Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange

Can you and Tom liaise about how we can cordon the relevant areas off for a while?’
‘Sure.’ Helen made a note on her pad. ‘How much are you going to charge for this?’
‘I thought two pounds per child. Not too much then if you have four kids.’ Sam looked up at his friends. ‘The only problem is, what with Bert being unwell, we may have to ask someone other than Mabel to do tea and coffee.’
‘She’ll be gutted if we don’t ask her to do them.’ Tina sighed.
‘It could be just what she needs to look forward to, to be honest,’ Helen agreed. ‘Mabel is one of life’s doers. If she isn’t helping someone, she won’t feel like herself. I’m worried about Bert, but I’m just as worried about Mabel. Her mental health won’t be in good shape if she doesn’t do something constructive soon.’
‘I suspect you’re right.’ Sam pulled a face. ‘So, shall I ask her to help? Maybe she could start planning a few cakes to bake, etc? If we let everyone have free tea and coffee or juice, but charged for cakes then we should cover our costs. I was also thinking of offering half the proceeds to the Help for Heroes foundation. What do you think?’
‘I think you’re the nicest man in the world, and I’m glad I’m marrying you.’ Tina leant forward and kissed Sam’s cheek.
Tom and Helen exchanged glances. Each experienced a shimmer of attraction that they both stoically ignored.
Bringing the meeting back to order, Sam said, ‘Thea and Shaun will be back here as they aren’t filming over the Easter weekend. I hope they don’t mind walking into a horde of children.’
‘Thea did say she’d be back for…’ Tina suddenly turned to Helen, ‘Of course! I’d almost forgotten.’
‘What?’ Sam frowned, as if he suspected he had forgotten something important.
Helen wasn’t quick enough. By the time she realised what Tina was going to say the words had already floated from her friend’s mouth.
‘It’s Helen’s birthday that weekend. Thea won’t want to miss that.’
‘Birthday?’ A faint memory of the first proper conversation they’d had the previous autumn floated through Tom’s mind. In a roundabout way she’d told him she was thirty-nine, which meant this next birthday was a milestone. One, he suspected, from Helen’s expression, she’d rather not be facing.
‘It’s no big deal. I’m happy to enjoy the Easter egg hunt and forget the rest of that week.’
‘But, you’ll be…’ Tina stopped talking as she registered the warning look on Helen’s face. ‘Okay, I’ll drop it. But if you change your mind, just let me know, and we’ll party.’
*
A black car drew away from Bert and Mabel’s driveway as Sam approached their cottage on the edge of Upwich. Mabel was still on the doorstep, and waved as she saw Sam approach.
‘Good news?’
Mabel blew her nose in a flurry of tissues, and Sam suspected if he hadn’t turned up, she’d have allowed herself to indulge in some very un-British blubbing. ‘The antibiotics are working. His temperature is down and the coughing no longer sounds as if he’s trying to chew through hardboard.’
‘That’s fantastic. Is Bert up to a visitor, or has the doctor worn him out?’
‘He’s going nuts in there. A visitor would be welcome.’
*
Bert, tucked away in the cottage’s spare room, presumably so he didn’t wake Mabel with his coughing at night, looked much smaller than he had the week before. The room had a stuffy air of illness about it. Sam was desperate to open a window.
‘You can open a window if you want.’ Bert smiled as Sam looked surprised. ‘I know an escape hatch is always welcome. Besides the air is so stale in here. Mabel won’t let me open it in case I get cold.’
‘I can’t blame her for that.’
‘Please open it, Sam. I’m not doing so well being stuck inside for so long myself.’
Sam could see his friend’s hands shaking. The old man, like him, had suffered severe claustrophobia years ago, and though he coped brilliantly, every now and then his enemy made its presence felt. But if I open the window and Bert got cold…
‘The doctor told me I could have it open for a little while.’
‘Promise?’
‘Promise.’ Bert grunted. ‘But it will be best for both our sakes if you close it if you hear Mabel coming!’
‘Wise!’ Sam lifted the sash window a fraction, the action alone making him feel better.
‘So, my boy, what’s on your mind?’
‘What makes you think there’s something bothering me?’
‘Call me psychic. Let’s have it.’
‘I’m here to make sure you’re alright. Everyone’s worried about you.’
Bert tapped his friend’s arm. ‘And while I believe that, and I’m grateful, I also can see there is something on your mind. Now, spit it out.’
Sam couldn’t help but laugh. ‘There are no flies on you, Bert!’
‘Give me something to think about other than feeling ill. Tell me.’
‘Okay. You asked for it! Tina has her heart set on getting married at Mill Grange and my parents are desperate for me to keep up the family tradition – which both my older brothers followed – of marrying at Malvern House. I don’t want to let Tina down, nor do I want to upset my mother. Any and all ideas welcome!’
*
‘Tomorrow night? Can’t we do another night, Sue, I’ve got a work thing on.’
Tom closed his yes. He’d longed for the chance to talk to Sue in a civilised fashion about gaining more access to Dylan, and now she was offering him that chance, but it was tomorrow night, when he’d told Helen he’d take her for a curry.
‘I thought your colleagues were your friends? They’ll understand if you have to reschedule.’
‘But why then, Sue? What’s wrong with one night next week? Won’t you need to look after Dylan?’
‘I have a lot of extra work on next week, and tomorrow night I have access to a babysitter. I thought you wanted to get this sorted?’
Tom bit back the sense of frustration he always experienced when he spoke to Sue. ‘Of