my grand age, I’m still free and single.’
As I said, I’d put him at less than forty, but you know what my judgement is like. Bev will find out. ‘You’ve never been married?’
‘No. Came close once, but I think I dodged a bullet there.’ There’s a sadness in his eyes when he says, ‘It didn’t feel like it at the time.’
‘I came to love late in life,’ I admit.
‘You’re lucky to have found it.’
‘I am. I was in very grave danger of turning into a mad old recluse who only had conversations with her dogs.’ Now look at me, chatting away on a very personal level with a complete stranger. Go me!
Our fields slope gently and I find the highest viewing point so that we can look over the land. ‘This is us,’ I say.
‘I love it.’ Matt Eastman is a little out of puff after the exertion. Perhaps he spends too much time behind a desk. ‘I’d give my right arm for a place like this.’
‘You’re welcome here any time you like,’ I tell him, earnestly. ‘Are you DBS checked?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s great.’ He’s had a screening so that means he can be around our vulnerable kids. ‘We are always grateful for a willing pair of hands.’
He grins. ‘You won’t be able to get rid of me now that I’ve found you.’
‘Good.’ I like the sound of that.
‘Thanks for taking the time to show me round.’ The corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. He has a genuine, open face. I like him. And you know that I’m not all that keen on people as a rule.
‘My pleasure. But we should get back. Bev will be dishing out lunch and she doesn’t take kindly to latecomers.’
‘I’ll race you,’ says the mayor and I’m so surprised at his challenge that he’s already taken off by the time I respond. So I chase after him and, with Little Dog barking excitedly, we run all the way back to the farmyard.
Chapter Seventeen
We’re still laughing when we burst through the door of the tea room and everyone turns around to look at us. I must also say at this point that I was the victor by the narrowest of margins.
‘Well done,’ the mayor says, panting.
‘I think you might have let me win there.’ I’m equally breathless.
‘Not at all,’ he insists. ‘You won fair and square.’ But I still think he’s fibbing.
We pull ourselves up short when we realise that everyone is staring at us and try to regain some decorum. Even Bev looks startled by our entrance.
‘Hi, everyone.’ I address the students who are sitting at the big table waiting for lunch. ‘This is Mr Eastman; he’s the mayor of our local town and he’s here today to have a look at what we do. He’s also very kindly agreed to come and turn on the Christmas lights at our open day.’
Some of our students clap excitedly and are as thrilled as if we had a pop star in the house. The rest are, of course, seriously underwhelmed. It would take an actual pop star in the house to get them interested – and not just a minor one, probably ‘like’ the whole of One Direction or Little Mix.
The tea room is warm and welcoming and there’s the appetising scent of Bev’s jacket potatoes in the air. We spend a lot of time in here with the students and want it to feel like a safe space, so we try to make it as comfortable as possible. Today, it looks especially pretty as the bunting the students have been making has been hung around the walls. It features pictures mostly taken by Tamara of the animals, students and farm activities. Surprisingly, it brings a lump to my throat to look at it. We do well here, I think. The smiling faces reflected back at me say that we’re making a difference. Some of these kids wouldn’t even talk when they arrived.
‘Do sit down,’ I say to the mayor. ‘This is Lucas, who I told you about.’
Lucas regards him with deep suspicion. If the mayor notices it, then he pretends not to and chats amiably to Lucas about what he’s seen on the farm. I think if anyone has the ability to relate to Lucas and grind him down then Matt does.
I take the chance to go and help Bev and Jack with serving.
‘How’s Hot Stuff?’ Bev whispers when I’m next to her.
‘He’s very nice,’ I whisper back. ‘Keen to help us and not just