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‘It sure is.’
‘Well I never,’ she exclaimed, reaching for his tiny hand.
As Isla stepped back into the teashop, she stopped dead in her tracks. Immediately Isla recognised the shabby coat, the Doc Martens boots. ‘Gran, is that you?’
Martha spun round and flung her arms open to a rather flabbergasted Isla, whose jaw had dropped somewhere below her knees.
‘It most definitely is!’
‘Granny … what the …’ She stopped to catch her breath. ‘What are you doing here? And where’s Walter, is he with you?’ she asked, quickly scanning the teashop.
‘Always asking questions!’ Martha kissed her granddaughter on both cheeks. ‘What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’ve come to stay. I knew you’d be so happy to see me.’
‘Stay? How long for?’
‘You know what, dear granddaughter, I think this time I’m back for good.’
Martha enveloped Isla in the tightest hug ever, and as Isla struggled to breathe she locked eyes with Felicity. Over her gran’s shoulder she mouthed wearily, ‘Back for good? Forget the tea, I’m in need of that gin.’
Chapter 3 (#u19d2ae82-c90f-5173-99ca-eb76c01bf911)
Finally releasing her granddaughter from her tight grip, Martha swooped straight into the pram and planted a noisy, sloppy kiss on to Angus’s head. His warm body wriggled in her arms as she inhaled his baby smell.
‘Isn’t he just the best? Angus … what a good Scottish name. Me and you are going to be the best of friends.’
Isla felt perplexed. Angus was now three months old and there had been no interest from Martha for all that time, and suddenly they were going to be the best of friends? And never mind Finn, who was six years old and hadn’t seen his great-gran in the last twelve months! And now she was acting like the doting granny. Of course, Isla had thought about trying to contact her when Angus was born, but she hadn’t a clue where to begin. Martha wasn’t one for staying in one place for a long time. From experience Isla knew her granny was of a flighty nature and goodness knows where she was or what was ever going on in her life. But one thing she knew for sure was that eventually she’d turn up again.
‘I can’t take my eyes off him,’ Martha was still gazing adoringly at Angus.
‘Gran … are you serious … are you back for good?’ Isla had to ask, as the realisation of her words had well and truly sunken in after the initial shock.
Martha jerked her head towards Rona, ‘You’d think my granddaughter wasn’t happy to see me.’
‘It’s not that,’ Isla added quickly, but the look on her face said it all. ‘A bit more notice wouldn’t go amiss. Have you booked into the B&B? Julia never mentioned it.’
Martha threw back her head and laughed. ‘The B&B? Why would I want to stay there when I can stay with my beautiful granddaughter?’
The words hit Isla like a high-speed train. She wasn’t sure if she could muster up enough energy to wait on another house guest, and what was Drew going to say? Not that he had anything against Martha, but his mood was a little unpredictable lately.
‘I’ll have to make up the spare room.’
‘I can help with that,’ said Martha, gently rocking Angus in her arms before safely placing him back inside the pram.
‘And where’s Walter? Will he be joining you?’ asked Isla, suddenly panicking that there were going to be two unexpected house guests.
Martha shook her head. ‘Walter … He’s long gone … I’ve seen the last of him. One minute he was contentedly reading the Daily Mail like he did every morning with his cup of tea, and next he was on a train to Brighton, with that floozy Jennifer from the corner shop, and that was that.’
‘What do you mean, that was that?’
‘They ran off together … and I took myself off on holiday with Fred with the cash he’d forgotten to take from the kitchen drawer.’
‘Fred … who’s Fred?’
‘No-one important … After Fred, I hooked up with Greg for a while, but he was old before his time and then …’
‘I think I get the picture,’ cut in Isla in amazement.
‘It doesn’t matter how old you get, Isla … love isn’t guaranteed to run smoothly and that’s why I’m here …’
After this morning Isla knew that only too well. ‘To mend your broken heart?’
‘Far from it … I’m back because I miss my family … it’s been too long … and I can’t keep gallivanting all over the world … it’s time I settled back down, and where else is home?’
Isla’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard. It was tough enough looking after two small children, never mind a whirlwind of a granny who had more energy than all of them put together.
‘I knew you’d be happy and welcome me back with open arms. Just think of me as a babysitter on tap, isn’t that every new mum’s dream? … You won’t even know I’m here.’
Isla had her doubts and swung a glance towards Felicity, who gave her a forced sympathetic smile.
‘I’ve brought a few bits and pieces with me … they are in the car.’
Everyone took a swift glance towards the Union Jack-roofed mini parked outside. It was bursting at the seams with Martha’s belongings and it looked like her whole life was packed into the small car.
‘Gran, that looks more than a few bits and pieces.’ Isla felt herself physically slump. She’d already had quite a morning of it, and after the row with Drew she felt this was yet more pressure. Life was hard enough with two young children, a husband and a farm to run, and now there was another person thrown into the mix.
‘And I can’t wait to see Drew and Finn,’ said Martha, quickly swerving the conversation.
‘They will be pleased to see you, too,’ said Isla, stumbling over her words while taking a gurgling Angus back out of the pram. She gave him a cuddle while she mixed the milk powder with water in his baby bottle and fastened his bib around his neck.
‘He is just adorable,’ Martha gave her granddaughter such a huge smile and Isla felt a little guilty for not sounding more welcoming, but things were tough at the moment and the argument with Drew was still fresh in her mind.
‘Would you like one of these,’ asked Martha, rustling in her pocket, whipping out a Werther’s Original and waving it in front of Angus.
‘Gran! He can’t eat one of those … what are you thinking?’
Martha chuckled, ‘Relax! I was joking. As if I’d offer a tiny baby such a thing.’
Isla exhaled with relief.
‘I think strong coffee is needed all round,’ suggested Felicity. ‘And you’ve not finished your breakfast,’ she added, looking at Isla.
In the last few minutes Isla had completely lost her appetite. This wasn’t the start to her day she’d anticipated, but as there was no such thing as a time machine, she would have to get through the best she could.
‘You need to keep up your strength,’ Martha’s bony fingers wrapped around Isla’s arm, ‘there’s no meat on those bones, and what’s with the hair?’
Isla’s hair was scraped back into a simple, easy-to-manage ponytail and she hadn’t applied any make-up for weeks. Isla knew that since Angus was born she’d let herself go a little but she didn’t need anyone reminding her of it, especially in public. But what was the point of having a full face of make-up and immaculate hair? Who was she trying to impress? As Isla thought about what her grandmother had just said, a slight niggle loomed inside her. Might this be the real cause of Drew’s anger? Maybe he didn’t find her attractive anymore. But immediately she knew she was being ridiculous; Drew had seen her at her worst and it wasn’t as though he was dolled up to the nines every day in his dung-stained overalls.
‘Any more compliments you fancy dishing out, Gran?’
Martha ignored her sarcastic tone.
‘It’s a good job I arrived back when I did.’
Isla wasn’t one hundred percent convinced.
Chapter 4 (#u19d2ae82-c90f-5173-99ca-eb76c01bf911)
Polly Cook huffed and puffed her way up Love Heart Lane towards the teashop, welcoming the light breeze sweeping through her hair. There hadn’t been many hills to climb in London, and the only exercise she ever got there had been walking down the stairs to the cellar to change a barrel in the Chatty Banker, the pub she’d managed up until a week ago before she’d descended on Felicity. Or the 193 steps at Covent Garden tube station.
Everyone looked up as Polly pushed open the door to the teashop.
‘That walk looks like it’s done you the world of good,’ said Felicity, knowing that Polly had tossed and turned all night.
‘It did, it’s so peaceful down by the river,’ she said, slipping off her coat and draping it around the back of the chair.
‘And who is this?’ asked Martha, narrowing her eyes. ‘I’ve not seen you around these parts before.’
Polly met the gaze of the elderly woman, but before anyone could answer, a loud squelchy noise erupted from inside the pram.
‘Eww … I can smell that from here,’ said Felicity, looking into the pram and wrinkling her nose.
‘Polly Cook, meet my gran, Martha Gray, who didn’t make that squelchy noise, by the way.’
Polly grinned, ‘Please to meet you.’
Martha gave her a smile and a nod of the head. ‘Bad timing! I think this little fellow could do with a nappy change.’
Polly quickly took a step back, ‘I’m not used to such little people.’
‘Give him to me, I’ll do it,’ said Martha, stretching out her arms, much to Polly and Felicity’s relief.
Isla looked alarmed, ‘Gran, do you know how to change a nappy?’
‘It’s like riding a bike.’
Isla narrowed her eyes, ‘I can’t ever remember you actually riding a bike.’
‘Fair point, neither can I,’ grinned Martha, immediately retracting her hands.
‘Give the wee fellow here,’ offered Rona.
‘I can do it,’ said Isla.
‘You take advantage of my offer,’ insisted Rona, slinging the nappy bag over her shoulder and holding Angus at arm’s length before disappearing towards the bathroom.
‘And tell me more about you, Polly. What brings you to Heartcross?’ asked Martha, turning her attentions back to Polly.
‘Polly’s my friend from London, she’s staying with us for a while,’ Felicity replied.
‘I’m at a loose end, a very loose end. I’ve been made redundant and lost my home at the same time. I lived above the pub I managed, but it was sold to a new owner and they moved their family in and didn’t need extra staff. That’s why I’m here, a change of scenery, a break from the rat-race of the city, and I’m loving this beautiful village.’
‘This is the best village, I’ve travelled in my time but always come home and …’ Martha turned back towards Isla, ‘I can’t wait to get settled in the farmhouse. Am I in my normal room?’ she asked. ‘You know, the gorgeous English rose room with the triangular floral bunting draped across of the wall. I do love good bunting … and the view … the view from that room is spectacular. Earth to Isla … are you listening, you’re in a world of your own.’
Isla’s thoughts were tumbling over each other in her mind. A wave of worry ricocheted through her body at the very thought of going home with her gran in tow. The room was jam-packed full with baby paraphernalia. Anything and everything was stuffed in that room while the nursery was being decorated, which had been an on-going project for the last six months. Where were they going to put everything that her gran had packed into her car? She could visualise the disgruntled look on Drew’s face if things needed to be piled up in their bedroom for a while, but hopefully his day had turned around and whatever bee he’d had in his bonnet had well and truly flown away. She didn’t feel like getting stung by another argument today.
Rona came back into the room juggling a clean Angus, before passing him to Martha, who made a series of sniffing sounds towards him.
‘Yes, he smells acceptable again,’ joked Martha, cradling him in her arms.
‘So, what’s changed in this old village since I was last here?’ asked Martha, now rocking a droopy-eyed Angus in his pram.
‘Apart from being cut off from civilisation for a while when the bridge collapsed, everything else is just the same old, same old,’ chipped in Rona, who was polishing the glass cabinets for the umpteenth time so far this morning.
‘Ooo, I saw your video on Facebook,’ trilled Martha.
‘You’re on Facebook?’ Rona exclaimed, who struggled with any type of technology.
‘Of course! You have to move with the times. It’s all about social media these days, but I’m still getting to grips with Tinder … I keep swiping the wrong way and having numerous undesirables match with me … I mean, they must know they are punching above their weight.’
‘Gran … you are never on Tinder?’ Isla couldn’t hide her disbelief.
Both Felicity and Polly stifled their laughter, not knowing whether Martha was being serious.
‘Tinder … what’s Tinder?’ asked Rona, trying to keep up with the conversation.
‘A dating app,’ chorused the girls.
‘You’re on a dating app?’ Rona’s expression was now one of dismay.
‘How else am I going to meet someone at my age? You should give it a go, Rona.’
‘Me?’ Rona’s eyes widened and she brought her hand up to her chest in horror. ‘I can’t think of anything worse,’ she said, looking appalled.
‘Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.’ Martha raised her eyebrows and gave Rona a knowing look.
‘I’m perfectly happy on my own and that’s the way it’s staying.’
‘Not for you then, Mum?’ teased Felicity.
Rona made a series of huffing and tutting sounds, ‘It most certainly is not.’
‘What about you? Have you ever tried dating on line?’ Felicity turned towards Polly, who shook her head.
‘But it would be nice to be rescued by someone … in fact anyone,’ she answered, all dreamy-eyed. She was still single after eighteen months.
‘And what about your love life?’ asked Martha, looking at Felicity. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’
‘Fergus.’
