A Year at Meadowbrook Manor Read online

  ‘Ha. I think Dad wanted us to be dependent on each other and Meadowbrook. I think he thought if we all had access to money, we’d be out having fun, not doing what he wanted us to do at all.’

  ‘He really wanted us to reconnect as a family, didn’t he?’ Suddenly sadness crept back in.

  ‘He did, and this was his slightly ridiculously bonkers way of doing it.’ She reached out and squeezed his hand. As Gus squeezed hers back she felt the warmth and the closeness of their childhood in that moment.

  ‘Anyway, back to you and Amanda.’ She needed to keep her emotions in check.

  ‘Yes, I didn’t want to involve anyone else in our relationship, not until it was a relationship, but last night we talked and we’ve decided to give it a proper go.’

  ‘Yes!’ Harriet hugged him. ‘Have you told Fleur?’

  ‘I’m going to tell her tonight when I pick her up from her mum’s. I think she’ll be pleased, and I’ve invited Amanda to have dinner with us tomorrow night, and her daughter if that’s all right, as long as Fleur is happy with it.’

  ‘Wow, I’m sure that Fleur will be happy for you.’

  ‘What if she’s not? What if she doesn’t like it. Not only have we only just bonded, but she’s never known me to be with anyone but her mum, so I really don’t want to upset her.’ Suddenly the confident happy Gus fled and the insecure one stood in his boots. Harriet hugged him again.

  ‘She wants you to be happy. Trust me, tell her as soon as you pick her up. And if for any reason she does object, tell her you’ll let her watch Single’s Holiday.’

  ‘Not in a million years.’ They both laughed. Harriet shelved the conversation she actually intended. Gus didn’t need his happiness being rained on right now. No, she didn’t have it in her to burst that bubble. She was back to being the only one who knew that Loretta and Mark were planning anything and the only good thing was that they would both be at the house this weekend so she could keep a close eye on them.

  ‘Right, well let’s go back, I’ve got animals to take care of.’

  ‘You enjoy the work at the sanctuary, don’t you?’ Gus asked.

  ‘More than I will ever admit,’ she laughed.

  She was hoping to see Connor as she slipped Hilda back into her kennel and went to the office, but he wasn’t around. Since the fête quite a number of dogs and cats had been rehomed but more had arrived. They had received donations from the families that took the animals, but then when they had to process the new arrivals, the money wasn’t coming in fast enough. And if they didn’t up their game and raise more money … Well she couldn’t think about what would happen then.

  It seemed for each animal they found a home for, two more would arrive. Harriet didn’t understand it, how people treated their animals, and it made her sad, angry and also determined. And poor Hilda was still there; Connor said she was too big for most houses and too boisterous for most people. Every time he talked about families coming to see her, Harriet had mixed feelings. She loved Hilda so much but she knew she couldn’t take her, not when her life was in such limbo. If she did go back to New York – and she had to face it at this point in time she wasn’t sure what would happen – then Hilda couldn’t possibly go with her. It was no life for a lovely, friendly dog who needed company to live with someone who worked fourteen-hour days.

  ‘Hey, Harriet.’ Jenni walked into the office. She was wearing a thick jumper and wellies, and had obviously been seeing to some of the animals.

  ‘Hi, Jenni, is everything all right?’

  ‘Yes, fine, all running efficiently as always.’ She smiled. ‘We have two families coming in this afternoon who want a cat, the radio interview that Connor did locally has led to a flood of donations and some more enquiries from people interested in rehoming, I’ve put it all down there for you to see.’ Connor hated doing any publicity but he grudgingly admitted it worked for them.

  ‘That’s so good about the donations. But the sanctuary runs efficiently because of you guys mostly,’ Harriet said.

  ‘Actually, don’t tell Connor I said this, but it’s running so much better since you started. I mean, the systems you put in place make everything so much easier but, well, that’s between you and me.’

  ‘Mum’s the word. By the way, where is Connor?’ Harriet tried to sound nonchalant.

  ‘Oh he’s with Bella, they’re looking through the final calendar today.’

  ‘Really? No one told me.’

  ‘Those two have been quite secretive about it, wouldn’t be surprised if she wants to show him more than the calendar, if you get my drift.’ Jenni winked.

  Harriet pursed her lips; she did get her drift, but she certainly didn’t want to.

  By the time she headed back to the house Harriet had taken Hilda for her second walk, worked in the office, fretted for hours and as she reached home, to finish her day off nicely, she bumped into Mark on the doorstep.

  ‘Harriet,’ he said, looking awkward. He must have noticed how she had been a lot less friendly to him lately, ever since she overheard him in the study. She tried to act normally, but now she knew he had some kind of agenda, she didn’t trust him and she didn’t like him. Not that she knew what to do about that.

  ‘Mark. Is Loretta here yet?’ she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘No idea, how would I know?’ he replied.

  ‘Oh, it’s just you two seemed awfully pally last time you were both here.’ She grinned, enjoying Mark’s discomfort.

  ‘Oh there you are.’ Pippa came out of the house. ‘I thought I heard you arrive.’

  ‘Darling,’ Mark said, dramatically. ‘I’ve missed you.’ He kissed his wife as if to illustrate the point.

  Harriet left them to it before she said something she’d regret. She went to her father’s study, something she often did to feel close to him, but just as she’d settled at his desk, Pippa bounded in and closed the door. She was wearing her cross look.

  ‘What?’ Harriet asked.

  ‘Why were you rude to Mark?’ Pippa demanded.

  ‘I wasn’t,’ Harriet replied, innocently. She kept forgetting that Pippa was no longer the sweet baby of the family. She had grown up and, although still a sweetheart, she had a tough side, more like Harriet than either of them realised.

  ‘But he said you were.’ She looked a little doubtful. Harriet was glad, until she had something concrete she didn’t want to worry Pippa and, also, Mark might just think he was acting in her sister’s best interests. Although she doubted it.

  ‘I’m sorry he thought that. I’m happy to apologise.’

  ‘Oh.’ Pippa was wrong-footed. ‘Well thank you, Harry, he can be a bit sensitive, you see.’

  ‘Pip, you know in Dad’s pre-will, why did he think Mark made you unhappy?’ Harriet had tried to broach this subject with her before but she’d always got the brush-off.

  Pippa slumped into the chair opposite.

  ‘Daddy was wrong.’ Her mouth was set determinedly.

  ‘Dad was never wrong.’ Harriet was glad of having his nearly last words to back her up. ‘I mean, he was right about how messed up my life was, right?’

  ‘Look, I might have been a bit down once or twice, but it wasn’t Mark’s fault. There’s always more going on behind closed doors, it’s just that Dad didn’t realise that.’

  ‘And are you going to tell me?’ Harriet wanted to know what was upsetting her sister.

  ‘OK, so no one else knows but we’ve been trying for a baby.’

  ‘Ah.’ So that made sense.

  ‘I desperately want one, but it’s been two years now and nothing. I went to the doctor and he ran tests and I’m fine but Mark, well … he won’t go. He says that it just takes time.’

  ‘Ah.’ Harriet saw it more clearly; poor Pippa and it couldn’t be easy for Mark either. ‘But you need to insist he gets tested, so then if there is a problem you guys can find a way round it.’

  ‘He’s promised to think about it. With Dad’s death I told him I wasn’t g
oing to wait forever. I think Mark is worried that he can’t father a child and then I’ll blame him or something, and part of me hopes that it will just happen but it hasn’t, has it? And he knows that.’

  ‘I’m here if you ever want to talk, Pip. I really am, and if you need anything.’ She was a bit taken aback, because now that complicated everything, didn’t it. Was that why he was so concerned with selling the house and securing Pippa’s inheritance? But then, Mark was successful so they didn’t need the money … Was it because he was scared that Pippa would leave him? Just what was it?

  ‘Thank you. Harry, I am glad we’re all back together. I know you thought this idea of Dad’s was crazy but it feels as if we are becoming a family again, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, baby sister, it does.’ And it did – a family with problems, happiness, issues and dastardly partners, it seemed, but a family all the same.

  Chapter 20

  Harriet felt proud of her siblings as she listened to Freddie speak. They were in the dining room for the grand unveiling of the final plans for the winter wonderland and although both Freddie and Pippa were acting as if they were organising something on a par with the Hyde Park event, it was impossible not to get caught up with the buzz that could be felt in the room.

  The village fête committee had become the winter wonderland committee and they were all brimming with enthusiasm. Because morris dancing wasn’t right in the winter, John the vicar was in charge of the nativity scene and one of the shelters in Gerald and the ponies’ field was being commandeered for Mary and Joseph’s stable. All the animals who were comfortable with each other were going to be involved, so the ponies, Gerald, the blind sheep and her lamb guide and the three goats were all being roped in. The ponies were going to masquerade as reindeer, the rest would be in the nativity scene, although, as Connor tried to point out, they couldn’t be guaranteed to stay still. Agnes the sheep probably would though, and her lamb never left her side so they would be fine, but Gerald and the goats would possibly wander off. The pigs, who had another two members to their community – it seemed micropigs that grew to be full-sized pigs were quite common – were being excused, as were the alpacas, and Elton and David on the grounds they would possibly kill someone, or in the pigs’ case, eat them. Harriet listened patiently as Connor explained which animals they could use and tried not to think of him as being ever so slightly mad.

  They were holding open auditions the following day to find a Santa and all the Singer siblings were going along. Although it was Pippa and Freddie’s show, Harriet and Gus wouldn’t miss that for the world.

  Winter had properly enveloped Meadowbrook, and with less than two months to go until Christmas, it was also getting incredibly busy. The animals needed more care in the winter, some dealt with the cold better than others. But many of the outdoor animals spent most of their time in their sheds and stables. Harriet worked mainly with the full-time animals, as she called them, the ones who would never be rehomed, and not only were she and the alpacas now on good terms, but she also had managed to be accepted, albeit grudgingly, by Elton and David. Of course Hilda was still her best pal here at Meadowbrook, and Harriet found that increasingly she dreaded her getting rehomed, which was selfish of her.

  It was funny how they had all now become so involved in the animal sanctuary that it was part of their normal routines. Freddie would skip off from breakfast to feed the chickens who he now claimed he was fond of. He also took photos of various animals for social media, which he and Pippa worked on together. They usually concentrated on the ones who needed rehoming, and Harriet had to guiltily admit she took Hilda for her walk whenever she saw them approach with cameras.

  They had hired an extra member of staff full-time, a young lad called Damian, who had left school with few GCSEs and had no idea what to do, but loved animals. Connor had taken him as a sort of apprentice, so he was cheap. And although at seventeen he was too old for her, Fleur had developed a bit of a crush. The good thing was that she wanted to spend even more time at Meadowbrook, the downside was that Gus looked as if he was going to kill the poor lad, although he’d done nothing to encourage Fleur.

  Harriet was more concerned with the money they needed to raise, the figure was still vast and she was reminded of this every day. They were nearing the ten thousand pound mark, but it was no way nearly enough at this stage in the year. After the winter wonderland, fundraising would be her priority; if she had to go and roam the streets, knocking on doors herself, then she would do it.

  She turned her attention back to Freddie who was still talking. As well as the winter wonderland plans, Bella was also going to show the final proofs for the Meadowbrook Animal Sanctuary calendar this evening. Gwen had jumped at the chance to do some baking so they were going to have a buffet and cakes rather than a sit-down meal.

  She snuck a glance at Connor who was standing just a bit too close to Bella for her liking. When Harriet had asked if anything was going on between them, he told her they were friends, just working together closely on the calendar, but she didn’t quite believe him, and she was being eaten up with jealousy along with everything else.

  ‘So, in conclusion,’ Freddie said with a great flourish, ‘this is going to be such an amazing community event that we hope will be the first of many winter wonderlands in years to come.’ Everyone applauded.

  ‘Oh it will, I’m sure of that,’ Rose said. ‘I’ve already got my Angel Gabriel costume ready.’ Harriet tried not to laugh. Rose was the angel, John and his wife Hilary were going to be Mary and Joseph, the rest of the committee were either shepherds or wise men, which meant the average age of the nativity was about sixty-five. Thank goodness Edie was getting her new hip and wasn’t going to be able to participate, she wanted to be the baby Jesus and Samuel had even offered to make a full-size manger for her out of a coffin he had lying around – no one dared ask why he had it lying around.

  Instead, they were making a small manger and using a doll, which was a relief, because when Margaret started suggesting they go and see the village’s new mums about borrowing an actual baby, Harriet almost had kittens.

  ‘Right, well now I would like to show you our Meadowbrook animal calendar, which we are going to sell at the winter wonderland and also if any of you want to take some to sell, then that would also be great, well necessary really,’ Bella explained. She pulled a sheet off the easel.

  ‘This is the mock-up, which is why it’s so big, but it’ll be A4-size when it’s printed.’ Harriet looked and saw a photo of Elton and David, horns entwined on the cover. It read ‘Meadowbrook Calendar’ and then the name of a sponsor, which was a soft drinks company based in Somerset who were also one of Bella’s clients. They had paid for the calendar to be made so they got their name plastered on every page. Harriet had to admit, as Bella turned the pages, the woman had done a great job. And Connor, of course. If it hadn’t been for him, the animals wouldn’t have looked so good or as natural in front of the camera. Hilda was December and she had a Santa hat on and looked so incredibly adorable that Harriet felt a tear rolling down her cheek. Connor saw and came over and hugged her, which she was grateful for.

  They all burst into applause when the calendar presentation was over and agreed that it would be a huge seller in the village. Translation – they would make everyone buy a copy.

  Once the house had been cleared and Gwen established that no one wanted dinner because they’d been eating all afternoon, Harriet decided to hit the gym, because once again she found herself alone. Gus had taken Fleur to Amanda’s house. The two girls, Hayley, Amanda’s daughter and Fleur were getting on really well and Gus and Amanda definitely seemed serious about each other. Both divorced, both with one child and both still fairly young, so well suited. Mark had taken Pippa out to dinner, Freddie was off somewhere, she wasn’t sure about Loretta, and Connor had left at the same time as the others saying he needed to go and check on the animals.

  Running gear on, Harriet made her way down to the gym. Sh
e was amazed to see a phone sitting on one of the tables by the pool as she passed, then she noticed Loretta was in the sauna. She spent a lot of time in the sauna, trying to sweat off any calorie that may have accidentally passed her lips, she told Harriet. After hearing her with Mark, Harriet was struggling with her relationship with Loretta, up until then she had liked her, even if she didn’t quite ‘get’ her relationship with her reckless brother, but she was quite entertaining and didn’t mind taking the mickey out of herself. But now she felt angry and suspicious. Did she just want Freddie for the money he would have one day?

  Feeling furtive, she seized her opportunity and picked the phone up. She couldn’t believe her luck when she saw it was unlocked. Glancing around, she opened the text messages and bingo! Loretta wasn’t smart or deceptive enough to delete her messages and so Harriet, one eye on the sauna door, scrolled until she found some from Mark. There were quite a few; she read as quickly as she could. Feeling totally enlightened, well a bit, Harriet returned the phone to the position she’d found it in and carried on to the treadmill. She wished she’d brought her phone with her so she could photograph the messages as evidence, but she was a bit of a novice at this spying business.

  As she ran, she sank into deep thought about what she’d read. Money was clearly the motivation and Mark was the brains behind the operation. His messages reiterated to Loretta that the family, left to their own devices, would probably let Harriet decide the fate of the house and the money. And he was sure that Harriet would use it to control them all forever – she really didn’t think she had given him any reason to think this, although of course she accepted she was a bit bossy and had sort of taken the role of head of the family. But when and if their father’s money went to them, her siblings would do what they wanted with it, Harriet had no interest in trying to control them. Meadowbrook, similarly, would be a decision they would all make. Why was Mark trying to make her the bad guy? Or was it because he wanted control of Pippa’s share, so by making out Harriet was a threat he could not only get Loretta on board but, down the line, maybe Pippa too? Well it seemed it was working, as Loretta had said in her messages that she loved Freddie but she didn’t want the poor version for too much longer, so she would do what was needed to make sure that he didn’t fritter anything away.