Escape to the Country (17 page)

"I suppose, but it's good business sense too. If the
smallholding goes bust, he'll lose out on rent too."

Jayne laughed. "I'll just stick these in the sink with some
water. Can you sort them out properly once you've dropped me off?"

"Sure."

Jayne didn't allow Leah to come into the hospital. "Just drop me
off here. I've got plenty of time to find the right place and I
promise not to back out now."

"It doesn't seem right just to leave you."

"Go! I'll give you a call when I'm ready to be picked up. If you
don't go soon, you'll still be on the way back when I ring."

"All right. I can tell when I'm not wanted."

During the drive back, her phone beeped to tell her she had a text.
She waited until she'd parked outside Primrose Cottage before reading
it. The message was from Duncan.

'Betcha nothing has gone wrong yet x'

Like a schoolgirl with a crush, she stroked the x on the screen, then
touched her finger to her lips.

Leah typed a message. 'Course not. proper farmer me x x x'. She
deleted the final two x's before she sent it.

Arranging Jayne's flowers was Leah's most difficult task for the rest
of the day. She fed the pigs and sheep, collected the eggs, checked
on Rosepetal and milked Rosemary, but although some of the tasks were
hard work, they were all things she'd practised several times and
could now do confidently. She'd arranged flowers before, but never
such a huge amount. Leah did the best she could to make the flowers
look as attractive as possible for Jayne's return.

Throughout the day, Leah checked her phone and looked at Rosepetal.
There was no news from Jayne, Duncan hadn't called and she couldn't
think of an excuse to ring him. The heifer seemed to be getting a bit
fidgety. That was probably due to repeated visits from Leah, who kept
feeling her udder. She couldn't really tell if there was any change.
She knew the more often she tried the less likely she was to notice a
difference, but still couldn't help herself.

Leah typed out another text to Duncan saying everything was OK, but
didn't send it. He'd said to call if she wanted him. She did, but not
for anything connected to the farm.

At six, Leah's phone rang. It was Jim calling to see if there was any
news.

"No, sorry. Perhaps I should call her?"

"Don't worry, you'd have heard if there was a problem.
Everything OK there?"

"Yes fine. Don't you worry either. You'll hear from me if
there's a problem here!"

Leah checked Rosepetal again before making her supper. The heifer
seemed no different. Jayne called as Leah filled a pan with water.

"I'm fine. Sorry I couldn't call before."

"No problem. I'll come and get you now."

"No, they're keeping me in tonight."

"Why? What?..."

"It's good news, Leah. They found the cause of the problem. Just
a cyst."

"And they can remove it?"

"They already have, that's why I'm still here. The anaesthetic
didn't agree with me. That's it, Leah, all done!"

"That's fantastic news!"

"Yes, I can't quite believe it. Is everything OK there?
Rosepetal?"

"Everything's fine. I'll go and check her again after I've
eaten, but I don't think she'll calve before you're back."

"Good. Could you let Jim know? I just want to sleep now."

"Yes, of course."

Leah rang Jim to let him know his boil on the bum theory had been
almost correct, then made herself a quick meal of spaghetti with
cheese sauce. Once she'd eaten, she went back to check Rosepetal
again. There was no signs of her going into labour then, nor at
seven-thirty, or eight or eight-thirty. At nine, Leah was convinced
that something was happening and stopped to watch. By ten she was
cold and it looked like Rosepetal was asleep, so she gave up and went
to bed.

She woke in the night convinced something was wrong.

Tarragon was asleep in his bed and didn't stir as she went by. Leah
pulled a coat over her pyjamas and put bare feet into her wellies. As
she stepped out the front door, Tarragon darted through. She smiled.
It didn't seem quite so bad to be up in the middle of the night if
she wasn't the only one.

Rosepetal lay on the straw, breathing hard. As Leah watched, she gave
what was definitely a push.

"Sit, boy." Leah told the dog. She let herself in with
Rosepetal.

The heifer seemed calm and there were no signs she'd been thrashing
around in the straw. Leah took a look behind to see if there was any
sign of a calf emerging. There wasn't anything, but Rosepetal gave
another push. She was definitely in the process of giving birth, but
probably only just started. From what Duncan told her, the calf might
not arrive for hours.

Leah was very cold. She couldn't stay out all that time in just her
pjs, thin coat and wellies. A glance at her watch showed it was only
three-thirty; far too early to call Duncan unless it had been a real
emergency. She went in to put on more suitable clothing and warm up.
She'd intended to just rest on the bed for half an hour but went back
to sleep. When she woke again it was after five.

The head of the calf was already out. She could see both front feet
too. Rosepetal gave a great heave and more of the slimy calf
slithered out. She could see all of its rib cage. Rosemary got to her
feet, leaving the calf wriggling on the ground. Immediately she
turned to lick it. Leah just watched, feeling ridiculously proud.
She'd done nothing to help, but maybe leaving the cow to get on with
things and getting some sleep was the best thing she could have done.

Her impulse was to send Duncan a text, but really it should be Jayne
who knew first. Seeing the healthy calf was a huge relief and Leah
felt full of energy. Despite several visits to watch the new calf,
she had everything done in time to eat breakfast and shower before
Jayne rang to say she was ready to leave hospital.

Jayne didn't want to talk about her procedure. "It's over, I
just want to forget it. I'm fine, I promise. I'll need to take it
easy for a while and I've got a sheet of instructions and half a
chemist's shop, but it's all over." She began to cry.

Leah hugged her. "What is it?"

"I'm going to be OK. I'm actually going to be OK."

"Normally I'm not one to gloat, but told you so."

"You did, now get me out of here."

"How's everything going with you?" Jayne asked as they left
the hospital grounds.

"Oh fine. Rosemary gave two and a quarter gallons of milk, I
collected sixty-eight eggs, oh and delivered one calf. Not a bad
morning?"

Jayne gasped, but recovered quickly and continued in the same matter
of fact tone Leah had used, "Not bad at all. By the look of you
everything went OK?"

"Yes. Actually I'm exaggerating to say I delivered him."

"It's a bull?"

"Er, well actually I don't know." It hadn't even occurred
to her to check. "I just thought it looked like one. It's nearly
all black. He seems lively. Nowhere near as big as the one I saw at
Home Farm though."

"He wouldn't be, because of the breed."

Jayne insisted on taking a look at the new arrival before going into
the house. The calf was indeed a bull and Jayne was pleased with him.
She was pleased with everything Leah had done and incredibly proud of
her. Leah knew that because Jayne kept saying so.

"I didn't do much really and nothing at all about the calf."

"Did Duncan come and help?"

"No, I didn't need him."

"Shame."

"Yes. Er, I mean no. It's good Rospetal didn't have too much
trouble and I didn't have to disturb him."

"Hmm. I think I'd better pick some herbs."

"Are you going to make yourself a herbal remedy?"

"Something like that."

Leah persuaded Jayne to go inside. Tarragon almost turned cartwheels
in his excitement at having his mistress home. Jayne winced slightly
as she bent to make a fuss of him.

"Are you OK?" Leah asked.

"Fine, honestly. I think I feel worse from the stiffness of
lying about on a bed all day than from the procedure itself. You go
and pick my herbs and I'll bake some cakes in case we get visitors."

It sounded as though she were hoping for visitors. Leah selected
Duncan's number on her mobile as she walked to the herb garden. She
felt guilty before she made the call; it wasn't for Jayne's benefit
she wanted him to come. Instead, she tried calling Jim, but found his
number engaged. She hoped that meant Jayne was calling him herself.

Her phone rang as she returned with the violet flowers, thyme, sage
and rosemary Jayne wanted. It was Duncan.

"How's Jayne?'

"She's fine. I've just brought her back from the hospital, but
she wouldn't go in until she'd seen Rosepetal's calf."

"She's had it?"

She'd thought so much about Duncan's advice while the calf was born
and been thinking rather a lot about him in general that she'd
forgotten he didn't actually know.

"Yes, last night. It really helped me having seen other calves
born. Thanks so much for your help."

"You managed all on your own?" He sounded impressed.

"Well, Rosepetal should take some of the credit," she
laughed.

"I suppose, but still I'm very proud of you. Can I come over and
see the calf? I don't want to disturb Jayne though."

"Of course you can come over. Jayne will be very happy to see
you." Jayne wasn't the only one.

She went in.

"Hope you're making plenty of cakes, because I think Duncan will
be over later."

"Oh good, so will Jim."

They grinned at each other.

"You've done a fabulous job with the flowers, lovey. I don't
want to spoil them, but I could really do with some red rose petals.
Would you mind if we took one rose out?"

"Of course not, they're your flowers!"

Jim and Duncan arrived at the same time that evening. Jim brought
daffodils and chocolates for Jayne.

"Of course, nothing's nearly as sweet or pretty as you," he
said as he kissed Jayne. "Except maybe this one here," he
amended giving Leah a hug.

Duncan brought freesias 'for the midwife'. His peck on her cheek
seemed tame compared with Jim's greeting, but she was ridiculously
pleased he'd kissed her in front of witnesses.

Jayne insisted everyone drank a cup of the herbal tea she'd brewed.
Neither man looked particularly keen, but they did as they were told.

"This is a different one, what's in it?" Leah asked after a
few sips.

"Lavender, violets, rose petals."

"Is it in honour of the calf?" Jim asked.

"No. Talking of the calf though, Duncan must want to see it.
Show him, Leah."

"OK."

"Drink up then."

Leah didn't know if Jayne was keen to get her and Duncan alone, or if
she wanted some time alone with Jim, but was happy to go along with
her wishes either way. She and Duncan gulped down their tea and went
out.

Duncan took her hand as they walked across the yard and asked her to
tell him all about the birth. He seemed impressed with the calm way
she'd coped and Leah couldn't help grinning at his praise. She'd
wanted to prove to him she was capable around animals and she'd
achieved that by falling asleep during a calving.

"Looks like they're both doing great," Duncan said.

"He's so cute, isn't he?"

"Um hmm."

"It's OK, I know his eventual fate will be the same as the
orphan lambs. I'm just in denial about it for now and at least I know
he'll have a good life up until then."

"We'll make a farmer out of you yet." He put his arm around
her.

"Maybe. I'm enjoying the work far more than I ever thought I
would."

Was there a reason he seemed to be wondering if life on a farm would
suit her?

"And I love all the animals too. I'm not even scared of big cows
now, although I must admit I prefer the smaller ones."

"Smaller breeds, or calves?"

"Calves, really I suppose I meant. All baby animals are cute
though, aren't they? Lambs, piglets, chicks."

"What about humans?"

Was he just making conversation, or wondering about her future? Adam
had never asked how she felt about a family. Duncan was nothing like
Adam.

"I like them too. Toddlers are cute, babies not so much, but I
expect I'll feel differently about my own."

"I expect so. I imagine you'd make a great mum."

Leah wondered what were the chances of him finding out.

After that Duncan spent most of the half hour they were outside,
cuddling Leah as they watched the cow and her calf, neither of whom
did anything much. To her, that seemed a very good use of everyone's
time. Eventually and reluctantly, she said that maybe they should go
back in.

"All right, but come out with me tomorrow night?"

"I'd love too, but I'm not sure about leaving Jayne. Can I call
and let you know?"

He nodded his agreement before giving her the gentlest of kisses.

C
hapter 11

"What time is it?" a bleary eyed Jayne asked as she
wandered into the kitchen.

"Just after ten." Leah slid bacon into the frying pan.

"Why on earth didn't you wake me?"

"Because you're supposed to be resting. Don't worry, the animals
are all fed and I've milked Rosemary."

"Thank you, but..."

"I'll just do the eggs. Pour the tea will you?"

Jayne did as she was asked. "I love you, did I tell you that?"
she said when Leah placed a plate of food in front of her.

"Hospital food not up to much?"

"No, but I'm not just grateful for the breakfast."

"I know. How are you feeling today? Up to walking round and
telling me what needs doing and how to do it?"

"Absolutely."

After a few hours, Jayne said she was so exhausted from witnessing
Leah's energy that she was almost ready to go back to bed.