Page 14 of Christmas Spirits at Honeywell House (Ghosts of Rowan Vale #3)

AGNES

‘Mother, Poppa, come quickly! You ’ave to stop ’er!’

At Florence’s anguished cry, Agnes and Aubrey – who’d been sitting in the drawing room in their suite for three hours now, working their way through the first series of The Crown, which Callie had kindly found for them on Netflix – exchanged startled looks and jumped to their feet.

‘Whatever can have happened?’ Agnes’s fingers clutched the ribbons at the top of her bed jacket, as they always did when she was anxious.

Aubrey was already running out of the room, and she followed him, relieved to see Florence halfway up the stairs on her way to meet them.

‘Whatever is the matter, child?’ Aubrey crouched down and wrapped his arms around their daughter, who was sobbing noisily by now.

‘She’s… she’s leaving, and you’ve got to stop ’er!’

‘Who’s leaving, Florence?’ Agnes joined Aubrey on the step and stared down at the little girl in alarm. Clearly, whatever had happened had thoroughly distressed her.

‘Florrie! There you are.’

Mia began to run up the stairs, quickly followed by Callie.

‘Whatever has happened?’ Aubrey asked. ‘The poor child’s an emotional wreck.’

‘I’m afraid Florrie was eavesdropping again,’ Callie explained. ‘She overheard a conversation that wasn’t for her ears and misunderstood.’

‘I didn’t misunderstand nuffink,’ Florence said fiercely, through her tears. ‘I ’eard ’em both, plain as day, Poppa. Mia’s leaving. She’s ’ad enough of this place and she’s off.’

‘Is this true?’ Agnes demanded. ‘Is she really planning to abandon the child? Of all the heartless?—’

‘That’s not what she said at all, Agnes,’ Callie said firmly. ‘Look, let’s sit down and chat about this, shall we? And I’ll explain everything.’

‘Mia, too?’ Florence said.

Mia smiled. ‘Of course. Please don’t get so upset, Florrie. I’m not abandoning you, I promise.’

‘I should think not indeed,’ Agnes muttered as they headed upstairs and into the Wyndhams’ suite.

‘Please, do take a seat,’ Aubrey said politely.

‘Poppa says to sit down right next to me,’ Florence told Mia, dropping onto the sofa.

‘He didn’t say it quite like that,’ Callie assured Mia with a wry grin. She picked up the remote and paused The Crown .

‘Thank you, Callie,’ Aubrey said. ‘I have to say, we were rather enjoying that, weren’t we, my dear?’

‘Yes, yes, but what’s this about Mia leaving?’ Agnes had to admit, if only to herself, that just a few short months ago she’d have been delighted if that had been the case.

When she’d discovered that Mia was Florence’s great-niece, and their blood connection meant she could see Florence, Agnes had been horrified, and desperate that her daughter shouldn’t learn the truth.

She’d been afraid that Florence would see Mia as her real family and wouldn’t want to know Agnes and Aubrey any longer, even though they’d taken care of her ever since she was killed in an accident on the stairs in 1941.

As it turned out, although Mia and Florence had become very close, Florence’s relationship with her adopted parents had only deepened and strengthened, and Mia had been no threat to their little family at all.

Agnes had rather regretted keeping her little girl and Mia apart for so long.

Now she wondered if she’d been wrong after all, if Mia was about to leave and break Florence’s heart.

‘Well,’ Callie said, ‘she’s not exactly leaving, Agnes. This is what I mean about Florrie misunderstanding. What we were discussing was Mia leaving her job as housekeeper at Harling Hall.’

‘What? But why?’ Agnes couldn’t understand it. To hold such a position in a household like this was an honour. What more could any single woman ask for?

‘I don’t want ’er to leave,’ Florence wailed. ‘I won’t let ’er go!’

‘Now, Florence dear, please let Callie and Mia explain properly,’ Aubrey chided. ‘I’m sure it’s not as bad as you fear.’

‘Thank you, Aubrey,’ Callie said. ‘Mia, would you like to explain? This is your idea, after all.’

Mia cleared her throat. ‘It’s a bit odd, having a conversation with two people I can’t see or hear, but if you think I should be the one to tell them…’

‘I won’t never speak to you again if you go,’ Florence warned her, folding her arms and pouting.

Agnes rolled her eyes. ‘My dear girl, that is utterly ridiculous. It’s, I won’t ever speak to you again, not never . That’s a double negative. One cancels out the other. How many times do I have to?—?’

‘Agnes, perhaps now isn’t the time or place,’ Aubrey said gently, and as an oblivious Mia had already begun her explanation, Agnes had to agree.

‘So now Callie’s here,’ Mia was saying, ‘things have changed a lot. She, quite rightly, likes to cook for Immi and herself, and lately she’s also been cooking for Brodie, too. They like to eat in the kitchen, more informally, and now Lawrie has taken to joining them.’

‘It’s no reflection on Mia’s cooking,’ Callie explained hastily.

‘I love her cooking and still prefer her Sunday roasts to mine. It’s just, I never felt comfortable eating in that big dining room, and to be honest, I don’t feel comfortable with Mia cooking for me either.

And Immi’s my responsibility. I want to look after her.

I certainly don’t want Mia doing our washing and ironing, and we’ve already got a team of cleaners as you know.

In short, I don’t really feel we need a housekeeper. ’

‘Very shortsighted of you if you don’t mind me saying so,’ Agnes said with a sniff. ‘A woman in your position should always employ a housekeeper. You have far better things to do with your time.’

‘Yes,’ Callie said. ‘And so does Mia.’

‘You mean, the administration for the estate?’ Aubrey asked. ‘Yes, well. Obviously, Brodie may still need a bit of help, but surely?—’

Callie quickly repeated what the Wyndhams had said to Mia, who laughed.

‘I’d like to think I’ve given Brodie more than a bit of help,’ she said.

‘But either way, I think he’s got things under control now.

Since he became estate manager and stopped doing all the things he had no need to do, such as unblocking gutters and mowing lawns, he’s really cracked on with the administration.

These days he probably just needs someone to do basic clerical work, and that’s not me.

I want to get my teeth into something new and exciting. And Callie has just the job for me.’

‘Oh?’ Agnes was curious. ‘And what’s that?’

‘It’s been pointed out to me,’ Callie said, ‘that Rowan Vale needs another eating establishment of some sort. The queues at Mrs Herron’s teashop are crazy in high season and although we have The Victory Tearooms, they’re quite out of the way at the station, and we need somewhere in the village itself to stop hungry tourists from going elsewhere. ’

‘Wait,’ Agnes said, frowning. ‘Are you saying that Mia is going to run a cafe, of all things?’

‘Not exactly a cafe,’ Callie said cheerfully. ‘An Italian trattoria. At least, that’s the plan.’

‘An Italian…’ Words failed Agnes.

‘I say!’ Aubrey said, wrinkling his nose. ‘Italian food? In Rowan Vale?’

Callie laughed.

‘I take it they’re not too enthusiastic about the idea,’ Mia said wryly.

‘I think they just need time to adjust,’ Callie assured her.

‘What’s an Italian tattyoria?’ Florence asked, sounding confused.

‘Trattoria!’ Mia giggled. ‘It’s a sort of restaurant, but less formal. I’ll be serving pizzas and pastas and risottos. Lasagne. Bolognese. Fresh fish dishes. Ooh, and gelato! That’s ice cream to you and me, Florrie.’

‘I ain’t never ’ad pizza,’ Florence admitted. ‘I’ve seen Immi and Callie eating it, though.’

‘That was frozen pizza from the supermarket,’ Callie explained, somewhat embarrassed. ‘The pizza Mia serves will be made from scratch.’

‘All fresh ingredients,’ Mia added. ‘And I’m hoping to get a licence to serve wine, too. Italian, of course.’

‘What on earth is this obsession with Italy? What’s wrong with good, plain English food?’ Agnes wanted to know.

‘Nothing’s wrong with English food,’ Callie said. ‘Just, we already have two tearooms on the estate, not to mention a fish and chip shop and a pub selling traditional dishes. When Mia suggested something different, I thought it was a great idea. Personally, I can’t wait to try it.’

‘I’ve travelled extensively with my parents,’ Mia added.

‘Italy’s long been my favourite place to visit, and I absolutely adore Italian food.

I’ve done cookery courses in Rome, Florence and Sorrento, and another one with a top Italian chef in London.

Italian cuisine is the one thing I’ve really missed while I’ve been living here.

There was never any call for it at Harling Hall. Bit too exotic for Lawrie.’

‘But you’ll definitely stay in Rowan Vale?’ Florence checked. ‘You’re not moving away?’

‘Of course I’m not.’ Mia gave her an affectionate smile. ‘I’d never leave you, Florrie. I’m only just getting to know you properly. Although…’

Florrie straightened. ‘Although what?’ she asked suspiciously.

Callie and Mia exchanged glances.

‘Although, there may come a point when I move out of the Hall,’ Mia admitted.

‘What? But why?’ Florence wailed.

‘I’ll still be close by,’ Mia said quickly.

‘Callie and I have been talking about this. I really feel that there’s going to come a point when I want a bit of independence.

I’ve loved being at Harling Hall, but although I don’t want to move away from the village, I do feel ready to find my own space – especially now I’m hoping to run my own business. ’

‘But you can’t leave,’ Florence whispered. ‘You’re the only family I’ve got left.’

Agnes barely had time to register the words before the girl added quickly, ‘I mean, the only living family I’ve got left.’

She gave her adopted parents sheepish smiles. Aubrey ruffled her hair and said, ‘We knew what you meant, poppet. Never fear.’