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Willow Cottage – Part Two: Christmas Cheer
Bella Osborne
**Part two a new cosy and heartwarming four-part seasonal series, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley.**Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a warm, caring and safe place for little Leo.When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric! A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…Willow Cottage is part of a serialized novel told in four parts, following the journey of Beth and her new life in the Cotswolds. The full book will be out next this August, but for now, enjoy Willow Cottage seasonally.Praise for Bella Osborne:‘A warm and engaging story with relatable characters who will worm their way into your heart. A great read!’ – Talli Roland‘Loved it! Believable characters, a sweetly told, lovely story… a great read’ – Jane Lovering‘Romance, comedy, and mystery abound in this delightful British novel.’ – I Read That Book!‘A great read, with some really special moments… so beautiful and romantic.’ – Annie’s Book Corner
Published by Avon
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
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1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins 2016
Copyright © Bella Osborne 2016
Bella Osborne asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © October 2016 ISBN: 9780008180997
Source ISBN: 9780008181024
Version: 2017-11-16
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ESCAPE TO WILLOW COTTAGE (#u08255c53-d523-5aed-824a-480ac69fa1d2)
‘Loved this book, so light-hearted and amusing’
‘A lovely read’
‘Oh what a little treasure this is! A cast of great characters, lovely Cotswold village and Beth trying to cope with the disaster she has bought’
‘Full of wit and charm’
‘Great characters who have quickly become established and rooted in my imagination. Very funny, but with deeper undercurrents woven in’
‘Loved the story, couldn’t put it down’
‘Absolutely loved this book, hooked from the start’
‘Three Words: Brilliant, Charming and Moving’
‘This is a wonderful read’
In memory of a truly amazing woman, my Grandma 1903–1993
Table of Contents
Cover (#uc5a4dddf-1520-5e8f-9e24-c5e2f1409e46)
Title Page (#u68991ba3-9e8a-5630-afd2-263f27b6d751)
Copyright (#u7eaf6b0e-b5ce-5bfa-82bc-7ad3b65cdfe0)
What Readers Are Saying About Escape to Willow Cottage (#ua578fb44-9f9e-5fe9-8a81-9be0a5a93512)
Dedication (#u0cbeb9de-e663-5b90-bd89-0dd67937105c)
Chapter Eleven (#uc472e028-717b-5d0e-bf00-eee52fbb6519)
Chapter Twelve (#ua1216fa6-40b3-5cef-8b1c-b0193db04c7b)
Chapter Thirteen (#ubbdcf194-71d2-5201-a14e-fff9cb7412a1)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)
Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)
Keep Reading… (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#ulink_677c758d-5a6a-5304-bddd-480ece150da0)
‘Carly!’ said Beth, her voice sharp.
Carly spun in Beth’s direction with an exaggerated movement. With slow blinks she looked at Beth until something registered.
‘Beth! This is … um … what was your name again?’ She swung precariously back towards Jack who stopped her falling on him with one hand whilst holding the pub table steady with the other.
‘I know who it is.’ Beth was trying to suppress the annoyance that was rapidly developing within her.
‘He’s lov-erly,’ cooed Carly whilst she stroked his arm in a deliberate action.
‘I’d like to know what he’s planning on doing with my drunk friend?’ Beth retorted. Jack let go of Carly as if she were a lit firework.
As the accusation slowly registered, Carly looked hurt. ‘I’m not dunk!’ she protested as she slowly slid towards the floor.
Jack was looking blindly from one woman to the other as if he’d just been teleported there. ‘I was just …’
‘For someone that wasn’t looking for a relationship a few hours ago you’ve sure as hell come round to the idea quick!’ Beth stepped forward and grabbed Carly by one arm and hauled her into a standing position. ‘Come on! We’re leaving now.’
Carly wobbled on unsteady legs, grinned inanely at Jack and was towed away.
They stumbled into the sunshine and the mêlée of the Summer Fete quickly surrounded them.
‘Ooooh, coconuts!’ squealed Carly, veering off.
Now that the flash of temper had subsided Beth wasn’t entirely sure where she was heading. Having separated Carly and Jack she wasn’t certain why she’d interfered but in that moment it had seemed like the only thing to do.
‘Beth, hang on!’ called out Jack, jogging up to them and catching Carly mid-sway.
Beth raised her eyebrows. ‘Shall I leave you to it?’ she asked, her question aimed pointedly at Jack.
‘I’m fine, really fine. Oh, hello, it’s you again!’ Carly grinned broadly, full of surprise at the sight of Jack keeping her upright.
‘She needs to sober up. Help me take her back to my place, will you?’ asked Jack.
‘And how safe will she be there?’
‘Bloody hell, Beth, I’m trying to help here.’
Beth didn’t really have another option. She couldn’t see Carly being able to crawl into her tent even though it purported to be a three-man version; she and Leo hadn’t had enough space.
‘You always have the answer, don’t you, Jack Selby?’ Beth was indignant.
‘You got a better one?’ He was frowning at her.
‘That’s not the point.’ People were slowing down and stopping to listen. ‘Right, fine. Come on, then.’ She stood on the other side of Carly, put an arm round her and began to frogmarch her towards Jack’s.
‘Carly, walk straight!’ Beth ordered.
‘She can’t, she’s drunk!’ said Jack. Then he leaned across to try to catch Beth’s eye. ‘Does she have a problem?’ he asked, his voice softer.
Beth halted and Carly swung forward precariously. ‘Are you calling my friend an alcoholic?’
‘No, I’m asking if she …’
‘Ooooh, shops,’ said Carly as they were waiting to cross the road at the far end of the village.
‘A butcher’s, a gift shop and a dress shop for anyone that wants to look like a pantomime dame. Come on,’ said Beth, surging ahead.
‘A bit harsh,’ said Jack, evidently trying to lighten the somewhat frosty mood.
‘Ooooh, I like panto,’ slurred Carly swaying unsteadily.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ Jack replied, which set Carly off into a fit of giggles. Was he still flirting with her?
Beth stopped in the middle of the road and leaned round a wobbling Carly to speak to Jack. ‘Look, in case you hadn’t realized, this is my best friend Carly Wilson. She is almost engaged to a wonderful man called Fergus. I do not want you sticking your oar in or anything else come to that!’ Beth held Jack’s glare.
‘Traffic!’ he said, forcing Carly and Beth onto the pavement as a stream of cars trundled towards them. It was difficult to have a conversation with someone swaying in the middle so Beth focused on moving Carly along as quickly as possible.
‘It’s like a three-legged race,’ said Carly, ‘but with, one, two, four … lots of legs!’
Once inside Jack’s cottage, an overexcited Doris greeted them with slobbery kisses so Jack left Beth to cope with Carly while he escorted Doris into the garden.
‘Have a lie-down and see if you can sleep it off,’ said Beth, guiding Carly onto the sofa.
‘Ooooh, look, pretty shelf,’ said Carly, reaching out a hand towards the driftwood and sideswiping a small wooden box that was nestled there, sending it clattering onto the floor. ‘Whoopsie,’ she said with a giggle, as Beth dashed to rescue the item.
Beth crouched down and retrieved the box, which had an intricate inlaid design on its lid, and as she picked it up a metal disc fell out. ‘Bugger,’ said Beth, picking that up too and trying to work out how to fit it back into the recess in the lid.
‘Why doesn’t this stereo work?’ complained Carly from the other side of the room, where she was pressing all the buttons on a black box.
‘Because it’s a printer,’ announced Jack as he came in from the garden, leaving a disgruntled Doris barking behind him.
‘But we need moooosic!’ whined Carly, swaying precariously as Jack expertly steered her onto the sofa.
‘Great idea. You lie down there and I’ll sort out some music.’
Beth was frantically shaking her head at Jack. The last thing they needed was an uncoordinated Carly pogoing around the living room; nothing would be safe.
‘I think I’ve got “Is This The Way To Amarillo” somewhere,’ he said, raising an eyebrow in Beth’s direction. Beth felt her cheeks instantly colour up – so he had seen her the day he left the barbecue. He joined Beth and took the small box from her.
‘I’m sorry, is it broken?’ she asked, screwing up her face and hoping the box wasn’t as expensive as it looked.
Jack shook his head. ‘Completely ruined.’
‘Oh dear, is it?’ Beth bit her lip as she took a closer look.
‘No, the humidifier has popped out, that’s all,’ he said flatly, expertly replacing the disc and returning the box to the shelf. ‘It’s a cigar box.’ Beth looked suitably surprised. ‘It was my grandfather’s.’ They stood and looked at the box for a moment until they were interrupted by a large snore from Carly.
