A Cottage in the Country: Escape to the cosiest little cottage in the country

There's absolutely no reaction from Sharon.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" It's not a question aimed at evoking a response and I have the distinct feeling she's signing off on this case.

"No, I think that's it, Sharon. Thank you for your help and I'm only sorry I bothered you with this matter." I feel slightly embarrassed, as if I should have known that dealing with an institution isn't like dealing with a normal person. They don't care if I freeze, or whether the oil tank ever gets filled.

By some miracle, in less than twenty-four hours I have a plumber who specialises in emergency call-outs. He says he can make himself available from eleven o'clock on moving day.

The universe must have been sending out good karma and taking pity on me as things begin to fall into place. So the order of play will be keys, plumber, oil delivery – what can go wrong? As if by magic I seem to have everything covered.

Tick-tock, tick-tock – moving-in day can’t come fast enough! Now if I could just do something about that incessant rain…

LEWIS (#ulink_d8c3a012-e009-55e6-b5a7-0551cc387807)

CHAPTER 9 (#ulink_f1e507cc-7a48-5f8a-a0c4-99313fd99914)

I don't know who this Miss Brooks thinks she is, but she can't just expect me to jump because she has a problem. Some people are all me, me, me. Does she think I just sit around waiting for the phone to ring and jobs to come in? I've never had any downtime between jobs and if I accommodate her, then someone else will have to wait. Well, I suppose I am lashing out a bit and the truth is that I had built a little slack into my work timetable. But working for her wasn't in the plan.

I can't refuse, because it's Ash Cottage and I know every inch of it as well as I know the back of my hand. Little Miss I'm-Having-A-Crisis thinks she's smart, but if you ask me she's taken on way too much. Even if this woman does lighten up at some point, I seriously doubt she'll lose that I’m better than you attitude. I'm a tradesman, not a servant. Well, you need me more than I need your money, Missy, so you'd better be careful.

The mobile kicks into life and it's Sarah from the estate agents. I wonder what she wants? I don't suppose Miss Brooks has changed her mind and realises it's not quite the little project she thought it was going to be!

"Hi, Lewis. You said to let you know if anything new comes on the market. We've just taken on a little two-bed cottage in Lybrook. It has a lovely garden extending over a quarter of an acre and it's in your price range. Have you started looking again?"

I can't get my head around looking at properties at the moment. I know Sarah feels awkward and would love to find me the perfect place to put down roots.

"I've decided to wait a while before I start looking again. My plans have changed slightly and I'm up to my eyes in work."

"Does that mean you are going to take on the renovation work at Ash Cottage? Miss Brooks did mention your name. I just thought it might be … awkward for you."

I bet she did.

"Well, she isn't going to be easy to work with, but at least I'll know it's been done properly."

"Oh, I didn't mean …"

I know exactly what Sarah meant, but it doesn’t hurt to let it be known that I’m doing this for my own reasons. It might even get back to Miss Brooks and make her realise she’s lucky I didn’t refuse her point blank.

MADDIE (#ulink_aa0201ca-bb75-5bb1-88fe-927d961a7bf1)

CHAPTER 10 (#ulink_fc78ff23-37ba-5b5f-a8fa-25f3f3071564)

Even the grey sky can't dampen my excitement today. I'm awake for quite a while before the alarm finally kicks into life at six am and I don't need to pull back the curtains to check on the weather. I can hear the rain driving hard, as the wind rattles at the window. Switching on the bedside light and sitting up, I pull out my project notebook. Running down the action list for today is more for reassurance than a final check. I've been running over and over it in my head since one o'clock this morning. I could repeat it parrot fashion from memory. Everyone on it is probably already completely fed up with hearing from me, as I have checked and double-checked with them all several times over during the past week, to ensure everything goes smoothly.

I feel I've organised this down to the last detail and, in theory, the actual move itself is going to be straightforward – even if everything is going to get very, very wet in the process. Both Ryan and my younger son, Nick, offered to help out, but it's not as if I'm moving the contents of an entire house. Aside from my clothes and personal effects, I do have a stack of things I've recently purchased for the new cottage, but the removal guy assured me it's only half a load. One trip, four hours in total with travel, he said.

There's no point in unpacking everything at the other end until most of the really dirty work has been carried out. The mess and dust from stripping out the kitchen and hacking off the plaster on the two damp walls is going to be a nightmare, but hopefully the worst of the mess will be out of the way in the first couple of days. Ash Cottage, here I come.

By the time the removal van arrives, the rain is driving hard at a forty-five-degree angle. The wind makes it impossible to use an umbrella and I end up settling for an old woollen hat, pulled down tightly over my ears. Gareth, the van driver, seems oblivious to the rain.

"Can I help carry a few boxes?" I offer, as he passes me in the hallway and I notice rain drops dripping off the end of his nose.

"It's not a problem, Miss Brooks. I'm used to it. Nothing gets through this jacket or these boots," he gazes over the box he's carrying and down at his feet. "Best boots I've ever had," he adds.

"Oh. Good. Well, I'll get back to cleaning, then…"

The pile of boxes is quickly diminishing and I'm only thankful I decided to move them all into the hallway yesterday. With the dust sheet covering the carpet, at least I won't have a soggy mess to deal with. Those boots must be at least size tens and the number of times they've been in and out – well, I've lost count.

He's finished loading by ten past nine. A quick flash around with the vacuum cleaner, then two phone calls to confirm the final gas and electricity meter readings, and I find myself locking up the front door for the very last time. Goodbye house, thank you, but no apologies for saying that it hasn't been the best period in my life. Things can only get better from here on in.

"What do you mean, the funds still haven't arrived?" It's almost noon and I'm sitting in the car, which is parked two streets away from the estate agent's office. The windows keep misting up. I think of the plumber, who has been sitting in his van outside Ash Cottage for well over an hour now. The removal guy, poor chap, has been there for nearly two hours and has already phoned me four times to remind me of that fact. "So what's holding it up?"

I'm conscious that in about an hour's time there will be several lorries arriving at the cottage and expecting to gain access to drop off their goods. The plumber says the oil tanker hasn't turned up yet, so fingers crossed that's not a complication I'm going to have to face.

"The funds have been sent, Miss Brooks, I can assure you. The transfer is in the system and it's a matter of waiting for confirmation from the bank's solicitor."

"Can't you at least let me have a front-door key? If the funds are on their way, then surely it's as good as mine now?"

"Ooh, we can't do that," his tone infers complete disapproval. "Anything could happen, even at this stage."

"Really?" Now I'm seething. "Really? You think I might change my mind, even when all my belongings are in a van outside Ash Cottage as we speak? If this purchase doesn't go through today, I have nowhere to sleep tonight. I hardly think the bank will change its mind and decide they aren't going to sell it to me after all. The money is practically in their account. Don't you think you are being just a tad unreasonable here?"

I'm afraid the sarcasm in my voice is disappointing; I should know better and the response it invokes is deserved.

"Hassling me, Miss Brooks, is not going to get you access to Ash Cottage until I've received the call from the bank's representative. I require their authority to release the key. I will ring you when that happens." The click cutting off the call is instantaneous and my heart sinks into my boots.

Okay, keep calm Maddie and think of a plan. My fingers dial quickly.

"Mr Trent, do you need access to the cottage in order to replace the vandalised oil pipe?"

The plumber sounds hesitant.

"Well, no, but if you don't have the keys…I don't want to end up being prosecuted for trespassing."

It's just my luck that I've picked probably the only plumber in the world who would ask that question. I push back my shoulders, not that he can see, but it has the desired effect.

"They're fine with it, but we can't have access to the house just yet. The funds are in the system, so they've assured me it will be any moment. As soon as I have the keys I'll be on my way. Can you…erm…do me another favour?"

He doesn't respond. Funnily enough, I don't seem to have any pangs of guilt about lying to him, which I presume will absolve him of any blame if anything goes wrong. That still doesn't prevent me from feeling awkward imposing like this.

"There are several deliveries on their way. They've all been told not to deliver before one o'clock, but key release by then is looking doubtful now. If they turn up, could you see if the garage is unlocked and ask them to leave the parcels inside? I'm not expecting you to check the boxes or anything, but if they won't leave them without a signature, could you sign for them? I accept the risk is mine if they mess up, but I simply don't have any other options."

On my last two visits the garage has been unlocked. After all, it's empty and I mentioned to Sarah that I would be grateful if she could make sure no one locked it, just in case we had problems today.

Heavy breathing accompanies the silence as Mr Trent rather reluctantly hurries off to check the garage.

"It's pouring with rain here, you do know that?" he mutters. "They have the sandbags out down on the lower road again, so it doesn't look promising."

Promising?