The House at Hope Corner: The perfect feel good holiday romance novel Read online

  There were no discernible edges to the sides of the garden; it circled the entire house, stretching out in front of her, firstly in a series of paved areas and planted beds, then on to trees, rougher grass, bigger trees and on into the yard which served the farm. The main garden where she was now standing was separated from the fields beyond by a fence at the bottom and it was this view that she had already marvelled at, the valley sloping away in front of her.

  Her eye was drawn to a burgeoning holly bush a little distance away, deep darkest green and covered in bright clusters of berries. She pulled her phone from her pocket and, with a glance back at Brodie, made her way a little closer. The dog was busy sniffing the grass, and she reminded herself that he knew perfectly well where he was. It was she who was seeing the garden for the first time. She had only caught a few glimpses of it on her first visit to the farm just before Christmas and had been far too nervous then to ask if she could have a proper look around.

  The holly bush must be ancient – she couldn’t even see the main branch at its heart – but she touched a finger to one of the glossy leaves, tracing its spine to the prickly tip, before looking up and around her. For there to be berries on this bush there must be male plants close by and, sure enough, she spied several, simply resplendent in their shiny green coats. She moved around the bush until she found a branch with the perfect combination of leaf and berry. Zooming in with her phone, she took several photos, all from slightly different angles.

  A cluster of crocuses under a nearby tree drew her on, and she smiled at the sight of the aconites and cyclamens that had also been planted there. Behind her a perfectly manicured bed was bright with heather and skimmias and, up against a small shed, the intense fragrance from a flowering daphne bush was unmistakeable. Without even knowing she was doing it, she let the sing-song Latin names of each plant run through her head as she moved from each new discovery to the next. Moments later, she dropped to her knees as the delicate beauty of some hellebores caught her eye. They were one of her favourite late winter flowers and she had drawn them many times. To find them here, and so many of them, was a wonderful surprise. She’d never even considered that such a beautiful garden was something her new life would bring. It made the pain of leaving her beloved shop behind just that little bit easier.

  Was this what had made Ned fall in love with her so quickly? she wondered. As their eyes first met across the counter, her arms full of hydrangea blooms, had she unwittingly reminded him of home, with her flowery apron over a dress covered in bright red tulips? On that dark rainy day in October when they’d met, he’d told her she was like a burst of sunlight on a stormy day. She blushed now, and couldn’t remember half of the things he’d said afterwards, but she did remember every flower in the bouquet she’d made up for him. And the one she’d made the day after, his ‘It was a good excuse to come and see you’ bouquet.

  It was two days after that, as she’d sat poring over her accounts in the little back room of her shop, that she’d finally admitted to herself that her business was on its knees. Despite what she’d done, in the end it had made no difference. ‘Daisy Doolittles’, the florist’s shop she had owned and run for over ten years, had served her well, but the pedestrianisation of the street on which it stood had been the beginning of the end for her. Her landlord had hiked up the rent, and then a well-known convenience store opened on the corner and she lost all her passing trade to the lure of a cheap bunch of cellophane-wrapped flowers.

  Ned’s phone call two weeks later had been her burst of sunlight on a stormy day. After a whirlwind romance conducted largely on the phone to one another late at night, Flora had been shocked by his proposal, but delighted – despite what Rowena had said. It wasn’t too soon, or too convenient, although she could understand perfectly why her sister might think that. It was perfect and Flora, who lived her life largely according to her intuition, was determined not to look back. And wasn’t today evidence of just how right she had been? How many other places had a garden like this, full of flowers, even in winter, full of everything that made Flora’s heart sing? She turned her face to the sky and walked on into the morning.

  Flora had no real sense of time passing but, after a while, she became aware that the scudding clouds above her had grown darker and, looking around for Brodie, realised that the dog was no longer following her. The wild hedgerows had yielded some interesting finds and she had moved from one spot to the next without thinking. She was in the middle of the field now, her feet damp and cold, her hair tangled. With a sigh she glanced at her watch and began to retrace her steps. Well over an hour had gone by.

  By now the house was quite some distance from her, but ten minutes’ determined walking brought her back into the more formal gardens where she spied Brodie lying patiently on the patio. He got to his feet when he saw her, giving a half-hearted wag of his tail, but she could tell by the way he moved that he’d had enough of being outside.

  ‘What’s the matter, boy?’ she asked. ‘Are your old bones protesting, eh?’ She bent down to run her fingers through his fur. ‘Come on then, back in the warm for you.’ He trotted by her side as she let them both back in through the door, sitting wearily in the scullery while she stopped to take off her coat and hang it up. She had one hand on the kitchen door when she suddenly stopped, her smile freezing on her face; she could hear the chatter of voices inside.

  Before she could work out whose, Brodie nosed open the door and, as it swung inwards, the voices ceased abruptly, leaving an awkward silence. Seated at the kitchen table were Ned’s mother and father, Ned himself and, beside him, a blonde woman Flora had never seen before.

  ‘Goodness, Flora,’ said Hannah, putting down her fork with a clatter and getting to her feet. ‘We wondered if you’d run away. Wherever have you been?’

  Chapter Two

  ‘Come and sit down while I get your breakfast,’ continued Hannah. ‘And you haven’t met Caroline yet, have you? Ned can introduce you…’

  Flora stared helplessly at Ned as he struggled to stand, but his chair leg caught on the tiled floor and, after a few seconds, he gave it a shove which caused a hideous screeching noise to reverberate around the room. He rolled his eyes.

  ‘Yes, come and sit down, Flora. This is Caroline, from the farm next door. She’s a friend… of the family.’

  The woman got smoothly to her feet and came around the table to meet Flora, her hand extended in greeting.

  ‘Oh, I’ve heard so much about you!’ She laughed. ‘Well, not that much actually under the circumstances, but you’re here now. Come and tell us everything about yourself. Hannah was just saying how nice it will be to get to know you properly.’

  Flora took her hand and returned the smile, a slight frown hovering around the edges of her eyes. Under what circumstances? She hadn’t heard a thing about Caroline – was she supposed to have? And although her greeting was friendly, Flora wasn’t quite sure how to react to this assured-looking blonde who was wearing skin-tight cream jodhpurs and a pale pink shirt. Her hand went to her head, pulling her hat from it as she wondered what kind of state her hair was in.

  Flora faltered, unsure what to do next, and looked at Ned for reassurance, relieved to see he was now smiling, his mad freckles stretched taut across his face. He moved forward to stand beside Caroline and took Flora’s arm, guiding her to the table.

  ‘There you go,’ he said, pulling out a chair for her. She took her seat slowly, thinking how she would have much preferred to sit next to Ned instead of at the head of table where she felt exposed, but Caroline had already resumed her place in front of a hearty plate of food. Flora plucked at her jumper, suddenly feeling a flush of heat, heart sinking when she saw what Caroline was eating.

  ‘Here you are,’ said Hannah, returning to the table. ‘Still warm, so no harm done.’ She put a heaped plate of food in front of her and Flora stared at it in horror. She swallowed. Three thick strips of fatty bacon were stacked beside two sausages, a fried egg and a large mushroo
m on top of two slices of toast. Flora’s stomach heaved as she spied a slice of black pudding hiding beneath the blanket of egg and she gave a weak smile.

  ‘Is everything okay, Flora?’

  She looked up at Caroline’s smiling face, with her perfect blonde hair falling in glossy waves halfway down her shoulders.

  ‘Yes… It’s just…’ She swallowed again and turned to her future mother-in-law. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think to mention it before, I wasn’t expecting this, you see, but…’ She gestured towards her plate. ‘I’m a, a vegetarian…’

  A strange noise that sounded suspiciously like a strangled snort came from Ned’s direction. He coughed.

  ‘Oh, Ned… you could have said! Honestly…’ Hannah tutted loudly, throwing her son an exasperated look. ‘The poor girl…’

  Ned clapped a hand over his mouth, obviously trying to stop himself from laughing, and he ducked as Hannah sought to clip the back of his head in passing. He threw up his hands.

  ‘I didn’t know, okay?’ He grinned.

  Flora stared at Caroline, whose mouth was also twitching. It really wasn’t funny. Flora felt mortified.

  Her plate was whipped away at high speed and carried to the sink, much to Ned’s father’s alarm.

  ‘Hey, wait a minute. Don’t let it go to waste, I’ll have her sausage…’

  Hannah clucked her tongue, looking at Fraser fondly. ‘What are you like?’ she said, returning to the table and handing him Flora’s food.

  ‘How could you not know something like that, Ned?’ she added. ‘You’re marrying the girl for goodness’ sake.’ She shook her head at him and then smiled at Flora. ‘I do apologise for my son’s lack of communication,’ she said. ‘Honestly, he’s that daft at times. Now then, dear, what can I get you instead?’

  Flora shook her head. ‘No, honestly, I’m fine… I––’ She stopped as her eyes flicked to the cake tin on the counter… which was no longer there. Nor was her plate, or her knife, or the glass she had poured juice into and drunk, leaving it empty on the side.

  ‘Perhaps I could just have a cup of tea?’

  ‘I can do you a kipper?’

  ‘Thank you, but, well, I don’t eat fish either…’

  ‘Some toast then?’

  Flora smiled again, jumping as she felt Ned’s hand slide onto her knee. ‘Honestly, tea will be just fine.’

  Hannah brought the teapot to the table, and sat down with it in front of her. She smoothed down her greying bob and pushed her glasses back up her nose, composing herself. Then she poured strong tea into a mug which matched the plates and passed it to Caroline, who passed it down to Flora.

  ‘So, what do you do, Flora?’ asked Caroline politely.

  She was about to answer when Ned got there first. ‘Flora had her own business,’ he said. ‘The most amazing florist’s shop,’ he added. ‘The colours, the smells, I’d never seen anything quite like it. And of course, there in the middle of it all was Flora. It was love at first sight.’

  Flora blushed and slipped her hand under the table to take Ned’s fingers. She gave them a squeeze.

  ‘Had your own business?’ asked Caroline. ‘Oh dear, did something happen?’

  ‘Well, yes it…’ Flora stopped suddenly, staring down the table at Caroline, sitting next to Ned with a sympathetic expression on her face, at Hannah, who was sitting bolt upright and still looking faintly disapproving, and at Fraser, who was busy devouring his food and didn’t seem to be listening anyway. She lifted her chin a little.

  ‘It was sold. My shop was in Birmingham you see, Caroline, and whichever way you look at it, that’s rather a long commute.’ There was no way she was about to admit what had really happened. ‘I could hardly keep the shop on now that I will be helping here on the farm.’

  Caroline smiled. ‘Gosh no, that would be nigh on impossible, wouldn’t it, Hannah? There’s so much to do here, it really is a full-time job all on its own. How lovely for you though’ – she reached over to pat Hannah’s hand – ‘to have some help. I mean – you’ve kept everything running perfectly for all these years, you deserve to have some time to yourself.’

  Hannah laid her hand briefly over Caroline’s. ‘Why thank you, dear. There’s a lot to learn of course, but I’m sure that Flora will do just fine. The flowers that Ned bought me were utterly gorgeous. He has good taste.’ She smiled at Flora, who narrowed her eyes at Hannah’s words. Did she just imagine that, or was Caroline’s wrist just verbally slapped?

  ‘But tell them about your art too, Flora,’ urged Ned, seemingly unaware of the undercurrents eddying around them.

  Flora wasn’t sure she wanted to. She had a strong feeling that unless she painted horses Caroline wouldn’t be in the least bit interested, although she wasn’t sure why that should bother her. She looked up to see an expectant expression on her face – at least she was pretending to be intrigued. Fraser flashed her a glance but carried on eating.

  ‘I make prints,’ she began. ‘Botanical ones, from things I find, so they’re very seasonal. I’ve just taken some beautiful photos this morning as it happens. That’s where I was, earlier…’ She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth in consternation. For goodness’ sake, Flora, why do you always feel the need to justify yourself?

  ‘Oh, photography?’ said Hannah. ‘I thought you said she was a painter, Ned?’

  ‘Well, yes, I do paint,’ added Flora quickly. ‘I make sketches first, either directly or from photographs I’ve taken, and then I make a watercolour of my design before I go on to cut the block which will produce my prints.’

  Ned nodded, beaming at her. ‘You should see them, Mum…’

  ‘It sounds like an awful lot of work to me,’ Hannah replied. ‘I don’t have a creative bone in my body, dear, but if you enjoy it, then that’s lovely. And what do you do with these prints when they’re finished?’

  ‘I sell them,’ she said. ‘On Etsy.’

  Flora looked at the blank faces around her. Even Caroline, who looked to be roughly the same age as her, showed not a flicker of comprehension.

  ‘It’s an online shop,’ she went on to explain. ‘I add my designs when they’re ready and then people can buy them if they want to.’

  ‘And people do that, do they?’

  ‘Oh yes. It can be quite lucrative.’

  Caroline placed her knife and fork together on her plate. ‘Well, that makes sense,’ she said. ‘I was admiring your dress when you came in. All those colours, it’s very… arty. Of course I don’t think I could wear it, I’d be completely overwhelmed by it, but it suits you. How lovely to be so quirky.’

  Ned’s grin widened even further, but Flora wasn’t so sure it was a compliment. She took a mouthful of tea to hide her feelings.

  Hannah got to her feet again. ‘It’s a shame we have so many pictures up around the house already,’ she said. ‘But I’m sure we’ll get to see what you do at some point.’ She picked up her plate. ‘Now, have you men finished? Come on, let’s have you out of my kitchen, Flora and I have lots to do.’

  Flora’s head swivelled.

  Within seconds Ned and his father had both jumped up, Ned collecting the plates and taking them over to the sink. He came back to kiss Flora full on the lips. ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said, with a twinkle in his eye, before turning back. ‘Dad, you ready?’

  Fraser nodded, and for the first time looked straight at Flora. He was slightly shorter than Ned, but years of hard physical work had given him a build that matched the farmhouse’s solid oak front door. Father and son also shared the same pale colouring, and Flora envisaged Fraser’s hair had been the same bright copper as Ned’s at one time, but now it had faded to a sandy thatch.

  ‘Don’t take any nonsense, Flora,’ said Fraser, and with a slight wave of his hand, picked up his jacket and followed Ned out of the door.

  Flora swallowed the last of her tea and pushed her chair away from the table. ‘I’ll wash up, shall I?’ she volunteered.


  Hannah exchanged a look with Caroline. ‘I’ll show you where everything is,’ she said. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve had much of an opportunity to find out yourself.’

  Flora had no idea what time Caroline had arrived at the house, but Hannah at least would be very well aware that Flora had found her way around several things that morning, namely the cake tin and the fridge. Someone had washed up her things from earlier and Flora doubted it was Caroline.

  She smiled her assent. ‘Thank you, just as long as I’m not holding you up?’

  ‘In doing what, dear? Goodness me, no. You won’t be holding me up, you’ll be helping me. I said to Ned last night that I would make sure that by the end of the day you knew exactly what was expected. It will take you a while to get used to it all, I don’t doubt, but the sooner you get going, the sooner it will all become second nature.’

  ‘Well, that’s very kind, but I’m sure I’ll be okay on my own. You must have other things you’d like to do?’

  Caroline gave a tinkly laugh. ‘Oh, you are sweet,’ she said, coming across the room to give Flora’s arm a light rub. ‘Ned hasn’t told you a thing, has he? But you really are in very capable hands, so I will leave Hannah to show you the ropes, but if you need anything else then you must give me a call. In fact, do that anyway, it will be wonderful to get to know you better.’ She turned back to Hannah. ‘Breakfast was lovely as always, thank you so much.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure,’ replied Hannah. ‘I expect we’ll see you tomorrow anyway, but give my love to your parents, dear.’

  And then there were just the two of them, her and Hannah, standing in the kitchen looking at one another. Hannah pushed up her sleeves.