Page 100 of Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

Chapter 40

SUMMER STORMS AND SEARCHING

‘Right then, I’ve got it all tidied up in the kitchen now.’ Jill came back over to the Pudding Pantry, where Rachel was putting away the last bits of stock she’d brought back from the show. ‘It was a bit chaotic getting organised this morning, what with all the last-minute baking and stuff to take,’ Jill continued.

Rachel felt a sense of nervous anticipation – she was about to sit down and count up the stall’s takings. ‘That’s good. Where’s Maisy by the way?’ she asked.

‘Ah, I thought she was here with you.’

‘Nope, I thought she was in the farmhouse with you.’

‘Oh, I see …’

‘Okay, no worries, she was with me a short while ago,’ Rachel confirmed. ‘She’s probably just playing somewhere close by. Maybe on her slide in the garden, though it looks like it’s about to pour it down out there.’ The sky had turned an ominous leaden grey, with late-summer storm clouds brewing. ‘I’ll go find her.’

Rachel headed for the garden, calling, ‘Maisy, Maisy.’

There was no answer, and as Rachel peered over the hedge and into the garden there was no sign of her there either. Hmm, maybe she’d gone to check the hens for eggs, seeing as they’d been out all day. After going to the chicken coop with no luck, Rachel began to feel concerned. Maisy hadn’t said anything about going to do something in particular, and she usually stuck close to her or Jill at all times.

Big plops of rain began to fall as Rachel made her way back to her mum in the barn. ‘It’s odd, there’s no sign of her.’

With that, a crack of thunder went off like a shotgun, with a boom that shook the barn.

‘Oh my,’ said Jill.

‘Right, we’d better get looking further.’ Maisy hated storms and Rachel knew she’d be frightened, wherever she was.

‘Maybe she’s gone upstairs in the house, up to her room or something, and I just hadn’t noticed?’ Jill said.

‘Yes, perhaps. We were both so busy getting things straight after the show. I just took my eyes off her for a few minutes, and I’d assumed she’d gone to you.’

‘Don’t worry, love. She won’t be far,’ Jill said reassuringly.

‘Well, if you go back and check through the house, I’ll try the lambing shed and the outbuildings here. We both have our phones, yeah, so the first to find her can ring the other.’

‘Yes, okay, will do.’

They split up and Rachel checked the Pudding Pantry again, calling out Maisy’s name, then the lambing shed, then the cattle shed and a small outbuilding next to it that they rarely used. The only other building in the farmyard was the old stable. Just the sight of it made Rachel’s gut twist. But she knew she had to check it out in case Maisy had somehow found her way in. With some trepidation, she fetched the padlock key from the farm kitchen. She could hear Jill padding about upstairs, calling Maisy’s name.

Rachel headed across the yard and took the padlock off the stable door. She took a deep breath before giving it a push. It was dark in there as the old wooden door creaked open. She flicked on the electric bulb, and felt her chest restrict as the place that haunted her nightmares and fears came into focus. She called Maisy’s name again, somewhat shakily, and looked around all the nooks and crannies – but still no sign of her daughter.

She found Jill back out in the yard.

‘Any luck?’

‘No sign of her in the house.’ Jill was looking concerned now.

‘Nor in the outbuildings. Mum, she was really quiet and upset in the car as we came home … about Jake not coming back to see her. I’m worried, Mum, it’s not like her to go off.’

Shit. Rachel felt sick to the pit of her stomach. What if something had happened to her?

‘Okay love, let’s just stay calm and think of any other places she might go.’

‘Eve’s, she might try and go there. To see Amelia or something. I’ll ring them.’

Her heart was racing as she dialled her friend’s number, hoping that that was the answer. But no, Eve said she hadn’t seen her since the show. Rachel was trying not to panic now, but the fear was mounting and making her feel light-headed.

‘Hang on,’ Eve’s voice came down the line. ‘Ben says he’ll come and help look for her with you. I’ll stay here with Amelia in case she turns up here.’