Page 60 of Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm

But, of course, those worries were behind her now. After all, she now ran a campsite instead. How life had changed so quickly.

She sat bolt upright in her bed, her heart thumping. The campsite! Oh no! Heavy rain!

She sprang out of bed and rushed to the window, throwing open the curtains. It was a grey, dismal day, dark and overcast with the rain coming down in steel rods all around them. It looked more like an October day than the last weekend in May.

The forecasters had got it completely wrong. It turned out that they were being hit by the weather system that had been forecast for other parts of the country instead.

Groaning, Flora quickly got dressed and rushed out of the bedroom, almost bumping into Nico as he ran out of his own room.

‘Rain!’ he said, pulling a T-shirt over his bare chest.

‘I know!’ cried Flora, following him downstairs.

They grabbed their coats and rushed out of the back door, heading towards the camping field. Not only was it extremely wet, Flora realised that without the sunshine, the temperature had dropped significantly overnight and it was now much cooler.

She and Nico went around each tent to say good morning to their guests. Some were sanguine about the rain and happily reported that the kettle was a wonderful addition and that the tents were dry inside, to Flora’s relief.

Others, however, were unhappy and a little upset about the change in the weather.

‘Maybe we should have booked that hotel after all,’ mumbled one husband to his wife.

‘Hopefully it’ll clear up later,’ said Nico, applying his smooth charm. But this time, it didn’t seem to win anyone over and he and Flora walked away with worried expressions.

‘Perhaps it will clear up later,’ said Flora, glancing at the sky.

The trouble was that the particularly awful weather system they were now under looked set to stay for a couple of days.

‘Well, the tents are dry,’ said Nico. ‘I don’t know what else we can do for the unhappy customers. It’s not as if we have any control over the weather.’

‘I know, but these are our first customers and if they leave unhappy reviews, then what will we do?’ asked Flora.

Nico turned to look at her. ‘The only unhappy reviews we shall receive will be about the weather. Most people will understand that it’s something we can do nothing about.’ He gave her a smile. ‘So let’s keep everything crossed that it does clear up later. Besides, I’m sure Grams’ wonderful breakfast hamper will do wonders for the spirits.’

It had been an inspired idea of Flora’s that Grams could provide everything from home-made pastries to warm bacon butties and the campers certainly relished the delicious food.

However, the weather worsened as the day went on. The wind got up, meaning that they had to ensure every tent was pegged down properly and their waterproofing was intact.

Most of the customers had chosen to shelter in Platform 1, where Katy was serving them all hot chocolates and cakes.

‘It’s so cold, I was thinking about lighting the fire,’ she said to Flora when she went to check on how everyone was doing. ‘I can’t believe it’s supposed to be summer next week!’

They were talking quietly in the tiny kitchen just off the waiting room.

‘Is everyone okay?’ asked Flora.

Katy hesitated before reaching out to give her friend’s arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘A couple of them are talking about heading off. Maybe even tonight.’

Flora was horrified. ‘But they only arrived last night,’ she said, feeling terribly upset.

‘I know,’ said Katy. ‘But I think they’re all a bit shocked by the weather and were imagining blue skies and warm sunshine. And there’s not much to do when it’s like this.’

They both glanced at the nearby window where the rain was lashing up against the glass.

Flora sighed. ‘This is a disaster,’ she muttered. ‘We’ve only been open for a day!’

‘You’ll be fine,’ said Katy, giving her a hug. ‘Anyway, I’m sure they’ll change their minds. After all, a holiday is a holiday, right?’

But her friend’s optimism for once was misplaced.