She leant forward and angled her head to look down at the hill they were situated on. The traditional bluebells of the village worked their magic and transformed the hill from a dusky green to an enchanting blue. They ran down the hill like a river and surrounded the bases of the oak trees. The ground was temporarily covered with a blanket of blue.
‘You’re right. It’s beautiful.’ Jessica turned to Esme and smiled. ‘It doesn’t change anything, though.’ And that saddened her greatly. If only it did. ‘It’s still Bluebell Hill. It’s still the place I escaped and for very good reasons.’
Esme’s mouth turned down at the corners. ‘Come on. I’ve got a beef stew slow-cooking back at the cottage. I know it’s one of your favourites.’
They set off down the dusty, sun-burnt lane.
***
‘Perhaps you should fill me in on what you’ve been up to since you’ve been away?’ Esme suggested as they strolled. ‘So much time has passed since you left. What happened once you arrived in London?’
‘Once I arrived, I found a cheap apartment,’ Jessica began. ‘The money you gave me really helped me. Did I ever say thank you for that?’ Esme smiled, nodding for her to continue. ‘It was only a small place, not exactly sparkling clean, but it was perfect for me. I met one of the girls who lived upstairs and she helped me out with finding a job. She put a good word in at the café she worked at and I got straight in. Sarah. She’s an angel. I really don’t know what I would have done without her.’ She smiled at the memory of working alongside Sarah for those first few months. They’d had such a great time together, their friendship blossoming into the incredibly strong bond that they shared now, all these years later.
‘How lovely of her to help you out. She sounds marvellous. Do you still see her now?’ Esme angled her head towards her.
‘She’s my closest friend.’ Jessica laughed lightly. ‘We do everything together. I went from the café to a bookshop around the corner which then led to my colleagues pushing me towards applying at Partridge & Co. which I thought was a ridiculous idea at the start but once I was sat back at home it became a bit of an obsession for me. In the end I took a chance and they invited me along for an interview. I was beside myself with excitement,’ she continued, unable to stop the grin from appearing on her face as she thought back to the day when she’d received the phone call. ‘Just a day after the interview I was called and offered the job.’
Esme stopped walking and turned to face Jessica. ‘I’m very proud of you, Jessica. You do know that, don’t you?’
Caught off guard by the unforeseen moment of tenderness, Jessica swallowed and tried to keep it all together. ‘Thank you, Esme. I’m proud of me, too. And of course I know that you’re proud of me. You’ve always been proud of me, haven’t you? Even the tiniest things, like getting myself dressed in the mornings or brushing my teeth.’ She smiled at Esme, basking in the glow of affection. ‘It took a while for me to work my way up through the company but now I’m a marketing manager. It’s so much fun and gives me such a buzz. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I must admit, I was a bit worried about being away from it whilst being here. I feel a bit lost.’
‘I’m sure they can manage without you, and just think how pleased they’ll be to see you once you’re back.’ Esme adjusted her shawl and allowed it to hang lower across her arms. The sun’s heat was surprisingly warm.
‘I miss Sarah already. But I can chat to her whenever I need to. She’s reminded me a million times that she’s only ever a text or a phone-call away which makes me feel so much better. I really don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s amazing.’
‘You should have invited her along. I would have loved to have met the woman who helped you out. She sounds fantastic. You can never have too many good friends.’
‘No, I don’t think she would have enjoyed it.’ Jessica shook her head and blinked up at the sun. ‘She’s got her own things going on at the moment. New relationship, work… Plus, I felt I needed to come here alone. It might have been awkward for her, with the funeral and everything.’
Silence descended as they both thought about what lay ahead during Jessica’s time in Bluebell Hill. It was going to be a difficult time for both of them, not just Jessica. Esme had worked for the McAdams family for a long time.
‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. The funeral would have darkened the visit, so it’s probably best that she stayed at home.’ Esme nodded firmly.
When they’d been following the lane for what felt like forever, Jessica finally saw the first signs of civilisation in Bluebell Hill. She glanced behind herself at the way they’d come, the bluebells looking resplendent cascading down the hill.
‘Nearly there!’ Esme announced cheerfully. ‘I can’t wait for you to see the cottage. The flowers are almost in full bloom and the garden looks splendid. And having you here with me? It’s going to be just like the old days.’ Esme stopped abruptly when she saw the expression that flickered across Jessica’s face. ‘Well, not exactly like the old days of course… Things are different now…’ She trailed off awkwardly.
‘It’s okay,’ Jessica decided as they passed a few homes on either side of the lane. ‘We’re not going to be able to avoid it forever. Anyway, we’ve talked about me. What about you? What have you been doing since I’ve been gone?’
Esme waved to an elderly woman who was watering flowers in her front garden. ‘Well, I’ve just been pottering about, really. Nothing much has changed for me.’
‘And are you still enjoying living in Bluebell Hill?’
Esme stopped abruptly. ‘I am, more so now because you’re here. Do you know Jessica, not a single day went by where I didn’t think of you, or wonder how you were, or how life was treating you. I’d always hoped that you’d return to Bluebell Hill sooner, but I also knew, deep down, that you wouldn’t. I knew how desperate you were to get away, so why on earth would you come back?’
Jessica nodded slowly, unsure of how to reply. She knew that nothing would excuse the way she’d ran off and ignored Esme’s existence once she’d settled in London. The only answer she had was that she’d been so desperate to get away from it all and the strength of that desperation had led to forcing away the memory of Bluebell Hill, including the people who lived there. She felt guilty that Esme had held such hope that she’d return to visit, and that she’d never phoned or sent a letter, just to let her know that she’d been okay. She guessed she’d just got carried away with it all, and who could blame her for taking her new and exciting life with both hands and living it to the full?
***
Esme beamed with pride as she looked upon her home. She paused in front of it and beckoned Jessica forward to share in her delight. Although the exterior of Esme’s cottage was a bit crumbly, the celebration of colour surrounding it was enough to make any passer-by stop and stare and completely overlook the cottage itself.
Ruby reds, luscious pinks, dandelion yellows and sun-kissed oranges, it was layer upon layer of rainbow-like chaos and it took Jessica’s breath away as she stood still and admired it with an open mouth, seriously impressed.
‘It’s probably in need of a tidy-up,’ Esme commented as they drew near and Jessica was able to see the ivy crawling over the roof and the stone exterior of the cottage. It was a fairy-tale home through and through. Esme pushed open the wooden gate which emitted a small squeak and ducked beneath the wooden trellis, ivy twisting in and out of the framework prettily, tiny