CHAPTER TWELVE
Wil was still fired up on the fumes of the stew he’d had for lunch as he danced into the evening at the studio. Another night of burning the candle to the wick.
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t repeatedly check his phone for messages from Delphie, and continued to break it as he changed the music to perform another piece of choreography.
He hoped she was okay. The rain had eased off in the town during the day, but she’d still be driving back on a stormy night.
Knowing her character, he doubted she’d be back at the farmhouse without having the courtesy to send him a message that she was home.
There were no windows in the dance area, so he walked through to the reception and looked out the front door. The street glistened with the remnants of the rain that had now stopped, but the sky still bore the storm clouds. No one was out and about at this time of night.
Taking his phone from his pocket he decided to send Delphie a message.
It’s been a stormy day, and night. I hope you’re okay .
As he pressed send, a message came through for him from Delphie. He blinked. She couldn’t have responded instantly. It meant that they’d both messaged each other at the same time .
I’m still in Edinburgh, but I’ll be driving home soon .
Thanks for telling me .
I’ll let you know when I arrive back .
The relief he felt soothed his heart, and he realised he’d been more anxious than he’d imagined.
Delphie put her phone in her bag, smiling to herself that Wil had contacted her at the same time she’d messaged him.
Gareth was trying to persuade her to stay overnight in Edinburgh as she collected her coat at the hotel reception. The party had been fun, with laughter and dancing. With all of them being capable dancers, they’d enjoyed getting up on the dance floor throughout the evening. Delphie had danced several times with Gareth, and although she caught a glimpse of past times when they’d been happy together, those times were long gone. And now it was time for her to go home too. She’d opted to drink mineral water during the evening so she’d be fit to drive.
‘It’s not that far to drive home,’ Delphie said to Gareth, sidestepping his idea for her to book a room at the hotel for an overnight stay. He hadn’t included himself in that suggestion, but she sensed that one word of encouragement from her would’ve been all that was necessary.
Gareth sighed wearily. ‘You’re being silly. Stay overnight. ’
Delphie stood her ground with a smile. ‘No, I want to go home. The roads will be quiet at this time of night.’
Gareth nodded but insisted he drop her off at her car. His was parked nearby.
Taking him up on his sensible offer, she stepped out of his car and got into hers.
‘Thanks Gareth,’ she said.
‘We’ll talk soon.’
They then drove off in different directions across Edinburgh.
Delphie’s route took her to the bridge across the Firth of Forth, and in what seemed like no time, she was driving back up the coast road to the town.
This was the direction her life was taking. She was even more sure of it than ever. But she still had time to think what she wanted to do before her grandparents came home. Living in the farmhouse felt safe but exciting, and opened up possibilities she’d never ventured to try during her busy life in the city.
Glimpses of the silvery grey sea shimmered in the dark. Not too far now until she was on the country road leading to the small town.
Wil continued dancing for at least another half an hour after Delphie’s message, bolstered that she was coming home.
Finally, he turned the lights off in the studio, locked the front door and walked along to where his car was parked. No one else was around, and despite the cold breeze blowing through his open neck white shirt, he felt a warmth in his heart for the wee town .
The overarching trees along the country road shimmered in the darkness, the leaves damp from the recent downpour. Puddles had drained off into the surrounding lush fields, leaving the road easy to navigate.
As he drove towards his house, he noticed car headlights behind him, as another car turned off the main route on to the country road.
Squinting against the glare in the mirrors, he tried to see if it was a farm vehicle, willing to pull aside if it needed to get by him.
Whoever was driving dipped their beams, or they were flashing their lights at him.
Unsure he kept driving, getting closer to his house where he’d be pulling over anyway.
As he drove into his front garden, the car followed close by, and it was only then that he realised it was Delphie.
Wil parked, jumped out of the car and couldn’t wait to greet her.
‘You’re home!’ he said.
Delphie pulled up and spoke to him out the window. ‘Yes. I assume you’ve just finished at the studio.’
‘I have. It’s been a long but productive day. How did your meeting go in Edinburgh?’
‘Excellent. It was a worthwhile trip, even though I’m back so late. But the meeting rolled into the late afternoon, and then Gareth invited me to have dinner at a hotel restaurant nearby with a few of his friends. They’re dancers, so I ended up dancing too, while waiting for the thunder and lightning storm to ease. ’
‘It’s been a stormy day here as well.’
His words hung in the damp air for a moment, and then he decided to invite her in.
‘I’m about to make a cuppa,’ he said. ‘Would you like to join me? I know it’s late, but...’ he shrugged.
Delphie got out of the car. ‘I’m not watching the clock tonight.’
Neither was Wil.
Seeing her heels dig into the soggy grass, Wil instinctively lifted her up and carried her the few steps to the front door. ‘You don’t want to ruin your shoes.’
Feeling his strength lift her as if she was lightweight, Delphie’s heart pounded, but the cold breeze kept her blush in check.
Placing her down carefully, Wil unlocked the front door, stepped inside and flicked the lights on.
‘I’ll light the fire,’ he said, striding through to the living room where the fire was set ready to light. ‘The house will start to heat up soon.’ He gestured upstairs. ‘My bedroom is up there. Help yourself to a jumper if you want.’
The white chemise beneath the grey jacket of her skirt suit did little to keep her cosy, so while Wil went through to make the tea in the kitchen, she took him up on his offer and went upstairs.
He’d mentioned that he’d leased the house already furnished, so the decor and styling wasn’t his. But she could see why he liked living here. The neutral tones of the walls and the large rugs on the polished wooden floor had a classy quality. Left to his own devices, Wil would have decorated the house in a similar style .
She found his bedroom located at the end of the top floor hallway, and ventured in. Turning on a lamp, she noticed that he kept his room tidy. The bed was made, clothes put away, and no mess that she could see without being a fusspot.
Opening the wardrobe doors, she saw the shirts and trousers he wore daily that had a stretch in them suitable for dancing. Shelves down the side of the wardrobe had a selection of folded jumpers and tops. She picked out a soft grey jumper, took her jacket off and put the jumper on over her chemise. It felt instantly cosy, if rather large. She folded the sleeves up.
Taking a brief peek around, including peering out the window at the view across the countryside, she then turned the light off, picked up her jacket and went back down the stairs.
In the quietude of the house, she heard Wil rattling around in the kitchen making the tea and the fire crackling into life in the living room.
She hung her jacket on a peg in the hall, and went over to the fire to warm her hands. A real log fire was something of a novelty. There was no such thing in her flat in Edinburgh. She’d always loved the cosy fires at the farmhouse, but she’d yet to light one. Now that the warmer weather looked like it was calling it a day, she aimed to light one too.
‘Would you like something to eat?’ Wil called to her.
She went through to join him in the kitchen. ‘Tea’s fine. I enjoyed a nice lunch, though I did more nattering than munching. And I opted for a light salad and mineral water at the dinner party.’
‘I had a rainy day special at the bakery shop. Apart from that, little else except cups of tea. Oh and, Kian and Catriona say that the tickets are selling like hot cakes.’
‘I’m glad,’ she said, noticing a Dundee cake in the kitchen. The fruit cake was topped with almonds and was one of her favourites.
Wil saw her eyeing the cake. ‘I bought this from the bakery shop. Kian says it’s a traditional recipe. Would you like a slice with your tea?’
Taking Delphie’s smile as her reply, Wil cut two slices and served them on plates.
Carrying the tea tray through to the living room, he put it down on the table in front of the fire.
‘Cheers,’ he said, holding up his teacup.
Delphie tipped her cup against his. ‘Cheers.’
She bit into her cake, enjoying the rich fruit taste. Then she gave him the short course on her meeting in Edinburgh.
‘How did it feel to be back in the city?’ he said.
‘Different, like I used to belong there, but I wanted to be back here.’
Wil took this in. ‘Maybe you belong here.’
With a mouthful of cake she nodded.
Wil smiled at her.
She took a sip of tea. ‘This is a lovely house,’ she commented. ‘Parts of the design remind me of the farmhouse. They were probably built around the same era.’
‘The kitchens are similar. Nice big kitchens. ’
‘No wonder you seemed so at home in the farmhouse kitchen.’
‘The company had a lot to do with it.’
She blushed, hoping to blame the heat from the fire.
‘There’s an option to buy the house on the lease,’ he revealed.
‘Do you think you’ll do that?’
‘It depends.’
‘On whether you find a better life here with your dance studio in the town?’ she prompted him.
He shrugged. ‘Sienna and Steaphan are leaving tomorrow afternoon after another practise at the studio,’ he remembered to tell her. ‘They’re going back to Edinburgh.’
‘Do you think they have a chance of winning the contest?’
He hesitated. ‘I did, until today.’
‘What happened?’
‘They came in to refine their routine,’ he explained. ‘But Sienna decided to change parts of the choreography.’
Delphie blinked. ‘Why? I thought you’d created a great routine for them.’
‘Sienna saw clips of another competitor’s routine and wants to add even more drama and tricky moves.’ From Wil’s tone he obviously didn’t agree.
‘Did you tell Sienna this would be a mistake?’
‘She’s stubborn. So their routine’s now changed. Steaphan is going along with what Sienna wants. But I think it highlights their weaknesses instead of enhancing their strengths. ’
‘I guess it’s up to them, but I think your choreography is wonderful.’
Wil smiled warmly at her as the flickering light from the fire emphasised his handsome face.
A vintage clock chimed a late hour that neither of them wanted to think about.
Delphie stood up and stretched, reluctant to leave the cosiness of sitting in front of the fire with Wil to head out into the cold night. But it was a short drive along the road to the farmhouse, so she kept his jumper on and he escorted her out.
He took her by surprise when he lifted her over the damp grass and placed her down beside her car.
She got in, turned the engine on, and spoke to him out the window. ‘Thanks for the tea and chatter.’
‘Anytime,’ he said, meaning it. ‘Would you like to have dinner here with me tomorrow night? I know you’ve been wondering about the new choreography you’ve seen me working on, dancing to the classical piano music. I’d like to talk to you about that, but where it’s private and we won’t be rushed or interrupted.’
He’d made it clear that whatever secret he’d been keeping from her, he wanted to reveal.
‘I’ll come over around seven,’ she said, and then she drove off.
Wil stood in the cold night and waved her off, watching the tail lights of her car disappear into the darkness. Then he went inside and locked the door.
The two minute drive wasn’t enough time to heat the car up, and she was grateful for the warmth of Wil’s woolly jumper .
Grabbing her things from the back seat, she hurried inside and went upstairs to get ready for bed.
Jumping under the covers for warmth, she felt the tiredness of the long day and longer night hit her hard.
She started to wonder what Wil was up to, but she fell asleep as the sound of the wind swirling over the farmland helped lull her into a deep slumber.
Wil checked the kitchen cupboards and made a list of the groceries he’d need to make dinner for them. Having enjoyed the stew at the bakery shop, he decided to make a similar stew for their dinner.
He liked having tea by the fire with Delphie and was looking forward to having dinner with her.
Securing the fire, he went upstairs to bed, planning all the things he wanted to talk to her about over dinner.
The wind whipped through the trees in the garden, but he liked the cosy seclusion of the house, especially on nights like this.
Wil drove down to the dance studio in the morning, knowing he had a busy day ahead, but his thoughts were on planning dinner. The morning whizzed by in a blur of phone calls, talking to dancers about their choreography and viewing videos of their routines.
The morning was brighter but blustery, so Delphie kept the barn door closed while she worked on her latest painting, beginning with a sketch, and then drawing it on to the canvas.
Setting up her acrylic paints on her palette, she began to paint the vast night sky, sprinkled with stars, arching above the farmhouse. Wil had suggested she paint a couple dancing under the stars, and as she’d caught up on most of her artwork, she decided to attempt it.
On the way to the barn she’d taken a photo of the farmhouse so she could draw it to scale. And on her laptop she’d paused the video of the quickstep she’d danced recently with Wil. There they were, dancing in perfect harmony, poised, in hold, and she’d sketched them into the painting in front of the farmhouse.
The figures were in the foreground, with the dramatic sky arching over them.
Mixing ultramarine on her palette, she painted the sky, adding Prussian blue to create depth and interest.
Raw and burnt umber emphasised the structure of the farmhouse and blended well with the blue tones.
The stars were mainly bright titanium white, some with a touch of yellow to make it look as if the stars were twinkling. At least, that was the effect she was trying to create.
Delphie painted the figures wearing different clothes to the ones in the photos. Her figure wore a dress that flowed beautifully in shades of pale yellow. She gave Wil a dark suit, white shirt and tie. The figures looked like them, while being part of the fantasy of the scene.
Every now and then she checked her phone for messages, having expected Gareth to contact her about her artwork for the show. Even just to acknowledge their meeting yesterday in Edinburgh. As the morning wore on and became lunchtime, she sighed. Some things really never changed. Gareth would be filled with enthusiasm for something, and then there would be silence from him.
But it was okay, she told herself. It left her free to work on the painting without interruption. And bolstered her resolve to push on with her own artwork.
Sienna refused to be persuaded that the original choreography was a winning routine, no matter how hard Wil tried. And he did try. Sienna and Steaphan had put a lot of effort into their routine, and Wil believed they could be successful. He couldn’t say that as a couple they danced better than when he’d been partnered with Sienna. But they were an excellent pairing.
Miffed at Wil, Sienna left the dance studio under a cloud of disagreement. Steaphan paused to thank Wil for his efforts, and then hurried after her.
Wil let out the breath of frustration he’d been holding in. It was now late in the afternoon as the rehearsal had extended longer due to their bickering.
Securing the studio, Wil headed along to the grocery shop armed with his shopping list.
Carrying two full bags of groceries, including locally grown potatoes, carrots, turnip and other vegetables, raspberries, fresh cream for whipping and meringue cases, he loaded them into the back of his car and drove home to get showered and changed, and start preparing the dinner.
After showering, Wil put on a clean, light blue shirt, waistcoat and dark trousers. His hair was still damp and he swept it back from his clean–shaven face .
Hurrying downstairs, he checked that the already tidy house looked neat, and added plenty of logs to the fire. The house had central heating, but he liked the warmth of the real fire and the scent of the logs.
The hearty stew he’d made with lashings of gravy, onion and chunks of carrot, turnip and other vegetables, simmered on the stove. It wasn’t as spicy as Kian’s recipe. Just a tasty, homemade stew. Potatoes boiled in a second pot, ready for mashing.
While these cooked, he prepared the pudding. Whipping the cream into peaks, he spooned it on to two meringue cases and then added the fresh raspberries.
In reserve, if something went awry with his pudding plan, he’d bought a box of luxury chocolates that would suffice after they’d had their stew.
Hearing Delphie’s car drive up, he checked the time. Perfect.
Feigning calm, he opened the front door to welcome her. ‘Come in. Dinner’s almost ready.’
Delphie wore a fashionable burgundy dress and heels, and hung her coat up in the hall, while Wil dashed through to the kitchen.
‘Something smells delicious,’ she said, following him through.
He stirred the stew and then drained the pot of potatoes.
‘Can I help with anything?’ she offered, noticing that he’d set the kitchen table with dinner plates, cutlery and napkins. He’d cut a plate of fresh bread. A vase of flowers plucked from his garden sat nearby. The effort he’d made warmed her heart .
‘Could you make the tea while I mash the tatties,’ he said.
Delphie started to pitch in, making the tea while Wil served up the stew and mash.
‘Help yourself to salt and pepper, and add a knob of butter to your tatties if you want.’
Delphie added a dash of salt and black pepper. There was plenty of rich gravy with the stew. He’d chosen well.
‘Tuck in,’ he encouraged her.
She’d deliberately eaten a light lunch so she’d have an appetite for dinner.
‘This is delicious, Wil. Is there anything you’re not skilled at?’ Her comment was jovial, but there was something that sprang to Wil’s mind.
He wasn’t great at expressing his feelings for her. But maybe tonight was a chance for him to try.