Page 18 of The House at Hope Corner
Reaching the milking parlour entailed walking right to the other end of the farm buildings, past the row of brick sheds, which Flora now realised were destined to be Hannah and Fraser’s new cottage, and the assorted barns and other buildings that she guessed were used for storage.
As the troughs of flowers dwindled away and the level of mud increased, she realised she’d reached the ‘business’ end of the farm. It was different from the lush area surrounding the farmhouse, but still beautiful in its own right. The buildings around her were made from warm red brick and had an air of tradition and permanence about them. She crossed over the roadway which led into the bottom end of the farm and approached the low long shed she could see running along the other side.
The smell and the noise reached her before everything else. It was a warm sweet smell, but sour too, the type that invaded your nostrils and stayed there. And the noise was loud and clamorous, a rhythmic clanking to it, interspersed with the odd shout. It took Flora quite a few moments to take in what was going on and to even spot Ned among the machinery. And when she did, she saw he was not alone.
Caroline was leaning up against a metal railing that ran the entire length of the building, separating a raised walkway from the bright blue concrete floor of the parlour. The walkway was filled with cows, and everywhere Flora looked were legs and tails and bulging udders. Coils of pipework hung from machinery suspended on the ceiling, on the ends of which were four yellow tubes, and it was in among these that Flora had spotted Ned.
Caroline, in jodhpurs and a bright pink quilted jacket, had one arm draped casually over the railing, her hand lifting up and down as she talked, the other hand repeatedly running itself through her hair. Despite her glamorous appearance, which was in direct contrast to the functional atmosphere in the shed, she looked very much at ease.
Ned, unusually, looked rather agitated. He had his back to Caroline as he worked, but every now and then he turned slightly towards her as she spoke. He looked as he always did whenever Flora had seen him in his work clothes, his wellies a dirty green, with a thick brown apron covering his navy blue overalls. But rather than the normal tiredness she was used to seeing, today, he looked harassed.
She had half a mind to turn and leave before she was spotted, but just at that moment, Ned looked up and saw her. And scowled.
Seeing the expression on his face change, Caroline spun around, her face breaking into a smile.
‘Flora!’ she exclaimed, coming forward. ‘Goodness, I didn’t think we’d ever get you in here.’
‘Well, you know…’ Flora muttered, looking past her to where Ned was standing, relieved to finally see a smile on his face.
‘Is everything okay?’ asked Ned.
‘Fine,’ replied Flora airily. ‘I just thought it was high time I showed my face in here. I’ve just fed the hens and thought while I was out I should come on down and say hello.’ She turned back to Caroline. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were here,’ she said. ‘Or I’d have offered you a cup of tea.’
‘Actually I’m just leaving, so don’t worry.’ Caroline turned back to Ned. ‘I can see that things are a bit busy just now, but have a chat with Flora and let me know if that’s okay. There’s no rush.’ She was having to raise her voice over the noise of the machinery and it was evident that she didn’t like shouting.
Flora wanted to ask Ned if she could have a quiet word, but she wasn’t about to do so in Caroline’s hearing, and so she smiled and nodded. She wasn’t about to ask what Caroline was referring to either, and she stood to one side to let her pass. As she did so she noticed another figure at the far end of the shed. Clad in red overalls, Fraser was standing, one hand on the rail, staring up at a point on the far wall a little bit higher than his head. She raised her hand in greeting, but perhaps he didn’t see her. Or perhaps she wasn’t quite out of his bad books just yet.
‘What are you supposed to be talking to me about?’ she asked Ned as soon as Caroline was out of earshot.
Ned looked blank.
‘Caroline?’ she prompted. ‘You were supposed to be talking to me about something and getting back to her.’
‘Oh that,’ muttered Ned. ‘Some bloody engagement party her mother wants to throw for us.’
‘Engagement party?’ Flora frowned. ‘That’s very generous, but a bit too formal for us… isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, like I really have the time to be poncing about at parties…’
‘And I would have thought that if there was going to be an engagement party it would be somethingwewould throw, seeing as it would beourfriends who were invited…’ She searched his face. ‘Why on earth would Caroline’s parents want to throw us a party? I mean, at the very leastyourmum and dad should organise it. It’s a bit rude actually; I can’t see Hannah and Fraser being very happy about it, that’s for sure.’
Ned stared at her. ‘You’re right,’ he said, and then shook his head. ‘Sorry, Flora, I don’t know how Caroline gets this stuff in her head at times.’ He bent to kiss her cheek. ‘Well, this is a rather lovely surprise,’ he added, changing the subject.
She frowned again but then decided to let it go. ‘Is it?’ she replied. ‘Only I seem to remember you didn’t want me to come here this morning.’ She gave him a cheeky smile instead. ‘And I can see why. God it stinks in here!’
He grinned at her. ‘It’s an acquired taste, there’s no doubt about that. But you don’t really notice it after a while. Just as well, I suppose.’ He looked behind him. ‘Hang on a minute…’
She watched as he uncoupled the machinery from one of the cows, moving it along to the next, and then repeating the exercise several times. The ceaseless clanking seemed to increase in volume as she tuned back into it. As he walked back towards her she could see that his face had resumed its agitated expression.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I can see you’re busy – I should let you get on. I guess I just wanted to come and say hello. I’ll see you later, okay?’
She was about to go, when he reached out to touch her arm.
‘Is everything okay?’ He held her look for a moment. ‘I asked you before, but with Caroline here, well… but now it’s just us. So let me ask you again, and answer me truthfully this time?’
Her shoulders sagged a little as she sighed. ‘I didn’t intend to burden you with this now,’ she replied. ‘It can wait.’
She saw the tussle on his face; his desire to reach out to her against the pull of his work.
