AT HOME

When Tregothlan Manor is sold to a consortium led by Jim Glasgow and his music industry friends, the village is agog to see how it will be transformed. Sylvia leads the gossip, speculating about the type of hotel it will become: a saloon style bar in the old kitchen, cowhide leather sofas in Margaret’s drawing room and line dancing in the ballroom? She is in full flow one day in the Post Office when Jan points out that no one else is joining in and no one agrees with her that Jo has done the wrong thing by selling up.

‘What would you have done in her situation?’ says Jan. ‘Poor thing. She’s lost her mother and inherited a world of problems. Don’t be so quick to judge.’

The silence in the Post Office queue is a rebuke to Sylvia. When she gets home she complains to Geoff that no one agreed with her. ‘Are you surprised? he says, throwing a wink to Lawrence across the room.

Lawrence rolls his eyes. ‘Let it drop, Mum,’ he says. ‘Jo wouldn’t have sold it to someone who wasn’t going to look after it. A lot of people will get work there.’

Sylvia sniffs and goes to fetch Henry’s lead.

By the following December the finishing touches are being put to Tregethlan before its opening as a boutique hotel. Money from the sale has enabled Jo to fund renovation of the farmhouse and its outbuildings as well. While the big house was worked on by an army of contractors, designers, and decorators, John and Anneke have transformed Home Farm. Between them they stripped the wallpaper, Jacob helped them skim the walls, and then they painted the rooms in creamy white.

When they lifted the carpets they found beautiful oak floor boards which they sanded and oiled to enhance the natural features of the timber. Anneke made new eau de nil curtains from old ones which were found in the attic at Tregethlan Manor. Jo gave them a beautiful rug for the sitting room, which had been in one of the bedrooms at the Manor. The rich colours of turquoise and crimson complement the emerald-green sofa, which together with the beds, are the only new purchases they have made.

Anneke and John have settled down to life as a couple and there is another new arrival at the farm: baby Leo. One winter afternoon Anneke goes to lift him as he stirs in his cot.  She holds him close and kisses his auburn curls, marvelling once more at his perfection and the softness of his skin. He gurgles as he gazes at the lights on the homemade Christmas tree which Anneke has fashioned from twigs and string.

Mouse sits up from the rug in front of the fire and starts to growl softly. When there is a knock at the front door he barks importantly.

Anneke smiles at him, ‘it’s ok Mouse – just Emily come to see us.’ He wags his tail and rushes towards the front door skittering on the hall rug. Anneke calls out, ‘It’s open.’

A blast of cold air follows Emily into the hallway. She is wrapped in a powder blue cashmere scarf and her wind-proof waxed coat. She puts her shopping bag on the floor and nudges Mouse’s nose out of it as she removes her leather gloves. ‘Goodness, it’s lovely and warm in here. How cosy it’s looking.’

‘Hang your coat up Emily, I’ve made a pot of tea.’

‘I’ve brought scones and clotted cream. I’m afraid I had to buy the scones in the village. Mine didn’t turn out too well.’

‘Thank you – we’ll have them with the plum jam I made in the summer – when I still had time to make preserves.’

‘I suppose Leo has put a stop to all that,’ laughs Emily. She goes to the sofa, smoothing her tweed skirt as she sits. ‘Something smells delicious, you found time to do some cooking today.’

‘Just something in the Aga ready for when John and Jacob come in from the fields.’

‘Is Jacob still living in the barn?’

‘Yes, for the moment, he’s made it very cosy and Jess stays there with him. He’ll move into the static caravan when Kevin, Karenza and Piran move into their accommodation at the hotel.’

‘So they can work there and live in it?’

‘Yes. The hotel will be employing a lot of people. The upper floor is staff accommodation, and some of the outbuildings.’

From where she sits Emily can glimpse the back of the manor house. Clad in scaffolding for months, it now looks handsome, with re-pointed walls and new window frames.

‘Let me hold the baby for a moment.’ Anneke settles Leo onto Emily’s lap and he chuckles, reaching for the buttons on her cardigan. Emily gently removes his plump fingers. ‘Arthur tells me they are calling the luxury wing the Clemens suite as a tribute to the family. Diana would be pleased.’

‘Yes, it’s a nice idea.’ Anneke heads to the kitchen to retrieve the cream tea. When she returns with the tray Mouse sits up to gaze hopefully at the food. ‘Let me put Leo in his cot for now. I want you to enjoy your tea.’

Emily holds him up and rubs her upper arms after Anneke has taken him. ‘He’s getting heavy isn’t he,’ she says, fondly.

‘So am I,’ says Anneke. ‘I need to lose this baby weight.’ She pats her stomach.

‘You look the picture of health,’ says Emily.

Mouse edges a little closer to the table, his moist nose twitching.

‘No begging, Mouse. I don’t want Jo thinking I’ve given you bad habits.’

‘Have you heard from Jo?’ Emily dabs at the corner of her mouth with her napkin.

‘I had an email – she’s coming back this Friday so she’ll be here for the christening on Sunday and she’ll be staying with us for Christmas and New Year. ‘

‘A proper family Christmas.’

Anneke nods, beaming, and takes a sip of her tea from the white bone China cup. ‘Did I tell you that Jo is going to be godmother?’

‘You did dear, your mother and Edward would be so pleased.’

‘It’s so lovely to have a sister and a friend. Now Jo has the proceeds from the sale of the Manor, she is coming back from Fiji. She wants to buy a place locally and study ocean conservation so she can spend as much time with Leo as she can.’

Emily finds herself moved. A new child running in the garden and possibly more to come, new life in the farmhouse, and the manor house reborn. She wishes Edward could see it, and yet she is his witness, delighted to see his daughters’ lives entwined.

‘Thank you for tea, it was lovely. I should get home.’

Anneke gives Emily a warm hug. ‘We’ll see you at church.’ Emily is surprised by the embrace. Her own family is distant memory, but this is how it felt. She is unable to speak for a moment, while she blinks away her unexpected tears of joy.