‘You came and looked around my garden a couple of weeks ago,’ he carried on, no doubt assuming I’d forgotten who he was. ‘We talked about making a Winter Garden.’
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi,’ he said again.
‘So, how’s it going?’
‘Good,’ he said, ‘really good. Well, in theory. In my head, it’s all perfect, but not much has happened outside yet.’
‘There’s still plenty of time to make a start. The weather’s being very kind this year.’
‘It is,’ he agreed, ‘but I really want to get going with it. I’m sorry I haven’t called you sooner.’
‘That’s all right.’
‘I misplaced your number, you see.’
‘It’s fine.’ It wasn’t as if we had made solid arrangements to follow my visit up.
‘So, what can I do for you?’ I asked.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘I know it’s a bit cheeky, but I was wondering if you would consider coming back to have another look around and help me make some notes about planting and stuff. I’d pay for your travel costs and time, of course.’
‘Oh,’ I said. ‘I see.’
I was delighted, but his request had taken me by surprise. Having established who he was, I thought he might just want to talk a few things through on the phone.
‘I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’d really appreciate it. You seemed to have a good grasp of what it is that I want to do when we talked before.’
I spotted Jackson striding purposefully towards me and thought some time away from Broad-Meadows, even if only a few hours, would be most welcome.
‘I’m more than happy to help,’ I keenly told Luke. ‘I could come this Saturday, if you like?’
‘Really?’ he sounded over the moon.
‘Yes,’ I confirmed, ‘I can be there around eleven if that suits you.’
‘Absolutely,’ he said, and I could tell he was smiling. ‘That would be perfect. And drive straight up to the house. I’ll open the gates so you can park here.’
‘Fantastic.’
‘Great. We’ll see you then.’
‘See you Saturday.’
I hung up just as Jackson reached me, a scowl etched across his forehead.
‘Were you on the phone?’ he grumbled. ‘I don’t pay you to make personal calls during working hours, Freya.’
I went to snap back but was distracted by the back of the magazine he had tucked under his arm.
‘What’s that?’ I frowned.
He tutted and looked at what had caught my attention. ‘What’s what?’
‘That,’ I said, pointing.
‘Esquire magazine,’ he said. ‘Why?’
I squinted at the aftershave advert adorning the back cover and the half-naked model aesthetically draped across a very sleek-looking boat. The model looked very much like Luke Lonsdale.
‘Have you never seen a half-naked man before?’ Jackson quizzed, examining the detail more closely. ‘This ad is a few seasons old, but it’s still doing the rounds. I can’t believe you’ve never seen it.’
‘Well, I haven’t,’ I said in wonder, ‘but I have just made a date for Saturday with the guy featured in it.’
‘Of course, you have,’ Jackson laughed, striding off again. ‘Of course, you have, Freya. You’re beginning to sound as barmy as Aunt Eloise!’
I quickly turned away to hide my laughter as he tripped over the rake and Nell took a passing nip at his ankles for good measure.
Chapter 3
Every evening that week I stayed in my rooms, trawling through my books and making notes on prospective plants and ideas which would enhance Luke’s vision for the Winter Garden. The project might not come to anything for me, but it was a welcome distraction and stopped me pining for the cottage and missing Eloise.
Towards the end of the week, the weather took a decidedly damp turn and it was raining steadily as I turned into the open gates at Prosperous Place on Saturday morning. I gathered my file, clippings and bag together and told Nell we would make a dash towards the house. She wasn’t a fan of wet weather and would have stayed curled up on my bed, but there was no way I could have left her at Broad-Meadows all day. Jackson wouldn’t have given her needs a second thought.
‘Good morning,’ said Luke as I stepped out of the van and he appeared with an umbrella big enough to cover at least four people.
‘Good morning,’ I smiled up at him.
He might have looked a little older than the guy on the back of Jackson’s magazine, but it was definitely him. I didn’t know whether to mention that I knew who he was or not.
‘I think we’d best start with coffee in the house,’ he suggested, with a nod to the rain. ‘According to the forecast it’s supposed to be sunny in about an hour, so there’s no point getting wet now.’
Given the thick blanket of cloud above our heads, I wasn’t sure I agreed with his prediction but gratefully ducked under the brolly, with Nell on my heels, and followed him inside.
‘Come into the kitchen,’ he said, having shrugged off his coat and taken mine before leading me through the impressive house. ‘It’s warmer in there.’
The temperature was a little chilly, but the cavernous kitchen, which was almost as big as Eloise’s, was surprisingly cosy.
‘Freya,’ smiled Kate, standing up to greet me as if I was a long-lost friend, rather than someone she’d briefly met during a very busy day. ‘Come and have a seat.’
‘I hope you don’t mind me bringing Nell,’ I said in an apologetic tone, ‘it wasn’t practical to leave her behind today.’
I was beginning to get the feeling that it was never going to be practical to leave her. I’d recently overheard Jackson muttering something which sounded a lot like ‘take you back to where you came from’, and if it was her that he was talking about, then there was definitely trouble ahead.
‘She’s more than welcome,’ said Kate.
‘I’d have been disappointed if you hadn’t brought her,’ said Luke, squatting down to make a fuss of her.
Nell rolled on to her back, putty in his hands.
‘Yet another woman falling for your good looks,’ said Kate, rolling her eyes.
‘Yep,’ he winked. ‘I’ve still got it.’
I didn’t think I’d ever get a more opportune moment to ask the question which was beginning to burn.
‘Were you once a model by any chance, Luke?’ I asked. ‘Only I saw this aftershave advert on the back of a magazine the other day and the guy in it rather looked like you.’
‘I was,’ he said, turning endearingly pink. ‘It was a while ago now though, and I was only ever in it for the money.’
While he made us coffee, he explained how it had been an easy way to pay off his student debts and become solvent enough to make buying and restoring his ancestral home, Prosperous Place, a reality.
I was fascinated to discover that it had been a distant Victorian philanthropic relative, Charles Wentworth, who had owned one of Norwich’s shoe factories, who had built the house along with those just across the road in Nightingale Square, for the benefit of his workers. Buying the house back had been Luke’s father’s dream, but after his death, Luke had soon become equally fascinated with the story and determined to reclaim and restore what he could and also do as much good work locally as his ancestor had.