Escape to the Cotswolds. Natalie Kleinman
with the bubbly hair.
The first time he’d met Holly he’d been angry, very angry, because his commitment to his patients was absolute and he was genuinely worried about Buttercup. But his behaviour at Kate and Charlie’s was inexcusable and though he’d tried to make amends by asking for a fresh start his sangfroid had completely deserted him. He ran his hands through his thick hair, sighed deeply, and set off in the direction of his first call. As it happened he was going to see Buttercup’s orphaned calf.
‘She’s doing really well, Bert. Taking the bottle with no trouble?’
‘We got off to a shaky start but she soon got the hang of it.’
‘Okay, I’ll pop in again next time I’m passing but don’t hesitate to call if you need me. Anything else while I’m here?’
‘Just a small cut on Sunshine’s left hind if you wouldn’t mind taking a look. Otherwise, touch wood all is fine. We’ve called her Ada, by the way. The calf. After you, considering you’re the reason she survived.’
Adam was touched by the gesture, shaking Bert’s hand by way of thanks but without embarrassment. He found himself thinking about Holly again as he drove away. He’d believed after their first meeting that she’d brought what he imagined to be her London ways to the country. His ex-fiancée had been from London too and perhaps he carried with him an unreasonable bias. It was obvious at the party that Holly wasn’t like that. She’s got spirit, is all. I like that. Why can’t I just behave normally around her? He wasn’t too happy about the amount of time he spent thinking about her either.
On Friday morning Holly went straight to the print shop armed with her leaflet design. After a bit of discussion they decided on royal blue to be printed on yellow paper. This would match the colour scheme Holly had in mind for the gallery and studio.
‘Next Wednesday suit you?’
‘Yes, thank you, that’ll be fine.’
Now that she’d got this big decision out of the way Holly decided to busy herself resuming the search for chairs that she’d had to abandon previously. There were a number of other things she wanted to pick up as well and while she still didn’t have any students she realised she could hardly advertise if she had nowhere to put them. Previously it seemed a bit like a chicken and egg situation but in the time she was waiting for interest in the classes there was no reason she could see why she shouldn’t get the chairs. Even if things didn’t work out the way she wanted them to the table still needed chairs.
Having justified her decision she popped in to get some more ingredients and dropped them at home, reflecting on how nice it was that everything was virtually on her doorstep. She’d been seriously worried that she’d miss the capital’s shops but it hadn’t happened so far. Right, she thought after unpacking her shopping, time to look for those chairs.
Holly bypassed the first two antique shops she came to, having been in them several times before and knowing neither carried the sort of thing she was looking for. The next one was double-fronted and for some reason, though she remembered looking in the window, she’d never been in there. A little brass bell rang as she pushed open the door and Gordon appeared from behind a desk.
‘How lovely to see you, Holly. Were you looking for me or have you come to be nosy?’
‘Not looking for you because I didn’t have the slightest idea you’d be here. Is this yours?’
‘Yes, even the dust is mine.’
It wasn’t dusty at all but Holly liked his sense of humour.
‘Would you like to be shown around or do you prefer to browse?’
‘Browse, if you don’t mind. At least to begin with.’
Gordon moved away, leaving Holly to her own devices, but he reappeared about ten minutes later and put a cup of coffee in her hand.
‘You look like you need caffeine.’
Remembering back to Kate and Charlie’s party – what a long time ago that seemed now – it was apparent this man was going to make a habit of plying her with drinks every time they met, be they alcoholic or not.
‘Does it show?’
‘No, but it takes one to know one. Anyway, it would be less than hospitable of me not to offer you some kind of sustenance, seeing as how we’re friends.’
‘We are? Nice of you to say so, particularly on such short acquaintance,’ but it gave her a warm feeling. After a little while he was back, asking if she’d like to see the rest of the premises.
‘There’s more?’
‘Much more,’ he said and proceeded to give Holly a guided tour of what was plainly his pride and joy. She loved the musty smell of the place and was delighted when Gordon didn’t rush her but told her to take as long as she liked.
‘As you can see, I’m not overwhelmed by customers at the moment.’
Holly picked up a piece by Clarice Cliff, loving the way she used colour and wishing she could buy it. This was not the time, however, for self-indulgence and regretfully she put it back in its place.
Gordon put a ‘please ring’ notice on the front door, slipped the latch, and led her through to the back. This was a much larger area even than the shop and it housed all sorts. There was a beautiful ancient spinning wheel that she immediately wanted, seeing her parlour as a perfect setting for it. She wouldn’t have had a clue how it worked but it would make a lovely ornament. She rather liked the picture she’d conjured up and for a moment felt a bit dreamy.
‘Earth to Holly. Where are you, Holly?’
‘Picturing this at home in my parlour. Anywhere else and I would have called it a lounge or a sitting room, but parlour definitely suits the cottage.’
‘I’d love to see it.’
It was an innocent enough remark but Holly couldn’t help feeling there was more than politeness in Gordon’s statement. He sounded a tad eager. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond but then her attention was drawn to a magnificent old pine chest that she lost her heart to – it would have really set off her studio table and the, for her, awkward moment passed.
‘I could keep masses of stuff in here,’ she said, pulling out one of the drawers. ‘And the room is big enough to take it.’
Reluctantly she turned her back on it. A glance at the ticket had told her the price and there was no way she could justify spending that much money on something that wasn’t a necessity. Gordon wasn’t a fool. He summed up the situation without her uttering a word.
‘I could give you first refusal if anyone shows any interest.’
It sounded like Mrs Foster all over again.
‘I wish, and thank you but no.’
She moved from one beautiful piece of furniture to another, this being mainly what the back area was given over to. More than once she ran her hand over smooth wood, marvelling at how it could feel cool and warm at the same time.
‘You’re so lucky to work with such fabulous craftsmanship. How can you bear to part with any of it? I’d go under in no time because I’d never be able to let any of it go.’
‘So what do you do when someone wants to buy one of your paintings or any other piece of artwork that you’ve made with your own fair hands; put your heart and soul into?’
He had a point. He also had chairs! Exactly what she wanted, six of them and at a price that made her wince but which she could afford. She didn’t haggle but he still gave her a discount, insisting that he’d have done the same for any customer who tried to push the price down. It was how his business worked. People expected him to be beaten down and he built it into his asking