more settled I’d like to go into gardening properly. Actually, I’ve just finished doing a course.’
‘Have you met Saffron yet?’ said Ben. ‘She runs her own gardening business, with Caroline, but with Caroline gone I think she might be after some help.’
‘Is she?’ said Amy, her eyes lighting up with interest. ‘I might just get in touch then. Thanks.’
‘Right, that’s all done for you,’ said Ben, wiping his hands on his jeans.
‘Thanks so much,’ said Amy. ‘That was really good of you. Would you like to stay for a cup of tea?’
‘No thanks,’ said Ben. ‘I’d better go. I’ve got lots to do on the allotment.’
‘And I wouldn’t dream of keeping a man away from his digging,’ said Amy, disappointed but trying to sound cheerful.
When she smiled, Ben noticed, her eyes lit up her whole face. There was something about her that he instantly warmed to, and he realised, as he strolled back home, that it was a very pleasant feeling indeed.
‘What’s this I hear that you run a gardening business?’
Amy greeted Saffron as they stood outside the school gates. Ellie was asleep in the buggy, and Saffron looked quite relaxed for a change.
Saffron pulled a face.
‘Well, I’m not entirely sure it merits the term business. “Disaster” might be more apt at the moment,’ she said. ‘How did you know?’
‘I met Ben Martin on the allotments the other day,’ said Amy. ‘Or rather, his dog knocked me into a pile of manure. I felt like such a prat. But he was very nice about it.’
‘So he should be,’ said Saffron. ‘That dog’s a liabilitysometimes. Mind you, I can think of worse people whose feet you could fall at. He’s gorgeous. If I wasn’t married already …’
‘Does he have a girlfriend?’ asked Amy.
‘Not that I know of,’ said Saffron, ‘but I’m not one to listen to gossip, and I’ve been so busy this year with work and a new baby that I don’t tend to know what’s going on anyway. Why do you ask? Are you on the lookout?’
‘As if! I was curious, that’s all,’ said Amy. ‘So come on, tell me all about this business of yours.’
‘Not much to tell, since Caroline left me in the lurch,’ said Saffron.
‘What’s Caroline like?’ Amy asked. ‘Her name keeps popping up everywhere.’
Saffron grimaced. ‘I’m probably not the best person to ask, as she’s made my life a nightmare. We met on a gardening course in Sudbury three years back, and when we found out we lived so near to one another it seemed like a good idea to set up a business together. And at first it was great – she’s good at self-promotion and got us loads of clients to begin with, plus she is really good at garden design. But out of the blue she decided she had to go travelling to find herself, just before Ellie was born, and left me to pick up the pieces.’
‘Bummer,’ said Amy. ‘What a pain.’
‘ She can be,’ said Saffron. ‘I think her main problem is that her parents are loaded, so she’s really spoilt and has never had to take responsibility for anything in her entire life. Plus she has a rather irritating tendency to flutter her eyelashes and get men to do her dirty workfor her – she was always getting the blokes on the allotment to do her digging and stuff. She’s a terrible flirt. She even tried it on with Pete once, when I was pregnant with Ellie. I was furious, I can tell you. But Pete just laughed it off, and said it was just the way she was.’
‘Ouch,’ said Amy.
‘Ouch indeed,’ said Saffron. ‘Anyway, enough of her. Why did you want to know about my gardening business?’
‘Well, I was just wondering if you had any openings? I’m itching to get my green fingers dirty.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Amy. ‘I’ve arranged with the school to do some supply teaching, but I need another income, and the idea was always to try and make money from gardening.’
‘I could really, really use the help,’ said Saffron.
‘Have you met Saffron yet?’ said Ben. ‘She runs her own gardening business, with Caroline, but with Caroline gone I think she might be after some help.’
‘Is she?’ said Amy, her eyes lighting up with interest. ‘I might just get in touch then. Thanks.’
‘Right, that’s all done for you,’ said Ben, wiping his hands on his jeans.
‘Thanks so much,’ said Amy. ‘That was really good of you. Would you like to stay for a cup of tea?’
‘No thanks,’ said Ben. ‘I’d better go. I’ve got lots to do on the allotment.’
‘And I wouldn’t dream of keeping a man away from his digging,’ said Amy, disappointed but trying to sound cheerful.
When she smiled, Ben noticed, her eyes lit up her whole face. There was something about her that he instantly warmed to, and he realised, as he strolled back home, that it was a very pleasant feeling indeed.
‘What’s this I hear that you run a gardening business?’
Amy greeted Saffron as they stood outside the school gates. Ellie was asleep in the buggy, and Saffron looked quite relaxed for a change.
Saffron pulled a face.
‘Well, I’m not entirely sure it merits the term business. “Disaster” might be more apt at the moment,’ she said. ‘How did you know?’
‘I met Ben Martin on the allotments the other day,’ said Amy. ‘Or rather, his dog knocked me into a pile of manure. I felt like such a prat. But he was very nice about it.’
‘So he should be,’ said Saffron. ‘That dog’s a liabilitysometimes. Mind you, I can think of worse people whose feet you could fall at. He’s gorgeous. If I wasn’t married already …’
‘Does he have a girlfriend?’ asked Amy.
‘Not that I know of,’ said Saffron, ‘but I’m not one to listen to gossip, and I’ve been so busy this year with work and a new baby that I don’t tend to know what’s going on anyway. Why do you ask? Are you on the lookout?’
‘As if! I was curious, that’s all,’ said Amy. ‘So come on, tell me all about this business of yours.’
‘Not much to tell, since Caroline left me in the lurch,’ said Saffron.
‘What’s Caroline like?’ Amy asked. ‘Her name keeps popping up everywhere.’
Saffron grimaced. ‘I’m probably not the best person to ask, as she’s made my life a nightmare. We met on a gardening course in Sudbury three years back, and when we found out we lived so near to one another it seemed like a good idea to set up a business together. And at first it was great – she’s good at self-promotion and got us loads of clients to begin with, plus she is really good at garden design. But out of the blue she decided she had to go travelling to find herself, just before Ellie was born, and left me to pick up the pieces.’
‘Bummer,’ said Amy. ‘What a pain.’
‘ She can be,’ said Saffron. ‘I think her main problem is that her parents are loaded, so she’s really spoilt and has never had to take responsibility for anything in her entire life. Plus she has a rather irritating tendency to flutter her eyelashes and get men to do her dirty workfor her – she was always getting the blokes on the allotment to do her digging and stuff. She’s a terrible flirt. She even tried it on with Pete once, when I was pregnant with Ellie. I was furious, I can tell you. But Pete just laughed it off, and said it was just the way she was.’
‘Ouch,’ said Amy.
‘Ouch indeed,’ said Saffron. ‘Anyway, enough of her. Why did you want to know about my gardening business?’
‘Well, I was just wondering if you had any openings? I’m itching to get my green fingers dirty.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Amy. ‘I’ve arranged with the school to do some supply teaching, but I need another income, and the idea was always to try and make money from gardening.’
‘I could really, really use the help,’ said Saffron.
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