Page 58 of A Year at Appleyard Farm
‘What happened?’ Merry asked, crossing automatically to flick the switch on the kettle. ‘You look like you fell in.’ And then her hand flew to her mouth as she realised that that’s exactly what had happened and the seriousness of it all.
Freya filled her in while Sam leaned wearily against the door post.
‘Tom and Stephen will be along in a bit. They’re just helping to move one or two bits of furniture back downstairs for folk, although I have to say it’s coming down a lot quicker than it went up.’
Merry put down the mug of tea that she had just made and went and stood in front of Sam. She looked straight into his face for a moment before plonking a huge kiss on his forehead and pulling him into a hug. ‘We got up to damn stupid things when we were kids, Sam Henderson, but in all that time you have never, ever, done anything so bloody stupid as this. I could murder you.’
He smiled weakly. ‘Join the queue,’ he muttered, throwing a rueful glance at Freya, who glared at him.
‘May I go and run a bath, Merry, before the others get back? They’ll both be cold and wet as well.’
‘And hungry too no doubt,’ tutted Merry, releasing her hold on Sam. ‘Shall I make some bacon sandwiches, do you think? Or toast and jam, dripping in butter, how about that?’ She saw Sam’s eyes light up at the thought of it. ‘Go on, go up, and I’ll bring it along in a few minutes.’
* * *
Freya added a good dollop of Merry’s scented bubble bath to the steaming water, and watched as it swirled around.
‘This will make you smell like a girl, which is no more than you deserve,’ she said, leaning over to test the water with her hand.
Sam had already removed all his clothes and stood on the bath mat stark naked. Little bits of dried mud had fallen from his underwear and lay like ash beside him. He trembled slightly, whether from cold or emotion, Freya couldn’t tell.
‘I mean, it’s not as if you’re a total hero for saving the day, is it? Or that eleven people, three cats and one dog all have a home to go to now because of you.’ She tested the temperature of the water again. ‘Go on, you can hop in now,’ she added, hands on hips.
She watched as Sam gave a lopsided smile, still not sure how much metaphorical hot water he was in.
‘It wasn’t just me,’ he offered, through lowered lashes.
‘No, I know it wasn’t…you’re all as bad as each other.’
He gingerly put one leg over the side of the bath, and then the other, lowering himself rather jerkily until he was sitting, practically submerged. Only then did she see the strain begin to leave his body, his muscles stop fighting and begin to relax. Her bottom lip began to tremble.
She waited until he had settled himself, facing her, before gently stretching out to touch the gash on his cheek. He winced slightly as her fingers made contact.
‘Where does it hurt?’ she asked, her face pulled tight with emotion.
‘Pretty much every bloody where,’ he replied, his features contorting as he shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable.
Freya closed her eyes and swallowed. ‘Please, please promise me you will never do anything like that again,’ she whispered, laying a trail of bubbles across his chest with the sponge.
Sam’s eyes were dark in her shadow. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, guilt wrought large across his face, the enormity of what had happened that afternoon beginning to take its toll. ‘It seemed like the only thing we could do at the time, but I probably wasn’t thinking straight…I seem to be good at acting like an idiot just lately.’ He let his eyes rest on hers for a moment. ‘I’d never do anything to hurt you, Freya, I hope you know that.’
‘I know,’ she whispered back. ‘I know it was all well intentioned,’ she added, and they both knew their conversation had gone way beyond the events of the afternoon. She moved the sponge a little lower, in soothing circles. ‘I love you,’ she said.
Sam lifted a hand half-heartedly. ‘Sorry, Freya, but I can barely raise a smile,’ he said, misreading her intentions.
She gave a low laugh. ‘You muppet.’ She smiled fondly. ‘Just lie there and close your eyes.’
‘I love you, Freya,’ he said, and then did as he was told.
She scooped up a pile of bubbles and with the gentlest of touches began to soap every inch of his skin, finally washing the day clean from his body.
30
Stephen licked his lips, and took a huge gulp of tea, replacing the mug on the table with a satisfied sigh. He looked down at the empty plate in front of him, where not a trace of the enormous breakfast he had just eaten remained.
‘Merry, that was superb, thank you. And just what the doctor ordered.’ He watched her at the stove where three frying pans were currently on the go. She was in her element.
She turned to face him, brandishing a pair of tongs. ‘Jolly good. Now be a love and take that lot through to the dining room for me, can you?’ She nodded towards the tray on the table, piled high with an assortment of mugs, two plates of biscuits and an enormous teapot. ‘Can’t keep the troops waiting.’
