Phillipa Ashley - Spring on the Little Cornish Isles - The Flower Farm

‘No, bloody hell. Next week? That’s all I need. You have to come sooner than that?’

Adam grinned. ‘I think we’ve found him.’

Will’s voice grew louder, clearly giving some unfortunate supplier the hairdryer treatment down the phone. He’d stopped outside the door of an outbuilding used by the flower picking staff for breaks. ‘I can’t wait for an engineer until then. It’ll be disastrous for my crop. You have to come out. Charter a plane if you have to …’

‘Yes, but where’s Gaby got to?’ Jess crossed back into the yard but Gaby had vanished. ‘Oh God, I hope she hasn’t decided to go home already.’

Adam joined her. ‘She won’t. She’s tougher than she looks. Look, there she is.’

Gaby emerged from behind a hedge just as Will strode across the yard, his phone clamped to one ear, the other hand gesticulating wildly.

‘Len!’ he bellowed, holding the phone down by his side. ‘We need to get that damn pump fixed. That’s the whole water supply to the farm!’

‘The bloody water pump? When did that happen?’ said Len.

‘About half an hour ago. Haven’t you noticed?’

‘I’ve only just come up here from my place. Have you tried fixing it?’

Will threw up his hands. ‘What do you think I’ve been doing for the past half an hour? Bloody hell, why does this always happen on a sodding bank holiday?’

Ouch. Jess cringed.

And oh no … At the same time as ranting to the supplier and Len, Gaby had clearly come onto Will’s radar. He suddenly veered from being on course for Len to making a beeline for her. Jess quickened her pace to try and intercept them.

‘Hey! You!’ Will bellowed.

Gaby stopped, frozen like a hedgehog about to be run over by a juggernaut. Will shoved the phone in his jeans pocket and homed in on Gaby.

‘Oh no. I’d better make the introductions or she really will leg it.’ Leaving Adam behind, Jess jogged over but it was too late. Her twin was giving Gaby the full benefit of his customer-facing charm and skills.

She reached him to find him talking to Gaby, with his hands on his hips. ‘Can I help you? Are you a customer?’ he asked impatiently. ‘If you are, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be wandering around like this.’

‘I was just admiring your Innisidgens,’ said Gaby.

‘My what ?’

‘The Innisidgens. They’re just coming into bud, aren’t they?’

‘Yeah, they are but …’ Will peered at her. ‘Look, this is a staff-only area and you should call in at the office if you want to buy some flowers.’

Jess darted between them. ‘ Will . This is Dr Gabriella Carter. She’s one of our new field workers.’

Will stared at Gaby and his jaw dropped, anyone would think the queen of the fairies had landed on his farm and zapped him with her wand.

‘She’s a field worker?’

‘Yes, Gaby is a field worker. I told you she was coming. I’ve just been to pick her up from the airport. You can’t have forgotten,’ she added as if Will was a toddler to whom she had to explain everything, which was partly true. She turned to Gaby. ‘I’m sorry, I think you took Will by surprise, didn’t she, Will?’

‘You could say that.’ Will glared at Gaby.

She smiled back sweetly. ‘I’m sorry for wandering off, but I was fascinated by the Innisidgens. They’re the very first variety to come out, aren’t they? I know some people loathe the scent and say it’s like cat’s pee, but to me, they always give me that “back to school” feeling. So lovely to think of them popping up while people are still basking on the beaches.’

Will shoved his fingers through messy brown hair, lightened at the tips by a summer spent outdoors. His eyes narrowed in puzzlement and he peered at Gaby again. ‘Actually, I don’t mind the scent … Mum hates it, but I’ve always thought the Innisidgens mark the start of the season too. A fresh start and all that stuff.’

‘Oh, absolutely and my apologies, Mr Godrevy, I hadn’t meant to cross any boundaries.’ Gaby extended her slender fingers. ‘I look forward to working with you.’

Will stared at her dainty hand in surprise.

He must think she’s waiting for him to kiss it, thought Jess with a mix of delight and dismay.

‘Um, hi,’ he said before turning to Jess and snapping out of his temporary trance. ‘All hell’s broken loose. The water pump’s packed in and you know what that means. We’ve no water for irrigation for the farmhouse or the staff house …’ He glanced back at Gaby. ‘So, you have my apologies if I haven’t put up the bunting and made some iced buns today, Miss Carter, I’ve been a tad busy.’

‘Oh, no apology needed. Bunting and buns won’t be necessary, however appealing they sound. A nice cup of Earl Grey and a slice of sponge cake would be a perfectly acceptable alternative. Gluten-free of course.’

Will’s jaw dropped again and he stared at Gaby.

Adam had joined them. He’d obviously heard most of the recent exchanges, judging by the gleeful squeeze Jess felt on her hand. She distinctly felt his body shake as he tried not to laugh. Jess stifled a snigger too.

‘Would you like me to make some cucumber sandwiches as well?’ Will said smoothly.

Gaby licked her lips. ‘Yum. That sounds delicious. Where’s the staff tea room?’

Will couldn’t take his eyes off Gaby. She smiled innocently back, but Jess could tell Gaby was teasing and could actually feel the crackle of tension between the two of them. It was like pitting a bear and a viper against each other. How would they ever survive the next six months together?

Jess let out a strained laugh. ‘Gaby is joking. She knows we all muck in here.’

‘Of course I do. So, shall we start again?’ She held out her hand once more and this time, to Jess’s amazement, Will took it, shaking it firmly but carefully with his grimy paw.

‘Welcome to the flower farm, Gaby,’ he said, still unable to tear his eyes from her face.

‘Thank you, Mr Godrevy. You seem to have a very professional operation here.’

‘Thanks. And er … please call me Will. We don’t stand on ceremony here.’

‘Thank you, Will. I look forward to working with you and possibly tasting your buns.’

Will opened his mouth but seemed to choke on his reply.

‘Have you tried the trip switch on the pump?’ Jess cut in, trying to divert Will. ‘That was the problem last time.’

His attention snapped back to Jess. ‘Of course I’ve tried the trip switch, but you can have a look if you like. Anything’s better than leaving the farm without water until the technician can come out.’

‘Where is the pump?’ Gaby asked.

‘In the shed over there above the well.’ Will flipped a thumb in the direction of the other side of the yard. ‘It supplies all the water for the farm and business.’

‘You’re getting a tour of the farm anyway, so you may as well see everything now, not that you’ll ever need to go in the pump house,’ said Jess. She could feel Adam beside her, saying nothing but obviously enjoying every word of the exchange. He’d be bound to take the piss out of Will about ‘his buns’ as soon as he got the chance but Jess was only concerned with keeping the peace.

With Will forging ahead, Adam, Jess and Gaby followed him over to a small wooden shed on the far side of the yard. The goats stopped chewing long enough to watch them trudge past, as if to wonder what the fuss was all about.

The door was open and Jess joined Will, who was staring at the control panel above the blue pump, while Adam and Gaby waited outside the cramped shed. Jess flicked the trip switch up and down, and the pump stopped, then shuddered and rattled in an alarming way.