‘I’m saying you’re not happy, I’m not happy, we could both do with a fresh start and this could be it. I think we should go into business together.’
Looking at my mam, her eyes shining with evident excitement, and glancing back at the phone screen, my heart pounded. Could we really do it? Could we buy a farm and run it together? At that moment, I couldn’t think of a single reason why not.
4
‘Why am I feeling so nervous?’ I said to Mam as we drove up the track to Hazelwick Farm the following morning.
‘Because it’s exciting. What happens next could change everything for both of us.’
It certainly could. As soon as we arrived back at Parsley Meadows yesterday afternoon, we’d scrolled through the photos on Mam’s computer, eager to see them on a larger screen, before phoning the estate agent to book a viewing. I’d wanted to get Maddie involved but her reaction had been a familiar one.
‘We’renotmoving house.’
She’d said that when I told her I was putting our Twyford home on the market because her dad wanted his share of the sale proceeds to buy himself a new house. She’d repeated it each time I told her we had a viewing and again on Friday when I told her Laurie and I had accepted the offer. Burying her head in the sand wasn’t going to change things. The housewasselling and, as soon as she finished her A level exams, we’d be moving. We had no choice.
‘I wish Maddie had changed her mind and joined us,’ I said to Mam.
‘She probably doesn’t think we’re serious. If we like what we see today and decide to make an offer, perhaps we can convince her to join us for a second viewing before you leave on Sunday.’
There were fields either side of the farm track and a myriad of outbuildings ahead of us. Following the estate agent’s instructions, we drove through an open gateway and took the track to the right, past the farmyard and various barns. After passing a sign marked ‘private’, we entered the accommodation part of the farm.
The farmhouse was directly ahead of us but side on to give uninterrupted views from the front across the countryside. There was a sizeable porch facing us – a boot and cloakroom according to the sales particulars. As we were parking, the door opened and a blonde-haired woman stepped out.
‘Mrs Garstang?’ I asked as I exited the car. She looked like she might be in her early sixties, a few years younger than Mam.
‘Anna, please,’ she said.
‘I’m Grace and this is my mam, Frances.’
As Anna shook our hands, a tan-coloured dog with a black back came tearing out of the farmhouse and circled our legs. I recognised him as a Lakeland terrier – small, short-haired and originally bred in the Lake District as a working dog. He was clearly very affectionate, his tail wagging as I stroked his ears.
‘Scampi! Inside!’ Anna instructed, and he obediently ran back to the farmhouse.
‘What would you like to see first?’ Anna asked. ‘Farm, café or house?’
‘Farm,’ I said, as Mam answered, ‘Café.’
Anna laughed. ‘How about we imagine you’re day visitors and I take you round the farm the way they’d see it?’
We followed her to the farmyard. She pointed out the visitor parking spaces and explained that the entrance to the farm was through the café where customers paid their admission fee.
‘This is the café,’ Anna said once we were inside. ‘My little slice of heaven.’
It was beautifully fitted out with sturdy oak tables and comfortable-looking chairs. The serving area was spacious with cake display fridges beneath an oak counter, a state-of-the-art coffee machine and several top-quality drinks fridges.
‘It all looks good as new,’ Mam said.
‘No expense spared and I take great pride in my workplace.’ That was obvious from the shine in her eyes and the smile on her face.
She led us into the kitchen and told us we were welcome to open the drawers and cupboards.
‘All the equipment is included in the sale,’ she said. ‘My husband, Doug, and I are retiring to Spain. No point moving it all there.’
I gazed around me, taking in a pair of industrial ovens, an enormous fridge-freezer, a restaurant-standard dishwasher and several stainless-steel food preparation areas.
‘Wow!’ Mam mouthed to me as we opened a wide door, revealing a sizeable pantry with sturdy racking on three sides.
It was extremely impressive. If we went for it, Mam would be in her element baking in here.
