Chapter 45
On Saturday morning, Will met me on the bench beneath the giant willow tree on the village green ready for our walk round Derwent Water.
I’d have suggested meeting at the shop but I knew Paulette would be dying for an introduction and I didn’t want him to feel any pressure from my friends at this early stage in whatever it was that was happening between us.
Rather than walk all the way round the lake, Will suggested we walk halfway, have a late lunch in a hotel just beyond the southern tip of the lake and catch the boat back to the jetty near Willowdale Hall.
The weather was ideal – a fair few fluffy clouds to reduce the heat but with no threat of rain.
The conversation on Tuesday had been stop and start at times but today it flowed, just as it had done all those years ago, while we caught up on the past two decades.
I asked about other relationships and Will admitted to a bit of dating and a few short-term girlfriends but nothing serious because nobody compared to me.
‘I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,’ he said, ‘but I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Nobody else stood a chance.’
I shared that I’d never dated either, for the same reason. We laughed a lot, we held hands and we hugged and, even though we didn’t kiss, there was no mistaking the chemistry between us.
We had our lunch on a wooden terrace with stunning views over the lake and fells, watching swans and geese and other waterfowl gliding through the water.
‘What are you thinking?’ Will asked me, as I gazed into the distance.
‘How great this day’s been and how I don’t want it to end.’
‘Me neither. It doesn’t have to. I don’t think I could manage another meal but we could go out for a drink tonight if you like.’
I smiled at him. ‘I’d like that very much.’
Spotting the boat leaving the previous jetty in the distance, we completed the short walk to the jetty near the hotel. When it arrived, we sat on the back seat where Will put his arm round me and I cuddled against his chest as we cruised round the lake.
A little later, as we approached the jetty closest to Willowdale Hall, my phone rang.
‘It’s my estate agent,’ I said, connecting the call. ‘Hi, Lorna, how are you?’
‘Really good. Just checking you haven’t found anywhere to live yet.’
‘No. I’ve been keeping an eye online and nothing’s appealed so far.’
‘I might have your ideal property. We’d sold a house in Willowdale months ago and the buyer has been dragging his heels with it.
We’ve just heard that it’s fallen through and the owners are desperate to find a new buyer quickly so they don’t lose the house they’re buying.
It’s bigger than we’ve been discussing – three bed rather than two – but the overall square footage is similar to Mallard Close… ’
With the boat secured to the jetty, it was time to get off. Will held his hand out to help me down while Lorna continued talking.
‘…and it’s modern, which I know you like. It’s a little over budget but that’s because the location’s stunning. You should see the view, Yvonne. I know you really want Willowdale so I do think you should take a look.’
‘It sounds great. I can probably stretch the budget a bit.’
‘Fabulous! Is there any chance you can view it this afternoon or tomorrow? I can give you an exclusive on it this weekend but I’ll need to put it online tonight which means potential viewings next week.’
‘That could be tricky. I’m working tomorrow and I’m out at the moment.’
I made an appointment for Monday but, when I disconnected the call and explained the situation to Will, he said there was no point me missing out on having exclusivity and he’d be delighted to accompany me today, so I called Lorna back and arranged to meet her at the house in forty-five minutes.
* * *
My love for Gosling’s Rest was instant. It was the last house in the village at the Willowdale Hall end and set back quite far from the road in an elevated position behind a couple of rows of trees.
‘It’s an upside-down house,’ Lorna said, handing over a copy of the sales particulars after meeting us on the drive. ‘Does that bother you?’
‘Not at all.’ Presumably it had been built that way to take advantage of the views from the living space. ‘When you said modern, I assumed you meant the inside, but the whole building looks pretty new.’
‘It is. The house that was here before was a wreck and the current owner – a property developer – managed to get permission to start over as long as the design was sympathetic to the style in the village.’
The developer had done a brilliant job as Gosling’s Rest didn’t look out of place at all with slate roof tiles and a combination of slate stone and whitewashed rendering. There was a lot of glass and a slate balcony running the whole length of the house.
Lorna gave us a tour of the downstairs first, saying she wanted to save the views for last. We looked in the family bathroom and two double bedrooms, the one at the front of the house being ideal for my craft room due to an abundance of light, before finishing with the en suite master bedroom which enjoyed a view over the front garden.
It was a spacious room with sumptuous furnishings and the most enormous bed.
Will was standing so close to me that I could hear him breathing.
His hand brushed against mine and I flushed from head to toe as I imagined tumbling onto that bed with him and finally reliving our Manchester experience.
‘Upstairs?’ I suggested to Lorna.
‘Absolutely. The upstairs is open plan and there’s plenty of scope to use the space differently.’
We followed her up the oak staircase and straight to the front of the property to breathe in the most beautiful view across Derwent Water and the fells on the east side. I already knew I wanted Gosling’s Rest but this fully confirmed it.
‘That’s impressive,’ Will said.
‘The doors onto the balcony open up fully,’ Lorna said, pulling on a handle and sliding the doors back to show us. ‘Oh! That’s my phone. I’ll leave you to have a wander round up here on your own and meet you outside when you’re done. Take your time and feel free to go downstairs again.’
‘What are you thinking?’ Will asked when she’d gone.
‘That she’s just found me my new home.’
‘I can see you here.’
I could also see him here with me but it was way too soon to voice that. ‘Better explore the rest.’
I turned, intending to head into the kitchen but something at the opposite end caught my eye and I grabbed Will’s arm. ‘Look!’
The owners were evidently musical as there was a cello on a stand at the end of the room and a baby grand piano positioned so the pianist could look out over the view as they played.
‘I don’t suppose I can tempt you?’ I asked, but Will was already on his way over to it.
He pulled out the wide stool and we sat down beside each other and, without a word, began the same first duet we’d played in Pianos of Distinction – ‘Fly Me to the Moon’.
Will’s playing was exquisite and note-perfect.
Mine was a little clumsy without the music but it somehow worked.
Just like us. We played ‘Clair de Lune’ followed by ‘Piano Man’ again and it was like the years had melted away and we were back in Manchester, although the electricity between us was even stronger than it had been back then.
‘I loved that,’ I said a little breathlessly as we came to the end of ‘Piano Man’. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t remember all the notes.’
‘I’m impressed you could remember any of them after all this time.’
‘I might not have played them on the keys but I’ve played them in my mind so many times.’
We were so close and the air was fizzing.
I longed to kiss him but I didn’t want to make the first move.
I was in a brilliant place in my life right now and so ready for this but I wasn’t the one who’d been hurt.
Will was going through a tough time and he’d only just found out why I left. He needed time to process that.
‘How is it that we’ve spent so little time together yet I feel like I’ve known you for my whole lifetime?’ he said.
‘Because I think that, on some level, we have.’
He gave me such a tender smile. ‘I wrote a melody for you.’
My heart leapt. ‘You did? Will you play it?’
I’d never heard anything quite so beautiful and couldn’t speak when he finished.
He hadn’t told me he loved me but that piece of music just had.
I gazed at him, tears pooling in my eyes and I don’t know who made the move but, next moment, we were locked in a passionate embrace.
His tongue teased mine, his fingers ran through my hair and down my back and I clung to him, my body yearning for so much more than kisses.
As we tumbled against the piano keys, eliciting an uncomfortable clash of notes, we pulled apart breathlessly, laughing.
‘That was beautiful,’ I whispered.
‘The music or the kiss?’
‘Both.’
He kissed me once more, a little slower this time, but we had to reluctantly break apart to finish our tour and find Lorna.
‘What did you think?’ she asked.
‘I think you’ve found me my new house.’
‘Really? Yes! I was certain it would be the perfect match for you.’
I glanced at Will before answering. ‘Definitely the perfect match.’
Lorna reminded me of the asking price but said the owner had accepted an offer and was happy for Lorna to accept the same offer from me. It sounded reasonable so we had a deal. She went inside to switch off the lights and lock up.
‘You’ve just bought a house,’ Will said, smiling at me.
‘I can’t believe it! I usually take way longer than that to think about things but I’ve been making all sorts of spontaneous decisions lately.’
He took my hand in his. ‘I think we all know when something’s right.’
‘I think we do.’
‘I know we said we’d go out for a drink tonight, but I’m thinking we should go for a celebratory one right now.’
I nodded. ‘Definitely.’
As we walked through the village towards The Hardy Herdwick, I felt as though I was encased in a bubble of happiness.
I had wonderful friends, an exciting new business, a new home and the man of my dreams back in my life with whom I’d just shared the most incredible kisses.
A man who had written a melody just for me. A man who made my heart sing.
My phone rang and I took it out my pocket, assuming it would be Lorna checking something, but I didn’t recognise the number.
‘Hello?’ I said.
‘Is that Yvonne?’
‘It is.’
‘Hi, it’s Amelia. I live next door to Marianne…’
And in one phone call, that bubble of happiness burst.