth for the ladies, ‘anything they need, please do tell us.’ Although how on earth they could help with their allowance, she had no idea. Then she remembered, there was a fund, a provision for anyone in the village that needed help. Now that suddenly made sense.

  ‘Can I help? I mean get involved?’ Gus asked. ‘I’ll be taking over Dad’s role with the gardens and stuff.’ He sounded slightly awkward and didn’t quite meet Amanda’s eyes.

  ‘Come with me, I’ll introduce you properly to everyone. The ladies are great, honestly, they love the gardens, not many people who love gardening get to work on such beautiful grounds, so it’s a real treat for them. My team look after the mowing, strimming, hedges and any heavy work, as well as the design of the gardens, but they also help with the flower beds, the vegetables and the fruit cages. We do have to keep them under control though,’ Amanda laughed. ‘Dawn wanted to do a bit of topiary on one of the hedges; it was supposed to be a chicken but somehow it looked a bit phallic so I had to put a stop to that.’

  ‘Oh I’m almost jealous I can’t hang out with these women, they are brilliant,’ Freddie snorted.

  ‘Great, Amanda,’ Gus, ignoring his younger brother, said, ‘lead the way.’

  Harriet, Pippa and Freddie watched them go.

  ‘I think this will be good for Gus,’ Pippa said.

  ‘Those women will eat him alive,’ Freddie joked. ‘But it might help bring him out of his shell.’

  ‘They’ll love him,’ Harriet said.

  ‘Let’s hope so, the poor chap is still so uptight,’ Freddie added. ‘And that Amanda’s not bad-looking. In an outdoorsy kind of way.’

  ‘Oh, Freddie,’ Pippa said. ‘Let’s go inside and we can discuss how we’ll start organising the events.’

  ‘Well of course we do need to do that but first I have to make some um, urgent phone calls. I’ll find you guys later.’ He scarpered before they had a chance to reply.

  ‘He’s work-shy,’ Harriet said. It was apparent even in the last few days that Freddie was happy to pour drinks – either for them or down his throat – but not much else. Harriet could see why their father referred to him as ‘the problem child’ so often. The trouble was that now she felt it was her problem. ‘But tomorrow he has to start helping with the chickens.’

  ‘I’ll believe that when I see it. Right so just you and me, where do we start?’

  ‘Have some coffee and start sorting the paperwork,’ Harriet said. Thank goodness for Pippa, Harriet thought as she linked arms with her sister.

  ‘Um, sounds like fun. No wonder Freddie scarpered.’ Pippa rolled her eyes as they went inside.

  Working in her father’s office made Harriet feel uncomfortable. It was as if she was an intruder, rummaging through his desk without permission. Of course she had his permission, and what’s more, her father was so organised that it was easy to get all the information they needed. He had a folder for household expenses and suppliers, another held everything they needed to know about the village fete, and the open gardens; he had kept meticulous records of everything. The only thing he hadn’t left them was clear instructions on how on earth they were supposed to raise the money for the sanctuary. It still seemed like a huge amount.

  ‘So, if I take the village fete info, I can read through it later and start to get to grips with it,’ Pippa suggested.

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Harriet replied. ‘It’s all quite straightforward, but I still think we need to make this year better than ever.’

  ‘I agree, in memory of Dad and because we need to raise that money. Shall I go and make us another cuppa?’

  ‘Oh please.’

  Harriet was grateful that Pippa left her alone for a few minutes. She was suddenly hit with a real pang for New York. She missed it, she missed her life, she still missed her job with an ache that felt as if she’d lost a limb. It wasn’t Zach, although of course he was wrapped up so much with her work. She couldn’t just turn the tap off on her old life. She wanted to but she couldn’t. And she felt lonely, yes she had her family, but she missed Mimi and the girls, she missed how they understood her, how they were like her. And sitting in her father’s chair the fact that she was alone seemed to illuminate itself. A big neon sign hanging over her.

  Oh, she hoped that throwing herself into Meadowbrook would be good enough, but it wasn’t. She tried to tell herself it was early days, but she was beginning to think she would always feel this way. She needed to give herself time but Harriet was impatient. She wanted it all to be better, she wanted to be better.

  She was wip
ing angry tears from her cheeks when Pippa walked in with two mugs of tea.

  ‘God, how on earth did you get Gwen to let you make tea in mugs rather than cups?’ Harriet tried to disguise her feelings with a laugh. Gwen was a stickler for bone china cups and teapots, she didn’t even know they had mugs.

  ‘Gardening club mug stash that I found and raided,’ Pippa laughed. ‘Gwen was outside serving cakes so I seized my chance. Are you OK?’

  ‘Yes, of course, I’m fine.’ Harriet slumped down on one of the sofas and took the drink.

  ‘No, you’re not, you’re dealing with so much right now, and, Harry, you might not think so, but you’re doing well. Anyone else would have thrown themselves down a well or something by now.’

  ‘Do we have a well?’ She attempted a laugh.

  ‘No, thankfully, although there’s always the lake.’

  ‘Don’t tempt me.’

  ‘Hey.’ Pippa sat next to her and gave her hand a squeeze. ‘We’re all on a bit of journey right now, and some of it is really unpleasant, but at least we’re together. Do you remember before you left for boarding school and you made us all sit in your room while you lectured us about how to behave when you were away.’

  Harriet remembered her eleven-year-old self doing just that. She certainly was bossy, although at the time she felt that she needed to be in charge; thinking about it, nothing had changed.

  ‘Yes, I remember.’

  ‘And you said that no matter where we were, or what we were doing, we would always be the unbreakable Singer siblings.’

  ‘Oh, Pip, when did you learn to be the motivational speaker?’

  ‘I learnt from my older sister.’

  Harriet had to hold back her tears yet again.

  ‘How did you enjoy the garden club, Gus?’ Gwen asked as they all ate dinner together, Connor included. The gardening ladies ended up in the kitchen, admiring the kittens and eating cake before they left, chattering animatedly. It was clear they were part of Meadowbrook, a real part, and Harriet liked it; the house needed people. She needed people.

  ‘They were a lovely bunch of ladies, and you won’t believe it, but Lorna, the lady who takes care of the fruit, used to be an art teacher, so when we got talking about my sketching she said she’d love to look at it and if she could give me some tips she would. Just hope she doesn’t tell me I’m rubbish,’ Gus laughed.

  ‘Gus Van Gogh,’ Freddie said, affectionately.

  ‘I’d be happy just to be OK really,’ Gus said. ‘I know I’m not going to suddenly became a famous artist but I enjoy it. I’d love to at least make a hobby out of it.’

  ‘If you could do some sketches or paintings of the house or the gardens we could have a stall at the fête,’ Pippa suggested.

  ‘Oh my, that would be great.’ Gwen clapped her hands with delight. ‘People would love that.’

  ‘Well let’s make sure that I can paint first, shall we?’ But Gus sounded happier than he had in a long while. ‘But I enjoyed today. Amanda is hugely talented and committed to the gardens, she loves them, you can tell from just talking to her.’

  ‘She’s quite hot too,’ Freddie piped up.

  ‘Shut up, Fred,’ Gus said, cheeks reddening. ‘She’s passionate about the gardens which is all that matters.’

  ‘Don’t you think she’s hot, Con?’ Freddie asked.

  ‘Um …’ Connor replied, staring intently at his plate.

  ‘He took her out on a date last year,’ Gwen piped up. Everyone stared at Connor. Harriet felt her cheeks heat up; discomfort jumped onto the dining table.

  ‘Not really, well OK, sort of.’ Connor looked dismayed. ‘Andrew set us up, as usual gave neither of us any choice, and we went to the pub for a drink, where it soon became apparent that we had no chemistry and very little in common, despite the fact we both like the outdoors. So that was that. Cheers, Mum.’ Connor’s face was ruddier than normal, and Harriet irrationally felt annoyed. But why?

  ‘So the coast is clear for Gus then?’ Freddie asked.

  ‘Oh for God’s sake, Freddie, shut up,’ Gus reiterated.

  ‘Well at least we’ve started, I mean properly started on the work that Dad wanted us to do,’ Harriet said, desperately wanting to change the subject.

  ‘Yes, we’re quite organised, aren’t we?’ Pippa asked.

  ‘We made a good team today, Pip.’

  ‘Is that a dig at me?’ Freddie asked, draining his wine glass and refilling it.

  ‘No, because first thing tomorrow you will be collecting eggs,’ Harriet pointed out. Freddie scowled.

  ‘I think you all have a lot to contribute and it might take a while to find your feet properly but you’re going in the right direction,’ Gwen told them. ‘And I for one am happy to have you all here, this isn’t a house that likes to be empty, that much is sure.’

  ‘And, Harry, if you’re at the sanctuary tomorrow morning, we’re getting a Shetland pony, and it’d be good for you to see how we manage a new arrival,’ Connor said.

  ‘Great.’ Harriet smiled. ‘What time?’

  ‘About ten?’

  ‘Does this pony have a name?’ Pippa asked.

  ‘Brian. I mean who would call a pony Brian?’ Connor scratched his head.

  ‘No wonder it needs rescuing,’ Freddie said.

  Harriet was looking at a very tragic email inbox – all spam apart from two from friends – when Gus walked into their father’s study. She wasn’t sure whether it was a bad habit, but she had taken to drinking a very large brandy every night before bed – it reminded her of her father. On top of the wine at dinner she was not only eating more than normal but drinking far more too. Not in Freddie’s league of course, but still, something she needed to try to keep an eye on.

  ‘Hi, Harry, can I join you for a nightcap?’

  Harriet nodded. Gus poured himself a large measure of brandy, and sat down.

  ‘I’m really glad you enjoyed the gardens today and that you’re going to start painting,’ she said, smiling. It was at least something he was passionate about. Harriet felt that lacking in her life now. Her passions were all in New York. Work, shoes and being slim; possibly in that order. It wasn’t a great list, was it?

  ‘Me too. And you?’

  ‘What about me?’

  ‘Connor?’ Gus sat down in the chair opposite Harriet. She felt uncomfortable.

  ‘What about Connor?’ she asked.

  ‘Well when he said about going on a date, or when Gwen did actually, you looked incredibly uncomfortable. I mean, probably no one else noticed but I could see it written on your face.’

  ‘I was probably just miles away.’ She studied the crystal glass intently.

  ‘Harry, do you know that since I can remember Connor had this effect on you.’

  ‘What effect?’

  ‘Oh come on, look I might be a bit of a stuffed shirt, but I’m your brother and we were so close once that I felt we knew each other better than anyone else.’

  ‘We did,’ Harriet admitted sadly. ‘And I’m sorry we lost that.’ She was sorry, but she still didn’t know how to get it back.

  ‘Me too, but, Harry, you would never admit how much you cared about him.’

  ‘It was probably a teenage crush,’ she said quietly. She was feeling all sorts of alien emotions and they were all unwelcome. Yes, she had idolised Connor when she was growing up, but then they actually grew up. He met Elizabeth, she met ambition. It took them to the opposite ends of the world.

  ‘It was a crush that sent you to New York.’ Gus sipped his brandy.

  ‘What do you mean?’ She fiddled with her brandy glass, unable to meet Gus’s eyes.

  ‘Harry, when Connor got engaged to Elizabeth you got a job in New York. It can’t have been a coincidence, surely?’

  ‘That had nothing to do with it.’ She was startled. It hadn’t been that that sent her to New York. Gus had it wrong, didn’t he?

  Did Connor’s engagement to Liz really send her out of the country? If i
t did, it wasn’t conscious, she certainly wasn’t aware of it? She, at the time, had said to everyone, including herself, that she needed a new challenge and a new adventure. Of course it had nothing to do with bloody Connor’s engagement.

  ‘Really? Well the timing was suspicious and I remember trying to talk to you about it but you wouldn’t and of course I was married and I had Fleur by then, so it wasn’t easy for us, but—’

  ‘Gus, Connor had nothing to do with me moving to New York. Can we leave it? I am mourning my life there, my job, Dad, you know.’ She hadn’t told Gus and Freddie quite as much as she’d told Pippa, just that her job and her relationship had imploded. It was enough.

  ‘Sorry, Harry, but you are always looking out for us, and I just wanted you to know that I am here for you, if you need me, or want to talk, please feel you can. I didn’t mean to dredge up the past but, well, we used to tell each other everything. And I’m sure that your feelings for Connor were a crush when you were young, I didn’t mean to suggest you still held a candle for him, I just wanted to check.’ He seemed to quickly change tack. ‘I just want us to be as close as we once were, that’s all.’ He appeared lost again and Harriet wanted to grab him and tell him it would all be all right, just as she had done as a child. But she couldn’t because she didn’t know. She didn’t know anything.

  Chapter 11

  ‘Morning, peeps.’ Freddie breezed into the dining room and took what had become his usual place at the dining table; the others were just finishing eating. He was wearing his pyjamas, his hair tousled; he looked adorable, young, handsome and hopeless. Harriet looked up from the newspaper she was reading – the financial pages, she couldn’t break that habit quite yet. They had fallen into a predictable morning routine, having only been at Meadowbrook for barely over a month.

  ‘Hey, Fred,’ she said, smiling as he poured a coffee.

  ‘Sorry I’m a bit late, I overslept,’ Freddie said.

  ‘Did it have anything to do with the chickens?’ Gus asked, not looking up from the paper.

  ‘No, I will go and see to them after breakfast,’ Freddie replied. ‘I just didn’t sleep too well last night.’