Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
MARK
Mark woke with aching legs the next morning. The gardening had given him a workout he had not had in ages, reaching muscles he had forgotten all about.
Years ago, he had been at peak fitness, which he needed to be, as you never knew when you would have to carry someone over your shoulder from a blazing house, navigating smoke-filled rooms. Thankfully, towards the end of his career, he had witnessed less of the heart-wrenching things he had come across early in his firefighter role.
Most people had ditched the chip fans, the number one cause of fires back in the day.
Then candles became popular, and things were briefly busy again, when people would forget to extinguish them before bed and they might fall and catch something flammable, like a curtain.
He had spent the last few years before his retirement visiting schools and educating children about fire safety, as well as fitting homes with fire alarms. He had learnt that kids were pretty good at nagging their parents into being fire safe, even encouraging them to quit smoking.
After a shower and a coffee, he thought about asking the neighbours to a BBQ on Friday evening.
But would they want to come? Perhaps they only accepted Alice’s dinner invitation because it came from a lonely, elderly woman?
Would he be able to cope without Diane fixing drinks and holding court so naturally?
Before he could talk himself out of it, he got dressed and knocked at Alice’s front door.
For a second, he thought it might have been a little early when there was no response, even though it was almost nine o’clock.
He was certain she had mentioned being an early riser and felt a flicker of concern.
Just then he heard voices on the upstairs landing and headed up there to find Declan standing outside Jess’s door chatting.
‘You’re going to make a cake?’ Jess asked Declan, obviously finding it amusing.
Declan had forgotten that the bakery closed at 2 p.m. on a Saturday and had missed them after he had watched a film yesterday.
He had found a recipe online for a lemon drizzle cake and had nipped to the Co-op for the ingredients, but he had no cake tin.
He decided to call at Jess’s flat to see if she had one that he could borrow.
‘Morning, guys.’ Mark smiled at them both. ‘I’m probably worrying over nothing but have either of you seen Alice this morning?’ he asked them.
‘No. Maybe she went out early?’ suggested Jess.
‘Yes, of course, you’re probably right,’ he said, although he could not help wondering where she would go so early on a Sunday morning. Unless she had nipped out for a newspaper. He could imagine her poring over The Observer with its Sunday supplement.
‘What’s this about baking a cake?’ asked Mark, and Declan told him all about his promise to his mum, before realising the bakery was closed.
‘Sounds good. Anyway, I’m glad I’ve caught you both. Do you fancy a BBQ early Friday evening? I have checked the weather; it’s going to be good apparently,’ said Mark confidently.
‘That sounds lovely, but my mum is arriving for the weekend on Friday,’ explained Jess. She was planning to go out on Saturday as her mum had offered to babysit, happy to spend time with her granddaughter. On Friday they would all go to the pub together for a meal.
‘She is most welcome to join us. Unless you have other plans, of course,’ Mark quickly added.
Jess could think of nothing nicer than having a BBQ in the sunshine.
‘Not especially. We would probably end up going out for food, but I think it would be lovely to spend time outside if the weather forecast is good. Thanks, Mark.’
‘And you?’ He turned to Declan.
‘Nice one, yeah.’ He smiled, glad of a chance to be spending some time with Jess again. He had not quite plucked up the courage to ask her out as he thought it might be a bit awkward if she refused, what with living in such close proximity. Probably better to get to know her a bit first.
‘Do you think maybe I ought to knock again at Alice’s?’ suggested Mark.
Jess picked up her front door key from a hook in the hall, and closing the door headed downstairs with Mark and Maisie in tow. Declan followed them, clutching the cake tin.
Finding no response after knocking again, Jess made her way outside to see if the curtains of Alice’s apartment were open, and when she saw that they were firmly closed, her heart sank.
With increasing concern, the trio were pondering their next move, when a taxi pulled up outside the block and out stepped Alice.
‘Alice. You’re okay!’ Jess breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Gosh, this is quite the welcoming committee. Why wouldn’t I be?’ asked Alice as she walked up the path. As she spoke, she noticed the drawn curtains on the lounge window. She hadn’t thought about that.
‘I knocked to invite you to a BBQ. I know you are an early riser; you told me so. I guess I became a little concerned when there was no answer,’ Mark explained.
‘And what with the curtains being drawn,’ added Jess.
‘Well, I feel blessed to have such wonderful neighbours looking out for me.’ Alice smiled, truly touched. She could lie dead for goodness knows how long in the big house, and it reinforced to her that it had been the right decision moving here.
Jess and Declan headed back upstairs then and Mark, struck by sudden inspiration after the relief of finding Alice was okay, asked if she had any plans for the day.
‘Not especially,’ she replied.
‘In that case, do you fancy a day out on the boat?’
‘Your boat at the marina?’
‘Yes. Maybe a spot of lunch later,’ suggested Mark.
‘That sounds simply perfect. When are you thinking of leaving?’
‘Say in an hour?’ Mark glanced at his watch.
‘Wonderful. I’ll be ready.’ She smiled.