Page 46 of Just for the Season

For eleven-year-old boys, though, not thirty-five-year-old women?

I reply:

Fair point.

I’m smiling.

She concludes:

See you tomorrow with a non-Star-Wars-themed fish pie.

And I smile again.

* * *

As half six approaches the next evening, I find myself hovering in the kitchen, with my ear out for the doorbell, and am forced to admit to myself that it’s so that when the bell does ring, I’ll get there before Ruby and get the chance to have a brief chat with Frankie.

She arrives just after six thirty. When I open the front door, she’s standing there holding a large, foil-covered dish. I usher her inside and ask if she’d like a cup of tea.

‘Are you sure?’ she asks. ‘Will I not be getting in the way of family time?’

‘Sam’s doing his homework at a table in the family room, and Ruby’s in her bedroom, which is where she spends a lot of her time now,’ I tell her. ‘I’m going to force them to play a game or watch TV with me later but for now there’s no family time whatsoever going on.’

‘In that case, I will happily intrude for a few minutes.’

We go into the kitchen together and I open the door of the oven, which I’ve preheated, and she takes the foil off the top of the pie and puts it in.

‘Half an hour should do it,’ she says.

‘I think I might whip up some broccoli to go with it,’ I say. ‘Maybe also some spinach.’

‘Impressive. You’re a mighty fine chef.’

‘Certainly am.’ I grin at her and turn the kettle on. ‘What kind of tea do you like? Or coffee? As a mighty fine chef, I can offer—’ I go and look in my cupboard ‘—English breakfast and nothing else. I should really get some more in.’

Frankie laughs. ‘English breakfast is perfect.’

‘So how’s your day been?’ I ask once we’re sitting at the table with mugs of tea.

‘Well… I don’t want to moan. I mean, I really don’t. But, also, yeah. A little slow. You know. Apparently Monday isn’t a very happening day at Simon’s café. Apart from the morning rush. And a bit at lunchtime. But, yeah. A lot of downtime. And I really shouldn’t complain. I mean, I’m incredibly lucky to have the job, obviously. And Simon’s lovely. As is the café. As are all the residents. Most of them, anyway. But, you know, I’m used to being really busy the whole time.’

‘Can you read? Or… do stuff on your laptop?’

‘Yes, definitely. I’ve been doing some party planning. And trying to think about alternative careers. And… yeah, other stuff. You know. But, yeah, no, it’s all good. I think partly it’s because in my old job, which was working in the head office of a Central London real estate business, so basically a fancy estate agency, I was out and about quite a lot. I’m finding it a little bit difficult being inside all day, and in the same place.’

‘I can imagine,’ I say. ‘I went to university – studied History and Politics – and tried my hand as a lawyer in London for a few years, and basically hated it, for some of the reasons you’re mentioning – obviously not the lack of busyness, but the rest of it – and so I left and became a farm manager.’

‘When did you move here?’

‘This was my father’s farm and after we lost my mother last year he suddenly decided that he didn’t want to be tied to the land any more but wanted to travel while he was still young enough, so I’ve taken the farm on. He’s now on a six-month-long cruise around South-East Asia, and having a great time. And I have to say I love running my own farm. I’m very lucky because I do have a manager so am not entirely tied to the land.’

‘And…’ Frankie looks over both shoulders, very theatrically, before saying in a low voice, ‘You do of course have your secret spying to keep you occupied.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Yes, of course.’ For a mad moment, looking into her gorgeous hazel eyes, I contemplate telling her about my actual main job. It’s interesting, and I think she’d like to hear about it, and it’s a little boring not being able to tell anyone. Not that it’s super exciting. But… no. Maybe if we were to become very close friends and I fully trusted her. But not now.

‘So how’s the party planning going?’ I ask instead.

‘Amazingly well, because I’ve had so much time to devote to it. We’re going full Bonfire Night – Halloween mashup. I have everything sorted. Guest list, church hall booked, caterer sorted and fully instructed on themed food, decorations ordered. Pumpkin carving will be getting underway in due course. Everything. It’s going to be the best-planned party you’ve ever been to.’