Chapter 9
"So… Things seem to be going well with a certain lovely young American?" Owen probed, as Jamie scrubbed down the table, tirelessly trying to remove oil stains to avoid Hannah's wrath.
She had her back to him, her eyes widening with the unexpected statement. She stopped scrubbing for a second, a smirk beginning to form. "Dunno what you mean," she said nonchalantly, returning to scrubbing, but her eyes were fixed straight ahead awaiting his response.
"Hey, it's non of my business," he said, holding his hands up, "Just pleased to see you with a spring in your step is all I'm sayin'." He hesitated for a moment as Jamie halted her cleaning again. "I mean… it's unnerving… sure… and incredibly curious… goodness knows what she sees in you… but…" The corners of Jamie's mouth pinched upwards as he continued, "it makes me happy to see you happy… and who more worthy than our very own Miss Clayton."
Jamie turned her head backwards towards him, slightly taken aback, and not sure what to even say.
"Give over!" she said, never one to take compliments well.
Owen smiled at her quite sincerely, which softened Jamie's defences. They looked one another in the eye as Jamie nodded at him in appreciation. "Cheers mate," she said earnestly.
As she turned back round she couldn't help but smile. Her relationship with Owen was much like that of a brother and sister, with their banter and playful insults, but that was quite cute by his standards!
"Soppy git," she said with a smirk, still with her back to him, hardening herself back up.
Each and every one of them at Bly were such different people, but it didn't matter at all. They had created a family amongst themselves, and found strength and kindness within those walls. They all had their own story to tell, their own demons to fight, but Bly was home, and everyone in it muddled through together.
Jamie carried on with her tidy up, but was thinking about what Owen had said. "I don't know what she sees in me either," she uttered, cautiously dipping her toe in the water, darting her eyes up at Owen for a split second, embarrassed to be talking about it, but feeling like she wanted to. "I told her about everythin', y'know, all my past and stuff… n… she… she stayed…"
The gardener arched her back, uncomfortable feeling so vulnerable. She cracked her neck to one side and carried on busying herself.
Owen smiled with genuine affection for her. He knew her well, and knew she didn't find it easy to open up. She would spend all her time looking after the others, and making people laugh, but maybe once in a while she deserved to be built up too.
"She sees what the rest of us see…" he said gently, continuing to chop as he spoke. "This…" he hesitated for a moment considering what to say, "this… rebellious… potty mouthed… tiny plant whisperer."
Jamie let out a chuckle and pouted at him, eyebrows raised.
"And we wouldn't have you any other way…" Owen said with a grin, pulling it back.
"But in all seriousness… because I can do serious," he said playfully nodding his head, "your past wasn't your own… But who you are today…" he continued, resting his hands and weight on the counter top, "is a… strong… brave… huge hearted woman, with so much time and love to give…" He spoke slowly and genuinely, "I think there is plenty that our Miss Clayton might perhaps see in you, actually."
Jamie arched her back, tears beginning to brim in her eyes. She pouted, and nudged her nose with her hand as she took in a deep breath trying to settle the rising emotion.
"Shit mate…" she said, speechless.
Owen downed tools, wiping his hands on his apron as he strided over to her. She looked up at him, but he just thrust both arms around her and squeezed her in tight, resting his head on top of hers, their height difference positioning them perfectly. She hesitated for a moment, but lifted her arms around his back and fully embraced him.
He didn't say anything more, simply kissed her on the head and went back over to the kitchen.
Jamie beamed as he walked away, content to have such a friend in her life. She truly felt at home at Bly, even with its oddities and secrets, it was home. As much as people in her life had let her down and let her suffer, Bly and the people within had truly penetrated the walls around her heart, whether she would admit that to herself or not.
In that moment, Dani walked through the door followed by Hannah, ready to burst the bubble.
The gardener smiled initially on seeing Dani, then ducked her head down, her shoulders rising to her ears, almost as though she hoped Hannah wouldn't be able to see her. Her mouth widened as she mouthed "Fuck" at Owen, who simply grinned at her predicament.
"Jamie!" exclaimed the housekeeper, perturbed to find the kitchen still a mess.
The gardener straightened herself up, glancing over to Dani briefly, her smirking face impossible not to mirror.
She looked back to the wide eyed housekeeper, "Yeah… See… the thing is Hannah… err… the… thing is…" she stalled and stuttered, "Owen!… Owen here has bin… he needed my help… So I… yeah… But… it's all good… I'm on it… you won't even know I was 'ere…"
Hannah raised her eyebrows at the young gardener, chuckling at her awful attempt at a cover up. The housekeeper looked over at Owen who instantly gazed up towards the ceiling, stroking his chin, pretending he hadn't seen her, but subtly throwing her a wink.
Hannah rolled her eyes at him, but everything Owen did made her smile, and this was no different.
"You two…" Hannah said smiling at the pair of them, "We're going to have some tea, anyone else?" she offered as she left Jamie to it and made her way over to the kettle, her apprentice in tow, for Dani's umpteenth lesson on how to make the perfect cuppa.
The au pair took a deep breath as she passed Jamie, every look she received from her was a mixture of kindness, adoration, sincerity, and complete seduction. She thought perhaps those piercing eyes might one day be the death of her.
Stopping next to Hannah for Tea 101, she glanced back towards the brunette, a grin spreading across her face as she found Jamie still watching her.
The gardener smiled coyly and dipped her head, shaking it as she turned back around and picked up a handful of tools, the pair of them drifting into their own little bubble whenever they were in the same room together.
True to her word, Jamie emptied the kitchen of clutter, and finished up cleaning everything in sight, it was like a brand new room.
Hannah and Dani sat themselves down whilst Owen continued to cook up a storm, and Jamie finished up a few bits out in the grounds before dinner.
