Read Online Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage by Milly Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Milly Johnson
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silent prayer upwards:
Please God, I don’t care how You do it, but help us.
She needed to go straight to the top with this one.
Chapter 10
It took Viv three full days to sort out the office, but by the end of them, the files were in order, receipts were sorted and there was a box of old papers which might or might not need shredding – Viv needed the authority of the boss on that one. He had still not made an appearance but she expected him any minute.
Getting the office sorted had taken her mind off being away from her mum and Basil. She liked spending time with Geraldine in the evenings. Geraldine worked so hard both inside and outside the farmhouse. She mucked out the animals and fed them all. Feed was expensive and they were grateful for local donations that helped them get by. The nearby farm sent food, the supermarket in nearby Mawton rang up with offers of fish for the sea eagle and the local police informed them if they’d had to dispose of a deer. The birds loved a bit of venison and playing with the bones.
What Geraldine cooked for herself and Viv was far more palatable. But the previous night Viv had insisted on taking her turn. She had planned pasta cooked with pesto and cream and lots of Parmesan cheese but Mr Mark, the shopkeeper of Ironmist Stores, had asked her what the bloody hell pesto was, so she’d had to leave that ingredient out. It didn’t matter – the pasta and the crusty bread from the bakery was perfect. Pilot had laid over her feet under the table as they ate. He was a lovely old fella and despite her initial unease at the size of him, she very soon realised he was as gentle a dog as God could make. Viv liked Geraldine’s company. She filled her in on some of the people in the hamlet – who sounded eccentric at best. There was Mrs Macy who knitted teddy bears, all day, every day, and wine-making Selwyn Stanbury who had a forest of Bonsai trees in his barber’s shop. Then there was Mr Mark and Mr Wayne, the Ironmist Stores owners who were like psychic twins because they always finished off each other’s sentences. Mr Wayne had recently been in hospital to have part of his lung removed and the whole hamlet had rejoiced that he was on the mend. And, of course, Armstrong who was building a rocket in his garden so he could visit his dad in heaven.
Geraldine opened the door with a mug of coffee and a plate of biscuits to find Viv cleaning underneath the desk with a wet sponge.
‘My, my, I can hardly recognise the place. Heath is going to be very impressed with you,’ she said with a genuine gasp of admiration.
Viv got up from the floor and surveyed her handiwork. She wasn’t prone to self-praise, but even she had to admit that she’d done a mighty fine job.
Geraldine dropped a long sigh. ‘Oh Viv, I feel so guilty about not telling you when you applied that we don’t know how temporary this job is going to be. It was wrong of me, but I knew no one would answer the advert if I had. I’m still surprised you did anyway. But we need to be organised now more than ever. I thought that somewhere in this room there just might be some piece of paper that would help us fight our corner. I don’t suppose you saw anything like that, did you?’ Her big grey eyes were full of hope.
‘I have to say, I didn’t,’ replied Viv. ‘Surely you at least have squatters rights? Surely if this has been Heath’s family’s home for generations . . .’
‘Leighton was going to give Heath one of his new builds, but you can imagine what he said to that offer. Leighton has a team of lawyers costing God knows how much to make sure we’re history, because he can afford to do that. There are no listed buildings, no rare species of toad or butterfly living here and needing protection which can save us . . . I’m just hoping that being away from us for a few days has made Heath think of something we might have overlooked.’
‘I hope so too, for you all,’ said Viv. She hadn’t expected this mess
Please God, I don’t care how You do it, but help us.
She needed to go straight to the top with this one.
Chapter 10
It took Viv three full days to sort out the office, but by the end of them, the files were in order, receipts were sorted and there was a box of old papers which might or might not need shredding – Viv needed the authority of the boss on that one. He had still not made an appearance but she expected him any minute.
Getting the office sorted had taken her mind off being away from her mum and Basil. She liked spending time with Geraldine in the evenings. Geraldine worked so hard both inside and outside the farmhouse. She mucked out the animals and fed them all. Feed was expensive and they were grateful for local donations that helped them get by. The nearby farm sent food, the supermarket in nearby Mawton rang up with offers of fish for the sea eagle and the local police informed them if they’d had to dispose of a deer. The birds loved a bit of venison and playing with the bones.
What Geraldine cooked for herself and Viv was far more palatable. But the previous night Viv had insisted on taking her turn. She had planned pasta cooked with pesto and cream and lots of Parmesan cheese but Mr Mark, the shopkeeper of Ironmist Stores, had asked her what the bloody hell pesto was, so she’d had to leave that ingredient out. It didn’t matter – the pasta and the crusty bread from the bakery was perfect. Pilot had laid over her feet under the table as they ate. He was a lovely old fella and despite her initial unease at the size of him, she very soon realised he was as gentle a dog as God could make. Viv liked Geraldine’s company. She filled her in on some of the people in the hamlet – who sounded eccentric at best. There was Mrs Macy who knitted teddy bears, all day, every day, and wine-making Selwyn Stanbury who had a forest of Bonsai trees in his barber’s shop. Then there was Mr Mark and Mr Wayne, the Ironmist Stores owners who were like psychic twins because they always finished off each other’s sentences. Mr Wayne had recently been in hospital to have part of his lung removed and the whole hamlet had rejoiced that he was on the mend. And, of course, Armstrong who was building a rocket in his garden so he could visit his dad in heaven.
Geraldine opened the door with a mug of coffee and a plate of biscuits to find Viv cleaning underneath the desk with a wet sponge.
‘My, my, I can hardly recognise the place. Heath is going to be very impressed with you,’ she said with a genuine gasp of admiration.
Viv got up from the floor and surveyed her handiwork. She wasn’t prone to self-praise, but even she had to admit that she’d done a mighty fine job.
Geraldine dropped a long sigh. ‘Oh Viv, I feel so guilty about not telling you when you applied that we don’t know how temporary this job is going to be. It was wrong of me, but I knew no one would answer the advert if I had. I’m still surprised you did anyway. But we need to be organised now more than ever. I thought that somewhere in this room there just might be some piece of paper that would help us fight our corner. I don’t suppose you saw anything like that, did you?’ Her big grey eyes were full of hope.
‘I have to say, I didn’t,’ replied Viv. ‘Surely you at least have squatters rights? Surely if this has been Heath’s family’s home for generations . . .’
‘Leighton was going to give Heath one of his new builds, but you can imagine what he said to that offer. Leighton has a team of lawyers costing God knows how much to make sure we’re history, because he can afford to do that. There are no listed buildings, no rare species of toad or butterfly living here and needing protection which can save us . . . I’m just hoping that being away from us for a few days has made Heath think of something we might have overlooked.’
‘I hope so too, for you all,’ said Viv. She hadn’t expected this mess
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