that he had ordered so much of what I had suggested, I thought we could create enough of a spectacle to do that.
‘As long as it isn’t too patchy,’ I pointed out, erring for now, on the side of caution. ‘We wouldn’t want to just dot things randomly about.’
‘We can always buy more plants,’ Luke said enthusiastically.
I wondered if I would be able to convince him to divert some of the garden budget in the direction of refurbishing the glasshouses or, if he couldn’t run to that, possibly buying a new one. With the number of plants I could then raise under glass, it would pay for itself in no time.
‘All right,’ I agreed, ‘that sounds great.’
‘We’ll talk more over supper, yes?’
‘Definitely.’
‘Luke!’ called Graham. ‘Can you give us a hand moving these tables?’
Luke gave Abigail back to Kate and rushed off again.
‘He’s in his element,’ she said, watching his retreating back. ‘It’s such a weight off his mind having you here, Freya,’ she added, turning back to me.
I understood that. A garden could be a burden, especially one the size we were working with, as well as a blessing.
‘This summer has been an endless round of just trying to keep on top of everything,’ Kate further explained, ‘but now he can stand back and look at the bigger picture.’
‘I don’t know how he’s managed to do as well as he has,’ said Chloe.
‘Because he’s had you helping,’ I told her. ‘You obviously love the garden too, Chloe, and you’ve worked so hard today.’
I hoped that didn’t sound patronising. I hadn’t meant it to.
‘I do love it,’ she said. ‘It’s a sort of solace, isn’t it? The repetition of pulling up those weeds today let my mind wander and my thoughts drift. Gardening really is soothing for the soul.’
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
* * *
A little later, Chloe headed home and I wasn’t all that many paces behind her. I thanked Ryan for looking out for Nell, who was saying a reluctant goodbye to her new best friend, Gus, and together we walked back through the garden to lock up the office.
There was no noise coming from the studio but there was a light on and another shining, in what Chloe had told me had been turned into a flat, above. I’d really had enough introductions for one day, but felt it would have been a missed opportunity to just walk by and not say anything.
The door to the studio was open and I peeped inside, pulled up short by what I saw. The place was filled with towering piles of what looked like, to my eyes at least, junk. It was an indoor scrap metal yard with something big being built on a plinth at the centre of it and some smaller pieces lined up on a workbench at the back. Intrigued, I took a step further in, with Nell still next to me and cocked my head to try and work out exactly what it was that I was looking at.
I still hadn’t worked it out when I heard heavy footsteps thundering down the stairs which ran up the side of the wall at the back.
‘Hello!’ I called, as feet clad in heavy, dust-covered work boots descended and were swiftly followed by a pair of long, solid legs, encased in ripped, oil-stained jeans. ‘I’m Freya,’ I said, my introduction trailing off as a maroon linen shirt followed the bottom half and then a face sporting a beard and framed by long dark hair which was loosely tied back, topped the vision off.
The guy, Finn, I guessed, looked like every inch a Viking and his expression was every bit as fierce. All that was missing was an axe.
‘What the hell?’ he shouted as he jumped down the last few steps, making the floor shake.
His deep voice resonated around the space and I replaced my former idea of him wielding an axe for Thor’s mighty hammer. There was enough electricity in the ether to make the air crackle.
‘You can’t bring a bloody dog in here!’ he thundered.
Nell whimpered, turned tail, shot through my legs and pelted straight out of the door.
‘Oh my God, Nell!’ I called after her, completely taken aback and panicking that I was going to lose her if the garden gate was open. ‘We just wanted to say hello,’ I shouted angrily over my shoulder before taking off after her, ‘and happy moving-in day!’
Chapter 8
Thankfully I managed to spot and catch Nell as she was doubling