‘Then I’ll make us tea and we can sit in the van and discuss.’
Clara smiled at him and went inside to get the quote he had provided her. The house was still a mess and depressing. She found the papers and went back to the van where Henry had left the door open for her.
‘Come in,’ he said.
Don’t get a crush on the thatcher, she reminded herself as she sat at the little booth and opened the folder of papers.
‘I love these sketches and colours,’ she said, running her fingers over the drawings.
He shrugged. ‘Just letting the imagination run wild – it’s your place, you don’t have to do any of that at all.’
‘But I want to, it’s perfect.’ She looked up at him and smiled, then found the list of things he thought she needed to do, her eye running over the tasks.
Painting.
New roof.
Update the bathroom.
Insulation.
Fix flooring in living area.
Clean fireplaces.
Chicken house.
Tidy garden.
The list seemed endless until she found the numbers at the bottom.
It was more than she expected but not as much as she had feared. She could pay for it all but she would need to work within the year. But that was for future Clara to think about.
Henry put the tea on the table in mugs with daisies painted on them.
‘Cute mugs,’ she said.
‘Naomi painted them.’
‘She was very clever.’
‘She was far too clever to be with me but she was and here I am, without her.’ He smiled at her and Clara knew then she was done for. The crush she had been avoiding came crushing on her wave, dunking her into the sand so she came up spitting it from her mouth and trying to wipe it from her eyes.
‘The quote is fine,’ she said, knowing she was turning red.
‘Which part?’
‘All of it,’ she said. ‘I want to live here, so make it liveable. I want you to do to it exactly what you would do if it was yours.’
Henry laughed. ‘That was the easiest deal I’ve ever made. You’re not even trying to whittle down the price.’
‘Why would I? You say it will cost this much, you live in a van with a child, you have mugs with daisies painted on them by your late wife, and you painted my sign.’
She gestured to the sign drying on the windowsill.
‘I did paint it,’ he said. ‘You’re very trusting.’
‘Not really, I’m just a realist. And I have a gut instinct around money – I guess it’s my bank manager background. I know who is a good bet and who isn’t.’
Henry banged his hand on the table, making Clara jump.
‘I’m excited. And that is rare. I never get the chance to do a whole place from top to bottom and the garden. I have to order the thatch. We have to get paint samples. We need to discuss the garden.’
Clara laughed and finished the tea.
‘I am glad I can make you excited,’ she said, before realising the double meaning and put her hand over her mouth.
‘Sorry, that was inappropriate and a mistake.’
‘It’s fine.’ He laughed and shrugged. ‘I don’t get excited much anymore.’
There was an awkward pause and then Clara knew she was bright red.
‘I’m going to go and check on Rachel.’
‘I should check on Pansy,’ he said and they both moved towards the door at the same time.
‘Sorry, you first.’ Henry opened the door and Clara noticed a flush on his neck.
Oh God, he wanted to run away from her. She had been far too forward by mistake and he thought she was making a move.
This was terrible and not at all what she wanted for either of them.
‘For the record,’ she said, her words tumbling over each other as she spoke, ‘I don’t like you that way, I mean I don’t know you, you know? Sometimes I say things without thinking, so pay no attention to me.
Henry nodded. ‘Sure, absolutely, never thought that for a moment.’
Clara went down the steps of the van and walked briskly to the garden but Rachel and Pansy weren’t under the tree anymore.
‘Rachel? Pansy?’ she called, walking around to the back door.
They were sitting at the old kitchen table, with Pansy’s tea set laid out on a beautiful embroidered tablecloth.
‘This looks lovely,’ said Clara.
‘Rachel found the tablecloth in the cupboard,’ said Pansy. ‘We are having make-believe marble cake and lemon madeleines.’
‘In the cupboard?’ asked Clara to Rachel who looked embarrassed.
‘I shouldn’t have opened the cupboards. I’m very sorry.’ Her head hung down, her lank oily hair falling forward over her face.
‘You don’t have to apologise at all. I wasn’t aware there were many things in there. I thought the owners had cleaned it out. I actually haven’t had time to look or maybe I’ve been avoiding it in case animals jump out at me. Henry thinks there was a fox living in here.’
Rachel looked up. ‘There are things in the drawers and in the attic. Lots of things.’
‘You looked through all the drawers and the attic in the twenty minutes I was in the van?’ Clara was confused.
‘Rachel knows the house because she used to come here when she was little,’ said Pansy, as she balanced a small pink plastic plate on her head.
‘I thought you didn’t know the place?’ Now Clara felt very confused.
‘I thought you meant a different house,’ Rachel said feebly.
Clara sat at the table with them.
‘Why did you tell me you didn’t know it when you did? When you have been inside the house? I’m not angry, I just don’t understand why you didn’t say anything to me.’
Rachel looked up. ‘Because I didn’t know if you would tell Mother. She never knew I used to come here. I would come inside and pretend I lived here, but if Mother knew, she would punish me. She used to beat me with a wooden spoon on the back of my legs.’
Clara was silent as she tried to understand. She saw Henry stood in the doorway, his face showing he’d
