Always and Forever at Glendale Hall Read online

  ‘Will we still be able to eat meat?’ Drew asked, glancing at his wife in panic.

  ‘I may not eat it but I can cook it. Although wait until you’ve tried my veggie lasagne and you might change your mind.’ I decided then to make two dishes and see if I could get them to enjoy a meat-free one as much as the meat one.

  ‘Well,’ Beth said with a smile. ‘You might very well turn out to be more of a lifesaver than I first thought.’

  I was so surprised I had no comeback. No one had ever said that about me before. Usually, I was told I was trouble. I glanced at Brodie, who gave me a nod. Of approval? Suddenly, it felt like this dinner was a bigger deal than I had planned for it to be.

  But I was determined to do it well. It had been a long time since I had wanted to prove anything to anyone. Somehow though, I wanted to prove to these people that I could do this. That I wasn’t just here as a favour to Brodie. I was the right woman for this job.

  Chapter Four

  Beth showed me around the Hall once lunch was over, and everyone scattered to various pursuits. ‘Life is pretty busy here,’ Beth said as we walked into the formal lounge. ‘Which I love, but this means some things in the house have been slipping. If it’s not a room we use much, like this one, it has likely been neglected.’ I could see a line of dust on the mantelpiece and the heavy drapes needed cleaning. ‘It’s just so much work. I’ve had a local woman come in to do hoovering and dusting but not a proper spring clean, you know? I look after the grounds with John, and I keep an eye on our shop in the village with my mother although we have a manager there, and then we run a Christmas trail and an annual summer garden party for the village. This year, I’ve got two weddings that I’m planning at the Hall plus I’m helping Heather with her wedding to Rory. I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew so I can’t tell you how relieved I was when Brodie said you’d decided to come and help after all.’

  We walked into the smaller living room then, where the TV was. It was much cosier and more lived in. ‘Well,’ I said, hesitantly. ‘I sort of had to leave the pub where I was,’ I said. ‘I thought Glendale would be a bit too quiet for me, but I’m grateful to have somewhere for the summer.’

  ‘You’re honest,’ she said, tilting her head. ‘I like that. And don’t mind my mother. We butt heads sometimes but she cares a lot about this house and our family. Let’s show you the garden now. Are you sure about the cooking by the way? I don’t want to give you too much to do, I’m guilty of that sometimes.’

  We stepped out into the sunny afternoon. Birdsong was the only sound to greet us. I’d never stayed anywhere so peaceful before. We walked across the lawn side by side. ‘I’m happy to work hard,’ I said, in case she thought I was a shirker or something. Even Hamish hadn’t been able to say that I didn’t work hard. ‘Although I won’t be any help with weddings, they are really not my thing.’ I shrugged. If I was honest, I found weddings boring. I had never understood why people got so emotional about them. I could concede though that the Hall’s grounds were a stunning backdrop for one.

  ‘I didn’t think they were mine either, but after I had mine to Drew here, people started to ask if they could have theirs here too. I ended up helping Em organise her and Brodie’s wedding, and it’s all just spiralled from there really. I’m not into dresses and flowers and all that, I just love organising things. And Glendale Hall has a magic to it sometimes,’ she said, smiling at me as if I would soon see that for myself. ‘So I’m happy to share it with others.’ She took me to the stream and gazebo where the weddings would be held, and there was a woodland area where she pointed out the cottage behind the trees that Sally lived in. It was hard to believe that all of this land belonged to her. We walked for ages until we’d finally seen it all and then Beth stopped and looked back at the house behind us. I paused too. ‘I hope you’ll have a fun summer with us, Anna. Even if there will be some weddings around you. Now, I need to go into the village. Why don’t you take today to just settle in? We can start tomorrow. You can leave the meal too if…’

  ‘No, it’s okay, I’ll cook,’ I said, firmly. ‘Do I need to go into the village for anything?’

  ‘I did a big shop yesterday so there should be plenty in, have a look and see. But if you need to go into the village for anything anytime then you can use my car, and here,’ Beth produced a credit card. ‘For any Hall supplies. Just keep the receipts, for the tax man.’

  And to check I wasn’t shopping for myself, I assumed, which was fair enough. I nodded and pocketed it. ‘Thanks. I’ll have a look, and then I’ll have a quick run. I had to miss my usual one this morning, and it’s a lovely day.’

  Beth shook her head. ‘I won’t say I understand but I hope you enjoy the run. I’ll see you later. And listen, make yourself at home.’ She strode off with a wave. I watched her go, pleased to find her down-to-earth but I was still intimidated by her owning all of this, especially when she was only a few years older than me. I set off back to the house to change for my run, needing the reassurance of the ground pounding beneath my feet.

  * * *

  When I jogged out of the Hall gates, I turned away from the village, not wanting to bump into any people, and headed instead in the other direction into the winding Highland countryside. There were green fields either side of the road, and only a narrow path for walkers. There were no cars on the road though so I ran on that instead. The afternoon sun was warm through the fluffy clouds and I let some of my tension slip away as it always did as I started to run, turning up my music, playing my rock chicks playlist, my favourite one to exercise to.

  I started running when I was thirteen, after my accident. It was, at first, a way to build strength in my muscles on the advice of my doctor, but I found it was good to calm my mind and use up the excess energy I always seemed to have inside me. I tried to do one every day, unless it was bitter cold or pouring with rain. I also did yoga when I could. Anything I could really, to try to de-stress. Sometimes it worked, other times the only way I could release the restless feeling that itched under my skin was to pack up and move on and try to find a new life to sink my energy into.

  Wanderlust. That’s what they call it, I suppose. But it wasn’t particularly a desire to travel that pushed me on to new places. Often I stayed in the UK, and didn’t feel the need to run off to Thailand, although I had tried that in my early twenties with a man I met sky-diving. And I had my flight booked to Ibiza as I fancied seeing some sun again. No, it was more to do with the fact that I never seemed to be able to settle anywhere.

  The problem was I felt a weariness that I never had felt before. The prospect of moving on didn’t hold quite as much appeal as it once had. And I wasn’t sure why.

  I ran harder and faster, following the twisting path until it disappeared and I was forced to follow the verge on the side of the road. The hills rolled past me, endless land that was empty and lush, reaching all the way up to the sky. Soon I passed sheep and in the distance I could see cattle chewing on the grass at the top of a hill, but I hadn’t seen one person, and only a couple of cars had passed by. I didn’t think I’d felt this alone in months. Living in a cramped pub you rarely had moments to yourself, but I preferred that. It was too easy to think when I was alone. Self-analysis was something to be avoided at all costs, I had found.

  Hearing a vague noise ahead, I turned from looking up to the cattle on the hill back to the road and saw a tractor had suddenly pulled out of the side road. I hadn’t noticed and I was about to run headlong into it. Letting out a shocked gasp, I saw the man on the tractor waving his arms madly and I dived out of the way, landing on the grass in a tangled heap. My earbuds fell out as I hit the ground and then I heard the shouting I appeared to have missed by listening to my music at such a loud volume.

  My heart raced as I slowly sat up and tried to catch my breath.

  ‘What the hell were you doing?!’

  I looked up to see an angry Scottish man standing over me, hands on his hips. He wore jeans with h
oles in, clumpy boots, a plaid shirt. The sun was behind him so I couldn’t see his face but it didn’t take a genius to work out that he was pretty pissed off. ‘I didn’t see you,’ I said, brushing the dirt off my palms and trying to stand up. A hand reached out to help me but I ignored it and stood up. My ankle hurt a bit and my palms stung from the ground but I was okay thankfully.

  ‘You need to be careful; you’re running on a road. I could have hit you! I was shouting, why didn’t you move sooner?’ He spoke with a thick, gruff Scottish accent but now I was standing I was surprised to see he was younger than I had first thought, and had short dark hair, a line of trimmed stubble around his chin, and olive skin. A contrast to the men I’d met so far here that weren’t my brother, who were very pale and very ginger. I saw him give me a look up and down as well but his expression didn’t change. I was in leggings and a tight top, my hair in a ponytail, my skin glowing from my run, but I wasn’t bothered – he was good-looking but too disapproving to be attractive. I didn’t need another disapproving man in my life.

  ‘Blame Joan Jett,’ I said, lifting up an earbud. I glanced behind him. ‘I didn’t think those things moved fast enough to be a hazard, to be fair.’

  ‘It’s heavy enough to hurt even if it is slow,’ he half-growled. ‘Besides, it could have been a car. You need to watch the road. Everyone thinks it’s so quiet out here but there are a lot of hazards in the country too, you know.’

  I was fed up now. I hoped he wasn’t a typical example of a Glendale man otherwise it really would be a cruel summer. ‘Chill out, no one got hurt,’ I snapped, popping my earbuds in and backing away. He had definitely ruined my run.

  ‘Bloody tourists,’ I heard him mutter as he walked back to his tractor.

  ‘Actually,’ I called to his retreating back as I started to jog. ‘I just moved here, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around!’ I ran off feeling his eyes on my back, and I broke into a grin, pleased I had got the last word.

  Chapter Five

  The country-style kitchen at Glendale Hall was huge, with an Aga and a double fridge, and although I’d always worked in more modern places, and it wasn’t the style I’d have if I ever had my own kitchen, it was pleasant to work in, especially with the view out from the French doors into the garden. The late afternoon sun streamed into the room as I cooked dinner and the family started to gather at the table. They mostly ate in here, Beth said, and only moved to the formal dining room for occasions when there were too many to fit at the table, usually at Christmas and other big celebrations. She had also warned me that people tended to drop by unannounced so I made sure I prepared extra just in case.

  I’d showered after my run, put on skinny jeans and my Fleetwood Mac t-shirt, and let my hair down loose and wavy, humming along to the radio as I cooked. I could always feel at home in a new place once I got into the kitchen.

  ‘How come Brodie didn’t tell me that you love to cook?’ Beth asked as she poured some wine, glancing at me as I mixed up a salad dressing.

  ‘I guess we haven’t lived together for years; it’s not something you just announce, is it. People find out when you make them a meal. And I’ve never done that for him,’ I mused as I drizzled balsamic vinegar. I didn’t add that I’d never cooked for anyone. My mum always cooked when I reluctantly came home, and I never mentioned that I could help. I didn’t really tell them much about my life, I supposed, a habit that had grown since I left home feeling like they were disappointed in me. I wondered what Brodie would think of this meal. I couldn’t help but hope he’d be proud that I had some life skills after all.

  ‘Well, I’m excited to try it, it smells great.’ Beth turned then as the door opened and in walked Heather and her family. ‘Oh, Cameron, you came,’ she said, going over to greet them. At the name I didn’t know, I glanced over my shoulder and did a double-take. I muttered under my breath. Of course the man who almost hit me with his tractor earlier, and blamed me for it, had to be one of our dinner guests. Awesome sauce.

  ‘Now, you’re not going to poison us, are you?’ Brodie appeared then, coming over to nudge me with his elbow, carrying a bottle of red wine which he added to the line-up at the side of me. It seemed they all felt they had to bring something to dinner.

  ‘I’ve made a separate dish just for you actually,’ I replied, throwing him a glare. I moved to the Aga to check the meal, and shooed him away with my hands. He grinned but did as I asked and joined the others. Beth checked to see if I needed any help but I told them to all sit down. I hadn’t cooked for this many people ever, I only ever cooked for myself. Even when I’d had jobs in pubs and restaurants, I’d never been allowed to do more than prepping veg or making a sauce, I had just watched and absorbed any knowledge I could get and then practised by myself so I really hoped this would go down well.

  The room was loud and merry as I carried everything over to the table. There was Beth, with her husband Drew and daughter Izzy, Brodie with Emily and Iona, and the farming lot – Heather and her husband Rory, their son Harry, and Heather’s dad, Don, had come too. I was officially introduced to Cameron by Heather, who called him manager of Hilltop Farm. I couldn’t have missed the farming vibe from him really, could I? I was pleased to see him also do a double-take when he recognised me, his neck flushing slightly. I hoped he was embarrassed by how he spoke to me out on the road. But he just gave me the briefest of nods before looking away. What was his problem?

  I ignored him and focused on serving everyone. I had made baked vegetable pasta and a beef lasagne for the vegetable-adverse, alongside a salad with my homemade dressing, and a basket of home-made cheesy garlic bread. Seeing what they had had for lunch earlier and the vibe I got from Beth, I thought it was a good starter meal for them.

  ‘This looks amazing, Anna,’ Emily said, breathing in the garlicky smell with a big smile on her face.

  ‘Much better than what Mum makes,’ Izzy agreed, reaching for a big serving spoon.

  ‘Thanks, Iz, keeping me grounded as ever,’ Beth replied, dryly. ‘Sit down, Anna, here’s a glass of wine. Cameron, you can tell us if this is authentic or not.’

  I glanced curiously at Cameron, who took the plate of pasta she had passed him across the table. ‘I’m half-Italian,’ he said. That explained the dark hair and olive skin then. Usually I was attracted to dark looks but it was hard to compute his attractive exterior with his complete lack of manners.

  ‘You cook yourself, then?’ I took a bite of the veggie pasta and was pleased that it tasted as good as usual. I noted that they seemed to have all had a taste of both dishes despite them all being meat eaters.

  ‘Oh my god, this bread,’ Heather said beside me. ‘It’s so good, Anna!’

  ‘No,’ Cameron had to admit. ‘My father is Italian but he’s not around anymore. My family all live there so I haven’t had much contact with them.’ He looked away after his terse speech and had a spoonful of lasagne. I watched as he ate and he looked across at me before looking away. I felt inwardly triumphant at the surprised expression on his face, which I took to mean the food was good but he didn’t want to admit it.

  ‘Okay, how have you kept this skill quiet from us?’ Emily asked me then. ‘Also, can I sell this garlic bread in my bakery please?’

  I chuckled, pleased that they all were enjoying it. I’d kept the meal comforting and family-friendly, it was an easy-win kind of meal, not the meal that would win MasterChef. But, let’s face it, that really wasn’t what people wanted to eat at home. ‘One of the first restaurants I worked in was Italian,’ I remembered. ‘The owner and chef was this really larger-than-life Italian woman called Donna – she lived for food. She was so strict, she would hit you with a spoon if you did something wrong,’ I said with a fond smile. She was ballsy, that woman, you couldn’t help but admire her. ‘She’d learned from her grandmother back home in Italy and wanted everyone to eat good food. She taught me a lot.’ My smile faded and I took a swig of wine. I had been really upset when they had told me to leave that
place. All because I supposedly broke her grandson’s heart. It still smarted years later. I had told him I didn’t want anything more than casual. Why did men never listen when you told them that? ‘I’ve just watched, really, in all the places I’ve worked, and picked things up. I’ve also watched a lot of cooking shows and YouTube videos,’ I added with a self-deprecating laugh. I glanced at Emily. ‘You can definitely have the recipe for a cut of the profits.’

  ‘My sister, everyone,’ Brodie said but his eyes twinkled. I felt for the first time he was getting a glimpse of me as my own person, and not just the wayward sister he worried about. It made a nice change.

  ‘We like a businesswoman around here,’ Emily said, raising her glass to me.

  ‘I just had the best idea,’ Heather said excitedly, putting her cutlery down with a clatter. ‘Cameron, we were only saying the other day that we needed some help in the kitchen department at Hilltop, didn’t we?’

  Cameron’s lip curled in distaste. ‘I think Anna has her hands full here though.’

  ‘What do you need?’ Beth asked them.

  ‘We have our first retreat guests this week and are testing out offering bed and breakfast. But Cameron can’t even cook bacon without burning it, and I can’t always be there in the mornings to do it.’ She turned to me. ‘I don’t suppose you’d be willing to show him the breakfast ropes so to speak?’

  ‘We can find someone else,’ Cameron said quickly.

  ‘But look how amazing Anna’s food is,’ Heather interrupted him. ‘Could you spare her for a morning, Beth?’

  I looked at Cameron, who was mildly furious and it got my back up. Why did he seem so freaked out by the idea of me showing him how to cook? Because I was a newcomer who didn’t know to look out for tractors about to knock her over? I couldn’t help it: when there was an opportunity to annoy someone who seemed to unreasonably dislike me, I had to take it, right? ‘It would be easy,’ I said. ‘I can make brunch tomorrow and show you the ropes as I do it so it’s not taking me away from my work here or anything.’ I grinned as he looked at me full of disdain. ‘And I’m an excellent teacher,’ I added, giving a piece of garlic bread a good old bite. I was certain that I saw his lips twitch.