relationship that was beginning to niggle her. Somehow she felt surplus to requirements now.
Often, though, she was cross when Joel arrived late to pick Sam up. He did at least offer the chance for some adult conversation at the end of the day, which Lauren sorely needed after a day spent with small children. And recently she’d almost felt like opening up to him about the phone calls from Troy, but the moment never seemed right. But since Kezzie had started working on the garden, he always seemed in a dead hurry to get home to see what progress she’d made. On more than one occasion, he’d let slip that she’d stayed for dinner, which irked Lauren for some reason. And now, she’d found herself roped into helping out at the weekend while he and Kezzie rummaged around in the attic looking for bits of paper about Edward Handford,which may or may not be of use to Kezzie’s garden design. ‘It’s a Saturday, Joel,’ she’d said. ‘Remember, I don’t work weekends.’
‘I know, and I wouldn’t ask you normally,’ said Joel, putting on that slightly helpless Joel face, which was simultaneously endearing and irritating, ‘but Claire’s mum’s away, and I really can’t sort this stuff out with Sam running around downstairs. It’s a one-off, I promise. I’ll make it worth your while.’
That had swung it for her. Lauren wasn’t so proud to pretend she didn’t need the money. So she had bitten her lip and agreed to do it. ‘Just this once though,’ she’d said. ‘Don’t go getting ideas that I’ll be doing it every week.’
Lauren arrived with the girls at Joel’s at 10.30 as arranged. It wasn’t as if she got the chance to lie in on Saturdays, but somehow the rigorous routine of the week slipped and she found herself unable to retain any normal standard of timekeeping. So she’d ignored Joel’s suggestion to come round for 9 a.m.
Kezzie, it transpired, had got up there early to work on the garden.
‘She likes getting up early,’ marvelled Joel, as he ushered Lauren in. ‘If I didn’t have Sam, I would savour those lie-ins for as long as possible!’
For a moment there was a conspiratorial feeling between them, as the two parents remembered a semi-forgotten life where small children didn’t get you up before dawn.
Lauren’s world consisted of two gorgeous little girls who regarded 6 a.m. as the time when the day absolutely, definitely, had to begin. The notion of having any time early in the morning, without their chattering presence, seemed impossibly weird to Lauren. She liked Kezzie, but couldn’t help feeling they inhabited different planets.
‘Lauren, you are an angel,’ said Joel. ‘Thanks so muchfor doing this. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d pop out and see how Kezzie’s doing in the garden, before we get going on the attic.’
Lauren did mind, although she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
Kezzie was out in the fresh air digging. The sun shone and a curious robin had perched on the end of her spade. Life really didn’t get better than this. For the first time since Richard had broken up with her, she felt something approximating contentment. She was finding the process of discovery in this garden so exciting. So far she’d managed to dig out the weeds from the flowerbed furthest from the gate and uncovered the ramshackle remains of the original knot garden, which was about 60m square and stood in the centre, surrounded by a gravel path that needed replacing. The ivy had so completely overtaken the rosemary and box though, she felt it might need to be dug up and replanted. Hence her desire to find Edward’s original plans. At the moment she had a rough idea of how he’d designed it – in a succession of interwoven hearts with the letters E and L interwoven in the middle – but what she was left with was such a poor and ragged substitute for the garden Edward had planned, she felt it would be better to start again.
‘I come bearing gifts.’ Joel arrived
Often, though, she was cross when Joel arrived late to pick Sam up. He did at least offer the chance for some adult conversation at the end of the day, which Lauren sorely needed after a day spent with small children. And recently she’d almost felt like opening up to him about the phone calls from Troy, but the moment never seemed right. But since Kezzie had started working on the garden, he always seemed in a dead hurry to get home to see what progress she’d made. On more than one occasion, he’d let slip that she’d stayed for dinner, which irked Lauren for some reason. And now, she’d found herself roped into helping out at the weekend while he and Kezzie rummaged around in the attic looking for bits of paper about Edward Handford,which may or may not be of use to Kezzie’s garden design. ‘It’s a Saturday, Joel,’ she’d said. ‘Remember, I don’t work weekends.’
‘I know, and I wouldn’t ask you normally,’ said Joel, putting on that slightly helpless Joel face, which was simultaneously endearing and irritating, ‘but Claire’s mum’s away, and I really can’t sort this stuff out with Sam running around downstairs. It’s a one-off, I promise. I’ll make it worth your while.’
That had swung it for her. Lauren wasn’t so proud to pretend she didn’t need the money. So she had bitten her lip and agreed to do it. ‘Just this once though,’ she’d said. ‘Don’t go getting ideas that I’ll be doing it every week.’
Lauren arrived with the girls at Joel’s at 10.30 as arranged. It wasn’t as if she got the chance to lie in on Saturdays, but somehow the rigorous routine of the week slipped and she found herself unable to retain any normal standard of timekeeping. So she’d ignored Joel’s suggestion to come round for 9 a.m.
Kezzie, it transpired, had got up there early to work on the garden.
‘She likes getting up early,’ marvelled Joel, as he ushered Lauren in. ‘If I didn’t have Sam, I would savour those lie-ins for as long as possible!’
For a moment there was a conspiratorial feeling between them, as the two parents remembered a semi-forgotten life where small children didn’t get you up before dawn.
Lauren’s world consisted of two gorgeous little girls who regarded 6 a.m. as the time when the day absolutely, definitely, had to begin. The notion of having any time early in the morning, without their chattering presence, seemed impossibly weird to Lauren. She liked Kezzie, but couldn’t help feeling they inhabited different planets.
‘Lauren, you are an angel,’ said Joel. ‘Thanks so muchfor doing this. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d pop out and see how Kezzie’s doing in the garden, before we get going on the attic.’
Lauren did mind, although she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
Kezzie was out in the fresh air digging. The sun shone and a curious robin had perched on the end of her spade. Life really didn’t get better than this. For the first time since Richard had broken up with her, she felt something approximating contentment. She was finding the process of discovery in this garden so exciting. So far she’d managed to dig out the weeds from the flowerbed furthest from the gate and uncovered the ramshackle remains of the original knot garden, which was about 60m square and stood in the centre, surrounded by a gravel path that needed replacing. The ivy had so completely overtaken the rosemary and box though, she felt it might need to be dug up and replanted. Hence her desire to find Edward’s original plans. At the moment she had a rough idea of how he’d designed it – in a succession of interwoven hearts with the letters E and L interwoven in the middle – but what she was left with was such a poor and ragged substitute for the garden Edward had planned, she felt it would be better to start again.
‘I come bearing gifts.’ Joel arrived
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