Hope Blooms in Tuppenny Bridge (Tuppenny Bridge #5)

Chapter 7

SEVEN

Neither Noah nor Daisy had specifically said anything to each other about not meeting up in Tuppenny Bridge, yet somehow they both knew it wouldn’t be a good idea. When, as they said goodnight at the party, Noah had casually offered to pick Daisy up on the Sunday morning, he hadn’t stated where. But when Daisy equally casually mentioned that she’d be at the bus stop in Larkspur Common at ten o’clock, he’d not seemed surprised and had merely nodded and said he’d see her then.

As Daisy got off the bus and settled herself on a bench in the shelter—thankfully empty at this time of the morning—she had to admit that, if anyone knew about their arrangement it would look bad. No one would buy their just good friends routine. Not when they’d deliberately chosen to meet away from Tuppenny Bridge. The more she thought about it the hotter she felt, even as she repeatedly assured herself that they were doing nothing wrong. She and Noah genuinely were just friends. She wasn’t expecting anything else, and she honestly didn’t think Noah was the sort of man who’d engage in anything shady.

Even so, it made sense to keep their hiking trips a secret. She wouldn’t want to cause trouble for him with Isobel, and she thought Noah’s wife wouldn’t take kindly to him spending time with another woman, even though she would surely know her own husband well enough to believe there was nothing going on. Anyway, she didn’t want to damage his reputation. People were always so quick to assume the worst. And in a town like Tuppenny Bridge gossip ran riot. It was the last thing either of them needed.

She was half expecting him not to show. Maybe, if she was feeling this uncertain, he was feeling just as unsure. Probably more so, because he was the one who was married, with a lot more to lose than she had, and because she knew how honourable he was.

She didn’t ask herself how she knew that. She just did. People could say what they liked but she wasn’t buying Isobel’s story about him controlling her. It didn’t add up.

When the car pulled up and she saw Noah waving to her, she ignored the little flutterings in her stomach and jumped to her feet, dragging her backpack with her.

‘Bang on time! I hope you’ve brought that flask of tea,’ she joked, climbing into the passenger seat. ‘I think we’ll need it today.’

Noah, in a fleecy jumper and jeans, grinned at her. ‘Two flasks of tea,’ he said. ‘I thought I’d make one just for you because you drank nearly all my share last time.’ He nodded at the sky. ‘Not so hot and sunny today, is it? I hope we don’t get rain.’

‘Have you brought a waterproof just in case?’ she asked.

‘I have. I’m prepared this time. I’ve brought sandwiches and everything,’ he assured her.

‘You’re learning. Come on then, let’s get going.’

When they arrived in the pretty market town of East Midham around half an hour later, they weren’t surprised to see how busy it was, even though the market wasn’t open on Sundays.

First of all, the town itself was stunning; all pretty stone cottages and houses set on a slight incline which led up to the main focus of the place—East Midham Castle. The castle was owned and managed by ECHOES—The Enterprise for Conservation of Historic Old English Sites—and was a popular tourist destination in its own right.

As well as the quaint little shops, the castle, and several popular pubs, the nearby racing stable brought in many curious visitors, eager to catch a glimpse of the racehorses on the gallops. Then there was the stunning countryside all around the town. Pure Yorkshire Dales with its hills and woodland, rivers, and pastureland. And, of course, the walking trails which passed by and through East Midham, attracting thousands of eager hikers every year.

‘Why do I come here so rarely?’ Noah pondered aloud as they walked from the car park to the crossroads in the main street. ‘I’d forgotten how lovely it is here.’

‘I think it’s easy to take a place for granted when it’s on your doorstep,’ Daisy admitted. ‘It’s only when I moved to Leeds that I realised how lucky I’d been to grow up in the Dales, and that was when the pining for home really set in. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to be back.’

‘I can imagine.’

She saw him looking at her and felt suddenly self-conscious, dressed as she was in an old turquoise sweatshirt and faded blue jeans, her dark hair swept up in a ponytail.

‘I just can’t picture you living and working in a city,’ he admitted. ‘You’re a country girl through and through, and I can see how much you love it here.’

‘Are you calling me a yokel, Mr Lavender?’ she joked.

‘No! God, no, I didn’t mean…’

Clearly noticing the amusement in her eyes, he sighed. ‘You’re winding me up again, aren’t you?’

‘Told you you’d be easy,’ she reminded him, nudging him.

He gave her a wry grin, a faint blush on his cheeks. ‘So which route are we following then?’

‘It’s a circular route,’ she explained. ‘Not that long, but it will take us out into the fields, through the woods, and bring us back to East Midham, but at the north of the town. We’ll end up a bit further up this street and we can pop into the castle for a look around before we head back down here to the car park.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ he said.

She looked up at the sky. ‘Keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off. Some of the paths will get very muddy if it doesn’t and I haven’t brought my wellies.’ She grinned at him, and he thought that, even if it poured down, it would still be a fun day. Nothing could dampen the delight of being out in such an amazing place with such good company.

‘Right then. Let’s go.’

They headed right, away from the main street, and soon found themselves out in the countryside, with only the odd stone cottage to break up the views of open fields and distant hills.

As they walked, they chatted about Dolly’s party, laughing again at her fake surprise, and wondering what extravaganza she’d plan for her sixtieth. Noah told her about his great aunt’s eightieth birthday last year, which she’d only managed to keep quiet after bribing Rita and Birdie Pennyfeather with their own private party.

‘She said she didn’t want the whole town knowing she was turning eighty,’ he explained, holding open a gate for Daisy to walk through. ‘She reckoned if people got wind of it, they’d want to put her out to grass, and she’s no intention of giving up her place on the parish council, let alone loosening her grip on anything else. But she knew the Pennyfeather sisters were dying for a party, so she promised them that if they kept their mouths shut, they could throw a party for her at Lavender House. She even let them have full reign over decorations and food.’ He laughed. ‘You can imagine what happened with that! Her living room looked like a rainbow had exploded. She was horrified!’

Daisy chuckled at the thought of it. ‘Was anyone else invited?’

‘Absolutely no one was there except Aunt Eugenie, Rita, Birdie, me and Ross. Even Kat wasn’t told about it, and of course, it was before Ross got back together with Clemmie.’

There was one glaring admission there but neither he nor Daisy referred to it. Whatever reason Isobel had given for not attending he clearly didn’t want to explain, and Daisy wouldn’t ask.

‘Well, however it looked I’m sure it tasted okay,’ she said. ‘I’ve heard the Pennyfeathers are pretty good at baking.’

‘It wasn’t too bad,’ he acknowledged. ‘Trouble was, they used food colouring in everything. Even the sponge cake was blue, which was a bit off-putting. Reminded me of eating mould. If you could get past that, though, it was okay. You just had to eat with your eyes closed.’

The broad grin on his face warmed her heart. It was good to see him looking relaxed for a change.

According to the website, the East Midham Circular Walk was supposed to take around three hours at a steady pace. They’d decided to stop for lunch after an hour and a half, but in the end, it was two and a half hours before they took a break, having enjoyed the scenery on the route, and being so busy chatting that they’d lost track of time. It was after one o’clock, therefore, before they stopped, deciding that the views from the hill were so stunning it would make sense to linger for a while.

Daisy had to acknowledge that Noah had thought of everything when he pulled a picnic rug from his backpack and spread it on the ground.

‘Oh, wow. Look at you! How far you’ve come,’ she said, impressed.

‘I know! And I made all my own sandwiches too.’ His eyes twinkled as he unpacked a plastic lunchbox and held it up in the air. ‘Chicken salad, and ham and tomato,’ he announced. ‘I called at Maister’s yesterday for supplies. I have crisps, too, if you fancy some.’

‘I do,’ she admitted. ‘I can never say no to crisps. I’ve got ham and tomato sandwiches, too. Great minds, eh? And I’ve brought some slices of quiche Lorraine, and also something special—but I’ll keep that a secret for now.’

‘Not, by any chance, the fabled white chocolate and caramel cake?’

She widened her eyes in mock surprise. ‘How on earth did you guess?’

‘Daisy, you’re a star,’ he told her, laughing.

‘I aim to please.’ She bowed then sank down onto the picnic rug beside him. ‘Oh, wow, Noah. Just look at that view.’

‘It is incredible,’ he admitted, as they gazed down upon the lush, green fields, the River Skimmer sparkling below them and, in the distance, the turrets of East Midham Castle, surrounded by the rooftops of the cottages and shops that had sprung up around it over the centuries.

‘We’re so lucky,’ she said, meaning it. The short time she’d spent living in an urban semi-detached house, walking through city streets every day, had ensured that she’d never again take living in the Yorkshire Dales for granted. She’d had enough of concrete pavements, and skylines broken by blocks of flats, industrial chimneys, and huge, ugly factories and warehouses to last a lifetime.

‘We are,’ he said abruptly and bit into a sandwich. She saw the clouds pass over the sun and shivered.

‘So, what was it like?’ she asked, deciding to return to lighter subjects. ‘Growing up at Lavender House, I mean. You must have had a field day, running around in such a big place. Were there any secret passages or anything else exciting?’ She chewed her ham and tomato sandwich, watching him thoughtfully.

He hesitated a moment then said, ‘It was all right.’

‘All right? Is that it?’ she teased.

‘Well, it was a museum, remember,’ he said. ‘We knew perfectly well that most of the rooms were off limits, and at night they were all locked up and secured. There are security guards and alarm systems all over the place. Don’t forget, we have some original paintings by Josiah Lavender in there. The insurance is sky high, so there’s no way two kids were going to be allowed free run of the place.’

‘Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten about that. Not such a fun place then,’ Daisy agreed.

‘But the bits we were allowed into were okay,’ he said. ‘And the grounds were great. We had loads of fun in the gardens, especially with the maze. Even so… It probably wasn’t as much fun as you’d expect it to be. Luckily, we both made friends nearby and had a better time wandering around Tuppenny Bridge with them. We spent a lot of time at Monk’s Folly—that’s the name of the house where the art academy is now. Ross was friends with Ben Callaghan, and I—I hung out with his older brother, Leon, and with Jonah.’

‘I heard about Leon Callaghan,’ she confessed. ‘Kat says there’s going to be a memorial service at All Hallows for him in October. I’m so sorry about what happened to him.’

‘Yes, well.’ He gazed down into the valley below and shrugged. ‘It was a long time ago.’

Daisy had also heard that Kat and Isobel hung out with the three boys, but clearly Noah hadn’t wanted to mention that, so she said nothing.

‘What was Miss Lavender like when you were little?’ she asked, hoping it was enough of a change of subject.

She was relieved when the smile returned to his face, and he glanced over at her. ‘Probably nowhere near as bad as you’re imagining,’ he said. ‘Yes, she could be strict, but she needed to be. Ross and I were a bit rowdy at times. After all, we were young and she was—well, not to put too fine a point on it—she was middle aged and set in her ways even then. She got landed with us after all. She’d never expected to be raising two children at her age, so I think she did amazingly well.’

‘But she wanted to?’ Daisy asked curiously. ‘I mean, it was her choice to raise you?’

‘I think so,’ he said, sounding unsure. ‘I don’t honestly think our parents left her much choice. My mother skipped off to the US when I was very young, and Dad got stuck with me. He wasn’t interested, even less so when he married again, and then Ross came along. My stepmother didn’t want me either. I didn’t take it personally. She didn’t particularly want Ross, her own child. They were so absorbed in their mind games with each other they didn’t have time to bother with children. Aunt Eugenie stepped in and saved us really. She offered to take us on, and they practically bit her hand off. We’ve rarely seen them since. I haven’t seen my mother since I was a teenager, and Ross has only seen his mum a couple of times in the last few years. As for Dad—Lord knows what he’s up to now. He’s so irrelevant to our lives I don’t think either of us cares.’

‘That’s such a shame,’ Daisy said, so wrapped up in his story that she’d quite forgotten to finish her sandwich and was holding it aloft, half-eaten.

‘Worse things have happened to other people,’ he said casually. ‘What about you? I know your dad passed away, but what about your mum?’

‘Oh, she died years ago,’ Daisy said. It didn’t hurt to say that anymore. Far too much time had passed, and her mum was just a vaguely pleasant memory from long, long ago. ‘I barely remember her,’ she admitted.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he told her, but she merely shrugged.

‘Have some quiche?’ she offered.

They continued eating in silence for a while, watching the sheep on the hillside and the occasional birds swooping over the landscape.

‘What was it like for you?’ he asked at last. ‘Growing up on a farm.’

Daisy hardly registered the question. ‘Shall we get on?’ she asked, casting a worried look at the sky. ‘It’s definitely darkening, and I’ve an awful feeling the rain isn’t going to—’ She broke off as a few spots of rain landed on her arm. ‘Uh-oh. Told you.’

‘We’d better pack up,’ he agreed.

They scrambled to their feet, hastily putting what remained of the food and drink in their backpacks and dragging out their waterproof jackets. Noah rolled up the picnic rug and stuffed it away as Daisy zipped up her jacket.

Trying to ignore the heavy clouds and drops of rain they followed the path down the hill and along the valley, crossing the footbridge over the Skimmer and heading back towards East Midham.

‘Oh, heck,’ Daisy said, grimacing as the rain began to fall heavier. She pulled up her hood and glanced at Noah. ‘We’d better pick up the pace.’

By the time they reached the north end of the main street they were drenched and abandoned all thoughts of exploring the castle ruins. Instead, they ran into The Castle Keep, a pub just a few minutes’ walk from the heritage site.

It was heaving. Clearly, quite a few people had taken shelter in there, too. Daisy looked around and spotted a table in the corner of the bar that hadn’t yet been cleared but seemed to be empty. She gestured to Noah and picked her way between the occupied tables, reaching it just as a rumble of thunder sounded overhead.

‘Phew, just in time,’ Noah said, dropping his backpack and shoving it under the table.

There were two empty beer glasses and a puddle of beer on the table, as well as a soaked beer mat.

Daisy unzipped her wet jacket and hung it over a spare chair.

‘I’ll get us a drink,’ Noah said, ‘and I’ll ask for a cloth while I’m there. What would you like to drink?’

‘Just a Coke will do fine,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

He headed to the bar and Daisy glanced out of the window, noting that the street was almost empty of people now. The sky was dark and threatening, and even as she watched a flash of lightning momentarily brightened the sky.

Noah, she noticed, was standing at the bar, chatting to the barmaid. A moment later she handed him a cloth and said something else to him before he made his way back to the table.

‘She’s going to bring our drinks over to us,’ he announced, carefully mopping up the beer puddle and wringing the cloth over one of the empty glasses. He wiped up the stains on the table and wrung the cloth again before putting it to one side.

Pulling a face, he rubbed his hands on his jeans and sighed.

‘You just missed the lightning,’ Daisy told him.

‘Really? Good job we made it in here then. What a shame. It’s not like the weather we had on our last walk, is it?’

‘I still enjoyed it though,’ she told him.

‘Me, too,’ he said. ‘And there’s always next time.’

Next time? Daisy’s stomach did a somersault, and she bit her lip. What the hell was wrong with her? But he’d said it so casually, as if it was a given.

What was this anyway? Were they hiking buddies? Friends who happened to like walking? They’d gone from exchanging pleasantries in her café to… This. Whatever this was.

The barmaid came over with their drinks. Hands suddenly ridiculously trembly, Daisy managed to pass the empty beer glasses, complete with cloth, to her in exchange.

Unexpectedly feeling self-conscious in Noah’s presence, she took a gulp of Coke just as he said, ‘So, what were you going to say?’

She swallowed hastily and stared at him. ‘About what?’

He grinned. ‘Well, to be fair it was a conversation we started ages ago. I asked you what it was like for you growing up on a farm, and you were about to tell me.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Was I? Are you sure?’

‘Oh, you don’t get out of it that easily,’ he said. ‘I told you about growing up at Lavender House, so fair’s fair. Where was the farm again? Somewhere near Camacker, right?’

‘Just outside Beckthwaite,’ she said heavily. ‘Crowscar Farm. It was hard work, if you must know. Tom and I were out helping with the sheep from a very young age, and I remember having to help Mum clean the house, too. After she died, I was expected to take over looking after Dad and Tom, which I did. I still had to help out on the farm, though, and we were out in all weathers. It didn’t leave much time for making friends or having fun.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘Sounds like you had it much worse than I did.’

‘It’s not a competition,’ she said lightly. She sipped her drink, remembering. ‘I think it would have been fun if Dad had been different, but he was a miserable old bugger. I don’t think I ever saw him smile.’

‘Isn’t that typical of Yorkshire farmers?’ Noah said, amused. ‘It’s the stereotype, isn’t it? The dour Yorkshireman who barely grunts at people.’

Daisy didn’t smile back. Her thoughts were wandering to darker times, back to the misery of those early years at Crowscar.

‘Are you all right?’ Noah sounded anxious. ‘I-I didn’t mean to make light of things. I can see you have some unhappy memories.’

‘Dad wasn’t easy to live with,’ she said shortly. ‘And after Tom left it was just me and him, day in, day out. I took on another job, working in a local pub. I didn’t really have the time or energy, but I needed a life away from the farm. I needed to see and talk to other people and earn some money for myself.’

‘Your dad didn’t pay you?’ he asked, shocked.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. ‘You’re joking. Bed and board, he said, and that’s pretty much what I got. I had a monthly allowance for “women’s things” and my clothes got replaced as they wore out, but that’s about it.’

‘That’s terrible,’ he said, horrified. ‘Where was your brother in all this?’

‘Like I said, he skipped off to Leeds the minute he could. Got himself a job and started a new life. He hated the farm, and he never got on with Dad, so I don’t blame him.’

‘He just left you, though!’ Noah’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘How could he do that?’

‘You sound like Eliot,’ she said with a sigh.

‘Who’s Eliot?’

Why on earth had she mentioned him?

‘Another farmer who lived nearby. He was Tom’s best friend when they were at school. I—I used to help him out with his kids and the house after his wife died.’

‘On top of your work at the farm and working in a pub?’ Noah shook his head. ‘You were a saint.’

‘I was far from that!’ Daisy was quick to deny it. ‘Anyway, it was a long time ago now. Dad’s gone and so has Crowscar. Tom’s happily settled in Leeds with a good job, a house, and a girlfriend. And I’m…’

‘A successful businesswoman,’ he said firmly, ‘and a cracking baker.’

She laughed. ‘Yeah, I’ll take that.’

They clinked glasses together and she said, ‘Parents, eh? Sounds like you and I had pretty dismal ones.’

‘Very much so,’ he agreed. ‘Though I was lucky. I had Aunt Eugenie who stepped in and took care of me. Even so,’ he added wistfully, ‘it never really leaves me. That sense of being abandoned, unwanted.’ He was silent for a minute, then shook his head. ‘Wow, this conversation has turned as gloomy as the weather, hasn’t it?’

She glanced out of the window. ‘Rain’s stopped,’ she said hopefully. ‘And look, the clouds are rolling away.’

‘So they are. Maybe the day will brighten up again after all.’

‘What time is it?’ she asked.

‘Half past two.’ He hesitated. ‘Are you in a hurry to get home?’

She lowered her glass, wondering why he was asking. ‘Not at all. Are you?’

‘Hardly. I was just thinking, how about we finish our drinks then explore the castle? And after we’ve done that, I’ll buy you dinner at The Farmer’s Arms in West Colby. It’s got a great reputation for food.’

‘That would be lovely,’ she said slowly, ‘but what if…’

‘What if?’

‘Well.’ Daisy felt stupid. He would think she was making assumptions, reading things into this that just weren’t there. ‘Thing is, Bethany and Clive went there last week because Bluebell recommended it to them. It seems to be very popular with some of the people we know. And don’t Dolly and Clemmie live in West Colby?’

She could feel her face burning as she waited for his response.

She waited for him to laugh and say, ‘So what? We’re only having a meal, not a torrid affair!’

He didn’t, though. He considered what she’d said, his fingers curled tightly around his glass of Coke as he stared at the table. Finally, he nodded. ‘I see what you mean. Some people in Tuppenny Bridge have never let the truth get in the way of a good story, and if the Pennyfeathers get hold of this—well, you can imagine.’

She could, all too clearly, and it made her shudder.

‘It was a nice idea, though,’ she said quietly.

‘It was.’ He smiled at her then said, ‘But look, just because The Farmer’s Arms is a bad idea it doesn’t mean we can’t do the rest of it.’

‘The castle?’

‘Yes, the castle, but also having dinner somewhere! Why not? We’ve got to eat, haven’t we? And you’ll only be going home to your flat, and I’ll only be going home to an empty house, so we might as well have our meal together. There are lots of pubs in this town.’ He glanced around, wrinkling his nose a little. ‘Not this one, but we can find another. One that does good food and looks a bit less rustic.’

She laughed. ‘I know what you mean.’

‘So?’ He eyed her hopefully. ‘You don’t have to. If you’d rather go home, I’ll take you. No problem.’

She thought about the gossip that would flood the town if this got out. It would be so embarrassing if people got the wrong end of the stick and started talking about her and Noah as if they were having an affair. And Noah had so much to lose. What would Isobel say if she heard?

‘It’s up to you,’ she told him. ‘You’re the one taking the risk after all.’

Noah’s eyes widened. ‘Taking… Oh. Well.’ He shook his head. ‘We’re just two friends having a meal after a day out. But you’re right, it makes more sense to stay round here than risk being seen at The Farmer’s Arms. It’s just—well, if Isobel heard we were out together she m-might…’

His voice trailed off and Daisy said quietly, ‘Get the wrong idea. It’s okay, Noah. Let’s forget it, shall we?’

‘No. Let’s not. We’ll be fine up here, and I can drop you at the bus stop in Larkspur Common on the way home, if that’s all right with you? I’ll wait with you until the bus comes to make sure you’re okay, obviously. But it’s up to you. No pressure, whatever you decide.’

Daisy couldn’t help but laugh. ‘We’re a right pair, aren’t we? Okay, decision made. We’ll visit the castle, eat dinner at a pub round here, then you can drop me at Larkspur Common. Deal?’

Noah’s eyes twinkled. ‘Deal.’

They clinked glasses again, his gaze meeting hers and holding.

Daisy looked away first.

Just friends. That was all they would ever be, and she mustn’t get the wrong idea. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of what had happened with Eliot, when she’d let her imagination run riot and ruined their friendship forever.

She’d hate to lose Noah’s friendship, too.

Because, the odd thing was, something was telling her that he really needed this friendship—probably even more than she did.