Sloping back downstairs and into the dining room, Jasper was sat patiently waiting for him at the table.
‘Tuck in, Fletcher,’ he smiled, knowing full well what the old boy had been up to. ‘Fresh salmon, jacket potato, salad and,’ he pushed a carafe forward, ‘water.’
‘Lovely,’ said a subdued Fletcher, ‘bloody lovely.’
Chapter 28
When Rory’s solicitor had rung to say the exchange was imminent and he had to sign all the relevant documents, it was with mixed feelings that he set off back to London. Though he was sad to be leaving Lilacwell, even temporarily, there was a thrill of excitement that kept rising at the knowledge that this was it for his city life, and the start of his next chapter. His car was filled with empty cardboard boxes which Cassie had collected from the hotel’s wine deliveries. At least he could make a start in packing up the stuff in his flat, though he’d need to hire a van to haul it all back to Lilacwell. He also planned to sell his car on returning to Lancashire and buy something bigger, more practical and cheaper to run.
It was a strange feeling when entering his flat, almost like it had never been his home. Perhaps it hadn’t. What was the saying, home is where the heart is? And his heart was firmly in Lilacwell. His heart was also firmly fixed on Cassie. It seemed incredulous that having only known her a relatively short period of time, he had absolutely no doubts whatsoever that his future belonged with her. He loved her. It was that simple. As corny as it sounded, and Rory really wasn’t that sentimental, he truly believed he had fallen for Cassie the moment he had clapped eyes on her. He suspected she felt similar, given the way she had acted in the same vein; just as sure and confident as he. Never had she said, ‘Don’t be silly, Rory, we can’t possibly live together so soon.’ No, on the contrary, she’d been as keen as he was. ‘Runaway train’ that’s what his mother had often called him. Forever jumping on to one cause or another, full pelt, full throttle. Well, it looked like this runaway train had met his match.
Cassie, after much consideration, had grown accustomed to the idea of living a self-sufficient lifestyle. True, she did have reservations about quitting her job but, as ever, Cassie had had one or two plans of her own. Still wanting to stay connected to the hospitality industry, the idea of running guest accommodation really appealed to her. In exactly what format would have to be decided once their future home was bought. Ideally, Cassie wanted to renovate outbuildings into holiday lets, preferring to keep guests separate from their own home. Or, alternatively, if they ended up with a large house, then segregating rooms into a separate guest wing. This would provide further income for them, whilst still living and running a smallholding. Not that she planned to compete with The Laurels glamping site, but she was thinking of a different concept. It was the smallholding that was the pull, attracting a certain clientele that wanted a taste of the good life. She imagined sharing communal home-made dinners, cooked with their own fresh produce. Maybe her and Rory giving talks on their eco way of life to others who were contemplating starting up a smallholding, too. Even families who wanted to experience self-sufficient living might visit them. The more she considered the possibilities, the more enthusiastic she became. Which in turn made Rory a very happy man. Having Cassie fully on board, injecting her fizz and joie de vivre was just the tonic he needed. And, Cassie being Cassie, she had other ideas too. Taking Lisa’s approach of advertising, or ‘selling yourself’, as she had with the inn’s website, Cassie tried to persuade Rory to really milk the ‘Climate Warrior’ tag he’d been dubbed. Seeing the wary look he’d given her, only accelerated her argument.
‘Just think, Rory, you could set up your own website as The Climate Warrior and blog about all the wonderful things we’re going to do.’ Rory still wasn’t convinced. He really had hated all the media attention directed at him personally. The notion of creating even more didn’t inspire him. Still, Cassie wouldn’t relent. ‘It could encourage others to do the same, live a simpler, sustainable life. You— no, we would be setting the example.’
Now there, she did have a point, he conceded. He rather warmed to the idea of the two of them appearing together on a website. He imagined the photos; working side by side on the land, digging vegetable patches, feeding chickens, chopping wood, harvesting the crops. Then on a more personal level; cosying up by campfires, cooking meals with their own fresh produce, maybe even future children – running carefree and barefoot in the fields…
He looked wistfully into the distance in contemplation. Cassie knew she’d struck the right nerve and ploughed on.
‘We could even approach the radio, or TV and see if they’d be interested in covering our journey.’ His eyes darted back to hers.
‘What?’ he asked beginning to feel uneasy again.
‘Don’t look so alarmed,’ she laughed, then added with a sly grin, ‘There could be money in it.’ she raised an eyebrow. Rory gazed in awe of her. My God, she really was a force to be reckoned with. When she was in, she was all in. Now, who did that remind him of? he thought with irony.
‘OK,’ he’d nodded, ‘let’s give it some thought.’
So, on this occasion, his return to London wasn’t a totally depressing one. It was merely a stepping stone to future prospects. Having a solid plan had given them both focus and impetus, and had also intensified their search to find a house with land as soon as possible. Time was of the essence; he had no job now and Cassie was ready to hand in her notice the moment they found the right property. It was both exciting and daunting in equal measure. Rory knew that both of them having a ‘go-for-it’ attitude had considerably sped things along. He doubted that he’d be in this position with any other woman. But then Cassie wasn’t any other woman; she was unique in his eyes.
He’d recently met the parents on a visit to their farm. This had gone very well to his relief, remembering how previous girlfriends’ parents had been. The clipped tones of, ‘Elbows off the table, Rory’, from Sonya’s mother, would remain with him forever. Cassie’s parents were down to earth which, being farmers, he had expected. They’d talked for hours about crop rotation, cattle markets, harvesting and the lambing season, and he seemed to fit in seamlessly with the Wright family, so much so that he was looking forward to taking Cassie to meet his parents too.
Rory had been impressed with their farm and was surprised to learn that they were tenants of The Laurels estate. Cassie’s dad had spoken very highly of Fletcher, and now Jasper. They in turn had been interested to learn more about his connections to Adira through Goldgate Chambers. He was eager for them to know he wasn’t in any way an affected barrister, just an ordinary man, who happened to think the world of their daughter; and she of him. This had been blatantly visible from the moment they arrived hand in hand and the little loving touches they’d given each other throughout the day. Rory had never considered himself an overly affectionate man, but something about Cassie had him constantly reaching out to her, catching her hand or putting an arm round her waist.
Cassie’s parents had instantly taken to this extremely polite young man with impeccable manners. Not at all like the jumped-up chap from London she’d once dated, who they’d secretly disliked. They’d been further delighted to learn of Cassie and Rory’s plans, glad that they would be, if not in Lilacwell, then very nearby.
All in all, life was good for Rory. A far cry from the days when it was just work and sleep in a city full of anonymous people. He lined all the cardboard boxes up by the dining table, ready to start filling them. He was going to make a start that evening, finishing off tomorrow after he’d visited the solicitors and estate agents. Fortunately he had sold what little furniture he had along with the apartment, which meant he only had to clear his personal possessions. He went to his bedroom and saw his barrister’s wig and gown on the chest of drawers. He didn’t miss wearing them. Law had been a means to an end, a field in which he’d excelled, but nevertheless was glad to get out. His mind cast back to the dismal daily routine; up at five thirty to fight the city traffic, arrive at Goldgate Chambers, meet clients, attend court, back to the chambers, pick up more briefs, work into the early evening, back home for a tea in front of the TV, pore over more law, shower, bed. Only to start the whole process again the next morning. How had he managed to sustain it for so long? How long had it been since he’d met up with his mates from Lancaster? He’d stopped being invited for nights out and weekend stays after making so many excuses not to come up and see them. Although they had been genuine – he really couldn’t afford to spend the time. He’d always had too much on workwise. How he regretted it now, though hopefully they would reconnect once he’d made the move. He’d been pleased to receive an invite to Jasper’s stag do, albeit just drinks at the inn. Still, it would be good to get to know Jasper and the rest of the blokes. He saw it as an ideal opportunity, as a future resident of Lilacwell. He was looking forward to some male company.
Shaking himself, he opened the drawers and began emptying them. The sooner he cleared this flat, the sooner he could go.
*
Cassie was on a high. She was motivated and full of enthusiasm for what lay ahead, and having her parents’ seal of approval with Rory had made her even more so. There was just one thing though that refused to disappear and lay dormant in the recess of her mind. A kernel of disappointment had started to take root. Whilst her feelings for Rory were genuine and she didn’t doubt his commitment, it had niggled her that he had never mentioned marriage. Maybe she was being old-fashioned? After all, how many couples nowadays did marry before living together? But even so, the fact that he had talked about bringing up a family together must count for something, surely? Or did that simply not matter? Had it never occurred to him that she would want to be husband and wife? Because, actually, she did.
Cassie was a traditionalist. She craved stability. She was a creature of habit, hence her reluctance to move from Lilacwell, her home village. She also liked to feel safe and secure in a relationship, hence her ditching the unreliable Justin. In Rory she had found all three qualities – stability, safety and security – and she knew Rory felt the same, why else would he be planning his future with her? So why not acknowledge this and commit fully?
Granted, they would have enough to contend with in finding the right property and possibly having to renovate it, plus start up the smallholding, but all the same, she did want to marry. It would seal everything together, make them complete in her eyes. Also, there was the legal side of things. Both of them were sinking their savings into the project and whilst Rory had far more to contribute, she still had a considerable sum to bring to the table. It was Rory himself who had insisted on them opening a joint bank account, and for both names to appear on the deeds of their future house. So why not get married? It made perfect sense, well to her it did.
Only having known each other months didn’t deter her in the slightest. Look at her own parents – they had got engaged after a fortnight! And they had stood the test of time.
Adira had laughed when Cassie had voiced her thoughts, saying she was surprised Rory hadn’t whisked her away to elope. She, more than most, knew how impetuous he could be, especially when setting his mind upon something. So, all things considered, why hadn’t Rory popped the question? Then another thought suddenly occurred to Cassie, one which gave her food for thought. Her phone rang, and it was the very man FaceTiming her. She smiled at seeing his face.
‘Hi, Pixie.’
‘Hi. Busy?’ she could make out all the boxes behind him piled up, ready to be transported back to Lancashire.
‘Yeah, nearly finished now, though. I’ve hired a man with a van to come back with me tomorrow.’ Fortunately, Cassie’s dad had offered him a barn to use as storage space.
‘Good. I’m looking forward to seeing you.’ She blew him a kiss.
