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‘Thank you.’ She shook his hand, and he couldn’t help but notice once again how well it slotted into his larger palm.
‘And don’t pay any attention to what Barnie said about us digging around, we’ll be discreet,’ Cam assured her, with a smile. ‘Besides, it’s the past we’re interested in, not you.’
Her eyes widened a fraction. ‘Of course. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you find your way back to your car.’
Cam realised what his words must’ve sounded like, but before he could salvage the situation, Hope spun on her heel and walked briskly towards the distillery.
‘Smooth, Cam, really smooth.’
‘Oh, shut up and let’s get out of here.’ Cam wasn’t sure what was worse, Barnie’s mocking tone or the knowing grin he was shooting his way as they returned to the visitors’ car park.
7
Hope was sitting at the kitchen table with Ziggy, sharing a pot of tea and giving him an update on Cam and Barnie’s visit to the building site, when Rhys let himself in the back door, Samson as ever at his heels. She’d left Zap at the distillery hard at work on a new batch to replace the one he’d ruined due to the substandard rose petals. While out on his sulk-cum-walk with the dogs, he’d concocted a new flavour combination to try, and when she’d returned that afternoon, he’d been full of his usual fire and enthusiasm. The poor dogs had been less excited, more exhausted from the long tramp around the woods, especially poor Hercule, her uncle’s little Brussels Griffon, who couldn’t hope to keep up with two boisterous Labrador puppies. All three of them were flopped now in the corner, snoring their heads off.
Hope watched as Rhys toed off his boots before setting them carefully on the sheet of newspaper that Mrs Davis, their cleaner, had placed there for that purpose. She was a great believer in newspaper, using it for everything from protecting her freshly mopped floor from the horrors of dirty boots, to polishing the windows and using twists of it to light the enormous inglenook fireplace in the parlour. Hope watched as Samson left a trail of muddy paw prints between the back door and the giant cushion pile in the corner. Sadly, Mrs Davis hadn’t been able to train the dogs to use the newspaper. There was a bit of whining as Samson disturbed his doggy best friend, Delilah, who’d taken advantage of his absence to hog the biggest cushion. Sooty raised his head briefly before flopping down again, while the other two dogs didn’t even stir. Once Samson got himself settled, Delilah snuggled against his fluffy belly with a sigh and promptly fell back asleep. Soon the air was filled with the familiar sound of snuffles and doggy snores which had been the backdrop to Hope’s life for as long as she could remember.
‘Is there enough in the pot for me?’ Rhys asked as he collapsed more than sat in the chair opposite. He looked shattered, the circles under his eyes dark as bruises.
Hope lifted the knitted cosy and touched the side of the pot before lifting the lid to check the contents. ‘It might be a bit stewed? I can brew a fresh one.’
Shaking his head, Rhys slid an empty mug towards her. ‘As long as it’s warm and wet, it’ll do.’
Hope filled the mug, added a generous dash of milk and passed it back while Rhys and Ziggy discussed a problem with one of the cows. He’d been out with the vet when Hope had got up that morning, out half the night according to Aunt Ro, who’d been making up a flask and a bacon sandwich to take out to him. Wondering if he’d even found time for lunch, Hope got up to fetch the cake tin. She eased the lid gingerly, but in that sixth-sense way of dogs when it came to anything they weren’t supposed to eat, there was an instant stirring from the cushions. Ignoring the clack of doggy claws on the floor tiles, Hope kept her attention on the tin. There was always a selection of treats in there from Sandra and Penny at the estate café. Surveying the contents, Hope placed a rock bun and thick slice of ginger cake on a plate and placed it in front of Rhys before gathering up the teapot and setting about making a fresh brew.
Sweep was the bravest of the dogs, nudging her calf for attention as the pack followed her around the kitchen as she moved between the kettle and the sink and back again. ‘No.’ She kept her voice quiet, but her tone was firm. Sweep backed away with a soft whine to join the others who were milling around and licking the floor searching for non-existent cake crumbs. Only once she’d finished making the tea did Hope reach for the box of doggy treats and carry it over to their bowls. The one rule everyone in the family stuck to without fail was not feeding the dogs at the table. She dropped a handful of biscuits in each bowl and stepped aside just in time to avoid getting knocked over by the melee.
‘Lord, you’d think we never fed them,’ her uncle observed with a rueful chuckle.
By the time she returned to the table, Rhys had eaten two-thirds of the ginger cake and drained his mug. She refilled it, before setting the pot in front of Ziggy and retaking her seat. Her uncle refreshed his mug then recovered the pot with the cosy, giving Hope’s hand a quick squeeze of appreciation before he turned back to what Rhys was saying. Hope didn’t mind the interruption any more than she’d minded being the one to make the tea. It was turn and turn-about in the Travers household, with everyone doing their fair share. If one or other of them needed a bit of extra support, it was there before they could ask for it. It was just what they did – they looked out for each other.
‘I’ll pop out after dinner and make sure everything is okay, but hopefully she’s past the worst of it.’ Rhys raised his mug and took a long drink before sitting back with a sigh. ‘But enough of my troubles, how did it go today?’ Hope pulled a face that coaxed a sympathetic laugh from her cousin. ‘That good?’
Hope shook off the beginnings of another pity spiral. ‘Cam is going to put together an action plan and send it over to me so I can start putting some costs against it. They won’t be able to start until the summer holidays, but he’s agreed to lead the dig.’
Rhys rocked his chair back on two legs and whistled. ‘A dig? As in an archaeological dig? That sounds pretty full on for a few stones.’
Hope shrugged. ‘Looks like there’s more to it than that. He doesn’t know how much more, but either way, we need to find out – and I want it done properly.’
Ziggy leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the table. ‘Hope wants to treat this as a positive opportunity, and I’m inclined to agree with her. If they uncover something of significance, then it could add to the visitor appeal of the estate.’
Hope nodded, seizing on the threads of the upbeat attitude she’d adopted earlier. ‘If it is something big, then it might be something we can extend beyond the summer. I know I’m probably running before I can walk, but if they find it is a site of significance then we could look at experience packages where people who are curious could come and volunteer at the dig and learn more about archaeology.’
‘No one’s ever going to say you lack vision, Hope,’ Rhys said with a grin. His features grew sombre. ‘I guess this means the house project is on hold.’
Hope’s positive resolve began to waver again, but she refused to let it overtake her. ‘It’s not the end of the world. I’ll have to have a think about where else might be a good spot to build, that’s all. Cam mentioned needing to do one of those ground survey things, so perhaps I can persuade them to survey other potential sites once they have the equipment here.’ She tried to laugh, but it came out a bit wonky. ‘At least Mum will be pleased that I’m sticking around here for the foreseeable future.’
Rhys reached across the table and patted her arm. ‘There’s always one of the lodges if you need it.’ Lodge was a very modest word for the couple of luxury rentals he’d recently had installed in the woods near the campsite. They were the first stage of what he hoped to develop into a glamping business, although looking at how exhausted he was, Hope wasn’t sure how he was going to take on board any more responsibility on top of managing the farm.
‘I was going to ask you about one of them, but not for me. Cam will need somewhere to stay for the duration of the dig. I know it’s a lot to ask…’
Rhys smiled. ‘Consider them both yours to use for the duration. Honestly, you’d be doing me a favour because I haven’t even had time to set them up on the website. There’s bound to be some snags that won’t come to light until someone stays in them so you could be my guinea pigs.’
‘I’ll pay you for them,’ Hope insisted which only made him laugh.
‘That’s just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Why add costs to your project to boost my revenue?’
His jaw all but cracked on a huge yawn and Hope pushed her own worries aside. ‘You’re all done in. Dinner won’t be for a couple of hours yet, so why don’t you try and catch up on a bit of your missed sleep? I’ll give you a knock when it’s ready.’
