‘This is ideal. You’re a lifesaver, Tess. I can see I’m going to be very comfortable for the night. I can’t thank you enough.’
‘It’s my pleasure. You should have everything you need here. There’s extra blankets in the chest, but if there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know. My phone number is on the card so you won’t have to brave the elements again. I will fetch you some fresh milk and what about something to eat? I don’t normally provide dinner, but I could certainly rustle up a sandwich or I’ve got some home-made leek and potato soup if you’d prefer something warm. Or…’ Tess pondered on her words for a moment. ‘How about both?’
‘That would be great, if I’m not putting you to too much trouble. I’ve just realised how hungry I am.’
‘Not at all. Leave it with me,’ said Tess with a smile, as she left and dashed back to the cottage. This was a turn-up for the books, but at least it had shown her the importance of keeping the annexe fresh and tidy for any unexpected guests. And Tess was in her element looking after people, so she wasn’t in the least bit put out by having to provide supper for her visitor.
After delivering the food to Anita, she returned to the comfort of the orangery, and seeing the glow of light from the annexe gave her a warm feeling, knowing that she’d helped someone out in their hour of need, especially now that the storm was picking up in its ferocity.
She was about to retire to bed a couple of hours later when she heard an almighty crash outside that stopped her in her tracks as she climbed the stairs. She startled, the wind rattling the old timber-framed windows with even more force now. Before she’d even turned to go back down the stairs, there was an urgent knocking on the back door which filled her chest with doom.
‘Hi, sorry.’ It was the second time Tess had opened the door to an anxious-looking Anita tonight. ‘The fence has fallen over; it fell onto the lodge and gave me the shock of my life. I went outside to see what had happened and the wind almost took me off my feet and has ripped the door off one of its hinges. I can’t shut it properly now and there’s rain coming through the gap. Do you have a bucket?’
‘Oh good grief! Come in. Let me go and take a look. You stay here.’
Tess grabbed her waterproof jacket this time, tying the hood tightly around her chin, and braced herself to meet the elements outside. The conditions had worsened since earlier and the rain fell in horizontal sheets, pushing her sideways as she battled to reach the annexe. Her heart sank as she could immediately see the damage caused by the storm. Two panels of the perimeter fence were down, and the door to the annexe was swinging back and forth, lopsided now, looking as though it was hanging on by a thread.
‘Maybe if I go inside the lodge and you lift the door and push it from the outside then we might be able to get it to stay in place for the night.’
‘Oh Anita.’ Tess turned, not realising her guest had followed her outside, and while Tess was protected partly from the rain by her hooded coat, poor Anita had only a sweat top and jeans on, her wet hair clung to the sides of her face, and rain fell in a continuous trickle down the length of her nose. ‘You shouldn’t be out here. Quickly, let’s get you back inside the cottage.’
They turned around and hurried back indoors and Tess gave Anita a fresh towel to dry herself down, before rushing upstairs and rifling through her chest of drawers. When she found what she was looking for, she went back downstairs again.
‘You’ll need to get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death of cold. Here’s some clean pyjamas and a jumper, if you need them.’ Tess suspected that Anita had only the clothes she was standing in as her overnight stay wasn’t scheduled. ‘There’s a guest bedroom upstairs that you can use.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Anita, looking immensely relieved at the suggestion.
‘Absolutely. There’s no way you can go back into the annexe tonight. Right, let’s get you warmed up. What would you like: a hot chocolate or a cup of tea?’ said Tess, suspecting she might be in for a long and worrisome night.
29
Tess got barely any sleep as she lay awake, anxious, her ears straining to listen to the ominous noises of the storm, her mind imagining all sorts of dreadful scenarios. At least Anita was happily settled in the guest room and hopefully unwinding after her unexpectedly eventful evening. Once Anita had gone to bed, Tess had ventured outside again. She did so reluctantly, worried that a loose roof tile or a broken branch might hit her, so she wrapped one arm around her head, just in case. There was nothing she could do tonight, but she wanted to see if she could temporarily secure that door so that it didn’t come flying off completely, causing even more damage. With the wind and rain still doing its worst, she managed, with all her brute force, to lift the door and push it back into place, in the way Anita had suggested. It was by no means a permanent solution and it looked pretty precarious, as though it might fall off again at any moment, but it was the best she could do in the circumstances. She only hoped it would last through the night.
Back in the kitchen, she texted Dilly to let her know what had happened, telling her, in no uncertain terms, not to go outdoors until the storm had subsided. It was too dangerous. Although, she suspected Dilly might have slept through the whole ordeal because otherwise, she was certain she would have heard from her by now, wanting to know how she could help.
As she lay in bed with the events of the evening running through her head, she contemplated whether she could have done anything more to minimise the damage. The fence was in good condition, they’d had it redone about five years ago, but she hadn’t checked it lately, and as for the annexe door, it was in perfect working order so she had no reason to believe that it might come off its hinges so easily. As much as she tried to rationalise what had happened, she couldn’t help feeling sad and guilty that Anita had experienced such a disappointing time at The Garden Retreat. Tess suspected she wouldn’t be rushing to return any time soon.
Eventually, she must have drifted off to sleep because when she awoke the following morning, she was relieved that she could no longer hear the wind howling around the cottage. She leapt out of bed and peered through the window that overlooked the front garden. It was still raining, but only lightly, but remnants of the storm were clearly visible all around. Broken branches littered the front lawn, along with several plastic plant pots which must have come from neighbouring gardens. Piles of brown leaves had formed into large heaps and there was even what looked to be a trampoline cover hanging forlornly from a bush. Tess sighed. It was a mess out there, but nothing that couldn’t be sorted with a broom and a few hours of hard work, but it was the back garden that she knew had borne the brunt of the storm. Quickly getting dressed, she tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake her visitor, and immediately went outside to see for herself the damage. Her gaze ran over the annexe, searching out the roof and gutters and while there was plenty of debris over the roof, she couldn’t see any permanent damage, although she would need to call out a professional to properly check the entire structure to make sure it was still safe. In the daylight, she counted three fallen fence panels which would need to be replaced as soon as possible because until the garden was secure again, she wouldn’t be able to let Barney outside.
‘Tess, oh my goodness, what a mess!’ Dilly came hurrying up the path. ‘I’m so sorry but I only picked up your message this morning. I don’t know how, but I managed to sleep through the whole thing.’
‘Don’t worry, that was probably the best approach. It was scary because it sounded terrible out here. To make matters worse, I had a guest in the annexe last night; she turned up after dark, a bit apprehensive about the incoming storm so I was glad to be able to offer her a room. She hadn’t been out there for long when the fence panels came crashing down around her. Poor woman!’
‘Where is she now then?’
‘She had to stay in my guest room. There was no way she could stay in the annexe; I was worried she might get blown away like Dorothy inThe Wizard of Oz. I expect she’ll be down soon, but I wanted to come out and check on the damage before I got started on breakfast. I’m just about to call Rob, although I have a feeling he might be exceptionally busy today with all their properties at work. In the meantime, Barney will need to be kept on a lead in the garden.’ She exhaled a big sigh as she surveyed the scene around her. ‘It was certainly an eventful night, that’s for sure, although I suppose I should be grateful the damage isn’t any worse than it is.’
Back in the kitchen of Hollyhocks, Tess laid the table for breakfast, putting out some juices, cereal and conserves. She switched on the coffee machine and checked in the fridge that she had all the ingredients for a fry-up should Anita want one.
It wasn’t long before her guest appeared from upstairs.
‘Good morning!’ Anita looked so much more relaxed and refreshed than she had last night. ‘Well, I have to say, I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages. It’s a lovely room and a very comfortable bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was off. It must have been all the drama of last night. I’m pleased that it’s looking a bit calmer out there this morning.’
‘Morning.’ Tess pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for Anita to sit down. ‘I’m pleased you had a good night. I’m just sorry you had to experience all that upheaval. This is a new business venture for me and my intention was to offer my guests a relaxing home away from home experience, but I’m not certain I’ve succeeded in that with you,’ she said wryly.
‘Nonsense. It wasn’t your fault that there was a major storm and you have gone above and beyond. I’m only grateful that you were able to put me up or else I’m not sure what I would have done. You have such a lovely place here, though.’ Anita’s gaze travelled around her, soaking up the atmosphere of the country kitchen. ‘And you’re in such a lovely spot too that I would definitely want to visit again and explore the local area.’
‘Well, you’d be very welcome here any time.’
