Sally and James

By Rosemary Pearson

Sally and James is a sequel to It Was a Lovely Evening. It continues the life and work of Sally and James Thomas, and the comings and goings of life in the village of Shelbourne, a fictional village set in the countryside of North Yorkshire, England.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524679514

Rosemary Pearson

Rosemary Pearson was born and raised in Wetwang, a village in the wolds of East Yorkshire. She lived in Europe for many years before settling in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, near her son, daughter, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She has always been an avid reader and keen gardener. She worked as a nurse within the National Health Service prior to her retirement. Mrs Pearson currently lives in Spain.

Book preview

Chapter 1

T HE NEW YEAR DAWNED bright, crisp and very cold. James, bundled up in warm clothes and boots, checked the heating in the big greenhouses, turning it up a notch. While he was out he walked round the two fields, and even checked the flower pots on the terrace. Returning to the warmth of the kitchen he could smell the bacon cooking as he took off his boots and outdoor clothes, which was quickly followed by the aroma of fresh coffee.

Good morning, ladies, he smiled at Sally and Jessica, who was having a good grumble about not being a baby and still having to sit in a baby’s chair. He winked at Sally and brought a cushion from the sitting room sofa. Placing it on a kitchen chair to give Jessica some extra height he lifted her out of her high chair and made sure she could reach her breakfast from her new seat.

This is by way of a test, Jessica, he told her in his stern Daddy voice. I am putting your high chair near the wall and if you climb up and down when you should be sitting still and eating you will go back into your high chair and the cushion will go back into the sitting room.

Being old enough to understand she had got her own way, but not old enough to hide her glee Jessica wriggled about until she was comfortable and started to eat.

You look very cold, darling, sit down and have a hot coffee, smiled Sally as she watched her daughter wrap her Daddy round her little finger. And the minute you climb down without asking, young lady, not only are you back into your high chair you will be back into your playpen as well.

This hadn’t been Jessica’s plan at all and knowing her Mummy was stricter than her Daddy she turned into the perfect toddler for all of two minutes.

During breakfast James told Sally the state of the gardens. He, with Harry and Jimmy would be picking tomorrow for the shop and the restaurant as the winter vegetables were doing very well. This afternoon he might pick the sprouts and give them a head start and did Sally want some for the kitchen.

I still can’t get my head round the fact we are selling our own produce, Sally smiled at him. Thanks to you, of course, and your decision to buy a house with so much outside space. Do you think we shall manage the whole year?

We’ll do our best, but we might have to buy salads if the cloud cover doesn’t let the sun on the greenhouses. When The Lunch Box took off I thought we wouldn’t need many salad vegetables through the winter but it hasn’t worked out like that at all, has it? James asked her.

We all thought the same, James. But you are right, we do sell a lot year round, and if we have to buy from the wholesalers, then we will. I know you take great pride in being able to grow all we need, but we don’t have the winter sunshine of the Spanish islands and there is nothing we can do about it. Sally gave James a hug as she passed his chair to refresh their coffees.

Jessica had eaten a good breakfast and very politely asked if she could climb down as Rosie, her new Christmas doll, wasn’t dressed yet. Stifling her laughter Sally said she thought it would be a good idea if Rosie was attended to, desperate not to catch James’s eye as he was busy paying enormous attention to his empty plate.

Jessica ran off to play Mummy to her new baby and James and Sally wondered how long the good behaviour would last. They continued their conversation about winter vegetables before James could wait no longer; he had to bring up the subject of last night’s confession by Sally.

They both were tremendously admiring of the way their dear friend Shirley had saved every penny she could from her egg sales, Christmas chickens and geese, and the curtain sewing she had been doing to endow a critical care crib for the maternity unit at Bentley General Hospital. Her beautiful baby boy twins, Walter and William, named for their grandfathers, had been born early and needed to be placed into critical care cribs to survive. With an enormous amount of support from friends in Shelbourne, the surrounding area, and eventually half way round the world, the various organised events raised enough money to endow two critical care cribs and keep them staffed with highly qualified professionals for many years to come. Sally admired her friend’s efforts so much, and the single minded way she had gone about raising the necessary money.

After Sally had an emergency hysterectomy following an ectopic pregnancy she had to accept Jessica would be an only child and her hopes of having a large family were dashed. She knew, as did her darling James, there were many children in the world who could do with some help, financial, emotional, educational, to allow them to spread their wings and become the people they had the ability to become. Sally’s hope was to help another child and if possible two children to achieve their potential. She and James had built up a successful business, and she was hoping to expand that into a charity to help an underprivileged child. She hadn’t thought the idea through as yet, and didn’t know to what extent they could become involved, she just knew she wanted to do something to benefit another child. Before going to bed on New Year’s Eve she had admitted to James her hopes. It was late, they were tired, and it was decided they would discuss the idea further when they were alone with little chance of interruptions. This was not the time as Jessica was in and out of the kitchen with her constant worries about Rosie so again any in depth conversation was deferred for the moment.

James was totally behind Sally’s intention to help a child but knew many other people, singly or through a registered charity, were of the same mind. He needed to know of Sally’s intentions before he felt able to offer constructive advice.

After breakfast was over and the few necessary jobs were done to tidy the house as Mollie, their housekeeper, was at home for the Bank Holiday, Jessica and Sally went for a brisk walk in the cold. Well as brisk as they could having a dolls pram to push and a baby doll to constantly check for warmth and comfort. James made a list of the winter vegetables he had noticed ready for harvesting, very pleased there were so many as The Lunch Box had been closed since Christmas Eve and all the vegetable boxes were empty. In the store shed he had many sacks of potatoes, carrots, Swedes, turnips and onions. There were lots more winter vegetables in the ground which could stand the cold temperatures and as soon as the soil warmed in spring there were many days of planting to be done. Any country gardener worth his salt would tell you never to harvest your sprouts until they had had a good frost on them. James remembered from his childhood, living in the country when his father was alive, the men would be dispatched down the garden path to pick the sprouts on Christmas morning for the special dinner as the housewife would hope for a last Christmas Eve frost before they were cooked.

Although they hadn’t been tried yet it was James’s intention to introduce more vegetables into the boxes in The Lunch Box and the mobile shops. He had in mind celeriac, artichokes, marrow, courgettes, and red, yellow, green and orange peppers. A favourite dish for both him and Sally was butternut squash, but he knew he had to move slowly with his plans. Yams, or sweet potatoes, were another of their favourites, but they knew they could only move at a certain speed against traditional produce.

Sally and Jessica returned from their walk with pink cold cheeks and the coffee went on for Mummy and Daddy while Jessica chose hot chocolate because Rosie needed warming up. With Sally thinking Rosie could prove very useful in future conversations she was interrupted by the door bell. James opened the door to their four musketeers, Jane and Fred, closely followed by Cathy and Bernard. With lots of hugs, kisses and good wishes for the coming year coats were taken and everyone gathered in the kitchen as was usual with most country families.

Jessica regaled everyone with a list of what Rosie had eaten for breakfast, how she had enjoyed her walk outside and now they were about to have hot chocolate to warm her up. Grandma Cathy and Grandma Jane thought this a super idea and complimented Jessica on how well she was looking after her new baby. Grandpa Bernard and Grandpa Fred somehow managed to have a couple of jelly babies wrapped up in their pockets, and Jessica and Rosie went off to play with great delight. The little tea set was arranged on the rug in the sitting room and four jelly babies were set out on four tiny plates. Jessica had drunk her hot chocolate so Rosie was instructed to play pretend and the adults knew they had a few minutes uninterrupted by childish chatter.

The four musketeers had been to the pub for New Year’s Eve, meeting up with Sam and Jean. Cameron and Jose had done everyone proud, Betty’s free supper was a wonderful treat, and they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They were home and tucked up in bed before one o’clock and had enjoyed a lazy lie in with a tray of tea that morning. The four of them were eating together at Jane’s that evening and decided a brisk walk in the frosty air was just the thing to work up an appetite. No-one seemed to know how that had changed into a short car ride to visit with Sally and James, but here they were.

The men chose a small beer, the ladies chose a white wine and they all chose to sit in the lovely sitting room where they could enjoy watching Jessica play. None of it rang true, so James and Sally patiently waited for the real reason for the visit to be disclosed.

After considerable preamble Jane commented she thought Sally had been very pensive over the past few days and wondered if she was worried about anything. Sally responded with, once the wedding was over in the new restaurant and had been judged a huge success she thought she had been very light hearted. They had loved Christmas with the family in Shelbourne and were now going to spend some time working out ways of making sure their businesses continued to be a success, and whatever could Jane mean?

Cathy and Bernard burst into laughter.

I told you she wouldn’t be fooled by the softly softly approach, Jane. Now you are going to have to do what you should have done in the first place, Cathy laughed.

James and Sally exchanged a smile pretty sure they knew what was coming. But Jane had dug her own hole. She could now climb out of it by herself.

Finally, after more laughter, Jane admitted having known Sally since she was born, she felt she had a secret and Jane didn’t know what it could be. Even Fred was laughing, and it was a sacred fact he would cut off his own arm before he would ridicule or embarrass his darling wife.

When the hilarity had calmed down to a more dignified giggle Sally put on her most innocent expression and said she hadn’t a clue what Jane could be talking about.

No, neither have I and it is driving me mad. I know there is something going on but I can’t for the life of me work out what it is, admitted Jane. So tell me straight, please. Are you going to take me and Cathy off the mobile shops?

Both Sally and James were appalled. Jane was like a second mother to Sally, she probably knew her better than she knew another living soul. She had picked up that Sally was mulling something over in her head and picked up on the one thing Sally had not given a thought to.

Most definitely not, Jane, said James very forcibly. Of course we realise you both, and Fred and Bernard, are going to give up at some point. But we have accepted that all four of you are sensible enough to know when that time has arrived. We also accept the fact all four of you will give us a little notice to allow the training of your replacements. So the departure of you, Mum and these two reprobates here, indicating Fred and Bernard, from the business is certainly not on our minds. Although we both agree it is something we are not looking forward to.

Jane was now very nonplussed and didn’t know how to hide it. She had been so sure she was right. She was incredibly relieved none of them were about to be leaving the business but that didn’t answer the question of what was foremost on Sally’s mind.

Watching Jane, Sally’s heart ached. She loved her Aunt so much and knew she couldn’t keep her in suspense much longer. She nodded slightly to James who casually suggested they had been discussing the possibility of helping an underprivileged child as they were never to have any more children of their own.

Fred took Jane’s hand and never more acutely did she wish she had kept her thoughts to herself. She apologised most profusely and said she would never mention the subject again. But Sally gave her a big hug and said when they had thought it through a little more themselves they would discuss it with the family. But as it had only been very briefly mentioned between the two of them the previous evening there wasn’t much to tell yet.

Well I think it is a wonderful idea. And if there is anything me and Bernard can do to help then you can count on us, said Cathy, as sorry as anyone in the family Jessica would be an only child. Bernard put his arm round Cathy’s shoulders letting her know whatever was involved they were in it together.

And that goes for me and Jane as well, put in Fred. Isn’t that right, my dear?

It most certainly is, Sally love, no matter what it is, agreed Jane.

Thank you, all of you. But we really haven’t had chance to even think about it, never mind talk about it, said James. I promise you, when we have formulated a plan, however long that may take, you will be the first to know. Look how long Shirley was saving her egg money and making curtains. Not even Peter knew because it was something she wanted to do herself as a mother. Sally and I are in this together, but when we know exactly what ‘this’ is you will be told, that is a promise.

Jane began to look more relieved although still wishing she had kept her thoughts to herself. James poured more wine and the men helped themselves to beers from the fridge. Jessica showed off how well Rosie could eat jelly babies and how she drank all her hot chocolate after her morning walk. There is nothing like a toddler joining a group of adults to bring on a rapid change of subject. The mention, albeit brief, of Sally and James’s plans were not forgotten, but went pretty smartly onto the back burner while they played with Jessica. Sally said they had a fridge full of food, how would everyone like to stay for a meal. But it was generally agreed all their fridges were in a similar condition so they would get themselves back to Shelbourne in daylight and leave Sally and James in peace. Tomorrow was the first day back at work after the holidays and everyone would be busy for the rest of the week.

After a quick meal of bubble and squeak, turkey with pigs in blankets followed by the trifle which didn’t even get out of the fridge the previous day they were all well satisfied, even Rosie. Eventually Jessica had to have her bath and she and Rosie were tucked up in bed. Only then did James and Sally talk over the events of the afternoon. It had not occurred to either of them to involve anyone else in their tentative plans to help a child but thinking about it they had to admit it might have advantages. They didn’t know yet in what way other people being involved might be turned into an advantage, but life sometimes sorted things out without any outside help. James poured them both a glass a wine and their conversation turned to the following morning and all the jobs which had to be done. Mollie would be back after the New Year’s Day Bank Holiday although Jessica didn’t go back to kindergarten until the following week. James had to fill up all the vegetable boxes in The Lunch Box and be well ahead of himself as on the 3rd of January as well as the shop boxes there would be two mobile shops on the road also.

He was thrilled to bits for his friend Peter. He had applied for and gained all the requisite permissions to supply fresh milk and cream to the general public. And what a performance it had been, Peter had said, and all James’s fault for asking about selling milk in the first place. When the new equipment had been installed in the dairy he declared you could go to the moon with less, maybe even Mars. The whole thing was touch free, which according to Peter meant you put the milk in at one end and it came out the other already on your cornflakes. Personally he couldn’t see a problem with putting a halter on one of his girls and walking her round the village. He could ring a bell and the ladies could come out with their jugs, simple as that.

The outcome had been not only was James buying milk and cream to sell on the mobile shops and in The Lunch Box but Peter was also selling it to the butcher in Shelbourne and several corner shops in Bentley. He declared if he lived to be five hundred years old and still selling milk he might have made the cost of half the equipment needed in the dairy. With this in mind James and Sally, with their four musketeers, never missed an opportunity to ply their milk at any outlet, and had managed to secure several further daily sales for Peter.

One Monday when the mobile shops were off the road, Jane and Cathy had taken themselves to York for a day of ‘retail therapy.’ They looked in a few clothes shops, bought a couple of presents for Jessica, had a very nice lunch, and on the spur of the moment visited a large grocery store. They asked for Wrigley Farm milk and on being told that particular milk was not sold in that shop they thanked the salesperson and left. They were followed on to the pavement by the manager who said he had never heard of Wrigley Farm milk and Jane quickly told him the milk and cream was most definitely the best in Yorkshire and they wouldn’t, no matter at what price, purchase any other brand. Within a month Peter was able to tell them when the present contract ran out in four months this large grocery store was contracted to purchase his milk and cream daily. Jane and Cathy were thrilled to bits and congratulated him, adding he could buy them both a glass of wine after the first cricket match of the year. He couldn’t work out how it was going to cost him money to make money until Shirley spilled the beans. According to Fred and Bernard their wives faces where a picture when they each received a large floral bouquet with a very fine bottle of wine hidden inside delivered in a florists van to each individual door. From that day on they spread the word about Wrigley Farm milk and cream. It turned into a thriving business for Peter which was growing month on month. Shirley told Sally it had staved off her grey hairs for a while as it could save them if lamb prices dropped or the fickle northern weather ruined a harvest.

That same fickle weather might not have been very welcome at the beginning of the year, but spirits were high, everyone was busy, businesses were still intact and slowly growing, and everyone was well. Very few people had all their eggs in one basket any more just in case disaster struck, and whenever a new member of staff needed to be employed they always tried to encourage the young who were finding gainful employment more difficult to find. Peter looked after the new milk equipment himself, loaded his van and distributed it himself. So he employed a young lad who he trained to care for the equipment and they worked together until such a time when Peter felt he could leave him unsupervised. Sally employed a school leaver to run her plant stall and joined her whenever she could. Susie kept an eye on her, taking her hot drinks on cold days and making sure she warmed up in the restaurant when she didn’t have customers and it was freezing. Jane and Cathy, at the insistence of Fred and Bernard it has to be said, both employed ladies from Shelbourne to help in their houses so their days off from the mobile shops were not so busy. Sally and James were making a very good income and in small, almost unnoticeable ways they were putting something back.

Chapter 2

S ALLY RANG MATTHEW AND arranged a time when she and James could visit. It was never a problem to get James into Matthew’s garden. He was so admiring of it, and still insisting it was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Maybe the beginning of February was not the best time of year to look at a garden in North Yorkshire but any month would have suited James, he loved it so much.

Carol greeted them with hot coffee and biscuits and within minutes they were joined by Matthew who apologised for his tardiness; he had been visiting a sick parishioner.

When everyone was comfortably seated Sally explained why they were asking for help.

We were planning on having more children but that isn’t going to happen now. We love our darling Jessica to bits and spend as much time with her as we can. But instead of children we seem to be surrounding ourselves with various businesses. That was never our plan. It just somehow seems to have happened. And we want to put something back into society if we can. We have a distribution of any unsold produce in Bentley which goes some way to help the homeless people on the streets. And we make a donation every month to cover the cost of the Salvation Army giving everyone on the streets a hot drink in the evening. But what we really would like to do is help a child. We think there may be some children with skills out there somewhere who are not able to have an education to help them develop those skills. The country could be missing out on excellent doctors, lawyers, architects, anything, because these children are falling by the wayside due to their circumstances. We wondered if you knew of a charity which looks out for underprivileged kids, maybe you could put us on to it. If we can manage it I would like to help two of them, Sally explained.

My dear Sally, my dear James, what wonderful people you are, said Matthew. Now let me think. I was reading something the other day about a charity although it didn’t give many details I have to say. Knowing you two, you will want every penny to count, not have three quarters of your contribution go to overheads. Are you thinking of keeping this local or national or international? he asked.

Sally and James looked at each other in consternation.

To be honest, Matthew, I don’t think we have got that far in our thinking. Maybe we could consider a local child plus a foreign child. What would you suggest? asked James.

James, I wouldn’t dream of suggesting anything. It is a big commitment you are considering and it must be your decision, Matthew replied. Can I think about this? I have something buzzing round in my head but I must look it up. And I do know something about foreign aid as Carol and I do a little in that direction. Is this urgent, or can we meet again in a week’s time?

How would it be if you came to visit with us? asked Sally. We can show you where we live and James can tell you about his market garden, and over supper we can chat again. I know you are a busy man, Matthew, but could you fit in a visit?

Yes, Sally, we can fit it in. I am dying to see your new house, and Matthew has never been known to turn down a visit to even a cabbage patch, put in Carol who had remained silent up until then.

Thank you both, added Matthew. I would love to see what you are doing with your land, James, and with the added bonus of supper with you, how could we refuse? Shall we say a week tonight? Would that fit in with your busy lives?

That would be ideal, and we shall look forward to it. Thank you for your help on this Matthew, we do appreciate it, added Sally as she rose from the sofa.

Carol and Matthew saw them to the door and waved them off towards Main Street. Deciding the family would all be at work they made the short drive to Wrigley Farm and called in on Shirley. She was busy making curtains for her big landing window, to be followed by two more to cover the front door and garden door.

I know I am getting ahead of myself as I am determined this hall isn’t going to be completed until the attics are but I had a bit of spare time so thought I would use it, was Shirley’s excuse for working harder than ever these days.

Making a pot of tea in the kitchen she showed Sally her carpet sample book and what she and Peter had decided on. It was a huge area she was carpeting, including the big wide landing, the beautiful curved staircase and the long wide hall on the ground floor. And for once she had put her foot down firmly. This was not going to be done until every last bit of rubbish had been removed from the attics, along with every spider and cobweb.

Shirley, I am so sorry, Sally apologised. I know I said I would come and go through more rooms with you up there, but we seem to have been so busy since Christmas. What have you done so far’?

Absolutely nothing, laughed Shirley. I did get dressed up in old cleaning clothes twice and went up. The first time something fused so I was back down as fast as I could move without breaking my neck. Peter got that fixed so I tried again but it was just too cold. I came back down nearly blue I was so cold. And I haven’t been back up since. I know I said I would like the house finished by Easter but that is hopelessly unrealistic, so as long as it is completed, carpet down and furniture in place by next Christmas, that will do for me.

I really will come, Shirley. I love doing things like that. Do you suppose it might be warmer up there next month? Sally asked.

I don’t know, but it surely won’t be any colder, that would be impossible, replied Shirley. I might as well finish the sewing now I have got started, so March sounds good to me. And if you remember I did promise Jane it would be a Monday, which is her day off from the mobile shop. She really didn’t want to be left out.

I remember, and Cathy said you wouldn’t get her up there no matter what you promised. But she did offer to make lunch, and see to the breaks for Peter and his men. So Monday it is, shall we say the first Monday in March? asked Sally.

Yes lets, that way I might feel there is a chance we could be settled in this farmhouse this century at least, agreed Shirley.

Leave it with me, I’ll make sure they both know, confirmed Sally. Now I am afraid we must run. Thank you for the tea and it’s lovely to see you again. I’ll pick James up on the way to the car; he’s taking a look at the new dairy equipment.

I wish you still lived in Shelbourne, you could sneak round and spy on Peter. He complains day and night about the cost of that equipment but it is the nearest he’ll ever get to having a comfort zone which doesn’t involve a live animal. He loves it but of course he’ll never admit it, laughed Shirley as she took a warm coat from the scullery pegs and followed Sally out.

They found James and Peter in the dairy, with Peter explaining every piece of new equipment he had in place for the preparation and packing of milk and cream. It all looked incredibly complicated to Sally but Shirley assured her it wasn’t, it was actually quite simple. Peter tried to make it sound like a rocket ready for outer space but Shirley didn’t let him get away with that. Fred had called at the farm to ask if the pub could be put on the daily delivery round for both milk and cream and he had also been given a tour of the dairy. He didn’t understand how it worked but he loved it and spread the word of this wonderful milk and cream to all his shop customers in Bentley. Very quickly The Lunch Box had upped the order to Peter as they persuaded first one customer and then another to try it. In the end they had purchased a special fridge specifically for milk and cream as they kept running out and that would never do.

They found James taking off his white coat, hat, hair net and shoe coverings, and Sally realised just how seriously Peter took the hygiene standards required by a product which could ‘go off’ very easily. Peter had visited a dairy farm which had suffered a bug in the works and learned of the procedure required to be back in business. It had involved an incredible cleaning routine followed by chemists from the Ministry of Agriculture swabbing everything. Only when negative results were achieved could milk run through the system again. Peter had been incredibly impressed and frightened to death in equal parts and vowed it would never happen at Wrigley Farm. It cost that dairy farm an awful lot of money to be followed by building up the business again as bad news always travels on a faster rail than good news.

James explained some of the procedure to Sally as they drove home and said how incredibly impressed he had been with Peter in serious business mode, not one joke during the whole visit.

During the afternoon Sally spent two hours with her new employee on the plant stall. She was very impressed by her knowledge of plants and the effort she was putting into learning more. Later that evening she suggested to James they ought to try and develop on that. Giving it some thought it was decided when Sally was on the stall James would spend time with her in the greenhouses. She was to be allocated a piece of ground, a few pots and some seeds. She could care for these plants herself, with James always on hand with advice and support. When they were ready she could move them outside, taking them back in at night in case of late frosts, and learn the hardening off process. When it was time for these plants to be put up for sale on the stall the proceeds would be hers.

When this proposal was put to the young girl she was asked what she thought of the idea. Her young face broke into a smile, dimples appeared in her cheeks, her dark eyes bright and then she burst into tears. Sally mopped up her tears and was hugged to death by this enthusiastic youngster who had never had anything of her own to offer to anyone. That was enough for James. She was the first of the kids they were going to help. They later learned from Susie when she didn’t have customers at her stall she would run across to the greenhouses, hold up her hands to shield out the light and peer in. Running back to the stall if she was raising a closed fist Susie knew something somewhere had peeped through the soil and was beginning to grow. Susie was so impressed by this young girl, and only having boys herself she took her to her heart. The hot drinks increased and Susie sometimes stood on the stall herself to allow time for a quick run and a look through the glass. The girl’s name was Helen Lee. She was a bubbly brunette and the most enthusiastic plants woman James had ever met.

The week following their visit to Matthew and Carol, Sally and James discussed what to serve for supper. They decided to just be their usual selves as neither the vicar nor his wife were impressed by opulence or wealth. Sally chose her Mum’s favourite starter of four different types of melon which could be prepared and plated in advance, with a fruit couli added just prior to serving. It was at this point they changed their minds and decided to invite their four musketeers to supper as well. The time was changed, allowing James and Sally about an hour before the others would arrive to have a private chat with Matthew. It was decided to have a large selection of cheese in the fridge and Fred could play with his favourite course to his hearts’ content. It was far too early in the year for English new potatoes so Sally cheated and bought nets of them from a supermarket imported from the Spanish islands. She was planning on serving them with lamb chops, seasonable vegetables, and fresh mint sauce. James decided to make his chocolate mousse for dessert as ever since the day Jane had secretly told him how to make it he could guarantee every guest had admired it and enjoyed it.

Supper was decided and it wasn’t a problem. Suddenly the dining room was. It was home to James’s grandparent’s dining table, six chairs and dresser. Not a good plan when eight people were to be seated so it was decided they would eat in the large kitchen with its big table. Sally loved this idea as she had grown up with the centre of family life occurring round her mother’s long kitchen table with its ill-assorted chairs. She chose gingham for the tablecloth and napkins, used all the earthenware she could and polished the silver as if there was no tomorrow. Jessica had her tea, with Rosie, before the setting of the table, hoping she wouldn’t notice anything was afoot. Bearing in mind Jessica, prompted by Rosie, was in her last year of kindergarten prior to going to ‘big school’ in September an extra chop in the fridge wouldn’t have escaped her notice. She was slow eating, blaming Rosie, slow in her bath, blaming Rosie, slow with her bedtime story, blaming Rosie, until Rosie was put to bed first and Jessica realised she had gone too far with her delaying tactics. Sally explained Mummy and Daddy had an important meeting to do with business and it might not come off if Mummy wasn’t there, and she couldn’t be there if she was upstairs with Jessica. Jessica got the message and reluctantly allowed herself to be tucked up for the night. By the time Sally was showered and dressed Jessica was fast asleep and Sally vowed to be more honest in future because her baby was growing up and would understand.

Carol and Matthew were welcomed into the sitting room with drinks. It was a beautiful room, large and open in the summer, cosy and warm in the winter with the help of Shirley’s long velvet curtains over the large windows.

Matthew was able to help them in so far as he had researched a couple of ideas which might set them off on research of their own. The first idea he had was a boarding school which had free places for suitable children who were deserving of an excellent education but couldn’t afford it. The school couldn’t afford to pay for these chosen children but a special fund could and James and Sally could contribute to this fund. They would never know which child they had helped, but they would know a child with special abilities was having a good start in life, in fact a better start then they would have received if they had stayed in their village, town or city.

The second idea was from Carol, a project very close to her heart. It was African based, where you could actually sponsor a child. You paid, a small amount by English standards, every month and the money put a particular child into education. You were not allowed to send presents, as no-one had anything so there was no theft and it was feared that would change if a child suddenly was the owner of certain items which were not available locally. The child would be told of his or her sponsor and as they were educated they would write letters telling of their lives and their time in school. This could be continued into teenage life with college and eventually tertiary education. Sally and James would not be allowed to visit, as this could make life more difficult for the child. They could write letters and send photographs, but no presents. This way their financial contribution would benefit only the one child. Probably if they were prepared to, it could continue into a professional career. This information gave Sally and James a lot of food for thought, and they asked for time to discuss it together. Matthew wasn’t pressing them, he was just giving them the information he had and hoped it was useful. Carol told them she and Matthew sponsored a child in Africa and had done since they heard of the charity. She showed them the letters they had received, all filed and treasured, from the youngster who benefited from their few pounds a month. There were several pictures of a growing boy, with a wide smile and never seen without a football somewhere in the picture. Sally loved the idea and eventually accepted the no presents rule. Even a little girl with a pretty hair slide in her hair could instigate the beginnings of envy in others. It was at this point in their conversation the four musketeers arrived in a taxi organised by James so they could have a beer or a wine.

When everyone was comfortable Sally excused herself taking Fred with her. He carried his beer back into the kitchen and appreciated she was clever enough to know when she had a cheese board expert on her premises. By the time he had completed his masterpiece she had taken the melon starters out of the fridge so he had a full shelf to himself. The chocolate mousse was chilling so Sally only had to attend to the main course. The vegetables were in the steamer, including the new potatoes, so she only had to cook the lamb chops and make a nice sauce. She was determined to spend as much time as possible listening to Matthew and Carol so this plan suited her perfectly. By the time Fred, with the help of a second beer, had completed his masterpiece she had cooked to perfection, with the help of a second glass of wine, her lamb chops in their peppers and onion sauce.

Shame about the rest of them, Fred, she quipped, surveying the meal. At least you and I are in the right place.

You naughty girl, laughed Fred. But we could get stuck in and then pretend we have had a power cut,

And you call me naughty! But it does sound like a plan I have to admit, laughed Sally as she had her hand gently slapped for pinching a sprig of parsley from Fred’s creation.

With Fred carrying a tray of drinks for the guests they joined everyone in the sitting room to find Jane and Cathy in a serious animated conversation with Matthew and Carol about the sponsorship of a child in Africa. In the end, although the conversation had certainly not run its course, she had to ask people into the kitchen or they would be having a doggy bag to take home.

Supper was a huge success, everyone enjoyed their meal. And all the way through it, course after course, the conversation kept going back to sponsoring a child. Jane and Cathy, with many apologies to Sally and James, said they had planned on spoiling their grandchildren to death. But since it was only to be their precious Jessica they would have a few pounds to spare which could benefit another child somewhere in the world. Before the meal was over it had been agreed the two of them would become sponsors to an overseas project. Fred and Bernard were nodding in agreement and Matthew and Carol were overjoyed they had inadvertently been responsible for both Cathy and Jane to hear and approve of this charity.

Sally and James remained noncommittal although taking in all the information. They waved off Matthew and Carol with many thanks for giving up their time to come and discuss their research. Carol said how much she loved their new home and Matthew had great praise for what James was doing with his market garden.

Having a last drink with the family in the sitting room before James rang for a taxi to take them back to Shelbourne the conversation turned once more to overseas charities. Cathy and Jane had the necessary details from Matthew to make their own enquiries and intended to do just that. Sally and James decided to discuss the whole idea further before they made a decision. The ladies spent a few minutes in the kitchen so Sally wasn’t left with the debris of the supper party and another round of drinks went into the sitting room. Fred had to be reined in when he was planning on sponsoring a boy and planning on sending a football and maybe a full strip of the lad’s favourite team. Fred had never had a child of his own and was quite prepared to spoil Jessica to the moon and back which neither Sally nor James would allow. He just wanted to be generous but did understand it had to be very limited. Bernard had never had a child of his own either but had taken his stepson James to his heart and helped wherever he could. Now he found he could help another child but was more in favour of doing it in his adopted country, not overseas. There were many different opinions and it was eventually agreed each one of them would have to be led by their own hearts and the size of their bank accounts. Sally and James, whilst joining in with the general conversation, chose not to commit themselves. They had a lot of things to talk about but they chose to do it on their own.

One decision was made on a perfectly normal day with everything running smoothly. The bakers were busy in the bakery, the gardeners were busy on the land with their vegetables, herbs and salads, the restaurant was busy with casual callers for a pot of tea, a cream cake and perhaps a look at the plant stall, there were no problems with The Lunch Box and the two mobile shops were out on the road packed to the rafters with fresh baking and produce. Even the wintery sun was doing its best to lighten spirits on this day in late February when Susie had a problem. She had taken a hot chocolate out to Helen who was busy with arranging her stall so Susie left it near her little shelf where she stored the bags to put her sales in. A little later she noticed Helen visit the ladies room and when she didn’t reappear she went to investigate to find Helen trying to cover bruises with make-up. She was appalled and bathed Helen’s face in warm water and gave her a mild pain killer as she was obviously suffering. Helen couldn’t stop crying but was obviously telling lies to Susie about what had happened to her. She insisted on going back to her stall and Susie helped her by covering her bruises as best she could and pulling up the hood of her jacket to hide her face. With the addition of a scarf she was more or less presentable to appear in public, but Susie was not happy. Telling the chefs to pretend she wasn’t there and only call her if there was a big problem she kept watch on Helen. Joe, who had the best vantage point from his bar, also kept watch, but quietly and unobtrusively. At half past one when the restaurant was busy he noticed an old rusty van arrive and park near the plant stall. He saw perfectly Helen threatened by the driver of the van, she backed away and the driver closed in on her. By this time Joe had deserted his bar and did a wonderful rugby tackle on the driver. By now Susie was out wielding a large umbrella and Helen was crying, completely incoherent with fear. Now the van driver was shrieking he would have the law on Joe, who was hanging on to him like a limpet, Susie was desperately wondering where to bring down her umbrella and James, Harry and Jimmy were trying to separate the two. Once Joe was pulled off by James and Harry the van driver set off for his vehicle to be brought to the ground again by Jimmy who promptly sat on his head, squashed his face into the mud and calmly announced ‘you ain’t going anywhere, mate.’ James had already known Jimmy was very strong but he had never seen not only such strength but seeing it controlled so much at the same time. Turning the assailants head to one side so he could breathe very well he placed himself back on it and said he would stay there until this situation was sorted out. He had a big grin on his face, made himself comfortable, and watched the thrashing about of two arms and legs which weren’t going anywhere. By now Susie had phoned the police and flashing lights appeared on the approach road. Now Helen went totally hysterical and Susie took her inside, right through the restaurant and into the kitchen. Joe returned to his bar and continued to serve drinks as if nothing untoward had occurred.

One of the chefs, after a couple of words to his colleague, made a cup of tea for Helen and while he was at it, one for Susie as well. Gradually calm was restored, the assailant was taken away by the police, and Helen calmed down somewhat. Sally had been called, she didn’t know what had gone on but she knew a very frightened person when she saw one so she took Helen and Susie back to the house, knowing she could trust the chefs to complete the lunchtime service. She would have taken Joe with her but found he was in the back of a police car talking to the attending officers. Much to her amazement Jimmy was in the back of another car also talking to the police. Mollie had a kettle boiling with tea and coffee ready to be made. Biscuits and cake were ready to be served, beyond that she didn’t know what to do to help. Helen was still shaking like a leaf, totally inconsolable and Susie was going to do someone a great deal of harm before this day was over.

Sally took a deep breath, settled everyone round the big kitchen table, offered Helen a shower, a quiet lie down, a phone call to her Mum, beyond that she also was at a loss. Susie was still ranting, wondering how anyone could be so stupid as to tangle with her Jimmy when James, Harry and Jimmy with a very contrite Joe arrived.

It appeared Joe and Jimmy had made police statements which they had been happy to sign, and both had been told they could possibly be contacted again by the police and not to plan on disappearing. Both of them laughed at this as they had no plans other than appearing in court and letting everyone who would listen know what had occurred that day.

Eventually Helen, helped by Sally as Susie was still intent on sorting something or someone out, calmed down. Molly finally persuaded her to take a hot chocolate drink with sugar and gradually her sobbing subsided although by now she looked like she had been hit by a train. James was desperate to know what exactly had happened but was wise enough to let the whole situation calm down before he interfered.

With much sobbing, many tissues and interruptions the story unfolded. It appeared Helen had two older brothers who were big drinkers and drug abusers. She had kept very quiet at home about her job until one day she had told her Mum about her plants and how she had to look after them and she could have the proceeds. Her eldest brother had heard this conversation and threatened her for the money. She had refused, saying the plants weren’t big enough to sell yet. Both her brothers had hit her, and tried to frighten her into handing over the money. Although she persisted in saying the plants weren’t on sale yet the elder one had turned up today demanding her cash box or she would have another beating once she got home. She told him to go away and leave her alone and the rest Susie and Joe witnessed.

Sally and James were very upset, and insisted Helen eat something and be tucked up into a guest room for the night. James sent a message to her mother who arrived in a neighbour’s car within half an hour. She admitted her sons were out of control and had been in trouble before for violent behaviour but up until now it had been kept away from the home. Sally took her upstairs to see her daughter who was sleeping, her pillow covered with damp tissues. Her mother pleaded with Sally to keep her overnight as her son was in custody and she wasn’t sure how her second son would react to this. Of course Sally agreed and reassured Helen’s mother she was perfectly safe where she was and they would talk with her in the morning. As it happened this didn’t occur as the second son, on hearing his older brother was in the police station went berserk and did his best to wreck the family home. Consequently he ended up in police custody and the parents were trying to put their house to rights.

Eventually everyone went home or back to work. James was very concerned about the safety of their work force and was up and down all night walking the estate. He didn’t know it at the time but Jimmy was with him every step of the way, hidden and silent. From first employing Susie to help in Elm Tree Cottage the loyalty of that family had been completely with James and Sally. Harry had been taken on followed by Jimmy, Harry had been made a junior partner in the business, Susie had been promoted to restaurant manager and there was no way this family were going to live out in the country without near neighbours if Jimmy and his family could do anything about it.

Helen was a problem and both Sally and James were determined to find a solution. She dare not go home, she had nowhere else to go, and she had to work on the plant stall or she had no money. James solved the immediate problem by driving her to The Old Rectory and his mother. Cathy and Bernard listened in horror as the story unfolded and within minutes a guest room bed was made up with all the nice toiletries Cathy could find put in the en-suite. James called Helen’s mother and she packed a suitcase of clothes and with the help of the same neighbour had them taken to her daughter. The next problem was Bernard was in The Lunch Box all day and for the rest of the week Cathy was out on the mobile shop. Cathy wondered whether it might be a good idea to take Helen with her but decided against it. In the end she called Sally who asked Helen be dropped off at the restaurant. She was there to greet her and gave her the option of going to the house or running the stall. Helen’s face brightened and she asked to work on the stall. Jimmy made sure he was working all day long in sight of the stall, and when James realised what he was doing he made life a lot easier by changing jobs around so there would always be two of them in sight of Helen as long as her plant stall was open. They didn’t realise it at the time but in fact there were three of them as Joe had a perfect view from his bar and wasn’t missing anything. Bernard collected her when the shop closed and she went back to The Old Rectory to feel safe and secure for the first time in a long time.

Sally and James discussed this situation over supper and as usual they were both in agreement. Helen was to be their first youngster to help. They went to see Cathy and Bernard, learned Helen had settled down very well although she was still noticeably nervous when a car pulled up or drove past slowly. They chatted with Helen but it wasn’t easy as she seemed to go into her shell except when she was talking about plants. With a little coaxing she admitted she wished she knew more about the subject as James did. He explained how he had gone to college for two years to get the exams he needed to go on to university. There he had spent three years followed by working for the Parks and Gardens department in Manchester before he had been able to set up his own business. And he had only been able to do that with money he had earned and saved and money from his family. Helen had left school without any exams and hadn’t much of a chance of ever going on to higher education. Sally knew she had been scrupulously honest when she worked on the plant stall and had managed the money side of it without any problems. They wracked their brains trying to find a way to help her. All she really wanted to do was learn about plants. They didn’t put any pressure on her and for the moment Cathy and Bernard were more than happy to have her as a house guest. She continued to work on the plant stall and Bernard was honoured to be her taxi driver. It was a surprise to everyone when Harry solved the problem.

The year was slowly moving on and the spring sunshine was doing its best to warm up the earth. There had been a lot of rain but the biting chill of the winter winds had moved away and the gardens were getting nearer and nearer to being planted. James had hundreds of plants grown from seed which were outside everyday and gradually being hardened off to prepare them for growing outside. The huge areas were being prepared with the help of a lot of manure from Peter. Every time he arrived with a trailer of his ‘muck’ James was told it would cost him a pint. James thought it might be easier just to buy him the pub but Peter said that would take all the fun out of it. Over coffee one morning James was going through the work plan and decided there were not sufficient pairs of hands to do the job fast enough and mentioned it had been on his mind for some time they needed to take on another person. He wondered if either Harry or Jimmy knew of anyone who might fit the bill and as quick as lightening Harry said yes, they already employed her, as Helen was the obvious choice. Jimmy instantly agreed and James just looked at them wondering why he hadn’t thought of Helen himself. He mulled it over for a while, talked to Sally about it, and in the end they went together to the plant stall. James looked over the plants on display while Sally got three coffees from the restaurant and the idea was put to her. They didn’t really need to wait for an answer as the big smile and the bright brown eyes said it all. This young lady was a born gardener in the making and she was so excited about her change of job she could barely speak.

It was decided she would change jobs the following Monday and on the previous Saturday Harry would take her shopping for suitable clothing for all weathers with footwear to match.

The story of that shopping day they learned from Bernard several days after the event. When Harry drove up at The Old Rectory to collect Helen for the planned shopping trip he was using Susie’s car after dropping her off at the restaurant. Bernard was very surprised when Jimmy also got out of the car, shook hands with Bernard and very quietly said Helen’s two brothers were back on the streets again and so was Jimmy. Bernard was most distressed to hear this news and offered to go with them but he was reassured by Jimmy it wasn’t necessary. Sally had given Harry money and told him to buy Helen whatever she would need to work in the gardens, particularly waterproofs and good footwear. There was enough money for them to have a nice lunch and put some petrol in Susie’s car. They had completed their purchases and eaten a hearty lunch and were making their way back to the car when