MELODY
Before everyone had arrived, Melody had checked all the tote bags were neatly stacked discreetly behind the small desk they had set up just inside the large barn door. They were ready for Phyllis to hand out to each attendee after they had paid their entry fee to Kathleen.
Melody was relieved to have a lot to keep her mind off her situation and was looking forward to giving her first yoga class in the lower paddock near the meadow. It was such a beautiful day and the stunning views across the fields would add atmosphere to the lesson.
Everything seemed to have started off well and she hoped they had thought of everything. The stallholders and all business owners or vendors taking part had signed an agreement to pay five per cent of their takings over the two days to the farm at the end of the second day. So far everything was going very well and Melody hoped it stayed that way. They had all been nervous that morning over an early breakfast in the kitchen with only a little bit of chatter from Lettie and Zac, who were doing their best to encourage the rest of them to be enthusiastic and enjoy the festival rather than worry too much about it.
Melody hadn’t missed the siblings’ nervousness though and knew both were putting on a brave face, as was she. They all knew this festival had to make money. The roof needed to be repaired and she thought of the blue tarpaulin Zac had helped Gareth and his brother Leonard fix up there a few weeks before. Hopefully none of the attendees would notice it, but even if they did, she reasoned, it might spark their sympathy for the lovely Torel family and encourage them to spend just that little bit more than they otherwise might have done.
She glanced at her watch. She had just under an hour before her first yoga class would begin and she was nervous. Melody wasn’t sure why she would be. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done this sort of thing many times before. She waved at Lindy when she spotted her looking in her direction from the other side of the barn. Then, looking to her right, saw Phyllis and Kathleen watching her and speaking about something.
For a second she couldn’t work out if she might have forgotten something. Did she still have slippers on, or something? She glanced down at her feet and saw with relief that she was wearing her trainers. Zac came out of the storeroom carrying several yoga mats and gave her a nod. She hurried over, wanting to help him set up for her demonstration with the class she was soon to take.
‘Let me help you with those,’ she said, taking them from him.
He rested an arm on her shoulder and peered into her eyes. ‘Everything OK, Melody?’
‘Yes, of course.’
She turned and took the mats to the wall at the back of the area set aside for her class, unsure why everyone was behaving oddly towards her. Then it dawned on her. The rest of them were all concerned about her and no doubt worried about how she would cope if Rhys turned up again.
She thought back to how she had needed to clear up their trashed living room on a couple of occasions and was only too aware he didn’t bother to hold back when he lost his temper. She had seen the fury on his face when he realised there was a connection between her and Zac. Rhys wasn’t stupid though and would definitely notice that she wasn’t the only one to see his reaction.
But would he be stupid enough to risk causing any drama during the festival, especially knowing the others would suspect he might reappear? The realisation calmed her slightly. She was going to have to trust that nothing would happen while the event was taking place and focus on the jobs allotted to her. She, Lettie and the rest of the volunteers had spent far too much time and effort bringing the event to life to waste any of it fretting about Rhys.
She thought about the others keeping an eye on her and felt comforted to know they were around, even if the chances of Rhys turning up were small. What a lovely community this was, she mused, and how lucky she was that they had taken her so quickly under their collective wing.
She saw Zac returning with more mats and went to fetch the final few.
‘Zac,’ she heard Lindy calling as their paths crossed. ‘Come and see who I’ve just been talking to.’
‘On my way, Mum,’ Zac said, pulling a weary face at Melody, making her laugh.
She fetched the final few mats and as she carried them back to stack on the other ones, she thought back to Zac’s comment about them still being married and felt her mood dip. Legally they were still tied together and it was her own fault. However, she had been too desperate to get away from him to spend time booking an appointment with a lawyer and getting separation papers drafted up. Not that Rhys would have signed themanyway. He seemed to specialise in doing the opposite of what she needed him to do.
She took a calming breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She could do this. She had got away from him once before and now she had people other than her grandmother to support her. New friends only too willing to back her up. And Zac was one of them.
She pictured the fury on Rhys’s face when he had noticed Zac’s arm around her. Maybe part of Rhys’s fury had been because Zac wasn’t only with her but that he was clearly fit and strong. Well, she thought, hopefully that would be enough of a deterrent to stop the weasel coming to Hollyhock Farm again.
Melody noticed one of the stallholders giving her a wave and walked over to her. ‘Is something the matter?’ she asked the girl selling organic vitamins and vegan facial cleansers and creams.
‘I was wondering if you might watch my stall while I go to my car and fetch another box of these,’ she said, pointing to the body lotions. ‘It never occurred to me I could sell so many.’ She laughed. ‘I only hope I’ll have enough for tomorrow.’
Melody smiled. ‘I’d be happy to. You’d better explain to me what I need to know before you go. I don’t want to lose you any customers.’
The woman began explaining about her products and what they were used for and Melody quickly realised there was far too much information to take in. She grimaced. ‘Sorry, but I think it might be better if you give me your car keys and let me know the make and colour, and number plate of your car.’
The woman nodded. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. As long as you don’t mind going for me?’
‘Not at all. I’ll have to get a move on though because I need to go and change for a class I’m giving in half an hour.’
The woman took a deep breath. ‘If you wouldn’t mind fetching the box for me. There’s only the one in the boot ofthe car. It’ll be quite heavy and I wouldn’t want you to strain yourself.’
Melody smiled. ‘I’m stronger than I probably look.’ Two young women walked up to the stall and looked at the produce. ‘Better give me those car keys.’
Once she had them in her hand and the number plate for the woman’s car, Melody left the barn. She could hear a lot of chatter and laughter coming from the smaller building next door. She noticed there was already a queue to the door for the pop-up café area where Lettie’s friend Tina was selling healthy snacks and drinks alongside Bethan, a girl she had been introduced to a few days before who also worked at Brodie’s veterinary practice.
It was good to see people having a fun time and it also meant more money for the repairs, she thought cheerfully as she turned down the pathway between the two barns that led to one of the fields Gareth had kept free for parking. They had decided that people would need to park as close to the venue as possible, in case they had difficulties walking, or if it did rain after all, and now that Melody was in a rush to find one of the cars she was relieved she didn’t have to walk too far to get there.
