madam.’
‘Don’t even go there!’ Amy shrieked with laughter. ‘That image is one I want to dispel as quickly as possible.’
Mary Pritchard--Jones had come to them by way of Ben. She was one of his patients and a leading light of the district. She had happened to mention to him that she was planning a big fireworks party for her husband’s clients but couldn’t find anyone who did decent table decorations. Ben had put her in touch with Saffron, and that, combined with their nail-bar customers, meant they hadn’t looked back since. Mary seemed to know the whole of the rich list in Upper Langley, and her gratitude apparently knew no bounds.
‘Yes, we probably don’t want to pursue that idea, do we.’ Saffron looked around at the chaos and sighed. ‘I’m really pleased about all this work, but sheesh, there’s a lot to do. And I haven’t even scheduled in those two old dears who wanted us to come and dig over their garden. I thought I wanted to garden for a living. I’m not so sure now. It’s spoiling all my enjoyment of myown garden. I am so shattered, I can barely think straight.’
‘Ellie still teething then?’ said Amy sympathetically. She remembered what a trial that had been with Josh.
‘Is she ever,’ said Saffron. ‘Pete and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for over a week now. It’s not as if I don’t want the work. But I keep looking at everything I’ve got to do at home too …’ Saffron trailed off and looked at the mess around them and gave a heavy sigh.
‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ said Amy. ‘You do have three children, remember? Most people can barely cope with getting out of bed with a young baby, let alone juggling school runs and a business.’
‘I should try and sleep when Ellie does, but there’s always so much to do,’ said Saffron. ‘I feel really pathetic, but I’m just shattered all the time. It’s playing havoc with my sex life too.’
‘Perhaps you should go to Linda Lovelace for pole-dancing lessons then,’ suggested Amy with a grin. ‘Shall I give her a ring?’
‘Don’t you bloody dare,’ said Saffron. ‘I’m such a blubbery mess at the moment I’d probably break the pole.’
‘You’re not in the slightest bit blubbery,’ said Amy. ‘But if you won’t let me ring her, why don’t you sit with your feet up for a bit, and I’ll tidy up here.’
‘Would you?’ Saffron shot her a look of pure gratitude.
‘Here you go.’ Amy appeared ten minutes later with a steaming cup of tea.
Saffron woke with a start; she must have dozed off.‘Thanks. You’re a star,’ she said. ‘By the way, did I tell you about the fireworks display on the allotments?’
‘No, I don’t think you did,’ said Amy. ‘Which reminds me, I really do need to get down to mine and dig it over properly. What with one thing and another, I never seem to get round to it at the moment.’
‘It’s become something of an annual event. Everyone comes normally. The Coffee Club Crew serve hot drinks, while the Wine Producers lay on mulled wine– not their own, thankfully – and everyone else providesspuds they’ve grown themselves. Fireworks are usuallysupplied by the Guys, and a good time is had by all.Even Scary Slug Man comes.’
Amy had been baffled by the different groupings onthe allotments at first, but now she was getting usedto the weird microcosm of society that seemed to existthere. The Coffee Club Crew only appeared to frequentthe allotments in the morning, and as they were all retired they started the day with croissants and coffee, hence their name. The refreshments were generally provided by Edie and Ada, who didn’t appear to have allotments themselves, but as widows of previous allotmenteers seemed to assume their role in life was now to feed all the elderly men they could find. As old croniesof Mavis, Harry often found himself in their sights, and was always moaning to Amy about them cluckingover him.
Then there was Scary Slug Man – the
‘Don’t even go there!’ Amy shrieked with laughter. ‘That image is one I want to dispel as quickly as possible.’
Mary Pritchard--Jones had come to them by way of Ben. She was one of his patients and a leading light of the district. She had happened to mention to him that she was planning a big fireworks party for her husband’s clients but couldn’t find anyone who did decent table decorations. Ben had put her in touch with Saffron, and that, combined with their nail-bar customers, meant they hadn’t looked back since. Mary seemed to know the whole of the rich list in Upper Langley, and her gratitude apparently knew no bounds.
‘Yes, we probably don’t want to pursue that idea, do we.’ Saffron looked around at the chaos and sighed. ‘I’m really pleased about all this work, but sheesh, there’s a lot to do. And I haven’t even scheduled in those two old dears who wanted us to come and dig over their garden. I thought I wanted to garden for a living. I’m not so sure now. It’s spoiling all my enjoyment of myown garden. I am so shattered, I can barely think straight.’
‘Ellie still teething then?’ said Amy sympathetically. She remembered what a trial that had been with Josh.
‘Is she ever,’ said Saffron. ‘Pete and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for over a week now. It’s not as if I don’t want the work. But I keep looking at everything I’ve got to do at home too …’ Saffron trailed off and looked at the mess around them and gave a heavy sigh.
‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ said Amy. ‘You do have three children, remember? Most people can barely cope with getting out of bed with a young baby, let alone juggling school runs and a business.’
‘I should try and sleep when Ellie does, but there’s always so much to do,’ said Saffron. ‘I feel really pathetic, but I’m just shattered all the time. It’s playing havoc with my sex life too.’
‘Perhaps you should go to Linda Lovelace for pole-dancing lessons then,’ suggested Amy with a grin. ‘Shall I give her a ring?’
‘Don’t you bloody dare,’ said Saffron. ‘I’m such a blubbery mess at the moment I’d probably break the pole.’
‘You’re not in the slightest bit blubbery,’ said Amy. ‘But if you won’t let me ring her, why don’t you sit with your feet up for a bit, and I’ll tidy up here.’
‘Would you?’ Saffron shot her a look of pure gratitude.
‘Here you go.’ Amy appeared ten minutes later with a steaming cup of tea.
Saffron woke with a start; she must have dozed off.‘Thanks. You’re a star,’ she said. ‘By the way, did I tell you about the fireworks display on the allotments?’
‘No, I don’t think you did,’ said Amy. ‘Which reminds me, I really do need to get down to mine and dig it over properly. What with one thing and another, I never seem to get round to it at the moment.’
‘It’s become something of an annual event. Everyone comes normally. The Coffee Club Crew serve hot drinks, while the Wine Producers lay on mulled wine– not their own, thankfully – and everyone else providesspuds they’ve grown themselves. Fireworks are usuallysupplied by the Guys, and a good time is had by all.Even Scary Slug Man comes.’
Amy had been baffled by the different groupings onthe allotments at first, but now she was getting usedto the weird microcosm of society that seemed to existthere. The Coffee Club Crew only appeared to frequentthe allotments in the morning, and as they were all retired they started the day with croissants and coffee, hence their name. The refreshments were generally provided by Edie and Ada, who didn’t appear to have allotments themselves, but as widows of previous allotmenteers seemed to assume their role in life was now to feed all the elderly men they could find. As old croniesof Mavis, Harry often found himself in their sights, and was always moaning to Amy about them cluckingover him.
Then there was Scary Slug Man – the
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