Page 3 of A Sky Full of Stars
Rolling her eyes, Gemma pushed open her door. ‘Well, at least let me help you unload your stuff.’
The two women moved to the boot of the Touareg and in very little time Charlotte’s suitcase and a couple of boxes of files and assorted possessions were stacked on the driveway.
‘Do you want me to wait?’ Gemma said again. ‘I mean, what if your new landlady’s not in?’
Charlotte shook her head. ‘Honestly, it’s such a nice day, I can sit on the doorstep. And she gave me her mobile number to call if she wasn’t in.’
‘If you’re sure…’ Gemma clearly wasn’t happy about just leaving her friend, but also knew better than to argue. ‘But if you do end up shackled in the basement, try to let me know somehow!’
‘I’m afraid I don’t have a basement,’ a dryly amused voice cut into their conversation. ‘It was filled in years ago, as it played havoc with the damp course. There’s a coal cellar in the back of the garden where I keep all of my victims, though, if that helps you to visualise where your friend will be!’
Charlotte jumped guiltily, and Gemma had the good grace to blush, before they both started to giggle.
‘Oh, er, hi,’ Charlotte said, turning in the direction of the voice. ‘I’m so sorry… my friend is a little protective of me and has been teasing me all the way here about being out in the wilds of the countryside. I guess we both have pretty vivid imaginations!’
‘I’ve heard worse, believe me. My grandson gets hives if he has to spend too much time out here. He’s a proper townie, and no mistake. I’m Lorelai Ashcombe. Welcome to Nightshade Cottage.’
At the woman’s thrust-out hand, Charlotte began to relax. Lorelai was a slim woman who looked to be in her late seventies. Her white hair was cut short, and she was wearing an oversized grey-green shirt and cropped trousers, and a pair of gardening shoes. Some green-stained gloves poked out of one of the pockets of her trousers, and over her other arm was a Somerset willow trug basket containing various freshly cut pastel-coloured flowers and a couple of smallish courgettes.
‘Charlotte James,’ Charlotte replied. ‘And this is my friend Gemma Halloran.’ She glanced at Gemma, whose face still showed a little colour from being caught out. ‘This really is a gorgeous spot, Mrs Ashcombe.’
‘Oh, call me Lorelai,’ came the response. ‘Everyone else does, including my grandchildren when they’re cross with me.’ Lorelai’s eyes twinkled, but Charlotte got the distinct impression that the older woman was a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who could live out here, alone, at her age had to be pretty tenacious.
‘Well, I’ll be off then,’ Gemma said, breaking the slight pause that had descended between the women. ‘Give me a call if you’ve forgotten anything, and I’ll bring it down.’
‘Thanks, hon,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Let me just get Comet out and you’re good to go.’
Comet, who was looking curiously and excitedly out of the left passenger window, jumped delightedly out of the car as Charlotte released him from the belt buckle lead. Wagging his tail, he started to sniff all around the driveway before lifting his leg on a vibrant clump of delphiniums. Thankfully, Lorelai laughed. ‘He’s obviously had a long trip.’ She bent down with a slight creak and ruffled the dog’s neck as he came back to where the women stood. ‘Good boy. What’s your name?’
As Charlotte told her, Lorelai’s smile widened. ‘But of course. In your job, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Now, why don’t you come into the house and get settled? It’s about time I had a cuppa.’
I think it’s going to be all right, Charlotte thought as she waved goodbye to Gemma, who was already reversing carefully down the drive, clearly keen to get back to Bristol. Picking up the first of the boxes, she followed Lorelai through the front door of Nightshade Cottage, Comet scampering boldly in her wake.
4
Charlotte demurred on the cup of tea straight away, preferring to get her living quarters in Lorelai’s cottage organised first. She was a stickler for order, which had served her well in her career, and she wanted to make sure that everything was as it should be before she relaxed. Lorelai smiled and said to give her a shout when she wanted a hot drink, and left her to it after leading her through to her room.
First impressions were definitely good. After a few minutes in Lorelai’s company, Charlotte had made her way through to the spacious rooms at the rear of the cottage in a more modern extension. It ran down the side of Lorelai’s gorgeously appointed back garden and was joined to the main cottage by a lockable internal door, as well as having its own exterior entrance. Charlotte realised that she’d fallen on her feet. The bedroom was light and airy, and generously proportioned, with a king-sized bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe all in the same aged dark wood, which had been polished to perfection. There was a desk under the window with a leather top, which would be perfect for completing any work she brought home, and, joyously, there was a good space near the desk for Comet’s basket.
‘There you go, boy,’ Charlotte said, as she placed his shabby bed into position. A smell of dog wafted from it again, and she resolved to try to get him interested in a new one just as soon as she could.
Upon exploring, Charlotte saw a clean and surprisingly modern bathroom. There was even a small kitchenette tucked away under the staircase. The cottage, though it had looked small when she and Gemma had arrived, had depth to it, and Lorelai had made her guest quarters welcoming and private. The adjoining but lockable internal door to the space felt at once pleasingly separate but also reassuringly connected.
‘You’re welcome to use my kitchen whenever you like,’ Lorelai had said as she’d shown her around. ‘But experience has taught me that my lodgers like a few facilities of their own, so there’s a hot plate, an air fryer, a kettle and a microwave that are just for you, and a fridge with an icebox, too. Just let me know if you’d like to make arrangements for dinner on a weekly basis – I’m more than happy to cook for you if you give me a little notice.’
Charlotte had smiled at that. She appreciated Lorelai’s offer, but she was a largely solitary animal and guessed she’d probably end up just cooking for herself most of the time. She’d said thank you, though. This was going to be a slightly quirky living arrangement, she could see, but it was one she was more than happy with for the summer.
‘And this chap will be pleased that you’ve got your own door to the back garden,’ Lorelai had continued, giving Comet another ruffle. ‘I’m delighted to have him as a guest, provided you clear up his doings from the lawn. My great-grandchildren visit a lot, and they like a game of footy on the grass from time to time.’
‘Of course.’ Charlotte was surprised that the spry-looking Lorelai was old enough to have great-grandchildren, but perhaps she was older than she looked. ‘He – and I – are very well trained in that regard!’ She always had a ready supply of poo bags with her on her belt whenever she took Comet out, and she’d brought several rolls with her for her stay in Lower Brambleton. She appreciated just how rare it was to find a landlady who would accept a dog as part of the rental, and she wanted to make sure that Comet remained as welcome as she was.
Lorelai had left her to it then, and for a little while Charlotte had just wandered about, getting to know her space, putting her things away, and trying to adjust mentally to the new place. The quiet was something that was going to take a while to get used to, after the hustle and bustle of being a house parent in the halls of residence. There was always someone around, often knocking on her door. Here, although Lorelai was just the other side of the wall, the silence was almost overwhelming.
Eventually, she’d decided to rejoin Lorelai for the promised cuppa, and now they were sitting out on the patio that ran between both sets of doors to the back garden, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. Charlotte kept half an eye on Comet as he took his time sniffing around the secure back garden, making sure he didn’t take any flying leaps into Lorelai’s well-kept rose beds and herbaceous borders. The dog seemed content just to wander, though, and soon, for the first time since she’d left Bristol, Charlotte began to relax.
‘It really is beautiful here,’ she commented between sips of tea. ‘I didn’t expect it to be so remote, but it feels incredibly peaceful, too.’
‘That it is,’ Lorelai agreed. ‘But don’t be fooled, there’s a decent community in Lower Brambleton, even if people are largely outnumbered by grazing sheep!’ She smiled mischievously at Charlotte. ‘Of course, that’ll all change when the new housing estate is built. I can’t tell you how many locals have been up in arms about it.’
