Page 33 of All Wrapped Up

‘I am,’ I smiled, ‘but for now I can manage.’

On the drive back into town for the first book club meeting the next morning, I took a detour to admire some of the fields of pumpkins which looked to me like they were swelling by the hour.

As I pulled on to a concrete pad on the edge of one of the fields, I thought about what had recently happened to Jake and Amber at Skylark Farm and hoped the festival would turn their pumpkin disaster into a helpful windfall.

They had only been able to offer the festival a field for pumpkin picking because the buyer who should have taken their crop had a last-minute change of heart regarding how many pumpkins they wanted.

Not only had this left the farm with a whole field full of a crop that was no longer wanted, but it also left the couple out of pocket while they took legal action because the buyer was in breach of contract.

Hopefully, however, if all went well, and the newly created Skylark Farm Pumpkin Patch, which we’d discussed via a Zoom call when I was finalising the festival details, was a success, it might become an annual tradition with part of their crop being sold directly to the public on a pick your own basis, rather than to a third-party buyer.

I was fast learning that farming was a financially precarious business and I was also mindful that I needed to take care of my own financial future, too. As I had no intention of moving, I wouldn’t be making a penny out of the Rowan Cottage renovation.

Callum and I had had big plans to buy, renovate, sell and move quickly up the property ladder, and we had been well on our way, but I had no interest in pursuing that path on my own and even though I had no current financial concerns, I knew I didn’t have enough put by to live on forever.

I would have to set my mind to properly planning my future now I was beginning to feel like I had a worthwhile one.

I took a few photos of the field, then set off to town with my new library card in my bag and wondering if the careers section had full shelves.

‘Hello, you,’ said Lizzie, who sidled up to me in the queue to take books out after Kay had told everyone what the plans for the autumn book club were. ‘I see you’ve got some of the same titles as I have.’

Kay and her staff had distributed the recommended autumn reading list and then arranged the meeting to discuss the first book. I had decided not to commit to reading a book in a fortnight, but opted instead to read some of the other titles I liked the sound of, at my own pace.

After a day of festival checking and organising, curled up with Pixie next to the fire with some cosy fiction felt like a wonderful way to spend autumn evenings as the nights started to draw in and it became too chilly to sit out.

An accompanying milky drink, fleece blanket and soft lighting completed the image in my head and I couldn’t wait to make a start.

‘I couldn’t resist these two,’ I said, holding them up. ‘They sound like perfect ber months reads to me.’

‘And me,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘By the way, thank you again for yesterday.’

‘It was my pleasure.’

‘I hope you’re not feeling too tired out today.’

‘I didn’t rush to get up this morning,’ I explained, ‘so I’m okay.’

My head was a bit fuzzy, but given how concerned she’d been the day before when I said my current life changes were full on, I kept that to myself.

‘The photos you posted on the festival pages look amazing,’ she praised, ‘and I’ve had great feedback about you on the forms I got everyone to fill out at the end of the sessions.’

‘Have you?’ I blushed. ‘I didn’t expect anyone would have paid enough attention to me to warrant a comment.’

‘Well, they did. You were friendly, helpful and had a great eye,’ Lizzie reeled off. ‘One woman also said you helped her put a palette together for her decoupage pumpkin that she never would have considered if you hadn’t suggested it.’

‘I know who that was.’ I smiled, feeling pleased to have helped and delighted that she genuinely liked the striking choices I had encouraged her to make. ‘And she was halfway there, really. Her selection just needed a little… tweaking to make it really sing.’

‘Well, sing it did and Pixie was a popular addition to the day, too.’

‘She was such a sweetheart, wasn’t she? I think she took to it better than I did!’

‘You were both brilliant,’ said Lizzie as we moved forward in the queue and Joanne suddenly appeared next to us.

‘So,’ she said, giving Lizzie a nudge. ‘Have you asked her yet?’

Lizzie looked at me and shook her head.

‘Asked me what?’ I frowned.

‘Oh no, sorry,’ Joanne winced.

‘Sorry again ,’ Lizzie tutted.

‘I’ve put my foot in it, haven’t I?’ Joanne sighed, sounding both fed up and frustrated. ‘I’m going to head off.’

Lizzie puffed out her cheeks as Joanne walked out of the library. I couldn’t help thinking that the spring in her step that I’d noticed when I first met her, was decidedly absent.

‘Is she all right?’ I frowned after her.

‘Always,’ Lizzie said with an accompanying eye roll, ‘and it’s exhausting. I’m fast approaching the point that I’m counting down the days until she leaves.’

I didn’t quite know how to respond to that. Obviously, Lizzie knew her assistant a hundred times better than I did, so perhaps my take on Joanne’s possible change of tone and body language was wrong.

‘She’s definitely leaving then?’

‘Yep.’

‘Well, I’m sure you’ll miss her when she’s gone.’

‘Perhaps,’ Lizzie dubiously said. ‘But I won’t miss her chatting to customers, when she’s supposed to be helping them. I can’t tell you the number of times things haven’t got finished in the past and customers have had to complete them at home.’

I could appreciate Lizzie’s frustration about that and I could imagine the customers weren’t always thrilled about it either, even if they had doubtless been willing to talk at the time.

‘In that case,’ I suggested, ‘if you have plans to replace her, you’ll have to specify absolutely no matchmaking or casual chatting on the job description. Maybe take on someone quieter and calmer.’

‘That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking,’ Lizzie then smiled. ‘You’re quiet and calm, aren’t you, Clemmie?’

‘In comparison with Joanne, I think you’ll find most people are!’

I was now at the front of the queue and carried on listening to Lizzie bemoan her current assistant’s incessant desire to talk, while I scanned my card and books, printed my receipt with the return date on and popped them into my tote bag.

‘There must have been something about her that appealed to you when you took her on,’ I tactfully said as Lizzie checked her own books out.

She looked thoughtful.

‘Um,’ she sighed, ‘I suppose it was actually her bubbliness that secured her the job. Of course, I had no idea how tiring I was going to find her full-on personality when I had to work with it every day, though.’

‘But not for much longer.’

‘No,’ she agreed. ‘Not for much longer. She’s leaving the country during the week between Christmas and New Year, because Aiden’s next contract has been officially confirmed.’

‘And is she excited about that?’ I asked.

‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t know.’ I shrugged. ‘That’s why I’m asking.’

Lizzie was quiet for a minute as she gave Joanne’s reaction to leaving some consideration.

‘Do you know what?’ she then frowned. ‘Now I think about it, since Aiden’s new role in the firm was confirmed and the moving arrangements made, she hasn’t actually gone on about it all as much as I might have expected her to.’

I didn’t say anything further as we walked out of the warm library and into the bracing October air, but I hoped that Lizzie might think more about Joanne’s reaction to the prospect of heading off and perhaps ask her if everything was turning out how she had hoped it would.

‘But however she’s currently feeling about it all,’ Lizzie said after we’d walked a few steps, ‘I am still going to have to replace her.’

‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘I suppose you are.’

Lizzie rolled her eyes and groaned.

‘What?’

‘You’re not very good at taking a hint, are you, Clemmie?’ she tutted.

‘What do you mean? What have I missed?’

‘I want you to take the job,’ she then shockingly announced.

‘Me?’ I squeaked, stopping dead. ‘You’re offering me Joanne’s job?’

‘Yes!’ Lizzie laughed. ‘I’m offering you Joanne’s job. And after watching you yesterday, and reading the feedback I’ve had, I’m very much hoping you’ll say yes.’

‘You’re really offering me the job?’

I couldn’t believe it.

‘Yes, I really am.’

We carried on walking along the pavement back towards where I’d parked. I didn’t say anything because my head was spinning. Even though Lizzie had been singing my praises, I hadn’t for one second thought that she might be about to offer me the vacancy she’d soon need to fill.

‘You’re not offended, are you?’ Lizzie asked, when I didn’t say anything. ‘I know it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea.’

‘I couldn’t be further from offended,’ I promised her. ‘I think I’m in shock.’

I had literally just a couple of hours ago been thinking about my financial future and without any form filling or email answering, a job offer had now landed out of the blue.

Was this yet another moment proving that taking a risk, as Callum had suggested in his note, could lead to wonderful things?

Organising the festival had meant taking a risk, as had helping out in the gallery the day before, and both had already paid dividends I could never possibly have predicted or hoped for.

‘Good shocked?’ Lizzie asked hopefully.

‘Very good shocked.’ I nodded, as the written intention to keep moving my life forward, which I’d pinned to Aurora’s skirt, also came to mind.

‘Can you tell me more about what the job involves?’ I wanted to be in possession of all the facts before I committed to thinking properly about it and making a decision.

‘Well, simply put,’ Lizzie explained, ‘I need someone creative, which I obviously already know you are.’

‘Thank you.’