laughed. ‘Never mind.’ I turned my attention back to the design. ‘Look at this bit here, the fern garden originally ran much further than it does now. That line there is the wall.’
‘You seem to know what you’re talking about, Freya,’ said Finn, his voice surprisingly close to my ear. ‘You clearly know your way about a garden design. I haven’t had a chance to ask you about your work yet.’
I stood up straight. ‘I’ll fill you in another time,’ I told him, keeping my eyes on the table. ‘Not that there’s much to tell.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Kate who, having checked on the girls, now joined us, ‘I think we all have a tale to tell.’
I wasn’t sure I would call a broken engagement, my parent’s disapproval, the death of a friend and arguable dognapping, a tale as such, not that I would actually be sharing very much of that with Finn.
‘Well, I’ll look forward to it,’ Finn smiled, making my stomach feel as though it were filled with butterflies even though we were well beyond summer, ‘whatever it is.’
Luke cleared his throat and we turned our attention back to the plans. He explained that he didn’t want to replicate what had been on display before. Using Finn’s modern sculptural pieces would allow him to stamp his own sense of style on the place, but we might want to consider utilising a couple of the garden’s focal points, such as the end of the herbaceous border.
‘And what about the dragon trail?’ asked Finn. ‘Have you thought anymore about that?’
‘The dragon trail?’ I frowned.
‘Yes,’ Luke grinned. ‘As Norwich has great historical connections with dragons, Kate and I thought it would be fun if Finn could make some smaller dragon sculptures, ten or so, to dot around in the garden, for people to find and record on a map.’
‘Oh, I like the sound of that,’ I said, imagining them peeping out from hidey holes in the fern garden. ‘It will definitely add an element of fun to the garden. The only dragon I’ve come across so far is the pub, and I haven’t made it inside there yet. I’ll have to do some reading up.’
‘And do crack on with making them, Finn,’ said Luke, answering his question, ‘they’re a definite yes. I got the trail idea from a family trip to a winter wonderland at Wynthorpe Hall near Wynbridge last Christmas,’ he then elaborated.
‘Amongst other things,’ said Kate, with a wry smile.
‘Oh?’ Finn and I said together.
‘I know that place,’ said Finn. ‘What was it that inspired you, Luke?’
‘All will be revealed tomorrow,’ our boss mysteriously said. ‘I’m going to talk to everyone in the Grow-Well after lunch. There’s a working party happening in the morning to have an autumnal tidy-up.’
I didn’t think that would take long. Everything had looked pretty pristine to me.
‘And I’ll be sharing my ideas after that.’ Luke grinned again.
‘More ideas!’ I laughed.
‘Oh, he’s full of them,’ said Kate.
‘And all of them are brilliant,’ Luke beamed.
I wasn’t sure if Kate agreed, but Finn and I looked at each other and carried on laughing, each of us obviously keen to discover what our kind employer had lined up for us next.
Chapter 9
As drowsy as I had felt, relaxed from the wine and cocooned in the warm and comforting rooms at Prosperous Place, the walk back across the road to the square in the crisp, chill air woke me back up and I found it impossible to fall asleep straightaway.
I lay in bed with Nell curled up next to me and let my mind explore everything that had happened during the last week. Was it really just a week ago that I had spent my last night at Broad-Meadows?
As the pipes creaked throughout the house, I realised how quickly I was settling into my new abode, how many friends I had made in such little time, how in love I was with the garden and my new job and my unexpectedly warm feelings for Finn. So far, he had turned out to be the biggest and most overwhelming surprise of all. I wondered what Peter would make of that. It was certainly a speedy change of opinion on my part.
I was pleased Peter and I had parted on good terms and that I had been able talk to him, even if it was through a screen. Since I had lost Eloise I had struggled with the overwhelming sense of loss. My grief, for a while, had touched the