The House that Florence Left (Portuguese Paradise #4)

Chapter 20

Hugo was striding out of the sea, pushing his hair out of his eyes, droplets of water glistening down his chest.

A bang nearby made her take a breath. Half-awake, she heard a dog bark in the distance. Bella looked around, trying to work out where the noise was coming from.

‘Stop it,’ someone shouted. ‘We can’t do it again.’

Bella tried to speak, but felt she was standing in a rainforest rather than the dunes, the sound of a macaw calling startling her. The dog barked again.

‘Shhhhhh . . .’

‘We can’t go that way.’ The voice seemed to be shouting at someone else now.

‘Keep your voices down.’

‘If I was her I’d call the police with all this noise. It’s not even 7 a.m.’

A cat licked Bella’s nose, and there was a clicking outside.

‘We just need to walk down to the beach and around and then we can see them. I think they’re near the lagoon.’

‘See what?’ mumbled Bella.

‘You are making too much noise. You won’t only wake Bella up, you’ll scare those birds away.’

Bella opened her eyes. Yin or Yang was sitting on the pillow next to her, purring. The ambient rainforest track was still on. And there were birdwatchers in the garden again.

She climbed out of bed, opened the door and walked out onto the balcony.

‘Hello?’ she shouted, looking around. She couldn’t see anyone. ‘Hello? I know you’re there. I can hear you.’

‘We’re not in your garden,’ someone shouted.

‘Well I can hear you, so you’re somewhere.’

There was a brief muttering until someone stepped out from behind a bush next to the gate. It was Hans, the leader of the group.

‘Hello.’ He waved, sheepishly.

The storks looked at him and began clicking. Bella grinned. It sounded like disapproving tutting.

‘You’re not the only one there. I could hear the rest of you.’

About ten other people shuffled into view, silently, looking at their feet like naughty children.

‘Why are you standing outside my gate at this time in the morning?’ Bella folded her arms. ‘I’ve got a busy day ahead so was having a bit of a lie-in.’

‘There’s a rare bird,’ said Hans. ‘We think it’s on your land. We have been following it from Alvor. But we don’t want to come in, it would be trespassing.’

‘On my land? That sounds fun.’ Bella waved at all of them. ‘Just come in. Don’t trample over the vegetable patches though.’

There was silence. ‘Are you sure?’ Hans called.

‘Yes.’ Bella laughed. ‘It’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? And my Great-Aunt Flo let you in occasionally, didn’t she?’

‘Occasionally.’ Hans beamed.

She beckoned them in. ‘I mean it, just come in. I haven’t seen this bird, but if it hasn’t gone by the time I’m dressed, will you show it to me?’

‘Of course, Bella, of course.’ They all walked up the track.

Bella watched them happily, then closed the window and went downstairs to feed the cats, who were weaving around her feet and chirping. ‘Well, that was an interesting start to the day. Maybe I’ll see the bird,’ she said, spooning out their food. Then she went back upstairs to shower so she could see the rare creature before she had to start work.

* * *

‘So,’ she ambled up behind Hans.

‘Shhhhhh,’ shushed everyone else.

‘Sorry...’ she whispered. ‘I wondered where the bird was, given it’s in my garden.’

‘Over there.’ Hans handed her his binoculars, which were still around his neck. Bella didn’t notice and put them up to her eyes. He coughed.

‘Shhhhhhh,’ shushed everyone else.

‘Sorry.’ Bella handed them back so he could take them off. He then gave them back to her.

‘Over there, on the tree right next to Hugo’s place.’

‘Ahhhh.’ Bella smiled. ‘That is beautiful. It’s sort of purple.’

‘Isn’t she just?’ sighed Hans. ‘It’s a purple heron. They are just here in the spring normally, and further east.’ He smiled at Bella. ‘Nothing — nothing — beats the sight of a bird like this on a summer’s morning.’

‘How long will it — sorry, she — be there for?’

‘Who knows? She could just fly off at any time. You have to enjoy the moment.’

‘I never imagined that I would get so excited about a little bird sitting on a tree.’

‘This place does that to you. Plus, perhaps, having storks as lodgers.’

Bella laughed.

‘Sshhhhhhh,’ they all said again.

‘Sorry, sorry. I’ve got to go and do some work before work,’ she whispered to Hans.

She handed him back his binoculars and crept back into the house, then made herself breakfast and sat at her computer to catch up with her assignments and admin.

* * *

‘OK, everyone.’ Jules was trying to look upbeat from her section of the screen on the Zoom call. ‘This is Philip, from Head Office. He’s keen to meet you all in person, but as a lot of you are working from home today, he’s decided to join the Zoom just to say hello.’

‘Hello,’ said a voice. It came from behind a photograph of a yacht. ‘Dodgy internet means I seem to only do audio at the moment. Hello, I’m Philip. It’s nice to meet you.’

‘Hello. Welcome,’ they all said brightly.

‘Just pretend I’m not here,’ he said. ‘And hopefully the connection will improve, and I will become visible.’

‘Let’s start the meeting so we can all get on with our allocated tasks.’ Jules picked up a pen and ran it down a pad. ‘We’ve got some deadlines coming up this week, so we need to be on top of it. Shall we just give everyone an update on where we each are? We’ll start with you, Lil.’

The rest of the group talked about what they were doing and when they would finish their tasks. Bella was busy making notes when she felt something moving underneath the table. Both the cats were sitting next to her, so she looked down. It was one of the young storks.

She and the bird stared at each other for a moment and then it began to peck at her foot.

‘Ow!’ she squealed, then put her hand over her mouth.

‘What was that?’ Lil peered out from the screen.

Everyone, including Bella looked around, confused, shaking their heads.

‘So, finally, Bella. Where are you on the Lomas project?’

‘The input from Fred and Magenta is due in today and once I’ve collated that, the report will be with you by 4 p.m. tomorrow as agreed.’

The stork pecked her foot again. Bella took a sharp intake of breath but tried to remain expressionless.

‘Ah,’ Philip said. ‘There’s been a change of deadline. We’d like it by midday tomorrow.’

‘Midday. When was that decided?’ Bella started to look through her notes.

‘Just before the meeting. The clients have brought forward their deadline, so we have to bring forward ours.’

‘When’s their deadline?’

‘Thursday.’ Philip’s face appeared on the screen. ‘Excellent, the signal is fixed.’ He smiled, but his eyes didn’t.

‘If that’s the case, why do you need my report earlier? It will be in plenty of time.’

‘I need to look at it before it goes to them.’

‘Right.’ Bella checked her timetable and diary. ‘It just used to go to the department head — that’s now Jules — and then to the clients.’

‘Yes, but I need to look at reports now too. Is it a problem? I know you are part-time currently. Are you able to keep on top of your workload?’

‘Yes.’ Bella was beginning to get irritated but tried not to sound it. The stork pecked her foot again. ‘I had all my work timetabled in.’ She didn’t mention the extra hours she was doing just to keep on top of everything. ‘But this has changed very suddenly.’

Philip tried to smile again. ‘I know this is last-minute, and I have had to move my diary around to accommodate this. But it’s come from further up than me. I do apologise.’

There was a soft knocking at the door. ‘Excuse me...’ It was two of the birdwatchers.

‘May we use your lavatory? We weren’t expecting to be out so long,’ the older of them, a lady with white curly hair, almost shouted. ‘Bladder problems. Ageing. What can you do?’ She shook her head and guffawed.

‘Yes, of course.’ Bella beckoned them in, deciding it was easier and quicker than directing them to Hugo’s café down the lane. ‘There’s one the other side of the utility room. Just go through the kitchen. I’m actually on a work meeting...’

‘Oh, sorry, sorry,’ they shouted, almost tiptoeing past. The older lady waved at the screen as she went. ‘Don’t mind us...’

‘For someone supposedly so quiet, you get a lot of visitors,’ said Jules. ‘Last time it was a woman and a dog — and noisy storks outside.’

‘They’re birdwatchers.’ Bella tried to return the conversation to work. ‘I will be able to get the report in when you asked, but is it possible to have more notice next time?’

‘Yes.’ Philip folded his hands and looked kindly out of the screen. ‘There are a lot of changes going on in the background. It will settle down very soon and this is less likely to happen again.’

A loud clicking sound came from the door. It was one of the young stork’s parents. From a distance, thought Bella, the storks were elegant and beautiful. Closer up, they were rather large.

‘What’s that noise?’ Philip unfolded his hands and looked confused.

‘It’s the storks that live on top of the roof outside,’ one of her colleagues said.

‘Ah . . .’

The stork walked inside the house. Bella held her breath as it edged closer. The stork under the table continued to peck her foot.

‘There’s a stork in the house!’ shouted the younger birdwatcher as she walked in from the kitchen. ‘Quick, Marge, finish your wee and come out here!’

‘It’s in the house?’ A range of sounds came from the work meeting. Bella shouted ‘ow’ and jumped up as the young stork pecked her foot a little harder.

‘There’s a young stork under the table too, Marge,’ yelled the birdwatcher. ‘Do you need any help getting them out?’

‘Yes please.’ Bella edged back. The young stork followed her. The adult stork clicked more loudly and moved into the centre of the room, so it was visible to the entire meeting.

More noise came from her workmates. ‘That is so beautiful!’ exclaimed Lil, drowning out everyone else.

Marge was now standing in the living room. She took out her camera and began snapping photographs.

‘I need help to get them out!’ Bella could hear her voice rising. ‘I have work to do. I’m in a meeting.’

The younger birdwatcher was now brandishing a broom she had found in the utility room, stepping towards the birds as if she was going to brush them outside. ‘There you go,’ she was saying softly.

The adult stork continued to click. The younger stork was sticking close to Bella’s foot.

‘That young stork is too used to you,’ Marge said sternly. ‘It thinks you’re part of the family.’

‘Well I am!’ shouted Bella.

For a moment there was silence. Then the adult stork moved forward and started clicking again.

‘Right! Enough!’ Marge clapped her hands. ‘Out. Out we go. You belong outside. Come on!’ She glanced at her friend and Bella. ‘Do it too. Come on!’

They both began to clap and walked towards the adult bird, while the young bird followed Bella. Once the adult was outside, Marge took the broom and gently put the handle between Bella and the younger bird and encouraged it to follow its parent.

‘There you go.’ She leaned the broom against the wall. ‘Right, come along, Mary. Let’s leave Miss Creswell to her work. Toodle pip!’

Bella stood in the middle of the room watching the storks waddle across to the outbuilding and Marge and her friend waddle towards the orchard.

How can I ever look like I’m on top of my work ever again? she thought.

Sitting down, she plastered a wide smile on her face. ‘So, apologies. Where were we?’

‘That’s the noisiest quiet place I’ve ever come across,’ murmured Jules.

Bella didn’t respond, trying to focus on her work rather than the impression she may have made on Philip from Head Office, and planning how much time she would need to spend outside her normal hours to really get ahead on her assignments.