Birds Of A Feather Episode 17
“Thank you, Jess,” Paloma said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you talking to me like this. I –”
She broke off at the sound of a vehicle turning into the farm entrance.
It was an old ex-ambulance, painted purple and covered with yellow sunflowers.
“Not another . . .” She broke off at the sight of Jess’s ashen face.
“Jess, are you all right? Would you like me to phone someone?”
“What?” Jess looked anxious, but not frightened. “No. I’m sure this is the man who’s come to fix Ed’s van.
“I’ll go and speak to him.”
She took a steadying breath. Her breathing and colour returned to normal.
“I’ve waited a long time for this moment. Go ahead and call Will.”
They watched as a tall man climbed out of the colourful ex-ambulance, his grey hair tied back in a ponytail, and walked across to Ed and Sam, shaking his head.
“Didn’t I tell you this thing was nowhere near ready? Open the bonnet and let’s see if the damage you’ve done is permanent.”
“See?” Jess said. “He’s come to fix the van.”
Paloma nodded and went back into the tea room, took her phone out and tapped in Will’s number.
Jess waited until Paloma had gone before crossing the car park to meet Frank.
Uppermost in her mind was the reaction she’d received from his daughter, Shauna, the day before, and she was in no hurry to repeat the experience in front of an audience.
Frank was stretched out underneath the van, his head and shoulders completely hidden.
Before she could speak to him, another car pulled into the car park.
As Elsie had commented earlier, this place was getting more like Piccadilly Circus by the minute.
Jess caught her breath as she recognised the man who got out of the small silver hatchback.
She hurried across to him, hoping to head him off.
“What happened to that tea you promised me?” Harry Manvers asked, and Jess noticed how Sam scooted round to the other side of the van at his approach.
“I knocked at your door and was told you’d gone off with a load of travellers. I thought I’d check it out.”
Jess flushed.
“Everything’s fine. There was no need for you to come.”
“There was every need,” he said with a wry smile. “If I’d stayed there any longer that old lady would have had my life history.”
Jess forced a laugh, though she was far from amused.
“That’s Elsie for you. Your darkest secrets will be all over the village by now.”
“So, when she said travellers, did she mean the Ryans?” Harry asked.
He glanced across at Ed’s van and at Frank’s legs still sticking out from underneath.
“Yes.” Jess sighed. “That’s Ed Weston’s van. It broke down. Frank’s just arrived to fix it.”
“Frank Ryan, eh?” He looked at her closely. “So how did it go? You and Frank, I mean?”
“We haven’t met yet. He’s a bit busy at the moment.”
“And you want me out of the way before you do? Is that it?”
Jess nodded.
“I’m sorry, Harry. Another time?
“In fact, if you come up here when the tea room’s open, you can have a piece of cake to go with it.”
He looked across at the van then back at Jess, as if he were trying to make up his mind about something.
“I’ll be fine, Harry,” she assured him. “I appreciate your concern. But please?”
“As in please go away?” he asked.
When she nodded, he went on.
“I feel responsible for introducing you to the Ryans. If anything makes you uncomfortable, you will let me know, won’t you?”
To her intense relief, he turned around, got back in his car and drove off.
As he did, she walked across to Ed’s van.
“It’s all right,” she heard Ed say to Sam. “He’s gone.”
“Ed?” she said quietly. “Does Frank know about my visit to Shauna?”
He shook his head.
“Not unless Shauna told him. What was all that about? I asked Shauna but she told me to mind my own business.”
He stopped as the legs under the van began to move.
“I’m getting too old for this lark,” a voice complained. “I’m not sure that’s going to do it.
“But wait until I start her up. See what happens.”
Jess held her breath as Frank Ryan wriggled out from beneath the van and hauled himself to his feet.
She looked at him, her heart pounding. Did he look like Joe?
“Oh.” Frank stood up. “I didn’t know we had an audience.”
He looked at her closely. Jess felt a jolt of recognition as she looked into his eyes – dark brown flecked with gold. The same eyes she saw every morning in her mirror.
She cleared her throat and stood up, straight and tall. She forgot about her resolve not to rush things.
Her other grandfather had died before she could meet him.
For the first time in her memory, she was face to face with someone who was related to her.
Her good intentions vanished like morning mist.
“I’m Jessica,” she said, the words tumbling out as the puzzled look in his eyes drove her on. “I know this is going to come as a shock to you. But I’m Joe and Kathryn’s daughter.
“I’m your granddaughter.”