Rich Girls Don't Date King Thrushbeard: Part 6

The masquerade continues.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five

Beep-beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep-beep.

Groaning, I rolled over and pressed the Off button on the digital clock. Lucky for me the lodge even had a clock on the bedside table and that it also had an alarm.

The bed was so soft and comfortable, and not at all smothering in the summer. I didn’t want to wake up at all, but I had no choice. This was my first day of work, and I’d better get used to it.

Scott had said breakfast was at half-seven. That gave me forty-five minutes.

I quickly showered, got dressed and tied my hair back. The plasters Maggie gave me for my hands were not only waterproof - they were also charmed to make cuts and other injuries heal faster.

The curtains in the lodge were heavy, so not to let any sunlight get in and disturb any sleepers. I pushed them open, and the place was immediately flooded with gold. Outside, emerald leaves rustled lazily in a breeze; above them was a perfect sky.

I had no idea what I’d be asked to help with, and this was a farm, so sandals wouldn’t do at all. Trouble is, I didn’t exactly have any clothes suitable for farm work except for my tracksuit and trainers, so that was what I was wearing.

I might have come from a rich family, but that didn’t mean I was stupid.

Hopefully, the Pastons wouldn’t notice just how expensive my trainers were.

I pushed open the lodge door and locked it behind me. There was birdsong everywhere; a small sparrow landed on a fence close to me and studied me inquisitively.

“Aren’t you so cute!” I crooned…and then saw what was behind the fence.

Green fields stretched into the distance like the ocean, separated by hedges and small stone walls. Clouds drifted overhead, and the air was filled with the scent of sweet leaves.

How much of this belonged to the Pastons?

As I walked towards the farmhouse, I glanced to my right and saw another huge field, this one with trees around it to act as a fence.

This was like something out of a film set – in fact, I was pretty sure a lot of film directors would love to rent it as a set.

Someone else was walking towards the farmhouse. It was Tyler, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red T-shirt. The sun shone on his hair, making it gleam a light gold.

I’d never seen anyone more beautiful in my life.

I gulped but put on a smile. I could do this.

“Morning,” he said. “Been for a run?”

“No, I just…these are the most casual clothes I have on me.”

He stopped walking and frowned. “Wait, you didn’t think we were going to make you swill the pigs and sweep the stables, did you?”

“I don’t really know much about your farm. For all I knew, you did want help with those.”

“OK, yeah, that’s a good point. Mum probably could have been clearer about what kind of help she needed. But we can talk about that later.” He grinned. “I can smell pancakes.”

So could I.

“Morning!” Maggie said as we walked inside. “Shoes off at the door, please. There’s tea and coffee on the side.”

“Um, my feet are bare now. Is that OK?” I asked.

“That’s fine; don’t worry about it. Kurt goes in bare feet all the time inside.”

The kitchen felt far more comfortable and welcoming than the one at home. That was just a place to eat; this one felt like a place to sit and talk to your family while drinking a leisurely cup of tea.

Speaking of tea, Tyler was taking a couple of mugs from a small cupboard on the wall. “Tea or coffee, Brynn?”

“Tea, please.” Those mugs looked very similar to the ones being sold at the farmer’s market yesterday. As he put them down on the table, I picked mine up by the handle and looked at the painting on it. It was of a swallow in flight.

“My niece makes those,” Maggie said as she flipped a pancake with practised ease. “She always makes sure we’ve got some to sell at our shop.”

“I’ve bought one of these. It’s in my suitcase right now.” It was safely wrapped up in paper and clothes.

Maggie looked delighted. “Really? Where did you find the stall?”

The tea had a pleasant citrus taste to it. “At a farmer’s market yesterday.”

“Was it the one at Topaz Coast?” asked Tyler.

Uh-oh. “Yes, it was. Why?”

“Huh. That’s where I must have seen you.” Tyler looked up as a figure appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Hey, Kurt.”

Kurt sat down without saying a word to anyone.

I watched Maggie start to pile the pancakes on medium plates. “Can I help with anything?”

“Oh no, thank you, Brynn.” She placed the plates in front of each of us in turn. “I’m going to get you to help stack items in the farm shop and later, Frieda is going to need a waitress in the shop café so you’ll have to change out of those clothes before we open.”

“What time does the shop open?” I asked.

“Nine.”

***

I’d thought that replenishing items in the farm shop would be difficult, but to my surprise I managed to put everything in the proper place. The shop sold an array of items, like wholewheat pasta, sauces, fruit and vegetables, bread, eggs, pickles, jams, chutneys and different types of flour. There was even a small delicatessen with cheeses and meats, and a freezer with homemade ice cream. One of the displays had a selection of scented beeswax candles, and another held the jars of honey I’d seen at the farmer’s market.

“Do not go near the beehives,” Maggie warned me. “They won’t tolerate anyone but me.”

All the while we’d been taking things from the storerooms and putting them out in the shop, I’d been terrified of dropping items on the floor – or worse, having a bag of flour or a box of eggs break in my hands – and I didn’t want to get too comfortable or casual while carrying the different types of stock.

It seemed ridiculous, yet all the same I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might happen.

At about twenty to nine, a woman in a blue blouse and cream trousers rapped smartly on the shop door.

Maggie went over to let her in. “Morning, Frieda! How are you?”

“Pretty good.” Frieda had long grey hair in a plait; the skin around her eyes creased as she smiled. “Oh, have we got a new girl? It’s lovely to meet you!”

“Frieda, this is Brynn,” Maggie told her. “She’s volunteering here. Could you give her a crash course on waitressing after she gets changed?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

With the promise that I’d be right back, I ran back to the lodge for a quick change and application of deodorant and perfume (not in that order). My pink shirt and light summer trousers should be perfect.

The café was in a converted barn just to the right of the shop. When I entered, Frieda was waiting for me. “Have you ever done any waitressing before?” she asked.

“No.”

“Just so you should know, the people who visit are usually lovely and we’ve got some great regulars, but we do occasionally get some…shall we say, less than pleasant customers. It’s important not to get the orders mixed up.” She handed me a small notebook and pen. “The tables all have numbers, and it does help if you also jot down something about the customer’s appearance – such as, if they’re wearing a red jacket or if they’ve got red hair.”

I nodded. “I can do that. Anything else I need to remember?”

“Just put on a smile, and if you have any problem customers come and get me. We don’t tolerate abuse of staff here.”

That was a relief. Once, we’d gone to lunch at a place that did tolerate abuse of staff and sat close to a family that did exactly that. I could still hear the waitress’s tearful mumble of “I’m sorry, Mrs Rothbart” and see the smirks on the faces of the teenage children as their father called for the manager.

“How long have you worked here?” I asked as I measured out spoons of coffee for the machines.

“About nine years. Loved every one of them and wouldn’t change it if I could. Vicky will be here in a few moments to help with the food. Oh, one more thing – any tips you make are yours. We do that with all our volunteers.”

***

Frieda was right about the customers being pleasant. I remembered to keep a pleasant demeanour when asking them if they were ready to order and jotting down what they wanted. I also remembered to ask if they wanted a jug of water as well, as it was still a very hot day.

The red apron they gave me with Goldbriar Farm on it made me feel almost professional.

For some reason, I felt my steps become lighter and my smile become genuine as the morning went on.

Until twelve o’clock came.

“Brynn, Scott just texted. Could you take a lemonade out to Kurt? He’s in the fields.” Frieda handed me a plastic cup with a cover on it. “Go out the door, turn right and keep going down the path.”

I walked as fast as I could down the path, which was lined with long grass on either side. Kurt sat in the shade of a tall tree, watching ten geese pecking at the grass.

“Hi. Frieda thought you might…”

A loud honking sound made me jump. The geese had left the grass and were clustering around me.

“Hey, easy! Easy! Back away!”

They did, but they only took a few steps away.

Kurt stared at me. “How did you do that?”

“Oh. I’ve got magic that makes birds like me.”

“Great!” He whisked the cup out of my hand. “From now on, you’re watching them.”

He began to walk back down the way I’d come.

“Hey, hold on! I’m supposed to be…”

Kurt held up his spare hand and kept walking.

I strode after him, blood blazing. “You can’t just…”

He whirled around. “Get on with it! You’re here to help, aren’t you?”

The anger and aggression in his eyes froze me where I was. Glaring one more time, he turned and started walking again.

If that was how he wanted to play it, fine. I waited until he was out of sight before saying: “Come on, guys,” to the geese. They followed me down the path, snapping up insects as they went.

When we reached the café, I waited until the next customers had gone in, then went to the door and tried to catch Vicky or Frieda’s eye. Frieda saw me, then the geese and her eyes widened.

I frantically beckoned her over and explained what had happened. When I’d finished, she grimly replied: “I see.” Taking out her phone, she pressed a few buttons and said, “Hi, Maggie, it’s Frieda. There’s a slight situation at the café…”

***

“Sorry about him.” Tyler was approaching me, holding two paper bags in one hand and a tall pink lemonade in the other. “Wish I could say Kurt’s not always like this, but if anything he’s gotten worse recently.”

“Is that lunch?”

“Yup. One tomato and mozzarella sandwich with prawn cocktail crisps, and one cinnamon roll.”

I took the bags and cup with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

One of the geese was eyeing the bags, her eyes gleaming.

“Don’t even think about it.”

She lowered her head and started nibbling at the grass again.

“You live in a beautiful place,” I said. I couldn’t leave Goldbriar without telling at least one member of the family that.

“Don’t I know it. May I?” He pointed to the space on the log next to me; I edged aside so he could sit down.

Being next to him made my chest feel warm again. No, I couldn’t do this. It had been a mistake the first time.

“It’s been in my family for a hundred years now; our anniversary was last year. There’s nothing I want more than to run the farm, but Kurt…doesn’t so much.” He shot me an apologetic look.

“Is that why he’s so grouchy?”

Tyler nodded. “He resents Sophie – that’s his sister – for starting her own business.”

“Because now he’ll be expected to work on the farm?” I opened the bag containing the crisps and the sandwich.

“His parents can be very…what’s the right word? Pushy.”

That did explain a bit about Kurt – but just because I understood him didn’t mean I liked him. “Well, I know a thing about pushy parents and their expectations.”

Tyler’s face grew solemn. “Is that why you left?”

“Yeah. Know how you said you want nothing more than to be a farmer? Event planning is that for me. Maybe I’ll regret it five or ten years later, but at least I’ve chosen my own path.”

“Good for you.”

I looked up and saw his blue eyes softening. It was like walking into a room I’d known all my life, one where I felt safe and free at the same time.

“Anyway, while you’re watching the geese, Kurt is going to be waiting tables in your place. Oh, and any tips he makes are yours. Mum insisted.”

Tyler winked at me and strode away. “She also said to keep applying sunscreen.”

I held up the bottle Maggie had given me. “I will!”