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This novel is entirely a work of fiction.


The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are
the work of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is
entirely coincidental.
Harper
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
The News Building
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
A Paperback Original 2015
1
Copyright Alexandra Brown 2015
Alexandra Brown asserts the moral right to
be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-00-759739-0
Set in Birka by Palimpsest Book Production Limited, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc
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without the prior permission of the publishers.
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otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the
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which it is published and without a similar condition including this
condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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P ro lo g u e

essie Cavendish hadnt been sure about uprooting


from their elegant Chelsea mews house and re-
locating to the quaint, but quite muddy, little village
of Tindledale. Having grown up in a rural, close-knit,
welly-wearing community, she knew first hand how
incestuous they could be and how isolated they could
make one feel. Yet, as she hiked on up to the highest
point overlooking the valley, landmarked by the biggest
oak tree she had ever seen, pausing to catch her breath
as she slipped off her cardy and tied it neatly around
her waist, she realised that the more she saw of this
idyllic part of the world, the more she rather liked it.
Tindledale was surrounded by lush, undulating green
hills dotted with lambs and an abundance of pretty
wild flowers, pink apple orchards and strawberry fields.
At its heart lay an adorably cobbled High Street, flanked
either side with black timber-framed, white-wattle-walled
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shops with mullioned windows it really was a special


place. And Jessie wasnt the nave person she had been
back then, when Sebastian had enticed her away to the
bright lights of London, to the city where all the women
lived fabulously glamorous lives in their pretty ballerina
pumps, or so she had thought. But Jessie had grown
to realise over the years that it was often far easier to
get onboard, as Sebastian was fond of saying, whenever
one of his big, life-changing plans was mooted. Plus,
the children would be so much happier in the village
school, with its postage-stamp-sized playground and
quaint clock tower on the roof no more navigating
the super-shiny 4x4 (Sebastian had insisted she drive the
triplets in the oversized, but extra-safe tank, but she
hated it, much preferring her clapped-out, old and very
small Mini) through the narrow, congested streets of
London on the nursery school run.
Moving here would mean just a short trundle
through the village where the triplets new friends
were bound to live, and perhaps Jessie would meet
and make some friends of her own too! Yes, far nicer
than having the children cloistered away inside some
archaic boarding school, as Sebastian had been planning for far too soon after their sixth birthdays, having
registered the childrens names before they were even
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born so at least she had managed to hold out for


something in return, this time, for distancing herself
from her old life, her family, her friends, her support
network... But then Jessie was under no illusion
that this was precisely why Sebastian was so keen for
them to move down from London to the countryside.
Shed make the best of it, as she always had, and maybe
living in Tindledale would help them relax, Sebastian
especially. That would be bound to have an enormously positive impact on them all.
Jessie closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards
the rejuvenating rays of the early summer sun, letting
the warm breeze cool her flushed cheeks as she wrapped
her arms around herself and then ran a hand over her
perfectly taut abdomen. She allowed herself a moment
of contemplation, before her mind drifted back to
more trivial thoughts would she manage to find a
yoga class to replace the one she loved in London?
Tindledale village hall, perhaps! The estate agent had
mentioned the thriving community and all that it had
to offer: Brownies, Scouts, an amateur dramatics group;
even a knitting club in the local haberdashery shop
and she had been meaning to learn to knit for ages
now. And something about a summer show being a
big part of village life Jessie made a mental note to
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find out exactly what this entailed, as it certainly


sounded more exciting than the flower-arranging
sessions with the Womens Institute that Sebastian
had said would suit her. And then something else
occurred to Jessie, something that made her heart
sing, something that she hadnt thought about for such
a long time. Bees!
Jessie had loved keeping bees as a child. And
chickens. Her dad had taught her how. And, for a
while, she had even written about country life for
a variety of farming magazines, before her own life
had somehow turned into looking after the children
and the home instead, so Sebastian could concentrate
on his career. Well, maybe this was a chance to change
things around and rekindle her passion for bees and
chickens... goats and gardening too! The possibilities were endless. So Jessie made her decision. She
would do what Sebastian wanted what she wanted
too, she was sure of it now and move here, to the
village of Tindledale.
So with her mind made up, and a sudden urgency to
hike back to the car and drive straight to the estate
agents office to sign all the paperwork for the new house,
Jessie took a deep breath and allowed herself one last
thought of what if? before shaking her head and
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exhaling hard, knowing there really was no other


solution. This was how it had to be. And besides, a fresh
start away from London and the distraction there was
probably for the best...

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s if on autopilot, I flick on the kettle and select


two mugs one with Best Mum Ever on for me,
the other with a swirly letter J for Jack. I spoon coffee
granules into each of them and then I remember. Jack
isnt here any more! I let out a long breath, before
twirling my wavy fair hair up into a messy bun, securing
it with a red bobble band from a wonky clay dish Jack
made for me in nursery all those years ago its been
proudly displayed on the windowsill ever since before
storing his cup back in the kitchen cabinet. Jack has
only been gone a week, but I have to say that its felt
like the longest seven days of my life. Although not
quite as bad as when he first went away, back in
September that was really difficult. For a while, it
was as if a chunk of my heart was actually missing,
which might sound completely melodramatic, but its
true; it was like a physical pain, a knot of emptiness
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wedged just below my breastbone that I just couldnt


seem to shift. You see, Jack and I kind of grew up
together I wasnt much older than Jack is now, when
he was born. I know its only university and hell be
back again in a few months for the summer holidays,
but still... I guess its taking me some time to adjust
to my now empty nest.
But I am so proud of him, I really am, and that
should make this transitional phase of my life a whole
lot easier to cope with. Its just that Im so used to
keeping it all together for Jack and me now its only
for me, it feels very strange indeed. I inhale sharply and
drop a sugar lump into my cup, before giving it a good
stir, taking care not to clatter the spoon excessively
against the side of the mug Jack hates the sound of
it, especially after a late night of gaming with his mates
up in his attic bedroom, and even though he isnt here
I find it comforting to remember our familiar family
quirks and oddities. I smile fondly at the memory of
me bellowing up the stairs for him to turn the volume
down or at least put on the expensive Bose headphones that he saved up so long for working weekends
collecting glasses and helping out in the Duck &
Puddle pub in the village.
Dunking a digestive biscuit into my coffee, I allow
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myself a small moment of satisfaction on thinking how


well Jack has turned out; even pride, perhaps, as I
remember how tough it was too at times everyone
knows that being a single parent is certainly no sauntering stroll in the park. There were many occasions
where another adult, someone else to rant to when
Jack had ripped his new school trousers after only a
days wear, would have been very welcome indeed. And
someone to share the highs with, like when he was
Joseph in the school nativity play and delivered his
lines so promptly and perfectly as I watched on with
happy tears in my eyes. And then more tears when his
place at Leeds University was confirmed, studying
architectural engineering, which is no surprise, as Jack
has always loved building things. I blame Lego! But no,
everything isnt AWESOME! Well, I guess it is for Jack
a whole new life, an exciting adventure; but why does
he have to do it so far away from home? Our lovely
little village. Tindledale, the place where he was born,
right here in our cosy, tile-hung, two-bedroom cottage,
to be exact, on the Laura Ashley rug in front of the log
burner in the lounge.
I had called an ambulance, but by the time it had
hacked along all the country lanes from Market Briar,
the nearest big town, Jacks scrunched-up bloody face
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was peering up at me, and my dear friend, Lawrence,


who runs the local B&B and is a retired thespian
(strolling home on that balmy summer night after a
Tindledale Players rehearsal) heard my sweary screams
through the open window (and I really am not a
swearer, but the pain was excruciating, to be fair) and
dashed in the back door to placate my mother, who
was hollering out of the hands-free home phone,
perched up on the mantelpiece, for me to Pant hard,
Megan. PANT HARD! And adding, I knew I should
have booked an earlier flight, in between chain-smoking
her way through a packet of Lucky Strike, followed by
lots of sympathy sighs and intermittent ear-splitting
shrieks from her duplex apartment in Tenerife. And
Mum has never forgiven me for making her miss the
birth of her only grandchild, allegedly... although I
have no recollection of actually telling her the wrong
due date, but for years she was adamant that I had.
Why else would I have written it on my wall calendar,
a total of nineteen days after the actual event? she had
said in an extra-exasperated voice.
Anyway, having Jack is the best thing that has ever
happened to me, and I adore children, which is very
handy given that Im a teacher acting head teacher,
to be precise at the Tindledale village school, the
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same school that I went to, and Jack also. And Mum
and I can laugh about it all now, even if it is long
distance. Jack and I have had some glorious holidays
over the years, staying with her, just a few kilometres
from a lovely, secluded sandy beach, and of course she
comes to see us whenever she can, but its not the same
as having family here all the time. Thank God for
friends! Talking of which, Sybs, short for Sybil, cycles
past the window before popping her head through the
open half of the stable door.
Hi Meg, not intruding am I? She grins, carefully
leaning her bicycle next to mine against the honeysuckleclad fence. Sybs used to be a housing officer in London
before giving it all up and settling in Tindledale last
year.
Of course not, come on in and have a coffee with
me, I say, thrilled to see her. I go to scoop up Blue so
he doesnt escape when I open the bottom half of the
stable door hes my super-soft, caramel-coloured,
palomino house rabbit, who used to live outside in a
hutch until Jack found his poor female friend, Belle,
dead one morning, having been savaged by a fox in the
night. So Blue lives inside now to keep him safe, and
can usually be found basking in the heat from the log
burner in winter, or, like today, when its so warm and
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sunny, he likes sprawling prone across the cool, quarrytiled kitchen floor. I plop him back down, and after a
quick twitch of his tail, he scampers off to his bowl to
munch on some carrot sticks that I sliced up earlier
for him.
Ahh, better not, Sybs says. I dont want to ruin your
lovely home. Another time, perhaps, Im just on my
way up to the High Street to see if Taylor can squeeze
this filthy mutt in for a much-needed appointment at
the pet parlour. She glances at the basket on the front
of the bike where Basil, her black Scottie dog, is sitting
inside, caked in mud, before shaking her head. Her red
curls bounce around abundantly.
Oops, what happened to him? I ask, laughing when
Basil lets out a disgruntled growl and then hunkers
down as if in disgrace. And what is that horrendous
pong? I quickly place my hand over my nose before
leaning in closer to the honeysuckle, hoping to catch
a whiff of its glorious scent to take away Basils
noxious one.
Err, this little rascal decided to leg it across Petes
newly ploughed field after spotting a brace of pheasants
on the horizon, and then found a pile of fresh fox poo
in the hedgerow and thought it would be a brilliant
idea to roll around in it. And hes ruined my new
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Converse I bought them especially to wear in this


warm dry weather but then I had to chase after him.
She waggles her left foot up in the air to show me the
once lovely lilac trainers with polka-dot ribbons that
are now a mottled mud colour. His recall skills certainly
need working on!
Hmm, no wonder hes skulking.
Indeed. And so he should. Next time I wont bother
going after him; he can fend for himself in the Tindledale
woods for all I care. Id like to see how hed cope having
to forage around for wild mushrooms, berries and the
odd dead mouse to live on. Sybs lets out a long huff
of air, pretending to be cross, but all of us villagers
know just how much she adores Basil, even if he is the
cheekiest dog in Tindledale, and probably all of the
surrounding villages too.
Awww, but he still looks so cute, I say, giving Basil
a tickle under the chin, deftly avoiding the tarry mess
on the side of his neck.
Oh, dont be fooled by those butter-wouldnt-melt
eyes; hes a little devil dog sometimes, and so greedy
too you know, he snaffled a whole pizza from the
kitchen counter last week. I turned my back for a
moment and it was gone. Still frozen. I had only just
taken it out of the freezer.
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Wow! Thats impressive, but tell me how did he


reach a paw up to the kitchen counter to swipe the
pizza? I ask, intrigued.
Oh, you wont believe the stunts he can perform,
Sybs says, exasperated. He only hopped up on the
footstool that I use to reach into the back of my
cupboards Ben spotted him performing the same
trick only the day before. Sybs shakes her head again.
The footstool has since been removed, I hasten to add.
I smile. I bet he regretted it soon after. I imagine his
stomach was arctic. Basil does another feeble groan by
way of agreement.
Yes, and he slept for hours afterwards, comatose
from the cheese and carb overload, no doubt.
So, talking of injuries and ailments, how is Dr Ben,
that gorgeous boyfriend of yours?
Ahh, Ben is as lovely as ever. And as busy as ever!
Its funny, though since we started living together,
we seem to see less of each other than ever before, she
sighs. Theres no time off for a village GP you know
how it is. He cant even go into the Duck & Puddle
for a pint after surgery hours without being fawned
over by his patients, all wanting to buy him a thankyou drink for sorting out their illness, or ask his advice
on a whole range of medical issues. Sybs laughs and
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shrugs. But I wouldnt have it any other way, she


beams.
Well, its lovely seeing you so happy.
Thanks Meg. And I truly am very happy its
wonderful how things work out in life sometimes,
she says in a dreamy, faraway voice.
Sure is. And you know what, its always been that
way, with the village GP being mobbed whenever he
sets foot outside the surgery, I grin, resting my elbows
on the top of the stable door. As a child, I remember
Dr Bens uncle, Dr Donnelly, getting the exact same treatment from the villagers, pardon the pun. We both laugh.
Sooo, hows Hettie getting on after her fall last week?
I ask, pulling off my cardy and pushing up the sleeves
of my navy striped Breton top the sun is really warm
today. Not that Im complaining, I love this weather,
but jeans with long wellies and too many layers really
isnt suitable, but then there was a definite nip in the
air this morning when I took my tea and toasted crumpets down to the end of the garden, to sit on the old
tree stump beside the magnolia bush and draw in the
breathtaking, lemony-vanilla-scented view across
the stream that runs down the side of my cottage.
You heard about it then? Sybs sighs. Hettie used to
run the House of Haberdashery down the lane on the
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outskirts of the village, before it became too much for


her, so Sybil manages it now, while Hettie takes a back
seat in her oast house next door. But Hettie is eightysomething, so I reckon shes earned a bit of a rest.
Of course, I wink, and then quickly add, you know
how it is around these here parts, in a silly voice, exaggerating my country burr. Sybs giggles.
Hmm, I certainly do! News sure does travel fast,
and everyone knows your business... before you even
do yourself, sometimes.
Yep. Good or bad, thats the Tindledale way Im
afraid. I shake my head.
And I rather like it, she nods firmly.
You do? I lift my eyebrows in surprise. It used to
drive me nuts when I was growing up, as a teenager
especially; it was really stifling at times. And even now,
I sometimes hear stuff about my pupils parents that I
really wished I hadnt. I pull a face, thinking about the
time when I overheard Amelia Fishers mother in the
playground, gossiping to her mate about the new family,
the Cavendishes, who bought the big farmhouse over
on the outskirts of the Blackwood Farm Estate how
Mr Cavendish is a right dish and sooooo charming,
but how much of a shame it is that hes hardly ever
around maybe thats why his wife seems so sad,
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because they sure as hell wouldnt be if they were


married to him. Good looks, lots of money clearly
every womans dream, apparently! And Mrs Cavendish
has little to complain about when she clearly has it all
perfect, tall, slim body; shiny hair with expensive
highlights, and a recently refurbished home like something out of Hello! magazine it is, with its acre of land,
and what does she do all day? It had taken all my
willpower to walk away and not to threaten to put
them in detention or something, as I imagine Mrs
Cavendish is probably a bit lonely in that big house
all on her own while her husband works away I do
wonder sometimes if detention wouldnt be more effective for the parents instead of the children in my school.
But better that than nobody caring, or looking out
for each other, Sybs says.
Thats true, I agree, thinking of my next-door neighbours, Gabe and Vicky, in the middle, and then Pam,
Dr Bens receptionist, on the other end of our little row
of three Pear Tree Cottages. They are more like friends
than just people I live next to, as are so many of the
people in the village.
And if Hettie had lived alone in a bigger community,
she could well have gone unnoticed for days after her
fall.
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I imagine so, I nod. So what happened then? Is


Hettie OK?
Yes, shes fine. It turns out the fall wasnt anywhere
near as bad as we all feared, but Ben did have to give
her a telling off... Sybs forehead creases.
Oh? I frown too.
You know how fiercely independent Hettie is, Sybs
continues, and I nod in agreement, remembering all
the times Ive tried to help her and shes politely refused.
Yes, apparently she was standing on a chair, in her
slippers, trying to reach her favourite blanket from the
top shelf of the airing cupboard, when she toppled
over and fell down on to her left hip. Luckily, her hall
carpet cushioned the fall and she suffered some minor
bruising and not a fractured pelvis. Sybs shakes her
head.
Oh dear, but thankfully it wasnt far worse. I cant
imagine her coping at all if she had to lie around in a
hospital bed for any length of time. We both smile and
shake our heads.
Absolutely not, Hettie would hate that. Anyway, Ill
let her know that you were asking after her.
Thanks, Sybs. Ill pop down and see her soon. I take
it she wont be running her cross-stitch class this week?
I glance over at my first attempt hanging on the wall
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by the window a simple Home Sweet Home sampler


in a gorgeous cherry-red thread with a dainty, creamycoloured blossom flower detailing. Soon after Jack went,
I realised that all my evenings were my own again
there was no more need for the Mum-taxi service,
taking him to hockey practice, rugby, swimming and
such-like in Market Briar. I really fancied trying something new and different, so I signed up to Hetties
Cross-stitch for Beginners course. Its totally informal;
about eight of us meet up every Wednesday evening.
After a good thirty minutes or so of catching up
(gossiping) and devouring packets of custard creams
and Jammie Dodger biscuits, and whatever delicious
cake Kitty has brought with her (she runs the Spotted
Pig caf and tearoom on the corner of the High Street),
Hettie shows us how to cross-stitch as beautifully as
she does.
Dont be daft! Sybs nudges me gently. Why on earth
would you think a bruised hip would stop Hettie from
soldiering on? We both laugh.
Hmmm, Ive actually no idea why I thought such a
thing, I say, enjoying our banter. I should have known
Hettie wouldnt let us down.
Absolutely not. And you should have seen the look
she gave me when I suggested that of course you would
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all understand if she wanted to give this weeks class a


miss.
Ha! I can imagine. You are one brave woman, Sybil
Bloom, I chuckle.
A foolish one more like, she pulls a face. Anyway,
Id better get going and sort out this stinking dog before
the whole of Tindledale whiffs of fox poo.
Sure, I laugh. Well, thanks for popping by. I give
Sybs a hug.
Oh, I almost forgot can I give you these? She
opens the top of her beautiful fuchsia hand-knitted
bag it has rose-print fabric lining and pulls out a
wad of leaflets. It might not be your thing, but I
wondered if you wouldnt mind putting one inside each
of your childrens book bags? For the parents. Well,
children and dogs too or ferret in Mollys case, she
sighs, and an image of Molly, the butchers wife, walking
her pet ferret around the village on a lead, pops into
my head. Yes, the more the merrier. Ben reckons we
really need everyone to get involved if were to stand a
chance of winning. Sybs grins and I grin back, feeling
brighter than I have all week. I like Sybil; shes always
cheerful and eager to help out if she can.
Sure, I say, taking them from her and glancing at
the leaflet on top of the pile.
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Tindledale Needs You!


Come along to the Duck & Puddle pub on Friday
29 May at 6 p.m. to find out how you can get involved
in this years GREAT VILLAGE SHOW. All welcome
(dogs on leads please).
Ooh, so the parish council got over its embarrassment,
then, and decided to have another go? I say, trying not
to sound too amused.
What do you mean? Sybs asks with a curious look
on her face.
Well, last time, it, um... didnt go quite to plan. I
arch an eyebrow, unsure of how much I should tell her.
I imagine some members of the parish council would
prefer that the revered village GP and his girlfriend
werent aware of how badly behaved some of them were
last time Tindledale put on a show.
Last time?
Yes, it was in the summer before you arrived, which
I guess is why you dont know what happened.
Oh dear, this sounds ominous what? She frowns.
Ben thought it might be a good idea, you know, to boost
community spirit and really put Tindledale on the map.
Apparently the ten best village shows in the whole
country get listed in one of the national newspapers,
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with a full colour feature in their Sunday supplement


magazine.
Hmm, Dr Ben is right, it is a good idea, and it
certainly does boost community spirit, but last time
two of the parish councillors took spirit I pause for
added emphasis to a whole new level and had to
resign. There was a falling out over a giant marrow!
Ooops! Sybs makes big eyes.
Indeed. And we were doing so well, having been
pre-selected by the National Village Show Committee
to have a celebrity to help with the judging of local
produce food, preserves, cakes, bakes, eggs, vegetables,
gardens in bloom... that kind of stuff, which is always
a bit of a kudos thing. Stoneley Parish Council were
most put out when they had to put up with the plain
old ordinary judges. Sooo, Alan Titchmarsh turned up,
fresh from his telly gardening programme, and the two
Tindledale councillors started bickering and accusing
each other of cheating something about having
bought the marrow from the new Lidl that had just
opened up in Market Briar, instead of cultivating it on
their allotment as per the rules. It was shocking, but
hilarious too one of them completely lost it and
ended up grabbing Alans clipboard and smashing it
over and over and over into the offending marrow, at
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The Great Village Show

which point Marigold you know, the wife of Lord


Lucan? Sybs nods in acknowledgement, aware Im
referring, not to the famously untraceable nannymurderer, but to Lord Lucan Fuller-Hamilton from
Blackwood House on the Blackwood Farm Estate. Well,
she had to step in with a roll of kitchen towel so Alan
could wipe the marrow pulp from his face.
Oh no, thats awful, Sybs says, trying not to laugh.
And thats not all. The day before the show, the village
green was defiled. Mud everywhere. It was such a mess.
A runaway tractor was to blame one of the farm boys
lost control as he came over the brow of the hill and
ended up doing twenty zigzag laps with the plough
mode in full throttle, across the immaculately manicured lawn. Carnage, it was, and with absolutely no
time to re-turf the green before the judges arrived.
Blimey. Well, lets hope it isnt a disaster this time
around.
Yep, fingers crossed.
Why dont you come along to the meeting? Sybs
suggests, slipping the strap of her bag over her head,
cross-body style, before getting back on to her bicycle.
Sounds as if we might need a teacher, someone in a
position of authority, to bring some order to the event
especially if last times disastrous chain of events are
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Alexandra Brown

anything to go by. What if the villagers start behaving


like a bunch of children, bickering and bitching over
the provenance of their allotment produce? Sybs lets
out a long whistle, while I ponder on her suggestion.
Now, theres an idea. I might just do that, I nod
purposefully, thinking it could be just the thing to
kick-start my life. Jack isnt the only one who can look
to new horizons. Im still young, so who knows what
the future might hold?

N
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