12
‘There’s a note for you,’ Olivia said to Nancy when she got up on Tuesday morning. ‘Hand delivered.’ She raised her eyebrows.
The handwriting was vaguely familiar. She ripped the envelope open.
Dear Nancy
If your kind offer of an English lesson still stands, are you available after work today? The weather forecast says it will be a lovely evening. We could go for a walk in the Bois de Boulogne. I can meet you at the bookshop. Leave me a note if you can.
Yours
Hans
Olivia looked at Nancy expectantly. ‘Well?’
‘Well, what?’
‘Who’s it from?’
There was no point in teasing her any longer - Olivia had a knack for extracting information from anyone if she really wanted to. ‘A certain Herr Schmidt.’
‘Told you he fancied you.’
‘You said no such thing.’
‘Didn’t I? I’m sure I did. I could tell from the way he treated you when you were drunk.’
‘I very much doubt he fancies me. He just wants an English lesson.’
‘Are you sure? His English sounded very good to me.’
‘It is, but he wants to learn more.’
‘And what sort of words are you planning to add to his vocabulary?’ Olivia grinned.
‘Not what you’re thinking. I’ll have to see what he wants to learn.’
Nancy had spent the afternoon working upstairs in the shop’s history section again. She checked her watch. It was ten minutes before closing time. She’d left Hans a note under his door on her way out this morning, saying that giving him an English lesson was the least she could do after he’d helped her out last week, and she’d meet him outside the bookshop at 5.10 pm. She was hoping he’d read it.
Philip popped his head around the corner of the stairs. ‘Your favourite customer is here,’ he said, grinning.
‘Who?’
‘The German fella. I didn’t realise you were seeing him.’
‘I’m not. He just wants an English lesson.’
‘Is that what they call it now?’
‘Don’t you start. I get enough teasing from Olivia.’
‘He’s a handsome bloke. I wouldn’t say no.’
From the few comments he’d made about what he got up to at weekends, Nancy had suspected Philip preferred men, but she hadn’t expected him to be so open about it.
He misinterpreted her reaction. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘Don’t apologise. I’m used to it being kept secret, that’s all. Aren’t you worried about being arrested?’
‘Why do you think I prefer living in France? The French are a lot more tolerant than the English.’
‘That must make life easier. But hands off Hans.’ She was surprised at how jealous the thought of Hans being with someone else made her feel.
‘So you do fancy him?’ Philip said.
‘Possibly,’ she smiled. There was no possibly about it, but she was going to stick to her guns about not getting involved with someone. This was just an English lesson. Nothing more. You don’t want a repeat of the heartbreak you felt over Billy.
‘I’ll finish up here. You go and see your beau.’
‘Thank you.’ She gave Philip a peck on the cheek and turned to head down the stairs.
Hans appeared at the top of the stairs. ‘Hello, Nancy.’
‘I was expecting to meet you outside,’ she said.
‘Sorry. I forgot you wrote that.’ He didn’t give Nancy his usual smile. She wondered how much he’d overheard.
Philip picked up some books that didn’t need moving and headed to the shelves at the back of the shop floor. ‘See you tomorrow,’ he said.
‘Yes, see you,’ Nancy replied. She turned to Hans. ‘I just need to get my bag, then we can go.’
He nodded and followed her downstairs. A few minutes later, they were on the street outside the shop.
‘Which way?’ Nancy asked.
‘That direction will get us to the park the quickest,’ Hans said, leading her across the road and down a side street. They carried on in silence for a few minutes. It was starting to feel awkward.
‘Are you ok, Hans?’ Nancy asked.
‘I’m sorry I’m quiet. I have had a strange day,’ he said. ‘I think my manager would like me to return to Germany.’
‘Oh!’ Nancy attempted to hide her disappointment. ‘Why’s that?’
‘She is not happy with my results. Is that the right word?’
‘What sort of results are you talking about?’
‘It is complicated. I’m sorry I mentioned it. Tell me about your day. It will take my mind off my problems.’
‘I’m not sure it will. It hasn’t been very interesting. Just a usual Tuesday at the bookshop.’
They crossed another road into the Bois de Boulogne.
‘Has Madame Dubois had any special visitors today?’
‘Yes, three. Two I’ve seen before, and one new man, who looks like he enjoys his food, shall we say.’
‘Why?’
‘I was trying to be polite.’
‘Oh, I see.’
‘He had an interesting surname. Monsieur Onkelinx. It didn’t sound very French to me, but he sounded fluent when he was talking to Madame Dubois.’
‘He might be Belgian?’
‘Possibly. Anyway, this is not helping your English.’
‘No, this is true. Would you like to sit down over there?’ Hans said, pointing to a cafe by the lake. ‘You must want to rest after spending all day on your legs.’
‘Feet,’ Nancy said.
‘I’m sorry?’
‘It would sound better if you said “spending all day on your feet”’
‘I see. My lesson has started already.’ He grinned.
At least she’d somehow cheered him up.
‘That was a long walk,’ Olivia said, when Nancy returned home later. ‘How much vocabulary did you get through?’
‘Nothing adventurous. We spent most of the time in a café, talking about our childhoods. He told me about his life in Germany during the war. It’s so sad. He hasn’t got any family left now. He was the only one to survive an air raid.’
‘That must be tough. Still, no in-laws for you to worry about.’
‘Olivia!’
‘It’s true. I’m quite nervous about meeting Pierre’s family.’
‘It shouldn’t matter if they don’t like you. Is Pierre the type of man who would ditch you if his parents’ objected?’
‘I’m not sure. I guess we’ll find out in a couple of weeks. Anyway, when are you seeing Hans next?’
‘He’s meeting me after work again tomorrow.’
‘He sounds keen.’
‘Only because he wanted to check what some of the phrases meant in Bleak House, and he forgot to bring the book with him today.’
Olivia raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s convenient.’
It had crossed Nancy’s mind that Hans might be using it as an excuse to see her again, but today had been a perfectly pleasant chat with no hint of him being attracted to her. She didn’t want Olivia poking her nose in and ruining what could be a good friendship with him. ‘I‘m not getting involved with anyone here, remember,’ she said.