4 A Not So Cosy Lunch …

4

A Not So Cosy Lunch …

By Wednesday, I’m looking forward to a leisurely lunchtime meeting with Daniela at Darlingham’s local inn – The Sailor’s Retreat – to talk about the play. Four years ago, the inn was teetering on the edge of extinction; it was badly in need of a huge cash injection to bring both the building and the interior up to date. But who buys a public house a stone’s throw away from an estuary, on a narrow road going nowhere other than through some tiny hamlets? The answer to that is a cooperative of local people. They all have a vested interest in keeping alive what is one of the main meeting places, at the last stop before you hit the banks of the river.

When I step inside, there’s a cluster of people around the bar. Most are ramblers, with backpacks, and they’re standing two-deep, which is good to see at any time of the year. I tilt my head and spot Daniela sitting at a table next to the roaring log fire. She’s deep in conversation with a man whose back is towards me, and I hurry over to them.

‘Hi! I’m so sorry I’m running late.’

She stands and we hug, then she turns to the attractive- looking man sitting opposite her.

‘Better late than never, Sienna. Look who was able to join us! This is Oliver Townsend.’

Interesting. It sounds like she wasn’t sure he was actually going to turn up. He stands and comes a little closer. I thrust out my hand and we shake. ‘Oh … right. It’s nice to meet you, Oliver.’

‘It’s my pleasure entirely, Sienna. I’ve heard a lot about you.’ Those deep brown eyes sweep over my face with interest. ‘And if I’d known there was a great pub with draught beers on tap, Daniela would have had an easier job of tempting me down here.’

As I slip off my coat and sit down next to her, Daniela flashes me a momentary apologetic look, before her eyes travel back to gaze at her old friend.

‘Really? So, you won’t want to stay at my place on Christmas Eve then?’

He rewards her with an engaging little smile. ‘I’ll let you know when I’ve tasted the food but judging by this glass of Old Spot, I’m tempted to book a room here now.’

The eye contact between them is playful and a tad awkward to witness. It feels … flirtatious and I’m rather taken aback.

‘It hails from Uley Brewery,’ I inform him, sounding a little lame but it’s all I can come up with. ‘They’re a local—’

‘I know,’ he stops me short. ‘They’re a traditional tower brewery built on top of a natural Cotswold spring. It’s been a long while since I’ve been down this way, and I’d forgotten just how good their ales are. I have family in the area.’

Is he being dismissive? I’m only trying to make polite conversation; the gentlemanly thing to do would have been to hear me out and pretend it was news to him. Feeling a tad irked, I glance at Daniela. ‘I had a little drama going on with my kitchen tap and it’s going to need a plumber. I’ve left several messages with the estate’s management company, but no one got back to me. I ended up turning the water off at the stopcock.’

She grimaces. ‘I hope it can wait until Monday. Getting a plumber out on a weekend is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.’

‘Yeah, I thought the same thing. I’ll have to pop around to Grandma’s to get a shower this evening.’

The expression on Oliver’s face is priceless. I guess I’m not making the best first impression but I have this unsettling feeling that two is company and three is a crowd. Maybe in her desire to simply get him here, Daniela chose not to mention the fact that I’d be joining them.

Daniela pushes back on her chair. ‘What would you like to drink, Sienna? They’re really busy so I’ll grab some menus, or we’ll be here all afternoon. I’m eager for you to show Oliver around the barn.’

‘Oh, thanks … I’ll have half a pint of Old Spot, please.’

She saunters off to the bar, leaving us to it. While I’m still casting around for something suitable to say, Oliver starts talking.

‘Sorry. I cut you off just now. It was rude of me,’ he apologises, his face a tad flushed. ‘This is a great old inn and what a discovery. When I was in my teens, my father and I often came to watch the cricket matches on the green at Frampton on Severn, but we never ventured any further. How far back does this place date?’

His smile is genuine, as he sits there nervously fiddling with the coaster beneath his drink. Neither of us are feeling at ease. I’m sure he’d have preferred a quiet lunch with Daniela so they could catch up, and that’s understandable, so I make a concerted effort to shirk off my annoyance.

‘The late seventeen hundreds,’ I state, softening the tone of my voice. ‘When the tide was low, ships travelling along the Severn from Bristol to Gloucester would stop at Darlingham. The sailors would walk up to the village for an evening of revelry.’

I tilt my head to catch sight of Daniela, but she’s still queuing at the bar.

‘I bet beer and sea shanties made for a boisterous night out,’ Oliver comments, catching my eye.

He’s beginning to relax a little, maybe we just got off on the wrong foot. ‘Yes. I bet it did. So, you live in London now?’

Oliver’s mouth twitches as he looks down at his drink. ‘I think I was born a city boy; I just didn’t know it until I escaped.’

Ooh … escaped . That doesn’t sound good. ‘My family are from this village, and I’ve always regarded it as home, even when I lived in Bristol for a while.’

‘You made it as far as Bristol?’ Oliver’s eyes widen and I give him a look of disdain.

‘I was at university there. I have been further afield.’

‘Well, that’s good to hear.’

Is he being sarcastic? ‘It sounds like you’ve travelled extensively.’

Oliver takes a sip of his beer, then wipes his mouth with a napkin. ‘You could say that. I’ve also spent time working on projects in France, Italy and Germany.’

If he thinks that impresses me, it doesn’t. Each to their own, as Grandma says. When I make no attempt to pick the conversation back up, he can sense I’m a little riled.

‘It’s a big wide world out there and it’s a good job we’re all different,’ he adds.

Now he’s patronising me!

Fortunately, Daniela reappears, a glass in one hand and some menus in the other.

‘Here you go, Sienna. Ben apologises for the delay; Ruby will be with us shortly to take our orders. What have I missed?’

I’m about to open my mouth when Oliver beats me to it. ‘Sienna was telling me a little bit about the history of the inn. I can’t believe this was on my doorstep and I didn’t get to discover it for myself.’

She flashes me an amused smile. ‘Wonderful! Right, let’s decide what we’re eating, and hope Ruby gets to us before that lot at the bar filter through to their table.’

I already know what I’m ordering, so I surreptitiously watch Oliver as he studies the menu. His dark hair is curly on top and shaved around the back and sides; with those mysterious dark-brown eyes he certainly turns heads. I’d say he’s what Freddie would have referred to as a man’s man. Oliver comes across as the sort of guy who is happier going to the pub for a pint with his mates, rather than on a couples’ night out. I vaguely remember Daniela describing him as a Mr Darcy lookalike, and she wasn’t far wrong there. He definitely has that slightly offhand, almost edgy side to the character off to a T.

I also find myself noticing that he isn’t wearing a ring, but not all married men do. He exudes that smart country casual style, but he doesn’t look comfortable in it. He’s even wearing hiking boots, although they look virtually brand new.

‘Hey, guys.’ Ruby rushes over to us. ‘Sorry about the wait. I was helping prep the starters for the ramblers club luncheon. What can I get you?’ As she’s talking, I can’t help but notice that she can’t take her eyes off Oliver.

Tall, dark and handsome he might be, but I’m reserving my judgement for now. I’m beginning to wonder whether telling Daniela he was allergic to the countryside was a bit of a put-down and not merely a joke, or a polite way to decline her offer.

From what I’ve seen so far, Oliver seems a bit full of himself. He keeps glancing up at Ruby, giving her that ever so cool smile of his while Daniela and I place our orders. It’s clear that it’s making her a little flustered.

After the meal, we’re off to inspect the barn. I can’t wait to hear what he makes of that as a venue. Too rustic maybe, when it comes to hosting a play? Hmm … I might find myself having to hold my tongue.

We walk along the single-track lane that leads to the entrance to Silverberry Hall and I feel as if I’m eavesdropping. Oliver and Daniela catch up on what they’ve been doing since they last met up, which sounds like it was well before the children came along.

It’s interesting, actually. Oliver reels off some of the projects he’s been involved in, and it is impressive, I’ll give him that. But when it comes to Daniela’s turn, I can’t help but think that she’s downplaying her role as a wife and a mother. Nigel is free to work all the hours he wants, only because Daniela successfully juggles family life to accommodate his absences. It’s no mean feat.

‘You’re about to get back into playwriting, though,’ I point out, from the rear.

She turns her head to grin at me. ‘Well, have a stab at it again, at least.’

‘This little performance might be just what you need to spur you on,’ Oliver replies, enthusiastically. ‘Is it much further? I could have driven the car down to the pub to save us the walk.’

Surely, he’s kidding. It’s no more than a ten-minute saunter from Daniela’s house to The Sailor’s Retreat, and less than fifteen minutes along a lovely, country lane to the Hall. On a wonderful day like this, with a gloriously blue sky, it’s invigorating.

‘It’s hardly worth firing up the engine,’ I muse. ‘Besides, this is how you get to explore the countryside. See that rusty old gate over there, partially hidden among the brambles?’ I incline my head as we draw to a halt.

Oliver gazes at it, clearly unimpressed.

‘It’s a path leading to an old pigsty. It’s within the boundary of Silverberry Hall and the grounds stretch from here across to the banks of the River Severn in that direction.’ I point and he at least has the courtesy to turn his head. ‘It extends another two miles in that direction and beyond what you see here, is a vast swathe of woodland.’

‘Oh, right.’

It’s obvious that he’s not that interested in taking in the scenery, even when we spot a sparrow hawk hovering over one of the fields.

When we walk up the drive to the main house I notice a navy-blue Range Rover parked up; it belongs to the eldest of Elizabeth’s two younger brothers, Stephen. I suggest we head straight to the barn and introduce Oliver later.

‘I love this place,’ Daniela enthuses, as I lead them around the side of the original part of the house and under a covered walkway. ‘This is the house of my dreams!’

It’s a standing joke between the two of us because she’s serious and we both start giggling. When we were growing up, our imaginations knew no bounds, but Daniela was in another league altogether. Her Georgian-style home is stunning and sizeable, but her vision was of a sprawling country property with original limestone floors and acres of land. However, you need very deep pockets indeed to run a place like this.

She used to laugh at me with my dream of owning a cute little country cottage with wisteria hanging down either side of the front door. Daniela would tease me and say that I needed to set my sights higher because … why not? But she was always the ambitious, outgoing one whereas I was shy and nervous. However, I never underestimated how much easier my childhood was, having such a bubbly friend encouraging me to wander outside my comfort zone from time to time. I’ll always love her for that.

I do a bit of a running commentary as we continue walking towards the first of the outbuildings. ‘The stables aren’t used anymore, but as you can see, they’re in good condition if you need to store anything. And the next building on our left is the main barn.’

The old sliding doors were replaced many years ago and inset with two huge oak panelled doors. They’re very heavy and set into one of them is a normal-sized, working door. I pull the key from my pocket and unlock it.

‘After you.’ I motion for Oliver and Daniela to step inside.

‘Wow. It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting,’ he comments. Finally, something in this little village in the middle of nowhere, aside from the beer that is, impresses him.

He walks around aimlessly, getting a feel for the space.

‘There will be at least one hundred and thirty people here milling around on the night. To our right, that end will be taken up entirely with the buffet tables. A local DJ will set up in this corner behind us, ready for the dancing later in the evening.’

Oliver walks in parallel with the line of gas heaters, to the far end. He’s wearing a frown.

‘It’s a pity it’s not a little wider,’ he remarks, seemingly to himself.

Daniela strides forward to catch up with him but I stay where I am.

‘What’re you thinking?’ she asks.

‘Well, first time around the staging worked well in the centre of the room.’

She nods her head. ‘I know but given the size of the crowd they aren’t going to be able to wander around, anyway. It has to be end-on against that far wall, but will what’s there be too small for the performance?’

‘It’ll totally spoil the effect; you do appreciate that?’

I wish I knew what they were talking about. I mean, it’s just a play and most audiences sit in rows facing the stage. Is he looking for problems because he’d rather not get involved, but couldn’t bring himself to admit that to an old friend? I wonder.

Daniela reaches out to touch his arm. ‘If anyone can pull this off, it’s you, Oliver.’

Oh my! The way to get a man to do a job he doesn’t want to do is to pander to his ego. In that instant, Oliver’s expression changes. ‘I have an idea that might work but it’ll take a while to construct it. That uh … stage, is just an oblong box. I’ll need some wood to extend it at one end to accommodate the main prop. And I think we’ll need a bit of a backdrop to set the scene. That’ll need painting. With a bit of luck, I can call in a favour and borrow some stage lighting from a mate of mine.’

‘That sounds great! Just work out what you need and let me have a list. I can help with the painting and I’m sure Sienna will lend a hand.’

So much for leaving them to it. I wander over to join Daniela, as Oliver jumps up onto what we refer to as the podium. He’s right, it’s not a full-blown stage and I watch as he takes a rough measurement of the area in strides.

‘I think it can be done. It’ll be different to the first time around, obviously, but with a bit of manipulation I reckon it’ll still be a showstopper.’

Daniela’s smile grows exponentially. ‘It was quite a small audience last time, wasn’t it?’ she muses.

He jumps down and saunters over to us. ‘It was, but one’s peers are the fiercest of judges. All credit to you, I think we’ll succeed in wowing the guests on the night.’

‘How many actors are involved?’ I ask, curious to know more.

‘Six adults and we had two young children playing in the background. As they’re non-speaking parts, I’m hoping to enlist a couple of local volunteers,’ Daniela explains. ‘And with that, I think we’re done.’

Well, almost. Oliver speaks up. ‘How about the rehearsals?’

‘We’ll do that via video calls just to make sure we’re all in synch and we should be able to get away with a couple of rehearsals prior to the day.’

I raise my eyebrows. ‘We? Are you performing, too?’

Oliver gives a hearty laugh. ‘Daniela is centre stage. You can reassure Elizabeth … I got the name right, didn’t I?’ His eyes meet mine and I nod my head. ‘Good. Let her know that we’ll make sure her guests are in for a real treat.’

‘If I hand you the key, I’ll leave you to wander around and have a little chat while I see if Elizabeth’s free and you can tell her that for yourself. Come up to the Hall when you’re ready and I’ll meet you around the back in the orangery for a cup of tea.’

‘Make that coffee for me, please,’ Oliver adds. ‘Tea isn’t my thing.’

I chuckle to myself as I hurry away to alert Elizabeth. Oliver is definitely not the tiny cakes and cucumber sandwiches type of man, either. But he knows what he’s doing and if he could relax a little, he’d probably be fun to be around.

I can’t help but wonder whether he and Daniela ever had a bit of a fling, back in the day. We didn’t mix in the same circles at university and I’m sure I’d remember if I’d crossed paths with him before. The fact I didn’t probably means the answer to my question is no, and thank goodness for that. Daniela has a busy life and while she might need Oliver’s help, she doesn’t need any other complications thrown into the mix.

Oliver is quite a charmer when he wants to be, and Elizabeth is captivated when he talks about some of the projects he’s been involved with. She’s always been into the arts and the conversation is animated.

I switch off and dispense the tea, and coffee, making several trips back and forth to the kitchen. Veronica is covering for Georgina, who is taking a day’s holiday, and she’s in a bit of a tizzy. Elizabeth has company for dinner this evening but as far as I’m aware it’s just three family members. Georgina has left detailed instructions for reheating the ready-prepared dishes and they’ll serve themselves.

When Veronica ends up dropping a serving dish and it hits the floor, it’s time for me to step in. ‘Relax, take a deep breath. I’ll clear that up.’

‘Oh, Sienna! I just want everything to go smoothly.’

‘I know you do, but it’s not a posh dinner party, so don’t stress over it.’

I grab a dustpan and brush while she takes a moment to calm herself. ‘I know it’s silly and all I have to do is assemble the starter, reheat the main course and serve the dessert, but I don’t want to let anyone down.’ Normally, Elizabeth gets in the caterers when Georgina isn’t here, so it’s understandable that Veronica is a little on edge. ‘I thought I’d get the table all set up ready, as that’s one thing off the list.’

‘You can handle this. If you need an extra pair of hands a bit later, just give me a call. I’d better get back to the orangery, but don’t forget – I’m close by if you need anything.’

She gives me a weak smile. Georgina makes it all look so easy but then she’s worked in larger houses than this one in the past.

When I rejoin them, carrying a fresh pot of tea, I’m surprised to see that Elizabeth and Oliver are alone.

‘Daniela had to rush home to look after the children; her mother has to get back to the shop,’ Elizabeth informs me.

‘Ah, that’s a pity.’

‘Come and sit down. I’ll pour the tea. Would you like another coffee, Oliver?’

‘I’d love one, Elizabeth, if I’m not taking up too much of your time. Daniela mentioned that you have family here today.’

‘Yes. My sister-in-law is relaxing in the hot tub and my brother is playing pool with his eldest son in the games room. They see enough of me as it is!’

Gosh, that’s a girlish laugh if ever I heard one.

Oliver smiles. ‘Point me in the direction of the kitchen and I’ll make the coffee myself.’

To say I’m shocked when Elizabeth does just that, is an understatement. He’s a guest at the Hall and that’s literally unheard of.

As soon as the door shuts behind him, I busy myself adding a dash of milk to my tea. ‘Oliver is going to build something to extend the width of the stage at one end. Are you OK with that?’

‘Oh, yes! He already talked me through it; the addition will come in useful when we hold auctions, too. I’m rather excited, actually. I gather they’ll be performing a short play that Daniela wrote, imagine that! While we’re on our own, did you manage to follow up on that call yet?’

‘I left another message first thing yesterday morning. If Richard doesn’t get back to me within a few days, I think we ought to assume he’s not willing to talk.’

‘Oh dear, what a pity. Well, all you can do is try and let’s give it until the end of next week before we rethink the strategy.’

I sip my tea, a little disappointed to hear that she isn’t giving up that easily.

‘Oliver is a bit of a surprise, isn’t he?’ Elizabeth comments. It’s good to hear her sounding a little perkier today but I don’t know quite how to answer that.

‘Um …’ Luckily the door opens and the man himself hurries over to join us.

‘Oliver, are you heading home after this?’

‘No. I’m staying overnight with Daniela and Nigel. The plan was that after dinner we’d meet up with some of the other performers in Stroud, just to plan our online rehearsal sessions.’

‘It’s lucky that Nigel is home. His work can be quite stressful at times,’ Elizabeth explains. ‘He’s involved in projects all around the world, and it doesn’t matter what time of the day, or night, whenever there’s a problem, he’s expected to drop everything and go. It must be so frustrating for Daniela. Children are demanding when they’re young and having two so close together is an even bigger challenge.’

Oliver shrugs his shoulders. ‘I bet. If he does get called away I’m sure everyone will be fine if we end up changing our plans. I’ll be back and forth while I build the structure, as and when I can, so we could always reschedule the troupe meet-up.’

Elizabeth beams at Oliver. ‘You’re free to come and go here as you please. Just liaise with Sienna. She’s in charge and I couldn’t cope without her. Isn’t that right, my dear?’

Inwardly I groan. I was hoping to give Daniela a key to the barn and leave her to deal with Oliver.

‘I’ll give you my number,’ I reply, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I feel.

‘Perfect. A couple of weekends and the odd few days here and there, and I’ll have it sorted, I’m sure.’

It seems that everyone is happy, then. I’m sure Daniela will be eager to give Oliver a hand and the new nanny will be a timely addition to the household.