Page 38 of All Wrapped Up

‘I am,’ she said, sounding sincere. ‘I really am. It’s just that you and Ash would make such a lovely couple.

’ She wouldn’t have said that if she’d seen us at the pumpkin picking.

‘No,’ she then said crossly, shaking her head and wringing her hands.

‘Never mind. None of my business. I’m butting out. ’

‘I really do hope you mean that,’ I said sternly.

‘I do,’ she said passionately. ‘I really do. I know I got on Ash’s nerves when he first moved here and now, I’ve wound you up too. I’ve no desire to leave Wynbridge under a cloud, so I’m committing to taking care of my own business from this moment on and only my business.’

‘Well.’ I smiled, hoping she’d be able to stick to that declar-ation and wondering if this was finally the opportunity to ask her what she was really feeling about leaving. ‘That’s music to my ears and the flowers are the perfect apology. One of my absolute favourite things, in fact.’

I endeavoured to always have a fresh vase or jug of flowers in the cottage, but since I’d become involved with the festival, I’d let the tradition slip a bit.

Joanne’s fabulous peace offering would more than kick it off again.

In fact, I wasn’t sure if I had enough jugs, vases, pots and jars to hold them all. What a wonderful issue to have!

‘Finally, I’ve got something right.’ Joanne smiled.

‘Would you like a coffee while I make a start on arranging them?’ I offered.

She considered her answer.

‘No,’ she finally said. ‘Best not. I’m only just getting the hang of this not being a pain in the backside behaviour and I don’t want to bugger it up on my first day.’

‘In that case,’ I then suggested, thinking this really was too good an opportunity to miss, ‘how about we switch that scenario around? You stay and I potentially make a hash of saying something wrong to you, rather than the other way around?’

She looked wary, but agreed.

‘So,’ I said, as I began deconstructing the elaborate bouquet and filling the containers I’d gathered together and half filled with water, ‘Lizzie tells me you’re definitely leaving Wynbridge at the end of the year.’

That was common knowledge, but I had to start somewhere.

‘Yes,’ she said, passing me one of the dahlias. ‘That’s right.’

‘And heading off to…’

‘Germany,’ she said on an out breath, which I for one hadn’t known. ‘Aiden and I are moving to Germany.’

I waited for her to carry on because she usually had so much to say for herself, but she didn’t and when I considered it, I realised she hadn’t sounded all that keen on her and Aiden’s destination.

‘And how are you feeling about that?’ I therefore asked.

‘Not good!’ she burst out after a brief pause.

‘I don’t know anyone there. Or a word of the language.

I’ve been trying to learn, but I just can’t get to grips with it.

I had thought I was going to be joining Aiden in Australia, which is where he is now and where I know a few people, and the language of course, but he’s taken up the offer to be relocated to Germany! ’

‘I see, well—’ I started to say, but the dam was breached and the words that poured out of her were determined to keep flowing now they’d been given the chance.

‘I’ve actually been trying not to think about it,’ she rushed on.

‘Which is why I’ve stayed so focused on you and Ash, even though I said I wouldn’t.

’ That certainly explained her continued preoccupation with us.

‘And then, when I realised that you’d been living on your own for so long, I started to wonder if I could do it, too… ’

And that accounted for the questions about my current lifestyle and her ‘lone wolf’ comment to Ash in the café.

‘But you don’t really want to break up with Aiden and live on your own, do you?’

‘No!’ she gasped. ‘But maybe I could get my own place and we could do long distance, long-term, because I don’t want to move to Germany with him, either. I was rubbish at languages at school and the thought of having no one to talk to…’

‘I can see how that might be an issue for you,’ I quipped, in an attempt to make her laugh, but her eyes filled with tears and I realised I’d said the wrong thing. ‘Sorry,’ I apologised.

‘I suppose I deserved that.’ She sniffed, handing me another stem.

‘Perhaps.’ I nodded. ‘But I am truly sorry that you’re feeling this way. We all thought you were super excited about going. Everyone thought you were really keen.’

‘When I thought I was going to Australia, I was super excited,’ she explained. ‘Really, really keen, but I don’t want to live in Germany. Not that I’ve got anything against the country, but how am I going to find work there or make friends if I don’t speak the language?’

It was certainly a conundrum and not one I had an answer for.

‘Anyway,’ she then nudged me, ‘not everyone thought I was keen, did they? You’d obviously worked out I’d had a change of heart about my big departure, even if Lizzie and Jemma hadn’t.’

‘Well,’ I said. ‘I was privy to a conversation they didn’t hear and I’ve picked up on a couple of things while you’ve been talking to them, too.’

‘I think I’ve been getting on their nerves too much for them to take any real notice of me,’ she said.

I wasn’t sure that was entirely true because they were simply so busy, but I didn’t interrupt.

‘And I know that’s my own fault, because in my effort to distract myself from what’s to come, I’ve gone into meddling overdrive and rubbed practically everyone I love up the wrong way.

It’s little wonder my boss hasn’t seen anything’s amiss, is it? ’

She sounded utterly forlorn and I put down the flowers and gave her a hug which she willingly accepted.

‘What does Aiden have to say about it all?’ I asked her, when we broke apart.

‘Oh, I haven’t told him,’ she said, with a wave of her hand. ‘The move to the German office is a good promotion and I can’t take the shine off that for him. He’d be devastated if he thought I was unhappy, so I’m just going along with it all.’

‘As selfless as you think keeping quiet is, Joanne,’ I seriously said, ‘it’s not going to help in the long run, is it? You absolutely have to tell him how you feel.’

‘Do I?’ She swallowed, looking tearful again.

‘You know you do,’ I said more softly. ‘Because it will all come out in the end and he’ll be so upset when it does. Please, talk to him sooner rather than later, because the clock is ticking.’

She let out a breath.

‘I suppose you’re right,’ she said. ‘The countdown is definitely on, but how can I tell him that I don’t want to go?’

‘I bet,’ I said, ‘if you put half as much energy into trying to find the words as you have into your matchmaking, you’ll have a speech prepared in a heartbeat.’

She did smile at that.

‘I daresay that’s true,’ she said. ‘Thanks, Clemmie. It’s been good to offload. I haven’t even told my mum how I’m really feeling.’

‘Well, you should,’ I told her. ‘Now, let’s have a coffee and you can have a minute to gather your thoughts before you head home and start putting this situation right.’

I gave Joanne a few minutes’ peace and once she’d left and I had congratulated myself on picking up on and addressing her discontent, I took my time arranging the rest of the flowers to my satisfaction.

I then spent even more time photographing them.

It didn’t matter where I put them, they looked perfect and I knew I’d be moving the arrangements around the entire time they were at their best.

As well as arranging Joanne’s floral apology and hoping that she would be able to both solve her own predicament and stick to her vow not to meddle, I also posted the soup recipe I’d mentioned to the woman I’d met at Skylark Farm because I’d forgotten about it before.

As I pottered about, I did my best not to become preoccupied thinking about the frostiness Ash had come back from Bakewell with and how I might be able to thaw it.

I really did try not to dwell, but I can’t say I succeeded for the whole of the time, and what occurred the next day put him very firmly at the forefront of my mind again.

‘You’ll be seeing Will today, Pixie,’ said the cheerful receptionist in the vets when we arrived a few minutes ahead of the appointment time for Pixie’s vaccination and check-up on Tuesday afternoon.

‘Not Ash?’ I frowned. ‘I thought the appointment was scheduled so Pixie would see Ash.’

The receptionist checked her screen and shook her head. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s definitely Will.’

‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Right. I must have got it wrong, then.’ I knew I hadn’t, but there was nothing to be gained from arguing the point, even if I had hoped that with Pixie between us, we might have taken the opportunity to get back on an even keel. ‘I take it Will’s recovered?’

‘Yes,’ said the receptionist, without any hesitation which suggested his illness had been genuine. ‘He’s fighting fit now. Take a seat and he’ll call you through when he’s ready.’

I sat as instructed and shortly after, Will came out and introduced himself. Pixie, who had been rather cowed since we arrived at the practice – obviously having an idea of what she was in for – suddenly perked up no end and I liked Will as a result.

‘How’s she settling in?’ he asked, once the vaccination had been administered and Pixie had been weighed and given a general once over amid a lot of fussing.

‘Like she’s been with me forever,’ I was very happy to tell him. ‘She had a couple of melancholic moments when she first arrived, but she seems consistently happy now.’

‘Well,’ said Will, ruffling Pixie’s coat, ‘she’s certainly the picture of health. Though that said, you should never underestimate grief in animals or humans. It can come back—’

‘Yes,’ I cut in. ‘I know how grief operates.’ I hadn’t meant to sound so blunt. ‘And don’t worry,’ I added in a softer tone, ‘I’ll keep a close eye on her.’

‘Ash was very lucky to find you,’ he then smiled at me.

‘Was he?’ I swallowed.

I wasn’t sure either Ash or I would agree with those words now.

‘Yes,’ Will said, looking slightly pink as he gave a nod to my furry friend. ‘To take Pixie, I mean.’

‘Oh, yes,’ I agreed, as I lifted her off the treatment table. ‘I was perfect for taking Pixie.’

I couldn’t wait to get out of the building after that, but I wasn’t even halfway across the car park when I realised I’d have to go back in again because I’d forgotten Pixie’s prescription. I’d paid for her wormer but, in my haste to rush off, I’d left the bag on the counter.

‘Damn,’ I muttered, as I turned us around. ‘Come on, Pixie.’

‘You can come out now!’ I heard Will say loudly as I opened the door again. ‘She’s gone.’

He had his back to me and was flicking through a drawer of one of the filing cabinets behind the reception desk.

‘I forgot to take this,’ I said, feeling mortified as I snatched up the bag which was still on the counter. He could only have been talking about me and it was obvious who he must have been talking to. ‘I’m properly going now.’

Will spun around to look at me, just as a door at the far end of the practice opened. I didn’t hang around to see who came out of it and I didn’t look back as I strode out.

‘Bye,’ I stammered and rushed off again.

I didn’t think I could have felt more of a fool if I’d tried.

Not only did it seem that Ash didn’t want to talk to me, he didn’t want to see me, either.

I had no idea what it was that I’d done to provoke such a sudden and dramatic turnaround, but it didn’t bode well for our friendship and it wasn’t going to do much for us running the festival together, either!