When the Heather Blooms (15 page)

Chapter Fourteen

It was plain they would never get near the door but Josh drove on round to the back of the house. The track was new. Charlotte blinked. There were still bits of debris and tools lying around but there was a flagged path to the back door and a new extension.

‘They must have taken off the roof! They've built up the walls …' She climbed out of the car and stared up at the house in amazement. ‘All the windows at the back are new, Josh …'

‘Some parts are finished. I hope and pray you'll think it's all right once it's completed. It seems to have taken so much longer than I expected. I wanted it to be a surprise and instead it's a muddle.' He looked like a worried small boy and Charlotte's heart swelled with tenderness. He took her in his arms and looked into her upturned face. ‘I can't give you a castle, Charlotte, but I promise I shall do my best to give you a decent, comfortable home, and all my love to go with it.'

‘Oh Josh …' Her chin wobbled and her eyes filled with tears. ‘I don't want a castle even if you could give me one. All I want is you and Lucy.' They peered into the car but Lucy was still asleep.

‘Come and have a quick look before she wakens and needs to be fed,' Josh urged. ‘The men promised to lay the carpets in the bedroom and living room. Let's see what they've done. At least I shall be here to chivvy them on now.'

‘I didn't know the house very well before, except that it was single storey and not very big.' Charlotte said, following him into what had been a small kitchen with the carry cot in her arms.

‘I thought we'd keep this for coats and boots and I've ordered a Bendix washing machine.' Josh looked at her anxiously, wondering whether he had made too many decisions on his own in his efforts to give Charlotte a pleasant surprise.

‘We saw those new machines in Glasgow but the salesman said they were automatic, all in one tub, and they're very expensive, aren't they?'

‘You deserve the best, sweetheart, and you'll have Lucy's nappies to wash. Come and see the new kitchen. I didn't know whether you would like a dresser so I've left that to you.' He opened the door and watched her face. She opened her mouth in astonishment, took two tentative steps onto the blue and cream Marley floor; she spun round to face him, put the carry cot down, and flung her arms around him.

‘I can't believe it, Josh. It's beautiful, and it's so spacious. It's even bigger than the kitchen at Langmune and I've always thought how welcoming it is.'

‘Yes, well er … it's a different shape, but the builder says it will be easy enough to put up a partition wall if you want.'

‘I love it just the way it is.' She moved towards the cooker. ‘Do I smell paraffin …?' she asked, running her hands over the big silver lids which covered the hot plates. Josh moved up behind her. ‘It runs on oil. You'll never need to fill it up with coke like Victoria and Libby do.'

‘I think you're spoiling me, Josh,' Charlotte said, leaning back against him and tilting her face up to his.

‘The bits that are finished have to make up for the wilderness outside and the rooms still to be done.'

‘This does more than make up.' She twisted round to face him, drawing his dark head down so that she could kiss him on the mouth. It was several minutes before they drew apart.

‘Is this a brand new refrigerator?' She opened the door to peer inside. ‘Goodness, it's all stocked up with milk and butter, eggs and bacon. There's even a roast of meat, and a big piece of cheese. Oh, and look, Josh. Someone has prepared a lovely salad and a cold roast chicken.'

‘All this is a surprise to me too,' Josh said. ‘It must be Libby or Victoria.'

‘There's a trifle too. I'll bet that's from your mother.'

‘They must have brought all this last night.'

‘You have a wonderful family, Josh,' Charlotte said, her eyes wistful.

‘They're your family too now, Charlotte, and Lucy's. Do you like the new unit with the stainless-steel sink? I wondered if you'd think it was a bit too modern.'

‘I love it and it will be a lot easier to clean than the wooden drainer we had in the flat.'

‘I'd like to see what they've done to the sitting room and whether or not we have a bedroom to sleep in tonight,' he said anxiously. Charlotte followed him through the door into a square hall which had once been a small bedroom. It still had a bare stone floor and the green distemper was peeling off the old walls. They crossed to the opposite door and it was like entering a different house.

‘That's the carpet we saw in Glasgow one Saturday.' She turned to Josh. ‘You must have taken note of it. Oh my goodness, it goes right to the walls, no wood-stained surrounds to dust or let the draughts in.'

‘Someone has lit the fire in the new grate,' Josh remarked. ‘It's well banked down but it will soon blaze away.' He bent to fiddle with the front.

‘This is a huge room, Josh. You must have had them knock two rooms together. How lovely it is. What a beautiful view from the windows. Josh!'

‘What's wrong?' Josh straightened up from the fire which was flickering merrily now.

‘The piano …?' Charlotte said and crossed towards the familiar instrument. ‘It is! It's the one we had in the Dower house. It's the one you thought I should keep back from the sale for myself. How …? And the corner display cabinet. Oh Josh, I always loved it. How did you manage it?'

‘I left bids with the auctioneer; they have been in storage until now. I knew I would give them to you as a wedding gift one day, but I always hoped it would be as my wife, and not someone else's.'

‘Oh Josh, I don't think there can be another man as kind and thoughtful as you, or as generous to me. I-I can't quite believe it.' She reached up and hugged him and he felt the flutter of her damp lashes against his cheek. If it had not been for Lucy, he thought, they would have made love there and then in front of the fire.

‘There are four bedrooms upstairs now but only one is finished. The other downstairs room was a small back bedroom. I hoped we might make it into a study where I can have peace to mark up books and such like?'

‘Of course that's what we'll do,' Charlotte agreed.

‘You'll have a busy time fixing curtains and cushions. We can use the chairs from the Glasgow flat until you can choose something to your liking.'

‘I recognise these two small tables, Josh, and the big standard lamp. You must have taken careful note of everything I wanted to keep from the sale.'

‘I knew by then you were the girl I wanted to marry,' Josh grinned, ‘but I wasn't sure whether I would ever dare to ask you.'

‘And I was longing for you,' Charlotte beamed. ‘I'll come with you to get some of Lucy's things into the kitchen. I never knew babies needed so much equipment.' ‘Come on, let's look at the bedroom before she wants a feed.'

The bedroom was furnished and someone had made up the bed and brought a fluffy sheepskin rug.

‘I'll bet that was Willie and Mary,' Josh grinned. ‘He cured some skins himself and I know Mimi has one in her bedroom. She says it warms her toes when she gets up in the morning.'

‘I can't believe how kind everyone has been,' Charlotte said, ‘and that's the bedroom carpet I admired in Glasgow too. You're so thoughtful, Josh.'

She moved to stand in front of the dormer window and gaze at the view. The corn was ready for harvesting and fields looked like swathes of pure gold waving in the late afternoon sunshine, stretching up the side of the glen towards Langmune. Josh moved to stand beside her.

‘It's so beautiful,' she said.

‘What, the garden?' Josh teased, looking down on the rubble beneath their window.

‘I didn't even see that,' Charlotte smiled, looking beyond it to watch the burn tumbling and burbling under the bridge at the end of their short drive. The brilliant violet blue of the wild vetch climbed up the hedgerow, while rosebay willow herb swayed in the breeze. At the edge of the cornfield poppies fluttered their crimson petals.

‘I can almost smell the scent of honeysuckle from the hedge on the other side of the burn. I'm so lucky I can't quite believe it.'

‘That's a relief, Charlotte. I thought you might want to turn around and go back to Glasgow when you saw the mess.

‘Is that why you were so on edge, Josh?'

‘Yes. I'd hate to make you unhappy. I was a bit ambitious but I want you to have a home you can be proud of and I wanted to give you a surprise.'

‘I am happy so long as I have you beside me, Josh. You're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened in my life.'

‘Wait until morning,' Josh grinned, ‘when the workmen arrive.'

‘Listen, I think that's Lucy stirring.' She turned into his arms and kissed him. ‘That's until tonight,' she promised, her blue eyes alight with love. 

Three weeks later Josh had settled down in his new job, the harvest fields had been shorn, and all the stooks gathered into barns. The morning air was crisp and fresh, reminding them that summer had passed; the rowan berries shone as rosy red as the hips in the hedgerows.

At Langmune Peter was preparing himself for college and his journey to Devon. Victoria planned a family gathering for Sunday lunch to wish him well on the next stage of his journey, and to welcome baby Lucy into the Pringle family circle. Julie Dunlop was still helping at Langmune and Mimi and Lachie had promised to keep Molly amused and out of mischief while Victoria concentrated on cooking for the ever-increasing number. At two years old Molly was proving to be an adventurous toddler with no sense of fear. One day Victoria had been unable to find her anywhere in the house or garden; she was beginning to panic, fearing she had drowned in a cattle trough, or fallen down the stone steps of the hayloft. Andrew had then found her curled up asleep beside the collie dog in the barn.

Charlotte was nervous about taking Lucy, afraid she would not settle or that she would be sick or cry all the time.

‘She'll be fine,' Josh assured her. ‘There's plenty of people to keep her amused or to nurse her if she is fretful. Didn't the district nurse tell you what a fine baby she is?'

‘Yes,but she is usually sleeping or on her best behaviour when Nurse Bailey calls.'

‘Let's hope she can influence the adoption panel then and get them to proceed. I don't think either of us will feel she belongs to us until we know everything is legal and we can change her name to Pringle. Did Victoria tell you that Peter is changing his name to Mark's?'

‘Has he done it officially?'

‘He wants to be known as Peter Mark Jacobs from now on. When he has used his new name for two years, and he has proof, he will be able to get legal documentation. I'll bet Doctor Sterling will not be very pleased when he finds out.'

‘He doesn't deserve to call Peter his son the way he has treated him.'

‘I agree. Victoria says he's never sent the money from Mark's insurance but Peter is determined to pay his own way through college.'

‘Good for him,' Charlotte nodded. ‘It shows he's got character.'

‘Oh he's got that all right, and plenty of determination. Andrew and Willie both think he'll do well whatever job he takes on. Mary says Mimi will miss him. He helps her with her maths and science. Young Lachie has no trouble with his studies. He seems to be turning into a bright student.'

‘Like his Uncle Josh then,' Charlotte smiled. ‘You said you always enjoyed studying.'

‘Yes, I did, but in recent years I've missed not living in the country. I'm looking forward to creating a garden. I've ordered some fruit trees to plant a small orchard. We all helped my father, you know, when we were young and I think it must be in our nature to cultivate the soil and make things grow.'

‘Mmm, well it's bound to be an improvement on a builder's yard,' Charlotte teased, ‘even if you do end up growing a fine crop of weeds instead of vegetables.'

‘I hope I shall manage better than that!' Josh declared, then he saw the lights dancing in her eyes and seized her waist, only letting her go when one of the builders appeared at the back door requesting hot water to make his tea.

It was a happy family gathering on that sunny September afternoon. Polly seemed as content to cuddle Lucy as she had been to nurse wee Joe and Charlotte was reassured that she was accepting the baby girl as part of her family.

‘Wee Joe is growing so fast he makes my old arms ache,' she said to Libby, ‘but he has a smile just like his namesake, lassie. Joe would have been proud o' the wee fellow.'

Mimi was known for her happy smile and sparkling blue eyes but today she seemed as near to being miserable as Josh had ever seen her. He sat beside her and talked in a low voice.

‘Just because Peter is going away, Mimi, it doesn't mean there's no one else to help you with your homework. You know you can always come to me, don't you? If it's science or maths you need anyway; if you want help with French or German you'll need to ask Charlotte.'

‘I hate science. Anyway it's not just homework, Uncle Josh,' Mimi said, turning a pair of soulful eyes upon him. ‘Peter is good fun and he never makes me feel different just because I'm little for my age and have a limp, and he comes to stay with us at High Bowie and Daddy likes his company and Mum makes a fuss of him and cooks all his favourite meals. You wouldn't understand. It'll not be the same without him.'

‘But he'll be back for the Christmas holidays, and all the other holidays, Mimi. They'll not be long in coming round.'

‘It will seem like forever,' Mimi insisted with all the dramatic tragedy of a twelve-year-old.

‘If you don't like science what would you like to do when you leave school?' Josh asked, moving the subject away from Peter's departure.