Authors: Sophie Pembroke
Nate nodded. “You tell me what you need me to grow, and I’ll grow it.”
The faraway look in Jacob’s eyes suggested he was already imagining a seasonal homegrown menu. Nate saw many more vegetarian options on the Avalon Inn specials board in the future.
“This looks great, Nate,” Moira said, but Nate could hear the ‘but’ coming next.
“But?” he prompted her.
“Did Carrie ask you to do this?”
“Not as such,” Nate hedged, unsure how many people knew about Anna’s garden-selling plans. “I just think it’s important the gardens earn their way around here.”
Jacob nodded. “Makes sense to me,” he said, but Nate knew he was just thinking about the fresh produce. “Might need to get a greenhouse, too,” he suggested. “Tomatoes and such.”
“Next on the list,” Nate promised him.
“When are you going to show her?” Moira pressed, and without really thinking, Nate answered, “As soon as she gets back.”
Moira nodded, but she still didn’t look entirely reassured. The sound of tires on the gravel drive distracted her, though. “That must be them. I’ll go and see.”
Nate watched Moira head back to the inn, thinking that if even his grandmother, who traditionally thought he hung the moon, wasn’t impressed, what hope did he have with Carrie?
Jacob’s voice jerked him out of his rather depressing musings. “What have you got planned for the lawn at the back?”
Nate shrugged. “Nothing, yet. Maybe some sort of display garden? Might be good for photos.”
Jacob shook his head. “I’ve got a much better idea. One Anna bloody Yardley will love. Bring your twine and pegs.”
* * * *
“Did you empty out every charity shop in North Wales?” Stan asked as he met them at the door on their return to the Avalon, eyeing the boxes of plates, bowls, and glassware.
“Near enough,” Carrie said, passing him a box, while concentrating very hard on forgetting her entire discussion with Cyb.
“China and glass only,” Cyb told him. “And a few more tablecloths.”
Moira came trudging up the path from the gardens. “Good grief. That should keep us going.”
“That’s the hope,” Carrie muttered, and Moira gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Where’s that grandson of yours, Moira?” Stan asked, his booming voice making Carrie jump. Just as well she was holding tablecloths, not wine glasses, at the time.
“He and Jacob are working on something in the garden,” Moira said. Carrie wanted to ask what, but Moira was already moving toward the inn with a hastily grabbed box of glasses. It made Carrie nervous. She knew Nate wasn’t happy about the possibility of selling some of the grounds. She just wasn’t sure how far he’d go to stop it.
“Maybe I should go and see what they’re up to,” Carrie said, edging over to the path down to the gardens.
Stan stopped her with a scathing glance. “You forgotten so soon, girl? You can’t go now. We’ve got an appointment to keep.”
It took her a moment, but then it clicked. Stan was taking her to meet his grandson, who happened to run a discount carpet store two towns over. And getting rid of the hideous purple and green paisley on the floor of the dining room trumped whatever Nate was plotting in the gardens.
“Carpets,” she said, resigned. “Of course.”
Stan nodded. “Just take the last of these boxes in and we’ll go.”
“Great.” Carrie went to get back in the car. Somehow, she’d thought the Seniors helping would mean less work for her. As it was, she barely remembered what her tiny attic room looked like. But it would all be worth it when she saw Graeme gaze lovingly across the Willow Room at Ruth on their wedding day.
Hopefully.
Carpet Madness specialized, it seemed, in exactly the sort of carpets Carrie was trying to get rid of. At least now she knew why they were so cheap.
“This one is very popular,” Stan’s grandson told them, pointing at a heavy roll of turquoise and purple paisley.
Carrie stared at it and tried to be tactful. “Actually, I’m looking for something a bit...plainer.”
Stan looked worryingly taken with the paisley. Carrie wondered if he’d somehow been involved in picking out the original. “Can’t go with anything too plain in a hotel,” he told her, stroking the roll of carpet. “Need something with pattern. Something with color. Something to hide the food stains and the spills and the baby vomit.”
Carrie wasn’t sure which of those was supposed to be turquoise, but she figured it might be safer not to ask. “Still, maybe something a little less bright would work.”
Stan’s grandson shrugged, then looked away as another customer came in. “Why don’t you take a wander around and see if anything catches your eye.” He was already halfway across the store before he finished speaking.
“I’m going to...” Carrie waved a hand over at the other side of the store, and at Stan’s nod, moved away, leaving her companion looking longingly at the turquoise paisley.
Somewhere amongst burgundy pile and cream shag, Carrie’s phone rang.
“Oh God, Carrie, I’m so sorry, but...” Ruth trailed off, and Carrie steeled herself before asking, “What?” Because, whatever it was, two phone calls in one day meant it clearly wasn’t going to be good.
“The parents have been reviewing the guest list again, and they think they’ve found a few more families that they need to invite.”
“How many?” Carrie asked, already doing the math in her head. They were already at full capacity with Selena’s existing list. Unless they wanted to put tables in the bar...
“About another thirty people,” Ruth said, the words sounding like stones. “Give or take.”
“That’s three more tables!”
“I know!” Carrie would have been angrier if Ruth didn’t sound so upset. “And now Graeme’s saying maybe we should postpone until next year, if we can’t get this sorted out.”
“Maybe there’ll be an epidemic of chicken pox or something, and some will have to cancel.” It was only when she heard Ruth’s squeak on the other end of the line that Carrie realized she’d said the last bit out loud. Covering quickly, she added, “Okay, don’t worry. I’ll fix it. Somehow. Just...bring the revised list with you when you come up, and I’ll see what we can do.”
But even as she hung up, Carrie knew it was hopeless. If Aunt Selena was only finding additional friends and family to bulk up the list in order to rule out the Avalon Inn as a prospective venue, as she suspected, shoving a few extra tables in a side room wasn’t going to change her mind. She needed the inn at its best to even stand a chance. And now she needed it bigger, too.
She was still trying to figure out a solution when they left the carpet shop three quarters of an hour later, order placed for a chocolate and coffee swirly-patterned carpet that even Stan approved of. The mixture of browns were, he told her, the exact colors of Jacob’s beef and chicken gravies, respectively, so should work a treat for hiding stains.
Carrie was just glad it wasn’t paisley, or any shade of purple.
As they pulled into the drive of the Avalon Inn, the front door flew open, leaving Cyb and Moira peering out at them.
“Everything okay?” Carrie called out, slamming the car door behind her, and already mentally running through all the other things that could have gone wrong.
She’d reached
Jacob’s burnt down the kitchen
by the time Moira said, “Everything’s fine. It’s just...”
“Just what?” Carrie started the list going again.
Cyb grabbed her left arm and turned her away from the inn. “Did you get the carpet you wanted?”
“It’s very practical,” Stan said, but even he was looking at the two older women in confusion. “Won’t show a thing.”
“They’re fitting it on Friday,” Carrie said, still staring at Moira. “So what’s going on here?”
“Um...” Moira stalled, and was saved by Jacob appearing from behind the inn. “Jacob!”
Jacob gave Carrie a wide grin. “Nate’s got some things to show you in the gardens, if you’ve got the time.”
“Well, I...” She didn’t have the time, really. Her to do list wasn’t getting any shorter, after all. But there was something going on, and Carrie really wanted to know what it was. “Sure.”
As long as it wasn’t the burnt out remains of the kitchen, how bad could it be, anyway?
* * * *
Nate hovered inside the cutting garden, tweaking the occasional piece of twine and replanting the windmills when an overly strong breeze knocked them over. They’d heard Carrie’s car returning almost five minutes ago. Jacob had headed straight round to the front of the inn, and Nate had run for the first stop on the Nate Green Utterly Worthwhile and Self Supporting Prospective Garden Tour. Any moment now, Carrie would arrive and he’d have to convince her of his plans.
Because if she didn’t go for them, if she didn’t keep the gardens, what place was there for him at the Avalon Inn?
“Before we start whatever this is,” Carrie said, stepping into the garden between the surrounding foliage and shrubs that kept the area secluded and staring around her at the twirls of twine, “just reassure me nothing has burnt down or broken.”
Nate smiled. “I promise. Everything is just as intact as when you left.”
“So it’s just tied up with string, then.” She glanced around the four beds again, her brow crinkling in confusion when she spotted the windmills.
Jacob was standing behind her, giving him encouraging nods, and Nate realized he had to get on with it. Otherwise Carrie would start asking questions, and he’d never get his well-rehearsed spiel spoken at all.
“Okay,” he started, after taking a deep breath. Carrie’s gaze flicked to his face, and he reminded himself again to speak slowly and clearly. “So. I know you were concerned about the value of the gardens to the Inn.”
Carrie shook her head. “That’s not it, Nate. Honest. I know we need them for photos and...”
“Actually,” Nate interrupted, his tone apologetic. “This is going to be easier and quicker for both of us if you just let me say my bit first.”
“He’s been practicing all morning,” Jacob put in from the path. Nate wasn’t sure if that counted as helpful or not.
“Practicing what?” Carrie asked, and Nate just looked at her, trying to convey
just listen and find out
in a glance. It must have worked, because Carrie tucked her hands behind her back and said, “Fine. This is my best listening face. Go ahead.”
Nate tried to remember where he’d got to, and decided it was probably best to start from the beginning again. “I know you have concerns about the viability of keeping all the gardens here at the inn going, and think they might be more worthwhile as a commodity to be sold to raise more capital for the renovations.”
He paused just long enough for Carrie to nod, then went on, “I’m going to show you exactly how our gardens can earn their keep.”
As prearranged, Jacob came forward and moved Carrie to stand in the center of the cutting garden, and spun her slowly around in a circle.
“This garden here, along with two other areas behind it, would provide the bulk of the flowers you need to decorate the inn–not just on a day to day basis, but for weddings and other functions too.” Nate watched Carrie’s face as he spoke. She seemed faintly intrigued, at least.
“That would be useful,” she said, reaching her starting spot again.
“And that’s not all.” On impulse, Nate grabbed her hand to lead her down the path toward his summerhouse. “We’d have the other cutting gardens here on the right, hidden from the main views from the inn but close enough for guests to walk in, if they’d like.” Carrie nodded again, and he kept plunging forward. “And then back here, tucked out of the way...” He stepped back and let her walk through the archway of trees over the path first, watching as she stopped and stared at the open expanse of grass lined with red twine.
“This is my favorite bit,” Jacob said, coming up behind him.
Carrie glanced back at them, her brow crinkled. “What is it?”
“A vegetable garden,” Nate said, grinning.
“It’ll be so great,” Jacob added. “We can grow all the veg we need for the menus, more or less. Definitely if Nate gets his greenhouse.”
“How much is this all going to cost?” Carrie asked, and Nate winced.
“Less than my kitchen will,” Jacob said, his voice cheery.
“Depends how we do it,” Nate said. “We can start small, see how it goes. That way the garden bits won’t cost too much at any one time. We can wait a bit on the new greenhouse–the one round the back is okay for now.” If he ignored the broken panes of glass, anyway.
Jacob stepped back up the path, and Nate made to follow. “It’s the next bit that’s going to be really expensive,” Jacob said, and Nate groaned.
“Not quite how I was going to sell it,” he muttered as he passed Jacob. Jacob just grinned.
Carrie still wasn’t smiling, though, when he glanced around to check she was following. “Look, I can see the potential in principle, but at the moment, with so many other things...”
“Just...” Nate interrupted, then bit the inside of his cheek and started again. “Just for five minutes, forget what you think Anna will say about it, and concentrate on what you want for the Avalon, long term.”