Page 35 of All Wrapped Up

Just as Lizzie and I had acknowledged, I now had plenty to think about and I spent much of the following week doing just that.

My head was becoming increasingly insistent that the job Lizzie was offering me was exactly what I needed to make my future at Rowan Cottage even happier and also more financially secure.

However, with so many changes happening and so much of the festival still to oversee, I didn’t feel entirely ready to give her my answer just yet.

I would wait until I had at least helped her in the gallery again before I completely decided.

I would have liked to talk about it with Mum and Dad, but I knew that they sometimes stressed about my financial secur-ity and didn’t want them to nag me to jump at the chance of a regular pay check.

In lieu of my parents, I also considered calling Ash, who had crept into my thoughts every time I dressed the bird tables, but then I worried that his continued silence might mean he had things happening elsewhere and I didn’t want to be a nuisance.

It was a wonder to think that for so long I had kept things to myself and now, just a few weeks after walking back into the world, I wanted to discuss my plans and prospects with other people.

It was quite a transformation and it felt a little frustrating that, for the time being at least, I couldn’t do it.

‘Oh well, Pixie,’ I said, the night before the pick your own pumpkin patch at Skylark Farm was due to open. ‘I think we should just put it a little further down the list of priorities for now, don’t you?’

She yipped in response and licked my hand.

‘I knew you’d agree.’ I smiled, kissing the top of her head. ‘All in good time.’

The pumpkin field was supposed to be open for business from ten a.m. that Saturday morning, but as I drove along the road towards it, it became obvious that we’d underestimated how many families would want to come along and take part.

I felt certain that the weather, which was crisp, clear and bright, was playing its part in upping the popularity and novelty of the event and the visitor numbers were further bolstered as a result.

‘Hey, Clemmie,’ said Jake, after he’d flagged me down some distance away from the field entrance.

It would have been a job to spot where the field opening actually was because there were cars, trucks and vans parked on either side of the bumpy drove and in some places, they had turned it into a narrow single track with nowhere left to sensibly pass.

‘What’s going on?’ I asked, as I checked there were no vehicles behind me. ‘We did say a ten o’clock start, didn’t we?’

‘We did,’ Jake nodded as he pulled off his hat and raked a hand through his hair, ‘but there were so many people waiting by half nine, I thought we’d best make a start. I hope you don’t mind.’

‘Not at all,’ I told him. ‘I’m delighted the idea is proving such a popular one, but I’m not sure the police will agree if they come along and see the state of all this parking.’

‘They wouldn’t generally drive down here, but that’s crossed my mind, too.’ Jake grimaced. ‘I’ve got plenty of help in the field now, so I can keep an eye out here and I’m trying to hurry folk along as much as I can without spoiling the experi-ence for them.’

‘Let’s hope that after today, the novelty wears off a bit and then you’ll get a steady stream of visitors rather than this mad rush.’

‘That would definitely be better,’ he agreed. ‘But the field opening times will have to be limited because someone will always need to be here to monitor it.’

‘Oh, yes,’ I said, biting my lip. ‘I didn’t think of that.’

‘Well, don’t you worry about it.’ Jake smiled, waving at a car that had just pulled up behind me. ‘We’ll sort something. Why don’t you drive along to the farm, Clemmie? You can park there and walk back to the field if you’d like to take a closer look at it.’

I definitely wanted to take a closer look. I wanted to pick and buy some pumpkins to cook and decorate with, too.

‘Will there be room for me at the farm?’ I asked, as a car came to a halt right in front of me, close to where Jake was standing.

The driver honked the horn and my heart sank when I spotted who was in the driving seat. It was Jason.

‘Yes,’ said Jake, for the moment ignoring the irate new arrival. ‘Amber has closed the gate to the yard to stop everyone piling in, but she’ll open it for you. If anyone wants to visit the shop today, they’re having to walk up from wherever they’ve parked along the drove.’

Mindful that there was also a car waiting behind me, I thought it best to quickly move along.

‘Okay, thanks, Jake. I’ll be back in a bit.’

I pulled my Land Rover as far over as I could, but Jason was determined to make the pass a tight and difficult one.

‘What did I tell you?’ he shouted up at me, as I tentatively drew level with him and almost touched his side mirror with my door. ‘I told you this festival would be a health and safety nightmare!’

‘A little bit of give and take and we’ll be fine,’ I shouted back, keeping my eye trained on the road and my mirrors to help me judge the gap between us.

If he turned his wheel just the tiniest bit we were going to come to grief and I was sure he’d love that.

‘If you don’t move, I can get through easily. ’

He gave another blast on his horn as I eased by and I could see Jake shaking his head.

‘Thank you for your patience,’ I shakily said and moved off, trying not to let his determination to further find fault rankle me. I bet he didn’t even need to be driving down the drove and had only turned out to cause trouble. ‘Well done, Clemmie,’ I breathed.

Just as Jake had said she would, Amber found me a spot next to some other farm vehicles, and I felt even more mixed emotions as I parked my Land Rover next to Ash’s truck.

I was pleased he was about, but he hadn’t let me know that he was back in Wynbridge, so I hadn’t known whether to expect to see him or not.

I felt as though I would have liked to have been more prepared, though heaven knows why.

‘Hey, Clemmie,’ Amber smiled. ‘And hello, Pixie,’ she added, as I freed her from her harness and lifted her off the seat while another stream of cars drove by.

‘Hi, Amber,’ I smiled back as I decided not to mention that Jason was making the parking situation even more difficult than it needed to be. ‘Where do you reckon all these people have come from?’

I set Pixie down and the farm Labradors rushed over to say hello. I knew the three dogs were well acquainted so I was happy to leave Pixie to mix and mingle.

‘Far and wide from what I can make out!’ Amber laughed. ‘We hoped the pick your own field would be a good idea, but we had no idea it was going to be quite so popular.’

‘Me neither,’ I commented. ‘But then, with nothing else like it around here, I suppose it was bound to have a certain novelty value.’

‘And make us some money to help cut our losses after our buyer moved the goalposts,’ Amber tutted. ‘If we turn a profit from this, we’ll do it again next year over a longer time and with some proper parking arrangements in place.’

‘I’m sure whoever organises the festival next year will be delighted to hear that,’ I smiled. ‘That is, assuming the festival happens again.’

Given that I’d already talked about the following year’s possible event before, I didn’t want people thinking I was making assumptions.

‘Oh, I’m sure it will,’ she nonetheless winked. ‘And with you at the helm.’

‘Do you really think so?’

‘I do,’ she said. ‘You’re doing our dear friend Moses proud and the only way you’ll lose the gig now is if something goes drastically wrong and I can’t see that happening.’

‘Well, I hope it won’t,’ I said and crossed my fingers as I tried not to think about Jason and his desire to cause issues when really there were none.

Had I not just had a run in with him, I might have felt as convinced as Amber then sounded.

‘It definitely won’t,’ she insisted. ‘Now, can I offer you a cup of something?’

‘Thank you, but no. I’m going to head straight back to the field. I want to bag some pumpkins before you sell out, and help a bit, if I can.’

Obviously, as festival organiser, it was important that I put in an appearance, but on this occasion, I was as interested to see Ash as I was to play a part.

‘I don’t think we’ll sell out just yet,’ Amber laughed. ‘But as you’re going to be up there a while, you can leave Pixie here if you like. It’s muddy in the field and she’ll be fine with these two.’

‘I had planned to keep her with me, but with so many cars on the drove, I’d have to carry her and the pumpkins, so I’ll take you up on that. Thanks, Amber.’

With Pixie settled in the farmhouse kitchen, I tucked my jeans into my wellies, pulled on my hat, scarf and coat and walked back to the field.

Thankfully, there was no sign of Jason, but I had to continually step on and off the road as some people left and others arrived.

I chatted to a few of the families as I went along and loved seeing their rosy-cheeked children stoically carrying small, but still heavy pumpkins, while the adults with them staggered, bow-legged, towards their vehicles with much bigger ones.

‘We’ve never done anything like this before,’ one mum told me.

‘The children were so excited to pick their pumpkin for Halloween fresh from the field, rather than out of a box in the supermarket. We won’t carve it yet, though, and I’ve still no idea what to do with the flesh. I usually just bin it.’

‘Don’t do that this year,’ I told her. ‘I’ve got a great soup recipe at home. I’ll post it on the festival online page later and you can give it a go if you fancy it.’

‘Oh yes, please,’ she said. ‘I’m keeping up with the online chat and that would be great. You’re Clemmie, aren’t you? The festival organiser?’

‘One of them,’ I modestly said.

‘Well,’ she smiled, ‘you’re doing a brilliant job. We’ve loved everything so far.’