Chapter 12

12

She was here. She was at the village hall. Laura looked down the street. Trees lined the road on one side, fields stretching out towards the horizon beyond, cottages built with the famous yellow Cotswold stone on the other side. This was picture-postcard perfect and one of the many reasons she’d moved here. Besides escaping her parents’ house and a town where Harry seemed to lurk around every corner, she’d chosen to make Meadowfield her new home and the place to build her business because of views like this.

She jumped aside as a family walked past her, immersed in conversation. She had been standing there for at least ten minutes now, watching people file into the village hall. There must have been at least fifty people in there now, maybe more, maybe even a hundred. She wasn’t sure. She should have counted. It would have given her something to do, taken her mind off the worry of walking in there alone.

Another group of people walked past her, this time not seeming to see her at all as she was practically forced to step down from the kerb into the road to give them more space. She recognised some of them, the man from the hardware store and the woman from the bakery. That other woman, with the long red hair, pushing a buggy, she’d been in the bakery too, hadn’t she? Yes, she was sure she had. That would explain why the two women had chatted away then, because they knew each other.

Laura held her hand up towards them and smiled. Lowering it again quickly as she got zero response apart from a quick glance from the younger woman. They had seen her then. Maybe they were thinking she shouldn’t be there. That she had no business attending the village meeting. Was it just for residents who had been there longer or were on a special committee or something? The leaflet that had been posted through the door may have been a mistake. Maybe she shouldn’t have come after all.

Pulling the flyer from her pocket, she smoothed it out and reread the information. No, it definitely said ‘all Meadowfield residents welcome and encouraged to attend’. She was meant to be here.

But she couldn’t go through with it. It had been a silly idea. She’d greeted those people politely and had nothing in response. Who was to say when she went in there that anything would be different?

Nope. Nope. Nope. She wasn’t ready. She’d keep going into the village centre and trying to befriend people that way, try to show them she wanted to be a part of Meadowfield life, that she was here to stay. But all in one go like this? She couldn’t.

Turning, she pushed the leaflet back into her pocket as she began to walk away, straight into the path of someone else, someone who she collided with. Now that definitely wasn’t the impression she’d wanted to give. Reaching up to rub her arm, she kept her eyes down. If they didn’t catch a full look at her, they might not report back that she’d tried to attack a fellow villager or something equally daft. She mumbled, ‘So sorry,’ as she dodged out of the way and began walking again, only to feel the person grip hold of her coat and pull her back.

‘Whoa. You’re going in the wrong direction.’

She relaxed. She knew that voice. Turning, she raised her head. ‘Sorry, Jackson. I wasn’t looking where I was going.’

‘No, apparently not because the village hall is that way.’ Jackson released her coat and indicated the hall in front of them.

‘Oh, I’m not going in there.’

‘That’s why you’re here though, isn’t it? You have the leaflet.’ He pointed to the corner of the leaflet sticking up out of her coat pocket.

Laura shook her head firmly. ‘I was, but I’m not anymore. I’ve changed my mind. I’ll come along to one when I’ve been here a little longer.’

Taking a step back, Jackson crossed his arms and looked at her. ‘Why?’

‘Why? Well, no reason.’ She glanced towards the hall as more villagers arrived. She hadn’t realised Meadowfield was so big. Where were all these people coming from?

‘Umm, that’s not washing with me.’

‘Okay, I just don’t think it’s a good idea, that’s all. I’m new to Meadowfield, and I just don’t think I’ll be very welcome.’

‘Of course you’ll be welcome! Everyone has been really good to me since I’ve moved here.’

‘To you they might have been.’ She looked towards the hall again and lowered her voice. ‘To me, though, I get the distinct impression I’m not expected to turn up. Or wanted.’

‘To the meeting?’ Jackson raised his eyebrow.

‘Yes. No. Everywhere. To the village.’ She shook her head. She was probably being daft. After all, Jackson was a newcomer and he felt welcomed. ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m just seeing things differently.’

‘I’d say so. People around here really are lovely.’ As if to prove a point, Jackson held his hand up to wave at the two women from the bakery who had paused outside the hall, chatting to someone else. In return, they both smiled and raised their hands back, whilst the man they were with called across, ‘Hello, Jackson.’

Laura sighed. Yep, Jackson had definitely been welcomed into the Meadowfield community. The problem must just lie with her. ‘Come on then, let’s go in and get this over and done with.’

‘Okay!’ Holding out his arm, Jackson waited until she’d looped hers through his before leading the way into the village hall.

Pausing in the entrance whilst people were ushered to their seats, Laura looked around the vast room. Wooden beams adorned the ceiling whilst large, framed photographs of the village from previous years hung between beautifully stained-glass windows. ‘Wow, it’s beautiful in here, isn’t it?’

‘It sure is. I was talking to Mrs Pierce the other day, who owns the bakery, and she told me that the hall had been in disrepair only about forty years ago and the entire village had joined together to set up a series of fundraising events to rebuild it. Think the beams had suffered from woodworm or something.’ Jackson shrugged. ‘Anyway, ever since then they’ve held monthly village meetings to keep the residents up to date with anything which may concern them.’

‘Umm, maybe that’s where my woodworm came from then. A village legacy.’ She laughed.

‘Evening, Jackson.’ The man who had shunned her both in the hardware store and outside just now, nodded as they walked past.

‘Evening, great night for a village meeting, isn’t it, Mr Parsons?’ Jackson looked back at her. ‘Your what?’

‘Oh, the banister at the inn collapsed, taking poor little Toby with it and apparently it’s woodworm.’ She shrugged as they slipped into a row of chairs before sitting on the uncomfortably hard wood.

‘Toby? Is he okay? He wasn’t hurt, was he?’ Jackson furrowed his brow, concern etched between his eyes.

‘No… well, yes he was, and Jenny and Rob had to rush him off to the hospital, but it turns out he’s just sprained his ankle.’ Laura slipped out of her coat, draping it over her lap. ‘I’m just relieved he hasn’t broken anything. He was in that much pain, bless him.’

‘Ouch, sprains can still be painful. Let’s hope he makes a quick recovery. Sorry, that’s what you began to tell me earlier at the pub, wasn’t it? Did all of your family visit?’

‘No, just Jenny and Rob, and the twins, obviously. They were on their way down to Rob’s parents’ house.’ She stood up, allowing a couple to exit their row before sitting back down again. ‘They were supposed to be leaving the kids and going away for the weekend, but after the accident, they’re all staying at Rob’s parents’ tonight and will just go away tomorrow.’

‘Oh, that’s a shame. I can’t imagine they get much time to themselves. Not with Rob working all hours and Jenny running her own business.’

‘No, I don’t suppose they do.’ Laura frowned. If she was honest, she’d always felt quite envious of Jenny and Rob’s relationship, as they always seemed so happy together. Still in love after all this time, whereas she and Harry had fallen into the trap of friendship, or, towards the end of their marriage, only just about being able to tolerate each other. She hadn’t really thought about Jenny and Rob not having that much time together. Jackson was right, though, and her damn banister had just robbed them of the precious little couple time they did have.

‘Still, at least no permanent damage is done and the lovebirds still get to spend one night away on their romantic getaway.’

‘True.’ Leaning forward, Laura peered around Jackson. The seats next to him were empty too, just like the ones on her side of the row now the couple had gone and sat somewhere else. She looked around the hall, most of the other rows were full and those which weren’t only had one or two chairs empty.

‘But woodworm? You really think it was woodworm which made the banister collapse?’ There was the creasing of his forehead again.

‘Yep. Definitely woodworm. Rob said as much and then I managed to get someone to come and take a look and he confirmed it.’

‘As much as I love Rob, DIY is not his greatest strength, but if you’ve had a professional come and take a look, I suppose he’d know.’ Jackson shrugged.

‘I’m just hoping it hasn’t spread elsewhere in the inn. By the way he was talking, it’s going to be an expensive job just to eliminate it from the hallway. I dread to think how much it’ll cost if the whole inn needs to be fumigated and treated.’ She watched as a woman bearing the large golden chain of mayoress took to the small stage at the front of the hall.

‘It’s odd, though. Checks were made on all the properties within the original village when this hall was treated. That I remember because that was something Mrs Pierce stressed when she was talking about the hall being rebuilt and I wondered if that was normal practice or if the village were particularly worried about it.’ Jackson shook his head. ‘Although I guess it must have returned.’

‘Lucky me.’ Laura looked across at the stage. ‘I’m guessing the meeting is run by the village mayoress then?’

‘That’s right and a small but well-respected group of long-term village residents.’ Jackson leaned in towards her. ‘I say long-term, but what I really mean is people who are likely the descendants of the original settlement hundreds of years ago who are either too proud of their heritage or too scared of the outside world to leave.’

Laura giggled.

‘And by well-respected, I mean they think they’re well-respected, when, in fact, everyone else is just too scared to piss them off in case they don’t approve the seven-inch fence they want to erect around their front garden or the porch they need planning permission for.’

‘Ah, aka the school bullies?’

‘Nah, they don’t really have as many powers as they like to think they do, and for the most part, they’re good people. If you have a problem and go to them, you know it’ll pretty much get resolved.’ Jackson leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ‘I think these village meetings add to the charm of the place. I’ve lived in many areas, and I’ve got to admit Meadowfield has a nice community vibe to it. The best I’ve come across.’

Laura sighed and turned to Jackson. ‘If I wasn’t sitting with you right now, in this hall and knew you were referring to the people here, I’d honestly think you were talking about a completely different village.’

‘You’ve got that wrong. These people are good. They’re not snooty to us outsiders like a lot of places, they’re just happy people want to come and live here, be a part of their community.’

Nudging her elbow into his side, she indicated the empty chairs next to her and to the side of him. ‘That’s why we’ve been abandoned, then? Ostracised within the charming community?’

Following her gaze, Jackson sighed before shaking his head. ‘It doesn’t mean anything. Someone put out too many chairs, that’s all. It’s just coincidence.’

She twisted in her seat and looked behind her. At least a dozen people were standing along the back of the hall, leaning against the wall or perching on the long table which ran the length of the back wall. Hmm, she wasn’t sure if she believed Jackson about the chairs. Still, it was good that he had been welcomed into the Meadowfield community with open arms. But then, who wouldn’t like Jackson? Everyone liked Jackson, they always had. Despite his difficult home life growing up, he’d sailed through school and luckily for her as on more than one occasion he’d used his influence to help her out of sticky situations.

‘Honestly, give them a chance.’ Jackson lowered his voice as the mayoress shuffled her papers behind the lectern and cleared her throat, ready to address her village.

‘I will.’ Laura turned as the mayoress began to speak. And she would give people a chance. Or another chance. She just hoped it wouldn’t take long for them to begin to accept her. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep up the pretence of being happy to the people she met, how long she could pretend everything was fine to her family when they asked.