Springtime at Wildacre

Book 3: Animal Ark Revisited

by Lucy Daniels

Genres: Family Life; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

In the little village of Welford, flowers are blooming, the lambing season is underway...and love is in the air.

Mandy Hope is on cloud nine. Hope Meadows, the animal rescue and rehabilitation centre she founded, is going really well. And she's growing ever closer to handsome villager Jimmy Marsh. What's more, James Hunter, her best friend, is slowly learning to re-embrace life after facing tragedy.

But when an unexpected crisis causes Mandy to lose confidence in her veterinary skills, it's a huge blow. If she can't learn to forgive herself, then her relationship with Jimmy, and the future of Hope Meadows, may be in danger. It'll take friendship, love, community spirit - and one elephant with very bad teeth - to remind Mandy and her fellow villagers that springtime in Yorkshire really is the most glorious time of the year.

Hope Meadows is based on the globally best-selling Animal Ark series. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Cathy Bramley.

Release date: April 28, 2018

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Print pages: 368

Sample

‘There’s a third lamb in here.’ Mandy Hope looked over at the farmer. Mr Ruck crouched on his haunches on the cropped grass as he steadied the head of the Wensleydale ewe. Mandy was unsure how this information would go down. A pair of lambs was ideal – sheep had only two teats after all. Three was a bonus that not many farmers would appreciate. The two lambs that had already been born writhed in the grass next to the ewe.

But Mr Ruck grinned, his short white hair ruffling in the soft breeze that carried with it the clean scent of the moorland turf. ‘The missus’ll be delighted,’ he said. ‘This old ewe’s one of her favourites. We’d almost given up on her this year, she’s so late with her lambs.’

Mandy pictured Prudence Ruck in her mind. Mr and Mrs Ruck’s daughter, Harriet, had been in Mandy’s class at school and Mandy had often visited her friend at Quarry Cottage. Harriet’s dark-haired, dark-eyed mother had always been creating something from the wool she and her husband produced.

‘How is Prue?’ Mandy asked as she nudged her arm a little deeper inside the sheep. So far, she had only found a head. There should have been two front feet as well. She had to get them into the correct position before the lamb could be born.

‘She’s doing great,’ Mr Ruck replied.

‘Is she still knitting?’ Mandy pressed her fingers forwards another inch. There was the left leg, tucked away along the side of the lamb’s body.

‘She is that,’ the old farmer nodded. ‘We’ve got a new outlet these days at Upper Welford. The unit there has been a great boon.’

Mandy thought back to the previous summer when she had visited the little row of artisanal shops that had been opened in the steading at Upper Welford Hall. She was glad it had boosted the business of many villagers. Jobs could be scarce around here, she knew.

Mandy’s eye was caught by a movement near her elbow. One of the lambs that had already been born had staggered to its feet. It tottered across the grass, wobbling with knock-kneed determination towards its mother. Its tightly curled fleece was already almost dry, its rather large ears and bright eyes gave it a quizzical look. As she watched, it opened its mouth and let out a high-pitched bleat. The ewe lifted her head and gave the grumbling chuckle to her newborn lamb that Mandy loved so much.

She returned her thoughts to the invisible puzzle inside the ewe. Although she had brought the first leg forward, it wasn’t in quite the right position. The elbow was now straight, but the carpal joint was still contracted. She left it for now. Pushing along the other side of the lamb, she felt for the second foot. There it was, right back against the compact little body. A tightening on her forearm told her the uterus was contracting. The ewe’s head was back down and she grunted softly as she lay on her side and strained. Mandy waited until the pressure was past, then keeping the tiny cloven hoof away from the wall of the womb, she tugged it forward. As the next contraction began, she could feel two feet and one head pressing forwards.

Both of the lamb’s toes were pointing downwards rather more than they should have been. Mandy held them safely within the birthing passage as the lamb surged towards her. The little hooves appeared first, followed by a reassuringly twitchy nose. As the uterus contracted again and the sheep made a final grunting effort, the head appeared, followed in a rush by the rest of the tiny creature. Mandy removed the remainder of the amniotic sac from the small white face and to her pleasure, the lamb raised its head, shaking its rather large ears free. The ribcage lifted as the newborn took its first gasping breath.

Mr Ruck was looking at it with concern. ‘Those front legs don’t look quite right,’ he said.

Instead of stretching out straight, the joints just above the little cloven hooves of both front legs were bent over. ‘He has contracted tendons,’ Mandy confirmed. ‘It happens sometimes when there hasn’t been much space. We’ll need to wait and see how the little chap gets on when he stands up.’

She looked around at the surrounding moorland. It was unusual to be lambing a ewe up here on the high tops. It had been more common when her parents had first opened Animal Ark, the veterinary clinic that lay down in the valley. Nowadays, most farmers brought their sheep into the practice for assistance, but Mr Ruck had flagged her down as she had been returning from an early morning call out.

‘We won’t be able to keep an eye on the little lad up here.’ Mr Ruck seemed to have divined her thoughts. ‘We’ll take them down into the field beside the cottage. Could you wait while I give Prue a call, please? She’ll bring the trailer up.’

‘Of course,’ Mandy said. ‘If you could just hold onto Mum a moment longer while I have a last check inside.’ Even though the ewe already had three lambs, it was vital to make sure there were no more, and that there were no problems with the uterus. Mandy lubricated her gloved hand one last time and bent to examine the ewe. Everything seemed fine. ‘Yep, all fine,’ she told the farmer. Pulling her hand out, she shifted up to the ewe’s head and took over from Mr Ruck. There were no pens up here on the moor. If they let the wily animal go, it would be very difficult to catch her again.

Mr Ruck stood up, stretching his legs with a groan. ‘I’ll just take a wander over there,’ he said, pointing. ‘Get a better signal.’ Pulling a mobile phone from his pocket, he strode off in the direction of the lane where Mandy’s car was parked.

It was the most beautiful morning, Mandy thought. A soft breeze played across her face as the sun shone down from a clear sky. No matter how many times she assisted in a lambing, it never seemed to lose any magic for her. Three new little lives had begun today and she knew she’d helped it happen. She watched as lamb number three began to make his first tremulous efforts to rise. Despite the stiffness in his forelimbs, he was as determined to stand as his two siblings, who were already butting their heads against their mother’s flank looking for milk. ‘It’s down here.’ Mandy tried to guide them into position, but they pulled their heads away, shaking their ears at her. It would be easier when the ewe was home and standing up.

Mandy’s gaze wandered over the moorland. It was so green under the huge curve of blue sky. Other ewes were scattered amongst the jutting grey rocks that littered the landscape. Their low voices called out, the piercing bleats of the youngsters answering as they gambolled in the sunshine. A few feet away, a pair of older lambs burrowed their heads underneath their mother for milk, tails whirling as they drank.

Near where she was kneeling, Mandy could see the yellow slippers of a patch of bird’s-foot-trefoil bobbing in the wind. Her eyes followed the line of the dry-stone wall, which stretched across the dale. On the far side of the valley, the trees of Lamb’s Wood wore the light green hue that came with the height of spring. Amongst the greenery, she could make out the dark roof of Wildacre, the cottage she had bought last autumn. It had seemed before Christmas that the renovations she wanted would never be complete, but now everything was coming together.

My own home!

Her eye was caught by movement further down the slope. A dark figure on a quad bike was riding across the field. She pulled her mobile from her pocket. Despite Mr Ruck’s comment about signal, she seemed to have a couple of bars. With one hand still on the ewe’s neck, she quickly typed in a message: ‘Good morning handsome.’

In the distance, the quad bike came to a standstill. Despite being little more than a speck, she thought she could see the figure reaching into a pocket.

‘Morning beautiful.’ A kiss emoji. The message came winging back and the speck was on its way again. Mandy grinned. Jimmy Marsh, the wonderful man in her life, had no idea she was spying on him from afar. She hugged the information to herself.

‘You’re looking rather pleased.’ Mandy turned her head as Gordon Ruck strode back up the hill.

‘This has been a great start to the day,’ Mandy replied. She felt a wave of happiness washing over her in a way that was becoming familiar. As well as Wildacre and Jimmy, she had Animal Ark and Hope Meadows. She had grown up in the shelter of Animal Ark, her parents’ veterinary surgery, where she now worked alongside them as a vet. In the autumn, her wonderful adoptive parents had helped her to achieve her life-long dream of running a rescue centre. Hope Meadows was now filled with furry residents, all of whom needed Mandy’s help. She couldn’t help but feel very, very lucky.

‘Prue’s on her way,’ Mr Ruck told her. Even as he spoke, Mandy saw the square shape of a Land Rover making its way up the narrow lane, towing a small silver trailer.

‘I think that little chap’s going to be okay.’ Mandy nodded towards lamb number three, who was now standing on his toes. Though he couldn’t straighten his legs completely, he was managing to totter forwards without falling. Had he been walking on his knees, she might have had to splint the legs to correct the deformity, but as he was managing to walk, a couple of days of running around outside would most likely sort him out. ‘Keep an eye on him for a few days. If his legs don’t straighten, then bring him in and we’ll take another look.’

The Land Rover pulled up in the lane and Prue Ruck walked across the springy turf towards them.

‘Morning, Mandy.’ The dark hair and eyes were still as Mandy remembered from all those years ago when she had first visited her friend Harriet. There were a few more wrinkles, but Mrs Ruck barely seemed to have changed. Her face filled with delight as she regarded the ewe and her three lambs, which were all on their feet, gazing around with wide eyes. She bent down and put a hand on the mother sheep’s flank. ‘You’re a good old lass,’ she told the ewe. Mandy continued to hold the ewe’s head as between them, they encouraged the sturdy animal to her feet. Prue took over and guided the long-legged sheep towards the trailer as Gordon Ruck assisted. Mandy walked behind, ensuring that the three lambs were following too.

‘We can take it from here.’ Prue turned to smile at Mandy as Gordon lifted the ramp to close the trailer on the four animals. ‘Likely that little ’un will need an extra bottle or two, what with there being three of them. The old lass won’t mind. Always been one of my favourites, she has. She was a pet lamb herself, years ago. My little Wendy.’

Mandy couldn’t help but smile back. It was good to know that her patients would continue to receive good care.

‘So how are you, Mandy? And how is poor James doing?’ Mrs Ruck’s eyes were kind.

A pang of sadness went through Mandy. It was nearly a year since James’s husband, Paul, had died from the awful bone cancer that had riddled his body. Watching her best friend go through such grief had been the hardest thing she had ever experienced. ‘He’s doing … okay,’ Mandy said. It was the truth. James would never be the same again, but he was managing.

‘Well, give him our love, won’t you?’ said Mrs Ruck. ‘I’ll tell Harriet you were here. She’s very busy at the moment, but she was saying just the other day that she’d like to see you two again.’

It would be nice to catch up with Harriet, Mandy thought. Behind Mrs Ruck, across the valley, a movement caught her eye. The tiny figure had climbed off the quad bike and was wielding a mallet to bang in a fence post. For a moment, Mandy was distracted, but pulled her mind and eyes back to Prudence. ‘Thanks,’ she told Mrs Ruck. ‘Please give her my best.’

‘Will do.’ With a last nod, the older woman turned to get in the car alongside her husband. ‘Best be getting along. I guess we’ll see you at the Spring Show if not before,’ she said. ‘I’ve got a stall for my knitting.’

‘That’s great!’ said Mandy. The Welford Spring Show was a highlight of the village year – and Mandy’s too. A whole day outdoors, having fun, eating great food and being surrounded by beloved pets and livestock was something she could always enjoy. Mandy waited until the trailer had pulled away before returning to her own Toyota.

Morning surgery was in full swing at Animal Ark when Mandy returned. She was pleased to see Tango, the old ginger cat that her dad, Adam, had adopted, sitting on the reception desk. His golden eyes flickered as Helen, Animal Ark’s veterinary nurse, typed in some information into the computer. Occasionally he reached out a paw to tap Helen’s hand, as if reminding her he was there.

When Tango had first been brought from Hope Meadows, they had tried to keep him in the cottage. But he had been so persistent, following Adam out to Animal Ark every day and meowing loudly at the window until he was let in, that they had finally relented. He was now their official Practice Cat. He butted Mandy’s face, purring loudly as she leaned down beside Helen to scan through the appointments.

‘Just the one for you.’ Helen pointed at the screen with a grin. ‘Your dad is doing all the rest. He’s really getting into the swing of all the dogs and cats.’

As time had gone by, Mandy had been taking over more of the farm work from her father. She had worked in a small-animal practice before her return to Animal Ark, but she loved going out to see the horses, cows and pigs that made up the majority of Animal Ark’s larger patients. They rarely saw sheep outside of lambing time, but the spring flood of new births had been an added bonus for Mandy. Lambing was physically so much easier than calving and just as satisfying.

Adam seemed to be enjoying being in the clinic more as well. Emily Hope, Mandy’s mother, had been unwell just before Christmas. Though she was better, following a series of injections of vitamin B12, and with iron supplements to help with her anaemia, she still seemed tired at times and was doing less work than she had before. It was good that she was listening to the doctor. Mandy knew that if she took the farm calls, her dad could be closer to her mum, which was a comfort to them both.

She peered at the screen, where Helen was pointing.

‘Birch Fenwick,’ she read. ‘Dewclaw injury.’

Tango reached out his nose towards Helen’s pointing finger and the nurse moved her hand to rub him behind his ear. ‘I spoke to Dawn Fenwick,’ Helen said as Tango began to purr loudly. ‘Everything is going brilliantly. She’s going to bring Flame in too.’

‘How lovely.’ Mandy was delighted to hear that the gorgeous golden lurcher she had rehomed back in January would be coming in with Birch, the tiny silver terrier. The pair had attached themselves to one another when both had been in Hope Meadows. It was great to hear that things were going well. A dewclaw injury was only minor, after all.

Forty minutes later, Mandy left Animal Ark, with Sky, her border collie trotting at her heels. Together, they walked into the field behind Animal Ark, towards Hope Meadows. Sky had been one of Mandy’s first rescues at the centre, a shrinking dog, terrified of the world. Now, she was placid, loving and happy. Mandy stopped to fondle Sky and make a fuss of her before she went in to care for her current residents.

She opened the door and walked into the beautiful room with its huge window onto the fellside. It was half-term and Nicole Woodall, the shy teenager who helped Mandy out in the evenings and weekends during school time, was already halfway through cleaning out the cats. Mandy felt a surge of pleasure. Nicole was so willing, and more importantly, brilliant with the animals. She seemed instinctively to know when there was a problem. Mandy smiled. Despite being rather old, the second-hand cages she had bought were spotless and Nicole was engrossed in her favourite task of the moment.

‘How are they?’ Mandy asked, sliding down to sit on the floor beside the teenager. In her left hand, Nicole held a tiny black and white kitten. In the cage opposite, the kitten’s two brothers, one ginger and one tabby, were snuggled against their mother. The little black and white cat had been brought in a fortnight earlier, heavily pregnant and desperately thin. She had given birth safely six days ago, but the kittens had not thrived at the beginning. Mandy had weighed them daily. By day three, it had become apparent that they were not growing. Since then, Mandy had been supplementing the mother’s milk.

‘They’re doing wonderfully well.’ Nicole had really come out of her shell since she’d been coming to Hope Meadows, Mandy thought. Mandy had met Nicole six months ago when she had been out riding with Molly Future at Six Oaks. Nicole worked as a stable hand for Molly and now, she split her time between there and Hope Meadows.

The girl’s long blonde hair fell over her face as she leaned forwards to tend to the tiniest of the kittens. ‘I’ve given them names,’ she told Mandy, her eyes darting to Mandy’s face, then returning to her minuscule charge. ‘This is Button.’ She cradled the tiny scrap of fur in one hand. With the other, she held a miniature feeding bottle. Button was suckling at the teat. Her teeny paws were flexing and relaxing in turn, kneading at Nicole’s fingers. The small, domed head was still.

Mandy smiled at the ecstasy in the little face with its as-yet-unopened eyes. ‘Why Button?’ she asked.

‘Because she’s cute as a little button,’ Nicole said. Button had let go of the teat. Her head was bumbling about as if searching for something, but Nicole smiled as she held the tiny body up and inspected the round tummy. ‘I think you’ve had enough,’ she told the kitten. She lifted a piece of damp cotton wool from a box. Turning the kitten over, she rubbed her underside, mimicking the action of the mother’s tongue until the tiny animal passed urine. Nicole made sure the kitten was clean before she carried her back to her mother.

Mandy watched with pride. She had taught Nicole how to feed and handle the kittens and Nicole had picked it up perfectly.

I couldn’t have asked for a better helper.

This thought was followed by Mandy’s familiar stab of guilt that she wasn’t able to pay Nicole for her help yet. She needed to find a way, she knew, but she’d been struggling to find funding for Hope Meadows altogether.

‘Do the others have names as well?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’ Nicole knelt at the door to the cage. ‘That one’s Jasper.’ She pointed to the largest of the kittens, a ginger tom with a white chest who was squirming his way up his mother’s flank. ‘And that’s Myler,’ she said.

‘Myler.’ Mandy looked at the last of the kittens, the male tabby. ‘It suits him,’ she said with a grin.

Two hours later, she sat at the desk in the Hope Meadows reception area, gazing at the computer screen. All the bills for April had now been paid, but despite her best efforts, she was still going into the red by the end of every month. She chewed her thumb as she scrolled through the rows and columns of numbers, searching for inspiration.

What with the extra work of lambing time, and Emily being less well, she’d had no time to come up with any new fundraising plans. James and his assistant Sherrie were still sending contributions from James’s café-cum-bookshop in York, but somehow it never seemed to be quite enough to keep everything ticking over.

‘Mandy! Could you come here a second?’ Nicole’s voice floated through to reception. With a sigh, Mandy closed the lid of the computer and pushed her worries down.

Another day …



The track that led to Wildacre no longer felt like a jungle safari. The plants had been trimmed back and the worst of the ruts filled in by the landscapers. Mandy’s heart lifted as she drove towards her new home in the evening sunlight. The damaged parts of the weatherboarding had been replaced and the walls were freshly painted. The door was a lively shade of buttercup yellow. The plasterer’s van stood in the little parking place in front of the house, so she drove round the side and pulled up next to the lean-to shed where the wood for the stove was stored.

Walking round to the front door with Sky at her heels, she stopped for a moment to admire the scenery. Like the track, the overgrown garden had been partially tamed. It was James who had pointed out last year that there would be a lovely view over the valley, and so it had proved. Between the tall trees, she could see right down to the river. Further away, the fell reached towards the sky, the dry-stone walls scaling the heights, as they had for hundreds of years.

The scent of new plaster met her as she opened the door.

‘Hello.’ The plasterer greeted her from the sitting room, in overalls covered with white, powdery plaster. ‘Just finishing up,’ he told her. Most of the work had been carried out a couple of weeks earlier, but then the electricians had been in to complete the rewiring. It was such a mundane thing, yet Mandy watched with her heart in her mouth as he smoothed the area below the light switch, his movements economical. ‘And that’s it.’ He took a step back and regarded his handiwork with apparent satisfaction. Pulling off his gloves, he threw them into an empty bucket that was standing on the floor.

‘It looks great.’ Mandy gazed around, a grin spreading across her face. The ugly green wallpaper was gone, and the brick mantelpiece looked wonderful flanked by the new smooth plaster. The whole house already felt brighter.

I’ll decorate as soon as it’s dry.

She had already bought a warm shade of white paint called Sail White.

The plasterer tidied away his tools. ‘I’ll be off then,’ he told her. ‘Give me a shout if there’s anything else you need.’

‘Thanks,’ Mandy said. When he had gone, she walked out of the sitting room and crossed into the kitchen. The late sunshine slanted in through the kitchen windows. The shutters had been cleaned and freshly painted, as had the cupboards and the walls. The ancient black wood stove and the shutters lent the room a slightly old-fashioned feel. Mandy had also spent ages stripping down the old oak table and it stood under the window, with the newly upholstered chairs either side. Once the cupboard doors were in place, this room would be finished. Rather than buying new doors, Mandy had sanded the old ones until her arm had ached, then she had painted them a smart shade of green. Bronze handles completed the effect. For now, they were leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, but soon it would all be done. Soon this place would be a real home.

‘Evening!’ There came a welcome shout, then the sound of the front door opening. Sky’s tail began to beat against Mandy’s leg and a moment later the collie rushed across the room as Simba, Jimmy Marsh’s German Shepherd thundered in, followed at a more sedate speed by Zoe, his extremely pregnant husky. Jimmy followed close on their heels. He crossed the room and put a hand on Mandy’s waist, kissing her warmly. Even after six months, his touch still left her breathless. When they pulled apart a moment later, both of them were smiling.

‘Hello, you,’ Mandy said, then bent to stroke Zoe and Simba, who having greeted Sky, were pressing against Mandy’s legs as if she was the most wonderful person they had ever seen. ‘And hello, you two.’ Zoe licked her hand as Mandy scratched the soft fur behind the husky’s ear. She followed Jimmy as he walked through into the sitting room.

‘Wow, it’s looking so good,’ he told her after he had examined the new plasterwork from every angle.

‘It is, isn’t it?’ Mandy agreed. Jimmy put an arm round her waist again and pulled her into a hug. ‘It’ll look even better when we’ve painted it,’ he said. ‘Shall we get those cupboard doors up?’

Moving back through to the kitchen, followed by the dogs, Jimmy opened the toolbox that lay on the table. Lifting out a screwdriver and a box of screws, he set them on the side, then lifted up one of the brightly painted cupboard doors. ‘You’ve made a great job of these,’ he told her, looking up, his green eyes crinkling as he smiled.

Mandy waved away the dogs, who looked disappointed that there was no food coming as they trotted and flopped down on the rugs that lay by the door. Clearly they were quite aware of the fact that this was a kitchen, even if it wasn’t quite finished yet.

Then she took the cupboard door from Jimmy and lined it up with the hinges, holding it so he could screw them into place. She glanced at him as he worked, and couldn’t help smiling to see his eyes narrowed with concentration, his tongue slightly sticking out, almost like Tango’s did when he was disturbed mid-wash.

Forty-five minutes later, the green cupboard doors were all in place and Mandy and Jimmy stood back together, admiring the completed kitchen in the warm evening glow.

Seeing they had finished, the three dogs stood up, yawning and stretching. Simba came over and looked at them, ears pricked, head on one side. Then with a small whine, she trotted out into the hall, then returned to gaze at them again. ‘I think she wants some fresh air,’ Mandy said.

‘I think you’re right,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘How about it?’

There was no need for jackets. With the three dogs trotting at their heels, they turned left out of the front door, through the yard at the side of the house and plunged into the woods. It was an old footpath, which Mandy recalled from her childhood. Years ago, she and James had walked here with Blackie, James’s beloved Labrador. When she had returned to the cottage last year, it had been overgrown and almost unrecognisable, but she and Jimmy had reclaimed it, one Easter weekend, hacking away at the brambles until th. . .