Page 35 of Rough Around the Hedges

I didn’t need George of all people knowing about it, no matter how safe he insisted my secrets were.

“Well, at least you didn’t hit him,” George mused, tapping his calloused fingers against the fence. “But we still don’t know how much the land would be worth.”

“I think Colin is working on it. He says he’s retired, but we all know he owns Smith’s Estate Agents, so he can easily bringone of his employees here by stealth to value the land for us. I’m just not sure what good it does us to know. None of us have the money to purchase the land.”

“We could fundraise. We made a considerable amount of money with the calendars last year.”

“Yes, but that was enough to send the Youth Farmers off to North Wales for a week with an organisation. Not enough to buy a few acres of land, George.”

“Could we monetise your social media account? Don’t you have a lot of followers on the allotment page? You’re an influenza, aren’t you?”

I most certainly was not. “I think you mean influencer.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”Choose your battles, Rose.“Utilising the page isn’t such a bad idea, you know. We discussed traditional media with Leah’s friend, but social media is the real powerhouse these days.”

George nodded. “Your chicken adventures and vegetable posts are funny. My great-niece shows me them. You’ve got quite the cult following in the secondary school, you know.”

That was a sentence I’d prefer he never repeated.

“We wouldn’t have raised anywhere near as much with the calendars if you didn’t have that page.”

“But will ‘funny’ help? Is that enough?” I tilted my head to the side. “Not to mention that all started by accident when I was drunk one night.”

“That’s how most exciting things happen in this town.”

“Yes, well, I’ve given up drinking.” Lest I accidentally sleep with a duke and ruin my life again.

“We’ll see how long that lasts.” He snorted. “Funny always helps, Rose, dear. People like to laugh.”

That was true. And thatwaswhy the allotment’s Instagram was so popular, but what good would funny actually do when this situation was so serious?

“I think we need to call a meeting with every plot holder and tell them what’s going on. Can you ask Paula to call everyone and have them come to our meeting in the hall this Thursday evening? We’ll likely have the genuine closure notice by then, so we won’t be able to keep it quiet any longer.”

“Not to mention there are already rumours going around that he’s selling some fringe land. Evan asked me yesterday if that includes the allotments.”

“Ugh, okay. We really have no choice. We’re going to have to present some kind of plan, aren’t we? Otherwise, people are going to think we don’t have any clue what to do, and—”

“I don’t think so. Don’t underestimate everyone, Rose.” He reached over the fence and patted my shoulder gently. “You don’t have to do this all alone, you know? We’re a community, and we’re all going to be fighting with you. Just be the Rose that we all know, love, and trust, and everything will be fine.”

“But what if it’s not?”

“Then we’ll let off party poppers and silly string all over the trees at the Hanbury Estate every day for six months.”

I smiled. “You should start saving up, then. That’s going to cost a small fortune.”

He clicked his tongue and winked. “That’s why I keep cash hidden in my house, my dear. For emergencies.”

Isa yawned, swinging the chair on its back two legs like a moody teenager stuck in an insufferable maths class.

“You’ll fall if you sit like that,” I said, glancing over the top of my laptop.

“Ugh, you sound like Mrs Barry,” she grumbled.

“Who was that again?”

The chair slipped, and she grabbed the table to stop herself falling. “Our year eight maths teacher.”

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