Page 33 of Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm

‘Flora’s talking about flat-pack furniture for the tents,’ said Harriet in a pointed tone.

Katy grimaced. ‘Seriously?’ She shook her head. ‘This is about budget, I suppose? Listen, when I was sourcing stuff for the railway carriages, I went to a couple of those second-hand furniture places in Aldwych. Plus eBay for vintage stuff.’

‘Yes, but that fitted in with the vibe of the railway theme,’ said Flora. Although she had to admit that she had been a little concerned about the look of the flat-pack furniture that Nico had showed her. She had hoped for something a little more pretty. And the girls seemed to agree.

‘Looks are, unfortunately, everything in the hospitality business,’ Katy told her. ‘You want something that somebody sees online and gets excited about sleeping in. You know. Even if it is a tent!’

She went off to take another order, leaving Flora thinking. Perhaps she could stretch her artistic talent just a little bit, if she could find the right furniture.

‘So when does all the hard work begin?’ asked Harriet, interrupting Flora’s busy thoughts.

‘Today, I guess,’ said Flora, stifling a yawn. She was still a little weary from the trip to Scotland.

‘Tired?’ murmured Libby, with a knowing smile.

‘What’s with the look?’ asked Flora.

‘Just you and the Italian stud, in a mansion house,’ said Libby, her eyes gleaming. ‘Overnight and in the same bed, no less.’

Flora rolled her eyes. ‘I’ve already told you that it wasn’t like that. It was more like sleeping in a haunted mansion. With Miss Haversham in charge. Nothing happened.’

‘Why not?’ asked Harriet.

‘Because it’s not like that,’ said Flora. ‘He’s too much for me. He’s so impetuous. Who buys a whole load of tents just like that?’ She shook her head. Although, of course, now she didn’t feel quite so disapproving of him. ‘I need a quiet and steady man in my life, not someone like that.’

Libby made a face. ‘Dullsville, more like. Where’s the fun? The excitement?’

‘What did I miss?’ Katy asked again, coming to sit down with them. ‘I’ve got a five-minute break, so hit me with the gossip.’

‘Five minutes?’ Libby frowned. ‘Is that all Ryan will give you?’

‘No, that’s all I’ll allow myself because we’ve got a delivery coming shortly. And leave Ryan alone.’ Katy smiled. ‘If he needs punishing, then I’ll be the one to do it.’ She shot them all a wink accompanied by a cheeky grin.

Harriet giggled. ‘You two are so cute,’ she said.

‘In a sickening way,’ added Libby, giving Katy a nudge with her elbow so that she knew Libby was only joking. ‘Flora was just telling us that she wants a nice, dull man in her life.’

Katy looked aghast. ‘Dull!’ she repeated. ‘Where’s the fun in that?’

‘Left behind, apparently,’ murmured Libby.

‘Look, I don’t have time for all this,’ Flora told them. ‘There’s so much to do. On top of everything else, Grams had the idea that the pond might be a good selling point as well for any campers, so I’ve got to make sure that looks ready for its photograph.’

‘I’d forgotten about the pond,’ said Harriet in a dreamy tone. ‘I haven’t been there in ages.’

‘The what?’ asked Katy, looking confused. She had only arrived the previous autumn and hadn’t really explored the woods fully.

‘In the middle of the woods, there’s a large pond,’ Flora told her.

‘Like a duck pond?’ asked Katy.

Libby shook her head. ‘Not really!’ she said, laughing. ‘It’s huge. It’s a natural swimming pond, which I’m told is the height of fashion these days. We used to go in it all the time when we were kids.’

‘It’s really pretty,’ said Harriet. ‘Or at least it was many years ago when I saw it.’

‘Is it clean?’ asked Katy, with a grimace.

‘The water is crystal clear,’ Flora told her in a proud tone of voice. ‘And the plants around the edge help with the oxygenation as well.’