‘I’m through here, in the bedroom,’ the voice called out and she dashed through, hoping he hadn’t fallen or hurt himself. But she needn’t have worried, he was lying in bed looking perfectly fine.
‘I did knock at the door,’ she explained.
‘Don’t look so worried about me, nothing wrong with a sleep-in once in a while.’
‘Fair enough, but it’s not like you, that’s all.’
‘Things have changed, Melissa, you know that.’
She did but she wasn’t going to humour him. ‘How about I make your favourite breakfast?’ She didn’t wait for an answer before heading to the kitchen to do just that. She and Harvey had shared bacon butties this morning at first light before they quietly arrived at Barney’s property and put their plan into action. Yesterday after Harvey picked her up from the inn, they’d dashed about collecting supplies to decorate the barn, and after a good four hours of hard work this morning there was only one thing left to do. Show Barney.
Thirty minutes later and Barney was seated at the farmhouse table he’d had ever since she was a little girl, back when it had been him cooking the eggy bread.
‘So to what do I owe this pleasure?’ he asked when he was almost done with the surprise breakfast. She’d squeezed some fresh apple juice using the press too and he took a thirsty sip. ‘Are you so bored over there at the inn that you have to come and see an old man this early?’
‘I’m in Heritage Cove to see you, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. And it’s nine o’clock, hardly early.’
‘In all the years I’ve known you, Melissa, you were never a morning person. And you’re worse in the winter.’
‘True fact. But I’ve grown up, got a job, you know, responsibilities as an adult.’
‘I still like to remember you and Harvey as kids, more fun that way.’ He’d only just picked up the final piece before she whipped away his plate and plunged it into the soapy suds in the sink. ‘What’s the urgency?’ He observed her looking at her watch for the umpteenth time.
‘You’ll see,’ Harvey grinned, coming in through the back door before Melissa could answer the question. ‘Now go and get dressed.’
Barney rolled his eyes and with the help of his walking frame shuffled off to do as he’d been asked.
When he came back to join them Melissa decided to take charge and do without the frame, instead linking her arm through his before heading outside, through the gap in the trees, over to the barn.
Harvey waited in front of the wooden doors. ‘Are you ready?’
‘What is all this?’ Barney had never liked being kept in the dark.
Melissa still had a hold of his arm in hers. ‘You know you mean the world to the both of us and this year we are honoured that you trust us to organise the ball. I know you were hesitant to let it happen here, but we want to show you how special it’s going to be.’
When Harvey opened up the doors Melissa watched Barney’s reaction. It was clear he hadn’t expected to see anything all that different to the usual empty wooden beams up above, the odd hay bale lying on its side here and there, straw strewn across the floor, the apple press in the corner with the side table, a basket of apples waiting to be dealt with. Eyes wide, he took in the scene that looked set for the annual ball already. Instead of bare wood everywhere, white linen had been wound around the rafters hanging low enough to create a makeshift ceiling with the effect of clouds billowing, the gaps between like a vast sky of possibility. Harvey’s mum had helped them out with sourcing the material, she had a contact who’d jumped at the chance to help the local community. Hay bales were piled more strategically than usual, the stage had been cleared of detritus – empty apple trays, a few tools, an empty wicker basket or two – and instead had three music stands as well as a chair, and it was easy to envisage a band playing first the songs that got everyone up and moving, then those that spoke of the love in the room as they slowed the tempo right down.
Melissa had sourced white bunting, which looped along the walls, as well as fairy lights, running across horizontal beams and wrapped around those that were vertical. On top of tables Melissa had arranged vases of delicate lisianthus that wouldn’t last until the day of the ball but she’d replace them, it was worth a bit of added expense to have the floral decorations here now. The chairs had big white bows tied around their backs, Benjamin from the pub had donated two old wooden barrels that he and Harvey had brought down here earlier than anyone else in the Cove would’ve been up this morning while Melissa kept watch to make sure they weren’t sprung by Barney. Now, the wooden barrels had tealights in mason jars on top and one would, on the day of the event, also have a collection box for any further donations to White Clover. A couple of days ago at Melissa’s request Tracy had donated a big photo album that had never been used, and now it was sitting on the second barrel by the doors to the barn, along with a pen pushed into a wooden holder ready for guests to sign in and leave a message marking the occasion.
Melissa began to walk backwards, hand outstretched. ‘It won’t be long before this barn is once again filled with people from Heritage Cove, everyone you know and love, Barney.’ She went over to him. ‘This year while you recover you can be as involved as you like. We won’t force it, but I’d really like to follow tradition. You always dance with me. I don’t care if you need holding up, I want that dance.’
‘Well…’ he cleared his throat. ‘I suppose I can’t argue with that.’
Harvey was letting her take the lead but was watching the exchange the whole time and she smiled over to him. Had their efforts paid off?
She turned back to Barney. ‘Would you try, for me? Maybe go through the exercises some more, make an effort?’
‘I can do that for you.’
She smiled. ‘Some of my fondest memories are of this barn and the ball, I’m only sorry I missed out on so many years before coming back to see it again for myself.’
‘You’re here now,’ Barney replied, taking her hand in his, ‘that’s all that matters.’
*
Seeing Barney’s reaction this morning had justified this visit even more strongly for Melissa. Barney and Heritage Cove were very much a part of her, she’d just shut them away for a little while, a bit like hiding under the bed covers when you were scared. She’d been frightened to confront a place that held not only special memories but painful ones she wanted to run away from. But being back here, she realised she couldn’t do that any longer.
She left the inn after having lunch out in the garden – a ploughman’s Sandy had piled with cheese, ham, pickles and chunky wedges of bread. She’d had her lunch with sunglasses on, the newspaper laid out in front of her as though she was reading, but her mind had been on what was coming next.
