Chances (31 page)

Alice Johnson had moved into Pear Tree Cottage after Easter. The letting agent had warned Vita against her, saying that this potential tenant could not afford the top whack they’d placed on the house. However, as Vita had thought all along that kind of money had been unrealistic, she didn’t mind. And, when she met Alice for her second viewing, she knew the house would be right for her.

She’d come down from the North, she told Vita. She needed a fresh start – she’d found herself a new job and just wanted somewhere homely. Somewhere, Alice said, where she could find her wings again. Vita recognized in Alice a weariness, a vulnerability, but also the seeds of determination to take chances and start anew. Vita felt confident Pear Tree Cottage would be perfect for her.

‘This place was very good to me,’ Vita said, laughing to herself that if the letting agent had been here today, he would have steered her away from such musings to focus on the stripped floorboards and original features.

‘I’d had a very challenging time,’ Vita told Alice. ‘I left my ex – but I finally found my feet here, at Pear Tree Cottage.’ Alice, suddenly wide-eyed, appeared to be on the verge of tears so Vita steered the conversation away and on to the mystery of the floral wallpaper in the little room upstairs. They went on into the main bedroom.

‘That tree is
amazing
!’ Alice said and certainly, bedecked with blossom the pear tree was a stunning sight against the vivid spring sunshine.

‘Let me tell you about that tree,’ said Vita and the two of them sat on the bed and Vita told Alice everything she knew.

* * *

That was last year. It’s Alice’s second summer now and she is very happy at Pear Tree Cottage. Her job is going really well and, just recently, she started seeing someone lovely. Her landlords are great, Vita especially – and Alice has become a regular at That Shop. Nothing is too much trouble for the Bournes and Alice is grateful they took a chance on her. She was even invited to Oliver and Vita’s wedding when they finally married in the spring.

School’s out. Jonty sailed through umpteen GSCEs last summer and has just completed his first year at sixth form college. Once again, he’s working for his dad over the holidays, on the days of the week which don’t start with a T or an S. Oliver is thankful that he is; with so many changes at work and home, the extra pair of capable hands is more than welcome. Tinker went back to Canada in the spring, just before Oliver and Vita’s wedding, but his cousin’s buddy Red recently came over. He’s a rookie when it comes to trees, but he’s strong and hard-working and Boz and Spike like him.

There’s a busy day ahead. An old oak needs to come down – it’s not dead, but it’s not safe. It will pain Oliver to fell it – but he will do it with all the expertise and sensitivity of a vet putting to sleep some aged old shire horse. Though the tree will be felled, it will continue to be a tree of life – its wood providing plenty of fuel next winter, its stump somewhere for children to clamber for generations to come.

‘Jonty, I put a couple of bottles of water in the fridge – can you take them out? I’m just going to take a cuppa up to Vita.’

‘Have you got the list, for Spike and I?’

‘Pardon?’

‘
Do you have
the list for Spike and
me
?’

Oliver smiles and Jonty play-boxes him as he passes.

The kettle has boiled; Oliver brews tea in a pot and takes it upstairs on a tray.

‘God, I’m a lazy mare,’ Vita says sleepily.

‘Nonsense,’ says Oliver, ‘it’s little past the crack of dawn. Relax.’

‘Tea,’ she says. ‘You are lovely.’

‘I’ll call in at Pear Tree Cottage on the way home – it’s time to put the wasp traps up.’

‘There’s beer and jam downstairs,’ says Vita.

‘I thought I’d try marmalade this year.’

‘Alice says she’s counted six parakeets,’ Vita says. ‘Her second summer – and yet she’s welcoming the blighters back as if they’re as delightful a symbol of the season as the swallow!’

‘She’s mad.’

‘She’s great and we’re lucky to have her.’

‘Will you phone her and let her know I’ll call by with the wasp traps after work?’

‘Sure.’

‘It’s going to be a beautiful day.’ Oliver walks over and peers through the drawn curtains.

‘You can open them,’ says Vita.

Oliver opens the curtains. The light streams in. He looks over to the bed and his heart surges. Over he goes to settle himself by Vita, dishing out kisses as though they’re on special offer this morning. She’ll take all he has to give. But there’ll always be more.

From the chest of drawers opposite, DeeDee looks out from the photograph. She doesn’t appear to be looking over Oliver’s shoulder this morning, but straight at him. He’s between two women again. He’s snuggled there, with Vita on one side and his month-old daughter, Georgia Danielle Bourne, on the other. And all the while DeeDee has continued to smile. She’ll always be smiling. Outside, the breeze works its way through the leaves of the copper beech. It sounds as though a million pairs of hands are applauding the day.

Writing
Chances
coincided with an absolute pig of a year for me personally. This book would never have been written were it not for the unwavering and extraordinary support extended to me by some very special people. Sarah Henderson, Jo Smith, Kirsty Johnson and Jessica Adams – thank you, from my heart. Profound gratitude too, to Alan and Leslie Dunn, Jane Sutcliffe, Emma O’Reilly, Kate Holmes, Tamsin Pearce, Lucy Smouha and Clare Griffin. I would like to thank Ron and Ruth for putting their heart into my home; also the Cucumber girls, especially Souki; the St Jo’s ladies (if you can call them that), Lisa W., Mel B. and the Real Michelle Sherlock, also Emily H., Toria C., Hilary and Nick. My family – thank you, Mum, Dad, Dan, Osi. My children – Felix and Georgia – thank you for being the best cubs this lioness could hope for.

This book is a co-production . . . I simply wrote it. That it has made it to you is due to the sterling efforts of unsung heroes behind the scenes. To Jonathan Lloyd at Curtis Brown, aka JLlo, aka Mr Big – it’s been quite a ride and all these years later it’s still a thrill. At HarperCollins – thank you Ben, Lee, Damon, Ollie, Roger, Penelope, Kate, Belinda, Victoria, Hana and of course my editor Lynne Drew (eleven down, quite a few more to go . . .). With thanks and respect to Sophie Ransom at Midas PR who puts up with my flapping, and to Mary Chamberlain who ensures I never split an infinitive.

My sincerest thanks to Martin Hugi at Eco Tree Care and Kate Hugi, not just for assisting me in my research for this book, but also for my beautiful orchard and hedge.

Finally, deepest gratitude to Professor Woodhouse and everyone at the Royal Marsden who looked after my mum and helped her beat that sodding disease.

In memory of Liz Berney 1968–2005

www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk

www.ecotreecare.co.uk

Freya invited fans on her official facebook page to submit questions. Here are her answers. www.facebook.com/freya.north

Q.
Do you think you can ‘learn’ to write a book, or is a talent that people have?
(Rachel Howard Hornbuckle)

I’m often asked if I took any writing classes – the answer is no. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t many wonderful courses out there and some fantastic, bestselling authors who attended. Personally, I believe there’s no right or wrong way to write – you find the method that works for you. I hope unpublished writers out there are encouraged by this concept. I don’t plan my stories – but I know other authors who meticulously plot each and every chapter. I write sequentially, from Chapter 1 to The End – but some writers I know might start with the middle section first, then the ending, then the opening. Some writers can only write under pressure and cram it all in to the last few weeks leading up to a deadline. Others want their editors or friends to read the work in progress (not me – no one is allowed even a peek until it’s complete!). Some authors write only at night. Or only in the day. Or only after a yoga class, or a bottle of gin...

What unites all ‘true’ writers is the desire to write, rather than the notion of ‘being a writer’.

Q.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
(Katie Macleod)

Ideas can come from the most unlikely sources.
Pillow Talk
was inspired by a tiny news article I read about a 15 year old girl waking up in her nightie along the arm of a crane... thus began my fascination with sleepwalking. The idea for
Secrets
came when I was on Saltburn Pier licking an ice-cream – why not have a runaway Londoner coming up here to hide but discovering the delights of the seaside town for herself. Sometimes, it’s a case of rather cheekily indulging my own passion for a subject – and being given carte blanche to research it and then witter on for 130,000 words about it. Hence bridges (
Secrets
), trees (
Chances
), the Tour de France (
Cat
), sculpture (
Fen
). Massage was a good one – I simply HAD to have a lot of massages, all in the name of research, for
Love Rules
!

Q
If you could write a novel with another person, who would it be?
(Alison Jones)

Charles Dickens because my characters would then have the most fantastic names. Or Lynette, from
Desperate Housewives
– all those genius quips and put-downs. Actually, I don’t think anyone would want to write with me because I’m extremely secretive, proprietary and somewhat moody whilst writing.

Q.
What is your favourite tree?
(Colette Shaw)

Hornbeam – some writers blow their advance on diamonds or a snazzy car or a luxury holiday. I bought a hornbeam wood. It’s an old, old coppice and very beautiful. As firewood, it’s the best as it burns very slowly and very hot. Traditionally, it was used for charcoal for this reason – to fire the malting kilns in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex.

Q.
Are your characters in Chances based on real people and, if so, would they recognize themselves?
(Justine Quinn)

My great friend Paul Broucek sent me a gift from the USA. It’s a hand painted plaque which is now in my study: “
Careful... or you’ll end up in my novel
”! I don’t tend to base characters on people I know, but I firmly believe one writes from experience – even if subconsciously. The pen is mightier than the sword, and all that... It’s a writer’s prerogative to have the last laugh – if anyone double-crosses me or my loved ones, they’ll find themselves as an odious character, though I may distort a surname or hair colour to keep the libel lawyers at bay! In
Chances
, Vita’s pal Michelle Sherlock is based on a lovely lady called... Michelle Sherlock – a birthday present from her husband which raised a lot of money for our school! Generally, I find it more rewarding to make up characters – especially the hero...

Q.
Would you like any of your books to be made into a film or TV-serialized?
(Susan Hetherington)

The film rights to
Polly
, my third novel, were optioned for a while. Yes, I’d be really tickled if any of my novels made it to the screen – be it the silver or smaller version. I wouldn’t want any part in the adaptation though – I’m a novelist and scriptwriting is a whole separate skill and discipline. I would, of course, insist on my red-carpet moment – not to mention a walk-on cameo appearance! I think
Pillow Talk
,
Chances
and
Secrets
would work well – because they are very visual (though it would take a brave film crew to keep the cameras rolling on top of the Transporter Bridge). My stories, though, are conceived as books – I love the look of words on a page. But that’s not to say I don’t watch a movie and find myself thinking ooh! You’d make an excellent Joe (Rufus Sewell) or a wonderful Vita (Andrea Riseborough). But I don’t think I could trust anyone to truly capture Uncle Django from my earlier novels
Cat
,
Fen
,
Pip
and
Home Truths...

Q.
Do you always have a set ‘path’ for your characters? Or do you allow yourself to be led by them and their own actions? Has a book ever ended differently to how you intended?
(Jennie Atkinson)

I always think I have a path for my characters to follow – but by about chapter three, they don’t take a blind bit of notice of my opinion and ultimately, I’m little more than their secretary, typing out their story for them. In fact, when I switch on my laptop each morning, I’m always surprised to find the characters exactly where I left them the night before – I’m sure they’ll have gone off gallivanting behind my back. That’s why I enjoy writing without a plan – I love the rings my characters run around me. In my mind’s eye, there’s a queue of them, waiting to sit with me and tell me their tales – I guess I still haven’t moved on from the Imaginary Friends of my childhood. I was quite frustrated with Vita at a couple of points during
Chances
– so I was pleased that the supporting cast gave her a ticking off. The ending of
Love Rules
was contentious amongst my readers – but I had to respect my characters’ personalities and thus could not have changed it. Halfway through
Secrets
, I had a good shout at Tess. In my fifth novel (
Fen
) the eponymous heroine has to choose between two lovers: one young, one older, one rich, the other poor, one from the city, the other from the country. I was slightly disappointed with her ultimate choice. Though I appreciated that Fen ended up with the right chap for her, I would’ve had the other one, myself...

Q.
What’s your fitness mantra?
(Emma O’Reilly)

Walk the dog. Ride the horse. Chase the kids. Spinning classes three or four times a week. And then eat chips.

Q.
What song always gets you on the dance floor?
(Leslie Dunn)

Beyonce’s
Crazy in Love
, Nickleback’s
How You Remind Me
and Fat Boy Slim’s,
Praise You
– a fantastically bizarre combo, really. Anything by The Rolling Stones and anything by Primal Scream. The children and I go crazy to
Jolie Dragon
by Le Tone – a weird but addictive tune.

Q.
What’s next?
(Emma Anderson)

My 12th novel will be entitled
Rumours
. It’s the first time I’ve had the title before I’ve written the book. I’m researching it at the moment – I’m hoping it’ll be something of a 21st century Downton Abbey... but there again, who knows what my characters have in store for me this time!

Q.
OK...In your honest opinion, does true love exist?
(Susie Purser)

I bloody well hope so. Excuse my French.