AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hugging herself with delight at his reaction, Hope put on a straight face by the time he spun around to look at her. ‘It’s not bad, is it? The entrance is around the other side.’ She pointed to a couple of narrow, high windows. ‘The lodge has been designed for maximum privacy, so it’s much more open to the rear.’
‘Not bad? It’s like something out of a fairy tale!’ Heedless of the bags he’d set on the ground, Cam moved forward, reaching out to run a hand along the moss-lined wall. ‘It’s real,’ he said in a voice full of wonder.
‘Amazing, isn’t it?’ Hope followed Cam as he walked along the side of the building. The architect had designed the lodge to adapt to the natural environment and not the other way around, so the walls curved rather than following straight lines to ensure the ancient giants of the forest were protected. ‘The moss acts as a camouflage, helping the structure to blend into the environment and also provides excellent insulation. It’s a great thermoregulator and will keep guests cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. There’s a heat pump for water and state-of-the-art underfloor heating – not that you’ll be in need of that if this glorious spell of weather continues.’
She watched as Cam gazed up into the thick branches overhead, the dappled evening light casting his face into unreadable shadows. ‘It’s another world, like I’m miles from civilisation rather than a short stroll from the campsite,’ he said, that note of wonder still in his voice.
‘It’s so peaceful, isn’t it?’ Hope felt a yearning in her heart and wondered again about whether she should take up Rhys’s offer and spend a few weeks in the lodge next door. It was of a similar design, but the layout was different, as nothing about the woods themselves was symmetrical. After Ziggy’s quiet request, she hadn’t raised the issue with her mother, but she was feeling more unsettled than ever since he’d shrugged off her questions with one too many platitudes. There were things about her past she needed to know, but how to raise them without hurting anyone? It simply didn’t seem possible, so for now, she was trying to hold her tongue.
Not wanting to let those unwelcome thoughts intrude on the evening, Hope reminded herself she had guests to look after. If they wanted to make it back in time for supper, she needed to show Cam around the place. ‘Come on, I’ll take you inside.’ She whistled for the dogs, who were snuffling along the edge of the building. Sweep came at once, the more reluctant Sooty eventually following when Hope called his name in a low no-nonsense voice. With their leads secured, she followed Cam.
She led the dogs towards the wide low wooden steps at the back of the lodge, tying their leads in a loop and giving them enough extension to nose around without causing trouble. ‘What do you think?’ she asked Cam as she led him up the stairs and onto the semi-open deck. There were doors currently in a storage area underneath which could be fitted to turn the deck into an all-weather conservatory for the winter months, but for now, the overhang from the first-floor balcony provided shade and shelter for the outside furniture and the round hot tub in the corner. Cam paused at the top of the steps, a lopsided grin on his face. ‘I thought you were kidding about the hot tub.’
Hope laughed. ‘Nope! I bet you can already picture yourself soaking in it after a long day at the dig, can’t you?’
Cam wandered over, lifting the edge of the cover to reveal the steaming water inside. Rhys had found time earlier in the week to check it over and get it up and running while Hope had arranged for Mrs Davis to give the rest of the place the once over and make sure everything was spick and span. Hope had been into the village and picked up some treats from the bakery and the village shop. Cam had mentioned he wouldn’t need much, but she’d wanted him to feel welcome on his first visit. It was also a way to thank him for taking on the dig at such short notice. ‘It’s going to get a lot of use, for sure,’ he said, trailing his fingers through the hot water before letting the lid fall closed again.
Hope unlocked the door and pulled it open, standing back to let Cam go in ahead of her. ‘You can either leave the doors open like this, open them halfway or fold them all the way back. I’ll show you when we’ve got more time, but you can basically have the whole of this area open to the elements if you want to. It’s the same upstairs in the bedroom.’
Cam was nodding, but she wasn’t sure he was actually listening as he turned in a slow circle as though trying to take it all in. While Rhys had kept the outside neutral and natural, the inside of the lodge was the epitome of luxury, with deep cushioned sofas, and rugs so thick Hope wanted to slip off her shoes and flex her toes in them. There was a small dining table and chairs, all made by one of the craftsmen who worked out of a unit in The Old Stable Yard. Beyond that lay the open-plan kitchen with its sleek modern units and brushed stainless-steel appliances. All the plug sockets had USB ports and there was decent Wi-Fi connection thanks to the large booster they’d installed for the campsite nearby. A flatscreen on the wall could be switched to a variety of screensavers, including artworks or a photographic montage of shots captured around the estate, when not otherwise in use. Stairs in one corner led to the upper floor which was occupied by a huge bedroom with an en suite bathroom, complete with a copper roll-top tub and a huge walk-in shower.
‘I got a few things in, just to say thank you for agreeing to do this,’ Hope said as she skirted around Cam and moved into the kitchen to open the fridge.
Cam stirred from his reverie and came to join her. ‘Wow, what a spread. I can’t possibly eat all this on my own. Why don’t you come and join me for dinner tomorrow?’
Hope’s tummy gave a funny little turn at the thought of sitting out on the deck with him, watching the sun set as they gorged themselves on the cheese, meats and other deli treats she’d filled the shelves with. There was a nice bottle of white wine already chilling which would be the perfect accompaniment. She was about to accept when she remembered his earlier comment. ‘Oh, I thought you and Barnie were having dinner in the pub tomorrow?’
Cam frowned, and she wondered if he was feeling anything like as disappointed as she was. Damn, she should’ve just accepted the invite and kept her mouth shut. ‘We were planning to, but it seems a waste of all this lovely food. We can go to the pub another time, there’ll be plenty of opportunities. He can come here and I can make him green with envy about having this place to myself. You’re still welcome to join us both, of course.’
‘I’d like that very much, thank you.’ She’d have liked it even better if it was just the two of them, but she couldn’t exactly say that now, could she? She cast a glance at the illuminated digits on the microwave set into the wall. ‘If you are happy with everything here, we should probably head over to the farmhouse for supper.’
‘Happy? I’m beyond ecstatic, but are you sure Rhys is happy for me to stay here? I can camp with the rest of the team, you know?’
Hope smiled, appreciating his thoughtfulness. ‘You can speak to him yourself and get all the reassurance you need. You’d be doing us a favour. You can keep an eye on the place and also be a bit of a guinea pig for us, make sure everything is working as it should.’
Cam nodded. ‘Sure, sure, whatever you need.’ He paused. ‘What about next door?’
Hope hesitated. ‘I was thinking about staying there myself, but…’ she trailed off, not wanting to bog him down with family business. Especially when she didn’t know what the hell was going on with everything herself. ‘Come on, let’s go and get some supper.’
10
Hope was quiet on the short drive from the campsite car park. Cam had got the feeling she’d been about to say more about the possibility of her staying in the lodge next door to his but then she’d so deliberately changed the subject, he decided it was best to let things lie.
He couldn’t deny it would be nice to have her staying there. Not ‘nice’, he corrected himself, useful, because they’d be able to chat about the dig as the work progressed and resolve any issues face to face rather than over the phone or WhatsApp. He wasn’t a big fan of using social media to communicate but he’d already been asked by several of the students taking part when he’d be setting up a group, so it was one of the tasks on his list for the morning. It was what one got used to, he supposed, and it would be a handy way to coordinate information in one place. They arrived at a metal farm gate and Hope jumped out to open it before Cam had chance to offer. He followed her out, though, so he could close it behind them.
‘Thank you,’ she said, giving him a sweet smile that he felt down to his toes as he climbed back in. ‘We keep talking about automating it, but somehow never get around to it. Which reminds me, do you know how many access fobs you’ll need for the east gate? Do you think you can manage with a couple between you for the whole team?’
Cam nodded. ‘Two will be more than fine and I’ll try and make sure either Barnie or myself are there to make sure the gate is secured afterwards.’
‘I’m sure your team can be trusted, but the fobs just have a habit of going missing and then Ziggy has to recall them all and reprogramme them which is a pain. There’s a pedestrian access gate by the main entrance which is a much quicker walk to the village. It has a four-digit code which we change every couple of weeks. I’ll make sure you’re included in the staff WhatsApp group so you get the new code.’
Cam laughed. ‘I was just thinking I need to set up a group for the dig team. Whatever did we do without mobile phones?’
‘Had a much quieter life, I’m sure. It has its uses, but it’s hard not to feel a prisoner to my phone, sometimes.’ Hope put the car in gear and drove them slowly down the side of a large stone yard and around a metal-sided barn, the front of which was open to show a varied collection of tractors and other farm machinery parked in a neat row. Beyond the barn, another courtyard opened up in front of a sprawling building he assumed was the farmhouse. It was such a mishmash of architectural styles, it was impossible for him to begin trying to date it, but he promised himself a good look around at some point.
Cam found buildings like this so much more interesting than grand structures like the Hall. Oh, there was no denying the impressive mark the grand building made in the landscape, but the farmhouse wore its history like a much-loved patchwork quilt, the signs of use, repair and extension of the original structure everywhere he looked. The door was open and a heap of colourful cushions had been placed outside, on which a number of dogs were snoozing happily in the last of the evening sunshine. Hope added her Range Rover to a little row of matching vehicles under an all-weather shelter on the far side of the yard and they got out. Sooty and Sweep were already pressed up against the rear window, their breath fogging the glass as they panted to be let out. The moment they were released, they raced across the yard to engage in a doggy dance of barks and greetings before they and their companions flopped down in a pile of tails and noses in the middle of the cushions.
A man with an impressive salt-and-pepper mane of hair flowing down to his shoulders appeared at the door holding two champagne flutes. He was dressed casually in a pair of faded jeans and an open-necked shirt. His feet were bare, and several beaded bracelets clacked together on one wrist. ‘Ah ha! I assumed the racket just now was to announce your arrival.’ He handed the first flute to Hope in exchange for a kiss on the cheek. ‘Hello, darling. You’ll be pleased to know that final batch came out perfectly.’
