Roses For Katie (20 page)

‘Oh? You dreamed about Springwood Farm? That’s good. Was I in your dreams as well, Katie?’ He gave a little chuckle. ‘I’d like to think so.’

‘Listen,’ Katie went on, ignoring his question, ‘I’m sure we could manage both today, provided we find the right sort of kitchen straight away. We could go to the firm on the industrial estate near town… the one that offers the biggest selection, and then go straight on to Avondale from there.’

‘Right,’ Tom said. ‘I’ll pick you up in an hour.’

Katie flung back the bedcover and headed for the shower. She had just phoned Sam to say where she was going, when Tom pulled up outside the door. She hurried out, but before she climbed into the car, she slipped over to give Pat the back door key so that he could make himself a coffee.

He stood up from the task he was doing and stretched. Then he took a long, hard look at the car, and the man who stood beside it. ‘You’re a busy lady these days,’ he said, tersely, without his usual happy smile.

‘Only helping a friend choose his new kitchen,’ she explained.

Pat glanced at the man again, nodded, and turned back to his work without further comment.

‘Everything all right, Pat,’ Katie asked hesitantly, wondering why he seemed a bit distant.

He merely half-turned his head to reply. ‘No complaints,’ he said. ‘It’s just that I’m a very busy person too.’

‘Your gardener is making a huge difference to the place,’ Tom commented, as he opened the car door for her. ‘Of course, he’s going to be a permanent feature here now.’

‘You could say that,’ she laughed. ‘He’s moving into the annex soon. He’s so good to me.’ She glanced in Pat’s direction. ‘He’s thoughtful, incredibly kind, and such a delightful person to have around. I really don’t know what I’d do without him.’

‘I see,’ was Tom’s dry response, and he said little more as he drove in the direction of the kitchen centre. When they walked into the showroom, Katie was immediately drawn to a solid looking mahogany kitchen on display. The colour was rich, the cream work surfaces were practicable, and there was ample storage space. A quick look around made Katie realize that nothing else out of the extensive range seemed as attractive.

‘There it is. That’s the one I’d have,’ Katie said, as she tapped the kitchen counter surface and then smoothed her fingers along the rich coloured wood.

Obviously noticing her enthusiasm, an assistant hurried over to them, and explained that it was at a reduced price, and that it would be fitted to measure. When the man promised immediate installation, Tom quickly made all the necessary arrangements.

‘Now for your manor house,’ Tom said, with a satisfied sigh, as they climbed into the car once more. He drove carefully all the way, while Katie leaned back in the comfort of the lush leather seat and daydreamed. Once there, she suggested a coffee and biscuits in the local inn before going around the house. It was a beautiful day, and the countryside looked so green and fresh, that it gave her a lovely feeling deep inside.

As he drove up the long driveway, Tom’s eyes opened wide when he saw the building. ‘I say, your family lived in style.’ He gazed around in awe. ‘Don’t you want to live in this grand building yourself?’

Katie shook her head. ‘It’s vast. Wait until you get inside and see what has to be kept clean. As it is, my own home is too big for one person, but I stay there because it means searching around for the right place, uprooting, and a lot of hard work to sort everything out for a move.’ She sighed. ‘It’s a compact little place like yours I would be thinking of… if ever I moved, but... ‘ She shook her head. ‘I can’t ever see me doing that, because… ‘ She left the sentence unfinished. ‘Come on, Tom,’ she called, realizing that he was looking at the gardens. ‘You can look at those later… they’re a mess. Let’s go inside for what we’ve come to do.’

‘This is impressive,’ Tom said, gazing around the interior of the house, and walking up to the paintings to inspect them. ‘You’re going to let it? If you’re not intending to live here, why not sell it, and get rid of the responsibility — realise your capital?’ He shrugged, and then murmured quietly. ‘I certainly would.’

‘No way,’ she retorted immediately, in a tone that sounded almost indignant. ‘I want my children to inherit this lovely old place. It’s been in the family for more generations than I’d care to mention, and you don’t just throw away your heritage like you’d flip a coin.’ She walked into each room and pointed out certain items. ‘Choose what you’d like from these,’ she said, indicating what was available. ‘The children have put their names on what they want. Other stuff is for auction, but anything you’d like is yours, as a gift.’

Tom turned to her after he had chosen what he wanted. ‘I think that’s more than enough for my place. As you said, it’s best not to overdo it.’

‘Good. I’ll ask Richard to have these delivered to Springwood Farm as soon as it’s ready.’

‘You’d find it difficult getting used to a different place, wouldn’t you?’ Tom asked.

‘Depends,’ she said, screwing up her pretty nose as she considered his question. ‘Not if it were one like yours, though. It’s a dream. There are few around like that. Picturesque properties are snapped up immediately in this area. You were lucky to find it; even luckier to get it.’

‘I was. When I saw it, I didn’t hesitate. It crossed my mind to ask you to look at it before I signed the contract, but I was afraid that if I delayed, I’d lose it.’

‘Ask me? But why? You’re the one who has to live there.’

‘Ah, yes, but Katie, I… ‘ He opened his mouth to say more, but suddenly stopped, and became pensive.

‘It’s time we left now, Tom,’ she said, almost abruptly. ‘The coffee only served to sharpen my appetite, so let’s go back to the inn; the menu looked good.’

‘Yes,’ he agreed, in a quiet voice. ‘It’s been a busy day, and time we had a decent meal. ‘

They ate in comparative silence, with Katie feeling a little alienated for some reason. What she wanted most of all right now, was the comfort of her own home, where she could relax. The rest of the time seemed to drag by, but eventually they finished their meal and set off on the journey home.

Katie was pleased that Tom declined her invitation to go in for a drink when they arrived back at Priory Farm. It was late in the day anyway, and once inside the comfort of her own home, she relaxed, and then began to think back over the last two days. She felt convinced that Tom was making a serious move towards her… all the signs were there, and she knew she would have to be wary about what she did and said. No way did she want him to get the wrong idea. She was having too good a time to get serious about any one man in particular, no matter how much she liked him. Perhaps it would be wise to see Tom only occasionally in the hope that he would get the message.

She wondered what his reaction would be if he knew she was considering going to Majorca with Rex, even though that was none of his business. Still, as Sam said, the Colonel had all the right qualities, and she didn’t want to lose him. Being without Tom, and Rex now, could mean she would be back to where she was, with no escort to visit places , and as things stood she felt she had begun to live again, almost like she never had before.

Katie was up early the next day, and had dressed and breakfasted long before Pat turned up. She watched for his car, and went out to see him before he started work.

‘Top o’the morning, to you,’ he said, seeming much brighter today. ‘I’ve been thinking. Everything I planted is rooting. I’ve replaced the broken fencing, repaired the trellis, fixed the gazebo, but as for the pool and fountain you want, you’ll have to be more explicit. Oh, and we need more rose bushes.’ He dusted off his hands, and clasped them behind his back with an obvious look of satisfaction as he waited for her to speak.

‘Then we’d better go straight away to buy some, er… some roses,’ she added, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Ten minutes later they were on their way. Being with Pat was so relaxing compared with the other two men. He was no way as demanding, but then, this relationship was not the same as with the other two. She looked on him now, not only as her gardener, but as a good friend, and also as someone indispensable.

For a moment, the fleeting thought about his notion to live in Ireland bothered her again; she wanted it never to happen. But, if he moved into the annex, maybe he would settle there for a while, if not permanently. Yes, to have him there for good would be ideal. Pat was someone she could talk with, confide in, and laugh with. She turned to him as they began to wander around the garden centre.

‘Pat,’ she said, with a note of wariness in her tone, ‘Rex has invited me to join him for a holiday at his villa in Valldemosa.’ She gave him a quick glance to see what his reaction would be, but his face didn’t flinch. So she continued. ‘Whereas it’s a wonderful opportunity, I’m wondering whether I’d be wise to go.’

‘Depends,’ Pat said, stopping in his tracks to look down at her with a quizzical look in his blue eyes.

‘On what?’

‘On why he’s invited you there. On what he expects to gain from it. On what impression you give him.’ He hesitated for a moment and then turned and looked deep into her eyes, with his hand resting gently on her arm. ‘Now… if I invited a lady to stay with me at a home of mine, as my guest, I would be doing so with the intention of developing a closer relationship… of consolidating something, I’m thinking.’ He shrugged and gave a quizzical smile. ‘Men don’t usually do that kind of thing without an ulterior motive.’

‘You believe that?’

Pat nodded. ‘And for sure I do. He sees you often enough without your going away together. You go out with him, and he comes to you for meals and the like.’ He bent his head close to Katie’s. ‘He’s getting his feet under the table, for sure. And so is that other one, the Colonel.’ He nodded again, and reduced his voice to almost a whisper. ‘Ah, yes, I’ve been noticing how often they turn up, watching their body language, observing their behaviour. They’re both aware of each other too, and they’re vying for your affections.’ He walked on a step or two, and then turned to her again, with a smile. ‘To be honest, ‘tis my opinion that they both want to lay claim to you… for want of better words.’ He gave a low chuckle. ‘Take care, Katie. I think you’re treading on treacherous ground.’

Katie fell silent as they strolled around, barely thinking about why they had gone there. Pat was right, of course. Had she not been thinking the very same thing? ‘Well, thanks for listening, and for your comments, Pat. I can see that I must be careful with those two, charming though they are. I wouldn’t want to give either the wrong impression.’

‘Right, so now we’d better sort out what we came here for,’ Pat said, brightly, changing the subject, and taking her arm to guide her in the direction of the water gardens. ‘Now are you quite sure that you want this thing? It’s going to cost, y’know.’

Katie nodded, but made no comment, because her mind was still rattling around her dilemma. While she was still in a state of semi-daydream, Pat quickly selected what was needed, gave the order for the pool liner and pump at the desk, then loaded the rose bushes into the car and drove back to Priory Farm.

When they arrived back, he looked at his wristwatch. ‘There’s no time left for much gardening now, apart from softening up the soil where the roses will go.’ He looked around, nodding. ‘You know, I’m very pleased with what I’ve done here, and I hope you feel the same.’ Then he glanced at the annex end of the house. ‘By the way, I’ve arranged to move within the next few days. From there on, my spare time will be spent in the garden at no charge. It’s the least I can do.’ He fixed his hands on his hips and stared at Katie. ‘You wouldn’t listen to me and charge me a fair rent. The annex is worth far more than what you’ve asked for.’

Katie simply smiled but gave no reply as she left him to carry on. When she got inside, she noticed the light blinking on the answer phone. She pressed the play button and listened for a message. The first caller was Tom, to say he was unable to come as he had hoped, because someone was going to call and measure up the kitchen. The second call was from Tanya.

‘Hi, Mum… a quick call,’ the message said. ‘Sam said you’ve been asking questions about Dylan and me, so I thought we’d call after lunch today on our way out. We’ll drop in, but won’t stay for long. Bye.’

‘Oh, good,’ Katie murmured, feeling pleased about that. She wanted another chance to see this latest boyfriend of Margie’s. She had a quick lunch, changed, and then sat down to read the paper while she waited. At exactly two Margie rushed towards the door, her blonde hair streaming behind her as usual, and dragging Dylan by the hand behind her.

‘It’s so nice to meet you again, Dylan,’ Katie said, greeting him with a warm smile. ‘Let’s go into the sitting room and have a drink.’ When he walked in, she noticed how tall and lightly built he was. When Dylan settled down in the armchair, she studied his handsome face, framed with wavy, light brown hair. All in all, Katie was impressed.

‘We’re not staying long,’ Margie said. ‘We’re going out for the day while Dylan has a bit of time off. He’s got his eye on Rose Cottage, a pretty little place in the next village. He’s had a quick look at it, but he’s dithering now.’ She gave him a winning smile. ‘Poor soul doesn’t get much free time as a trainee consultant, and he’s got a busy workload tomorrow, so we must make the most of today.’ They finished their drinks, and Margie gave a long, hard look at her wristwatch. ‘Ever so sorry, Mum, but we must dash now.’

‘Really?’ Katie was disappointed, but she understood. Their happiness reminded her of how she and Greg used to be. She sighed, hoping that Margie was now ready to settle down with this handsome man. Katie dared not hope, but the idea that Dylan wanted to buy a property was interesting… could it possibly mean something? She waved them off, and leaned against the door when she went back inside. How lovely to be happy and carefree and in love, she thought.

It wasn’t until the next day that Katie wondered how things had gone for Tom at Springwood Farm. Since the firm had acted that fast to measure up, maybe arrangements for the fitting had already been made as well. Curious, she reached for the phone to ring and find out, but withdrew her hand, realizing that it might not be wise for him to think she was eager to know about his affairs. She wasn’t; she was merely inquisitive.