done very well here as he loves the quiet, structured routine of the farm. His favourite job is making tea, which he does with military precision, and I’ve started to encourage him to help Bev in the kitchen in a more formal way. If I had some extra funding, then I think we could soon give Jack a paid job here and it would be a delight to see him gain some more independence. Perhaps it’s something I could talk to Shelby about.
As well as Penny, we have some more relatively new students too and the idea is that, as part of their learning, the kids who have been here longer look after the newer ones. That’s how it works in theory. Some fit in straightaway, for some it takes much longer, but one thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t force it.
‘Good morning,’ I say to everyone. ‘How’s it going?’
Lucas leans on his spade. ‘OK. We’ll be done soon.’
‘Excellent. I’ll go and get the tea ready.’
‘Cool.’
‘After break, Alan might need you to give him a hand with mending Sweeney and Carter’s fence. It’s been knocked over again.’
‘No worries.’ Lucas, too, is unusually sunny-natured today. There must be something behind it but I don’t know what. Hopefully I’ll find out, but you can never tell with Lucas. Even though I think he trusts me now, he still likes to hold his cards very close to his chest.
Another new thing is that once a week, I have a volunteer coming in to do arts and crafts with the students and she’s due in later. I don’t know what Anna has planned for them, but at some point we should make Christmas cards and decorations – bunting and stuff, I suppose – to adorn the barn for our open day. Time is of the essence and I guess we need to make a start on it before Christmas has been and gone. There are plenty of holly bushes on the farm if she wants to do something with a natural feel. It’s nice that the kids have some indoor activities to occupy them when the weather is bitterly cold and it’s not so easy to let them loose on the farm. They also have regular, structured lessons every afternoon – maths, English, history – which they are, to a man, less keen on.
‘I’m going to put the kettle on,’ I say to Penny. ‘Want to come down with me?’
‘I’ll wait here,’ she says and stands a little bit closer to Lucas, who is oblivious to her presence. Poor Penny, I think. I’m not sure her adoration is returned.
‘I’ll see you later. You know where I am if you want to chat.’ Then to Lucas, ‘Ten minutes for tea.’
He nods and then turns to finish supervising the kids. It makes me smile to see him organising them so efficiently. They don’t play him up like they do the grown-ups. Lucas is seen as very much on their side.
As I leave them to complete their task in the barn and head to the workshop, I dwell further on Christmas. It’s rushing up with alacrity and I don’t even know what Shelby’s plans are for the holidays. We haven’t had that discussion yet. I can’t see him wanting to spend it in my caravan, as cosy as I find it. He has a beautiful home not far from the farm: Homewood Manor. But it terrifies me. It’s like a palace. I’ve only been there a few times – reluctantly at that – and it’s very fancy. The place is filled with expensive furniture, tasteful paintings and things that look as if they might smash easily. I always feel as if I’m making it untidy just by being there. The air inside is still and smells of nothing, so I’m always aware that my natural and unavoidable eau de farmyard is somewhat amplified. It’s not somewhere I can relax and I know that Shelby finds it difficult to understand my reticence.
He’s filming today and they’re under great pressure, he tells me. As well as the daily episodes to shoot, there is to be a feature-length special that will air on Christmas Day and the schedule is tight. He finds it difficult to grab a few minutes to call me, but he does so when he can.
Today, I hope it doesn’t run too late as he’s promised to have supper with Lucas and me. I’m always on tenterhooks as, if he cancels – especially