This Is Your Life by Susie Martyn

arranged facing it, and though there were priceless antiques throughout, it wasn’t precious, simply hugging you from the moment you entered.  To one end was a state of the art kitchen from which clattering and hissing noises were coming, and straight across was another set of huge glass doors.  Lizzie’s heart sank – surely this wasn’t it...
    ‘I’ve got the coffee on.  Or tea, darling, if you’d prefer… So lovely of you to do this Lizzie…’  Angel appeared and embraced her.
    The boys took in the look on Lizzie’s face.  ‘We did warn you, didn’t we petal?’ they said anxiously.  ‘Oh deary - are you terribly shocked?’
    Taking each of her hands in theirs, they led her through the doors to stand outside, where together they surveyed the chaos.  At the far end amongst a bed of nettles were fruit trees, but the rest was a complete muddle, with not too much else identifiable among the brambles, rubbish and overgrown grass.
    ‘It has potential.’ Lizzie tried her best to sound positive but her heart was in her boots.  ‘But boys, do you have any idea how long this will take?  There’s weeks of work here… Or what it’s likely to cost?’
    ‘Da rling,’ said Angel.  ‘We so want you to do this.  We just know , both of us,’ he caught Darius’s eye, ‘that you are just perfect for us.  We completely trust you...’
    Lizzie suddenly realised as she looked around the garden, just what she could do with this. How much she would love to be the one to tame it into shape.  She looked at the faces gazing back at her.
    ‘Putty in your hands,’ added Darius with a sideway glance at An gel.  ‘Just name your price, flower…’
    Cornwall would still be there and i t would beat hanging around the Star.  Feeling a flutter of excitement, Lizzie gave up fighting the inevitable. 
    ‘Ok.’
     
    Back inside, Angel brought out a tray of coffee and fondant fancies in garish colours, which he presented to Lizzie with a flourish.
    ‘I’m experimenting, sweetie!  Absolutely nothing artificial!  You must tell me what you think of them!  Be honest now…’
    Delicately f lavoured with almond and elderflower, they were sublime and as they ate, the three of them hatched a plan.  As the boys wanted to entertain outside, the focus was to be a paved dining area under an enormous cotton awning, and there were already piles of flagstones dotted about which the boys had sourced from a salvage yard.  Business was clearly booming and money, Lizzie was discovering, simply wasn’t an object.  The focus was to be a massive table which they proudly showed her, which they’d snapped up at some sale.  They also had grand plans for an elaborate system of raised beds. 
    ‘Angel simply has to grow his own veggies, darling…’
    ‘ And it just must be organic …’
    ‘And we’ll make our own compost, you see…oh, and what sort of worms should we order , flower…Dendroebaena or Tiger worms?’
    ‘B-both?’  Lizzie didn’t have a clue.
     
    T he whole place cried out for colour against the stone and dark timbers of the barn.  She’d divide up the garden and plant flowers in every corner, and against the old walls which were just made for some roses to tumble over them.  So much for a couple of days - there was weeks of work here if Lizzie wanted it. 
    ‘Contemporary cottage garden!’ announced Darius flamboyantly.  Then anxiously, ‘oh goodness flower, would that work?’
    ‘I think it would be perfect,’ said Lizzie, getting into the swing, imagining spiky phormiums and grasses with splashes of zingy orange and acid green.
    ‘And when you’ve finished, we’ll throw a Lizzie party to celebrate!’ he beamed.  Seeing her look of alarm he patted her hand, adding, ‘don’t worry, flower!  It’s just a little thing we do!  We had a Harry party for the architect…  Huge fun it was – all those Harry Potters and Harry Hills!  Ooh, do you remember Dirty Harry, Angel?  Sex on legs,’