She would leave tomorrow, she decided, first thing in the morning, and she slipped the suitcase under her bed. This would be the last night she ever slept in this house, she told herself, but she didn’t feel a moment of guilt. She needed to keep her baby safe and she was sure that wouldn’t happen while she lived here.
26
Amanda
Amanda pulled up at the garden centre, adjusted her pink striped shirt and brushed invisible lint from her jeans.
This felt much more like her, she thought as she looked in the rear-view mirror and moved her curls back from her face.
She stepped out of the car and went to the front entrance of the gardening centre with the sign across the top. NEWCASTLEUPONTYNEGARDENCENTRE. Not the most creative of names, she thought, but it said what it was and there was no mistake about what they sold.
Inside there was a large display of indoor plants – real ones, not plastic, she noted, remembering the ones in her and her mom’s apartment.
There were pots and knick-knacks for sale and beautiful prints of different local artists on the walls. Shells in baskets and notebooks with beautiful covers on a spinning stand greeted her, and pretty scarves and shawls hung from a large bamboo ladder.
It was so lovely Amanda thought she might like to live there forever.
‘Amanda?’ She turned to see a man in a T-shirt and shorts, and a large-brimmed straw hat and sunglasses.
‘Yes, hi,’ she said, as he took off his sunglasses.
‘I’m David. We spoke on the phone,’ he said, and he shook her hand. ‘Nice to meet you. Fancy a tour?’
‘I would love one. The gift shop is gorgeous. I would like my house to look like that.’ She laughed.
‘That’s my wife Tilly’s work. It’s all her – she has great taste.’
David walked her through the garden centre, pointing out the plants and the different areas. He showed her the bags of potting mix and compost and soil and the large stakes and more. It was a lot, but Amanda soaked it in.
‘How much do you know about gardening and plants?’ David asked her as they walked into the office.
On the wall was a mess of children’s drawings and photos of two small children with David and a smiling woman.
‘That’s the art wall from my little family.’ He smiled proudly.
‘Your children are so cute,’ she said, peering at the photos of the happy faces. David was definitely giving off Labrador energy; a golden one, all tail wagging and happy with their lot in life.
‘Yes, and a lot of work! Tilly, who also works here, is pregnant with our third, so we need help. I know it’s not full-time but there might be a little overtime here and there.’ He looked at her hopefully as they sat down.
‘To be honest, I would love three days. You asked me if I knew much about gardening and plants. I do and I don’t. I’m learning. I have a large garden at the house I’ve just moved into. It was apparently an amazing garden, but it’s since gone to ruin and I’ve been charged with returning it to its former glory.’ She laughed. ‘So, as you can imagine, I’m on a huge learning curve.’
‘Really?’ asked David. ‘Where is the garden? We sponsor the open gardens here every summer.’
‘It’s called Moongate Manor,’ she said. ‘Down by the sea on North Road.’
‘Moongate? Oh wow, I’ve heard that was incredible in its day.’
‘Yes, I’ve seen photos and drawings, but it needs a lot of work to get it back where it was. A huge amount of work.’
‘Do you have help?’ asked David.
‘I have a friend, Simon, working there, and the Foxfield gardening club, who have a lot of knowledge, but it comes with a fair amount of arguing about where to put the seeds and they take a lot of breaks for tea.’
David burst out laughing. ‘That’s fantastic – I love that.’
‘They have been amazing, and so generous with their time and help, but I need to do as much as I can myself. I promised the woman whose house it was.’
David sat back in his chair. ‘You know, I could come and take a look, give you some of my horticultural smarts. I’ve designed some major gardens in the area, and I can set you up with some things to do over the rest of the summer to get you set up with the planning for autumn.’
