Page 48 of My Lemon Grove Summer
‘That’s why I’m here, actually. About the wedding. You offered to make me a dress. Is the offer still open?’
He nods. ‘I will make you a dress. Like I say, my gift to you. An apology, a welcome, and a thank you for staying and helping to keep Etna happy.’
‘That’s kind. But I can’t let you give it to me. I insist on paying. I don’t have a lot of money.’ I wince. ‘But I will pay you what I can.’
He’s thoughtful for a moment.
‘I tell you what. I will make the dress and you can help me here in the lemon grove, a couple of hours a day. My agent has just got me a new contract in the UK. A high-end chain of delicatessens. I need to be picking and packing and shipping out a pallet load every week. I can’t do it on my own.’
‘Yes! But I mean, are you sure that’s enough?’
‘Yes, it’s fine. Besides, like I said, if I am to design and make you a dress, I first need to get to know you. Here in the lemon grove, I will learn about you, you will learn to trust me, and I will create a wedding dress to celebrate your marriage and the start of your new life with the man you love. But this place must remain a secret. If my father finds out, he will not be happy.’
‘Of course. No problem.’ A perfect exchange, I think happily. Life just got better.
A supply of clothes to wash and iron and get ready to sell, and a job to pay for my wedding dress, here in the lemon grove! A shiver runs up and down my spine; a shiver of excitement about my new life to come. Things are suddenly going my way.
Chapter Twenty-two
I stagger back up the driveway and into the courtyard, laden down. As well as my box of vintage clothing, I have a second box, and a bag of fat, juicy lemons.
‘Billy, I have something for you,’ I tell him, and carefully put everything down on the big kitchen table. Lemons roll this way and that and Lennie and I chase around to pick them up, laughing.
‘In there,’ I say to Billy, pointing to one of the boxes. ‘A gift from Luca’s neighbours,’ I add, not quite telling the truth. ‘To welcome us all and say thank you. But really they’re for you. I thought you could look after them.’
He opens the box carefully. Two balding, scruffy hens stick their heads out and look around.
Billy looks at the birds, then at Sherise, and suddenly a smile spreads across his face. A smile I haven’t seen since he’s been here.
‘It’s not a herd of cows, but it is a start,’ I say.
He’s still smiling as he lifts one of the hens out of the box, carefully holding down her wings. Sherise is beaming. The second hen makes a bid for escape, launching herself up and out of the box and doing a couple of laps of the kitchen table, feathers flying. She has bald patches from where she’s been pecked by the other birds. Sherise and Billy are laughing as they round her up.
‘Think we’d better find you somewhere nice to live,’ says Billy. ‘Let’s see what we can come up with. Barry, fancy giving me a hand building a henhouse?’
‘Absolutely,’ says Barry, getting up.
‘Maybe we could let them have a run in amongst those trees?’ suggests a grinning Billy.
‘Can’t see it would do any harm. You can’t stop hens trespassing. They can’t read the signs!’ Barry laughs.
‘We’ll have ’em happy again in no time,’ Billy says.
‘Will they lay eggs? I love an egg for breakfast,’ Barry asks.
‘I expect so. They just need a second chance at life. Maybe we could get some chicks, grow the flock?’ Sherise suggests, and the three of them disappear off in the direction of the overgrown orchard.
Relocators one, Luca’s family nil, I think.
‘That was lovely of you.’ Lennie puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. Valerie looks on and smiles.
‘Well, I thought they could cheer each other up, the hens and Billy.’
‘Where have you been?’ he says.
‘Sorting out wedding things, and finding some work. You?’ I smile.
‘Been thinking . . .’ He’s got a look on his face that says he’s had an idea. ‘About the new businesses we’re all hoping to build here.’
