‘Oh, I am, believe me. I and the whole community will be behind you, but he does have the perkiest of bums and that shirt is clinging to every muscle. Bad boys are always more appealing.’
‘Isla!’ Florrie rolled her eyes … even though she couldn’t help secretly agreeing. Florrie acknowledged the fizzing inside her that Tom’s presence stirred up, but what she needed to focus on right now was keeping her promise to Great-Aunt Ada and making sure she did everything in her power to stop Tom and his company destroying the gardens at Rose Cottage.
ChapterSeven
Stepping inside the grand foyer was still as impressive as it had been the very first time she’d done so. At either side of the reception desk stood an olive tree with twinkling lights, which had been provided by Buttercup Barn along with the week’s stunning collection of vibrant stargazer lilies paired with classic and timeless memory roses. Pistacia added a finishing touch of lush greenery, making the flowers in the glass vase on the reception desk a stunning focal point.
Florrie’s shoes tapped on the slate floor, and the receptionist looked up and greeted her with a warm smile.
‘Florrie, how lovely to see you! Flynn is expecting you. He’s waiting for you in the Grand Hall along with Jaydon. They’re just through there.’ The receptionist gestured towards the double oak doors to the right of her.
‘Thank you.’ Florrie sailed into the Grand Hall, which she admired every time she saw it. She’d dressed this room on many occasions for weddings and functions, but even stripped back and void of decoration, it was still a room of beauty. The open fire, though not lit, was at the heart of the room. Regal arched oak beams ran the length of the ceiling. The elegant panache and charm of the room made it an instant hit no matter who was using it or how.
Flynn spotted Florrie the moment she walked in and was up on his feet to greet her.
‘Please excuse my T-shirt,’ she shared immediately, embarrassed by the state of her clothes. ‘I’ve had a little van trouble on the way.’
‘Oh no, is there anything I can help with?’
‘Honestly, it’s fine, just a tiny mishap, but thank you,’ replied Florrie, not wanting to go into the misfortune of the last thirty minutes.
‘Do you know Mr Fairbrother?’ said Flynn. ‘I’m sure your paths must have crossed at some point.’
A tall, slim man stood up. ‘Please, call me Jaydon. It’s lovely to finally meet you as I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been your great-aunt’s solicitor for many years.’
Florrie shook his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, too.’
Flynn gestured to one of the leather-bound chairs with a blush-coloured cushion, positioned in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the vast maintained gardens. They were edged with flowerbeds and featured a fountain in the middle of the lawn. ‘Take a seat and help yourself to tea and biscuits.’
All three of them sat down.
‘The Grand Hall is the room I need dressing with flowers for the important charity event I’m hosting. It’s going to be a huge deal and featured in national magazines along with TV adverts. Ten Scottish charities that go above and beyond have now been selected and this event will give them an expanded platform to help bring national awareness to the causes they’re supporting. They’ll also each receive a donation from myself. Each charity has its own logo and colours so I was thinking about having arrangements in their company colours on their individual tables. What do you think?’
Florrie nodded. ‘Absolutely.’
‘The stage is going to be in front of those windows there,’ he said, pointing towards them, ‘with the backdrop of the gardens and the mountain behind. We’ll want some arrangements on it that work cohesively with the individual table decorations, if that’s possible. If I email you the list of charities, will you be able to take a look at each one and see what you think might work best?’
‘Yes, of course. I can get that back to you early next week.’
‘I’ll email you the list when I get back to my office.’ Changing course, Flynn glanced in Jaydon’s direction then back towards Florrie. ‘I’ve brought Jaydon up to speed with what we’ve learned about Rose Cottage and The Vintage Flower Van.’
‘We have got to do something to stop W. Houston Property Developers in their tracks,’ urged Florrie.
‘I agree,’ replied Flynn, looking to Jaydon for guidance.
‘First, please let me offer you my personal condolences for your loss. I was very fond of your great-aunt, and I’ve been a regular customer of The Vintage Flower Van for over fifteen years. Every Wednesday I’ve bought my wife some of Ada’s gorgeous flowers, which are always displayed proudly on our farmhouse table.’
‘And I hope you continue to do so…’ Florrie paused. ‘Well, at least for another few weeks. You won’t be able to after that if I’m not successful in negotiating a deal to keep the van.’
‘As far as The Vintage Flower Van is concerned, I think we need to apply pressure to W. Houston Property Developers and let’s see how they respond. A legal letter will be passed to their management to deal with. In all fairness, they may not even be aware of what is going on here. Then we can take it from there. But with Rose Cottage, I’m afraid it’s a different story. W. Houston Property Developers can apply to do whatever they wish regarding the land, but there is still the right to object.’
‘And that’s what we all will be doing. I’m going to organise a community meeting and let everyone know what’s happening and what we’re facing. I wouldn’t like to be the administrative assistant at the council offices on the day all the objections flood in! Did you know that Ada didn’t own the cottage?’
‘Ada came to see me around six months ago, saying she wanted to get everything legally tied up, especially the bonds and investments, to give you financial support in the future. It’s not unusual for people of a certain age to start getting their affairs in order. When I asked her about the cottage, all she said was that there was an agreement about it between herself and William Houston.’
‘The founder of W. Houston Property Developers,’ said Florrie.
‘Yes. She said that she was going to have a conversation with you about it, but I’m assuming that didn’t happen?’
