Falling Leaves in Lantern Square

by Helen Rolfe

Genres: General Fiction

Synopsis

This is Part Two in a charming new four-part serial from Helen Rolfe, author of The Little Café at the End of the Pier - perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Holly Hepburn Step into the cosy community of Lantern Square... Hannah has found where she belongs in the little village of Butterbury. Her care package business, Tied Up With String, is overwhelmed with orders, and she's even made peace with Joe, the arrogant local doctor. But in her personal life, things aren't quite so simple. Hannah moved to Butterbury for a fresh start, but the past won't seem to let her go... Her ex-boyfriend, Luke, has charmed his way back into her life, reminding her of the future they once dreamed of together. And when her one-time best friend Georgia appears on her doorstep, wanting in on the action, Hannah must try to forgive and forget. As the leaves turn golden in Lantern Square, can Hannah open her heart and learn to trust again...? *** The Little Cottage in Lantern Square is a delightfully heartwarming story told in four parts. This is the second part.

Release date: October 8, 2019

Publisher: Orion

Print pages: 160

Sample

As Hannah drove along, following the winding road from Butterbury towards the next village along in the Cotswolds, she took in the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. The nearby fields were still bursting with a mixture of verdant greens, while hues of mustard yellow hinted that seasons were about to change from the tail end of summer to the beauty of autumn. Cool air filtered in through the windows and she almost forgot to be nervous about her visit to Maplebrooke Manor until she indicated to turn off the road and into the driveway.

When her ex-boyfriend Luke turned up at Lantern Cottage not long after the summer fair in late August, Hannah had found herself agreeing to think about the offer of afternoon tea with him and his family. He’d told her he wanted to be friends, even though she’d ended their relationship so abruptly, and since that day, she’d continued to put it off until he’d returned to London and his job. Whenever the request had come her way via text message, she’d always found another excuse. But after bumping into Luke and his dad outside the pub yesterday he’d invited her to his parents’ home again, and this time she’d found herself saying yes.

Maplebrooke Manor’s grand proportions continued all the way down the impressive driveway. Flanked by mature oak trees whose leaves had already started to turn golden and crisp, and floated down nonchalantly in the light September breeze, Hannah drove ever closer to the house she’d once known so well. While she was still sitting in her run-around, fun-size purple Fiat 500 which spent most of its days sitting idle outside her home at Lantern Cottage, unless she needed to see a supplier or shop for specific care package items, she felt safe. Safe from having to confront her feelings head-on when she saw Luke again. She’d hesitated about coming here, not because she didn’t feel welcome or because she wanted to avoid his mum, Linda, who’d been perfectly civil when they’d bumped into each other in the summer, but because she wasn’t sure Luke’s feelings were one hundred per cent platonic. And she couldn’t say with absolute certainty that hers were either.

The gravel crunched beneath her tyres as she turned in front of the house and parked up beside Luke’s familiar BMW, although on closer inspection she realised there were subtle differences and he must’ve upgraded since they were together. The last one had white leather seats, this one had cream; the previous model had a walnut dashboard, this one had leather and the dials looked more sophisticated. He must be doing well and Hannah found herself feeling pleased for him, glad he hadn’t fallen apart after she left.

Hannah had fallen in love with this house and its grounds the first time she ever came here. She and her one-time best friend Georgia had been out in London to celebrate the launch of their new joint venture, being plied with cocktails by Georgia’s friend Jason, when he’d invited them both to his mate’s party in the Cotswolds, telling them the more the merrier. Up for adventure, Georgia and Hannah had come along to this amazing manor in the country with a live band, stunning grounds and more people than Hannah had thought possible for one family to ever know. Hannah had soon found a treehouse hidden in the garden, and was looking for the best way to climb up when she’d heard a voice behind her, declaring that only ‘very special people’ were allowed up there. She’d turned to find a man leaning against a tree, ash-grey eyes dancing with mischief. Luke had grabbed her attention at once with his quick wit and captivating good looks, and Hannah had felt a stirring of hope that she might find happiness again. For the first time in a long while, she had fun, and it was beneath that treehouse that they’d shared their first kiss.

Now, unsure of what the visit would bring, she crunched across the driveway peppered with acorns that had dropped from the mighty oaks nearby. She pressed the button on the ornate brass doorbell and it gave a melodic chime – the kind of sound that let you know you were about to step into a home so grand and vast that it would be easy to get lost within its walls. During her visits to Maplebrooke Hannah had got lost on the way to the bathroom more times than she cared to remember, and on her first stay had opened the door to the study, covered in only a bath towel, to find a bewildered Rupert, Luke’s dad, looking at her in confusion. That was the first time they’d met and it certainly broke the ice, with all of them seeing the very funny side.

Linda greeted Hannah moments after the melody at the front door came to its conclusion. ‘Hannah, welcome.’ She hugged her guest and invited her inside. ‘I’m so glad you came, we’re due a proper catch-up.’

‘Thank you for inviting me.’

‘I hope you didn’t just come for the food.’ It was Rupert, folder of papers in hand, heading down the L-shaped staircase from the partially galleried landing above. He greeted Hannah with as much enthusiasm as his wife. ‘I’m sorry I can’t hang around, off to make a house call. Birthing a horse,’ he announced.

Rupert was in his early seventies now. A veterinary surgeon renowned in these parts and appreciated by farmers dotted along the outskirts of Butterbury and beyond, he would’ve more than earned his retirement, but it seemed there was no stopping him. Even if he hadn’t had a medical emergency Hannah suspected he would’ve grabbed a couple of petite sandwiches from the afternoon tea, had a cuppa and then darted out on some errand or another.

‘Next time,’ she said without really thinking.

‘I’ll hold you to that,’ said Rupert before he disappeared out the door. ‘It’s lovely to see you back again.’

She didn’t have much time to panic that Luke’s family might think this was the first visit of many, that she and Luke might be picking up where they left off, because Luke appeared with a beaming smile.

‘Hannah. Good to see you.’ He came from the corridor to the left, which if she remembered rightly, led to the kitchen and then into the orangery. She’d always thought it so grand when she first visited and had asked in a hushed voice why that particular room wasn’t called a conservatory. Her parents had one of those and Hannah had never been sure of the difference. Rupert had overheard the debate and shared some of the history of the manor house, told her how years ago having an orangery was a sign of prestige, how once upon a time it was used to house citrus trees in the winter months. Greenhouses had taken over some of the job these days, but the room would always bear its original name. He was as passionate about this home as he was about all things veterinarian and following the orangery education he’d taken Hannah around the rest of the manor pointing out features that were hundreds of years old, and newer additions that had been sympathetically chosen to fit in.

Linda lead Hannah and Luke through to the drawing room where in the winter a roaring fire would be going and bathing the library shelves in a soft glow. But today, the mild temperatures didn’t call for it and Hannah sank comfortably down onto the cream sofa.

‘This place is still as wonderful as I remember,’ she told Luke when Linda went off to make tea for each of them.

‘Home sweet home.’ He sat down next to her. ‘And it’s wonderful to have some time out.’

Her gaze flicked to his because Luke buzzed on the constant vibe London provided, he’d never once sought solace in the country. ‘You must be feeling your age.’

‘Cheeky.’ He nudged her arm and then lay his own across the back of the sofa. ‘Can’t believe I’m thirty-three. I still think of myself as a kid when I’m here. Mum fusses around as though I’ve no idea how to do anything for myself.’

‘She likes looking after you, I suspect.’

‘I think she likes to stay busy. Dad still works plenty of hours, she has this place to manage and she volunteers with the Women’s Institute.’
. . .