Fran
PS You don’t have a printer I could use, do you?
Fran had planned to walk the farm sometime, see every corner and find the quarry. It wasn’t that she needed it yet, she was just annoyed that she didn’t know where it was and equally annoyed that no one would tell her. But as the rain had sleet in it, she concluded that today wasn’t the day and decided to check out the dairy to see how easy it would be to turn it into a cheese room. And if that wasn’t right for her cheese room, she’d find somewhere that was.
The room she felt was best had whitewashed walls and a stone floor. It was the same size as the dairy, but it had a lot less stuff in it and she thought the walls could be lined with something washable, and the floor tiled. Eventually she’d like to have both rooms. Between this room and the dairy, she found a wooden cheese press, some moulds and something with a screw and a handle that was possibly a mill, for crumbling the cheese before it went into the moulds. This much she felt she knew.
But it would take a lot of work to make it suitable for producing cheese she could sell, she could see that. And she’d have to buy new moulds andprobablyother things to make sure they were up to standard. And she had better check when she herself had last passed a food hygiene certificate. While she looked at the piles of stuff that would have to be cleared out she allowed herself a few moments of envy for Amy. When she had cheesemaking going on here she probably didn’t have to worry about Health and Safety. People had probably eaten quite a lot of germs but, mostly, they had survived. Things were a lot stricter now.
Fran was feeling a bit depressed when she got back into the house. Tomorrow she’d have to make more cheese, she was certain. What with the weather making the track impassable for the tanker, it was inevitable. She decided to get all her kit in order. This cheered her up somewhat as she’d had the culture through the post so she could now make feta. Feta was a good cheese to cook with.
However, checking her emails later that afternoon gave her cause to become even more cheered. It was Issi.
I’ve been working things out and wonder if I could come down for more than a few days? Would you have me for a month or so? Hill Top would be the perfect place to work on my thesis and I could help you set up a website and with all the online marketing. I’ve got a good bit saved up so I can contribute to the housekeeping and Icouldcarry on with the online stuff I do already. It would be so great – if you’ll have me.
Fran got straight back.It would be amazing! Come as soon as you can and stay as long as you like. I can’t wait for you to be here.
ChapterEight
Just before she was properly awake the following morning, Fran was aware of feeling happy. Then she remembered that Issi was coming down. She felt she’d done well in the short time she’d been on the farm – nearly three weeks – but the problems were pretty insurmountable. Having Issi for help and support and pooling their housekeeping money would make it far more doable.
She decided to visit Amy early – she could get a phone signal in town and talk to Issi too. Sundays at the care home were always cheerful. Also, she felt she should tell Amy about Issi. She was sure Amy wouldn’t mind her having a friend to stay, but maybe asking her would be politic. And if Fran didn’t tell Amy herself, someone else surely would!
To her surprise the farm gate was open when she got back from the care home and there was acontractor’svan pulled into the layby before the farm gate. The signwriting on the side told her it belonged to a firm who specialised in ‘Track-Repair & Road Services’.
A cheery-looking man in a high-vis jacket and waterproof trousers appeared.
‘Hello!’ said Fran brightly, trying not to feel unnerved by the prospect of the farm track being attacked by powerful machinery.
‘Morning!’ said the man. ‘Antony sent me over to sort out your track.’
‘But it’s Sunday!’
‘I’m fitting you in specially.’
‘Thank you so much!’ Antony must be a very important customer.
‘It’s in a bad way, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ There didn’t seem anything else she could say.
‘It’ll take a few days, I’m afraid.’
‘I’m sure that’s fine.’
‘Do you want me to tell you what we’re going to do?’
No, Fran didn’t. ‘I’m sure if Antony hired you to make the track suitable for the milk tanker, that’s good enough for me.’
The man grinned. ‘That’s the plan. He has high standards, has Antony. We’ve done a lot of work for him. If it’s not up to scratch, he makes us do it again.’ He paused. ‘Pays promptly though.’
‘Well,that’s good.’ Fran smiled. ‘I’d best be off up the track. Will I be able to walk on it while you’re doing it?’
‘Oh yes. Should be fine. But good you’re keeping your car down here.’
When Fran reached the back door she was surprised to see a large cardboard box. It couldn’t have been left by the postman, he never came up, and nor did any other delivery service. She opened the box. In it was a fairly new-looking food processor and a printer. There was a card with Antony’s address printed on it.
I don’t use the food processor so you can have this and I also have a newer printer. Enjoy!
