Chapter 14
Not being able to contact my brother, combined with the distracted and grumpy moods Constance and James had respectively been in, rubbed off on me a bit and the resultant dip in my own outlook rather took the shine off what should have been the happiest day, as did the fact that James didn’t call back.
So, after a restless night spent mostly tossing and turning, and following my regular river swim, which felt nowhere near as restorative as usual, I headed to the place that I knew was guaranteed to cheer me up.
With a packed rucksack, and the keys Constance had given me, I drove back to the woods. Having missed out on a second proper look around the day Rick had found me in the cabin, I intended to take a walk with a view to nourishing my soul, rather than thinking about my business plans.
Thwarted again by the rusty padlock on the gate, I climbed over and set off in the direction of the pond. It took me a while to get there and not only because of the brambles and nettles that barred my way and had to be negotiated.
‘A nuthatch, treecreepers and a great spotted woodpecker,’ I recited, as I added the birds I had seen to a page in the back of my notebook. ‘And that’s on top of the blackbirds, thrush, robins and wrens.’
The tally was impressive considering I’d only been in the woods a few minutes and I thought that birdwatching trips would make an interesting addition to everything else I was intending to offer.
So much for not thinking about my plan… not that thinking about it took anything away from the pleasure of walking around the woods, connecting to the earth and grounding myself again.
I defied anyone to come here and not feel better about life by the time they left.
I’d just set out a blanket and my breakfast when my phone started to ring. I thought I’d misheard for a moment because under the branches of the largest oak tree I’d so far discovered was the last place I would have expected to pick up a signal.
‘I’m a horrible, miserable ogre and I’m sorry,’ were the words that greeted me when I answered it.
‘Hello, James,’ I laughed.
‘How did you know it was me? My number gave me away, I suppose.’
‘No,’ I said as I eased off my walking trainers, sat down and folded my legs underneath me. ‘I didn’t see that.’
‘What then?’
‘You were the only horrible, miserable ogre I was waiting to hear from. Everyone else in my life is perfectly delightful.’
Apart from Constance. She hadn’t really been an ogre the day before, but she hadn’t been her usual self either. I’d go and see her once I’d finished my breakfast and felt further soothed by my time among the trees.
‘Oh great,’ James pretended to huff. ‘So, everyone else’s perfect behaviour has made mine look even worse.’
‘And the fact that you didn’t ring back last night like you said you would hasn’t done you any favours, either,’ I batted back lightly.
‘Ah now, actually,’ James said, and I could tell he was smiling even though we didn’t have our cameras on, ‘I did you a favour there because my filthy mood continued right throughout the evening and almost to bedtime. Consider my silence a merciful act. I spared you from more of my grumpiness.’
‘Almost to bedtime,’ I repeated pensively. ‘Did the situation resolve itself by then?’
‘Sadly not,’ James informed me. ‘That’s still unresolved.’
‘So, what or who did cheer you up then?’
I found myself hoping it was a what, rather than a who.
‘My buddy,’ he said simply.
A who then, but not necessarily an overly friendly one.
‘Well, thank them for me, will you?’ I requested. ‘Because I’m breakfasting in a beautiful spot this morning and I would have hated you to call still in a grumpy mood and spoil it.’
‘Where exactly are you?’ he asked.
I looked around with my rose-tinted spectacles sat firmly in place. They ensured that the state of the pond and the abundance of brambles barely registered.
‘Paradise,’ I breathed. ‘An outdoor paradise.’
‘Sounds nice,’ James huffed. ‘I’m jealous.’
‘Nice is such an insipid word,’ I tutted. ‘Glorious is a far better description.’
‘Are you alone?’
‘I am. Not a buddy in sight. Are you really feeling better?’
‘Yes and no,’ he said. ‘Quite a lot has happened since our car picnic.’
‘Such as?’ I asked and sat up straighter.
‘Well, for a start, I can’t help thinking about the job offer from my old boss.’
‘I’m pleased to hear it, but I thought that was a non-starter.’
‘I did too, initially,’ he frowned. ‘But seeing how fired up and excited you are to follow your heart has cast a different light on my determination to carry on regardless.’
‘I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the sound of that,’ I told him. ‘I’d hate to be responsible for inadvertently encouraging you to make another decision you might regret. You’re carrying on regardless for family, after all.’
‘Family who are currently doing themselves no favours where I’m concerned,’ he sighed. ‘But don’t worry, like I said, I’m still just thinking about it, rather than acting on it.’
‘Well, that’s good,’ I said. ‘We do like a plan, don’t we?’
‘We do,’ he agreed. ‘I can’t wait to see you again,’ he said, after a moment of quiet.
‘Likewise,’ I said, smiling. ‘But there’s not much chance of that now you’re back in London,’ I pointed out.
‘I’m not going to be here more than a couple of hours.’
‘How come?’
‘My boss took umbrage that I was away longer than I said I’d be and is sending me to Cambridge. There’s a case there that he wants me to take on at short notice.’
‘Another one?’ I frowned. ‘He sounds like a right piece of work.’
‘He’s that and more,’ James laughed.
On the one hand, I was sorry that he’d annoyed his boss who I knew was already unhappy with him, but on the other, Cambridge wasn’t all that far away.
‘I’ll be working through the case notes with my colleague tomorrow and from then on immersed in the trial until it comes to an end,’ he said.
‘And what about this afternoon?’ I asked. ‘I could drive over to Cambridge and meet you if you like. It’s not far.’
‘Really?’
‘Really, but only if you haven’t already made plans.’
‘I haven’t had time to make plans, and even if I had, I would have cancelled them for ones that involved spending time with you again, Tilly.’
That declaration caused a blush to bloom and more than justified the journey. Given that going forward I was going to be occupied with my own plans and James was going to be in court, I thought we owed it to each other to make the most of an unexpected opportunity to see one another again.
‘That’s made my morning,’ I smiled.
‘Good. It was meant to.’
‘So, where shall we meet?’ I asked. ‘I don’t know Cambridge at all.’
‘How about the botanic garden?’ he suggested, and I felt my breath catch. He must have heard it, too, because he then said, ‘Or don’t you trust the forecast? It did rather let us down before, didn’t it?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ I laughed. ‘I very much enjoyed our car picnic, and I would love to see the gardens. I’ve never visited. Have you?’
‘Many times,’ he told me, and given what I now knew of his passion for spending time outdoors, I wasn’t anywhere near as surprised as I would have been to hear him say it the day we first met.
‘There’s a lovely café in the grounds, so we could grab a bite to eat there once I’ve shown you all my favourite spots and you’ve discovered some of your own. ’
‘Fantastic,’ I smiled. ‘That sounds wonderful.’
‘I couldn’t agree more.’
‘Okay, well, it’s almost eight now,’ I said, checking the time, ‘so when do you suggest we meet?’
‘We want to make the most of the day, and as I’m ready to set off now, how does half eleven at the garden entrance sound? Is that too soon for you?’
A quick look at the route confirmed that I could be there for then.
‘No, that works for me, but will it give you long enough to get sorted when you arrive?’
‘Plenty of time,’ James confirmed. ‘I’m staying quite nearby so as soon as I’ve dropped my stuff off, I can walk straight there.’
‘All right,’ I said, feeling my tummy fizz with excitement. ‘I’ll see you there at half eleven.’
‘And wear those shoes of yours that are comfy to walk in,’ he advised, before he rang off. ‘Because there’s miles to cover and loads to see.’
‘I love that you sound so excited,’ I laughed.
‘I am excited,’ he told me. ‘I’m meeting you in one of my favourite places!’
I was lucky not to get indigestion given how fast I bolted my breakfast. I had known the time in the woods would soothe me, but I hadn’t expected James to play such an important part in the recovery of my mood, too.
‘You’ve just missed her,’ Rick informed me, when I arrived back at Fernside and knocked on the locked sunroom door to check Constance was okay.
‘Missed her?’ I frowned.
‘Hairdresser day,’ he grinned. ‘She’s just gone. I’m surprised you didn’t pass her on the drive. She has a taxi pick her up and ferry her back.’
‘Oh, right,’ I said. I felt disappointed to have missed my friend but pleased that she felt happy enough to have her hair done. ‘Did you speak to her? Was she okay?’
‘Seemed fine to me.’ Rick frowned. ‘Why, what’s up?’
‘Nothing,’ I shrugged. ‘She just seemed a bit distracted yesterday, and I was worried about her.’
‘Well,’ he said, picking up the wheelbarrow he’d been pushing when I arrived, ‘she was happy enough to have another go at me about listening to gossip, so I’d say normal service has been resumed, no matter what was vexing her yesterday.’
‘That’s good then,’ I said, biting my lip.
‘Not for me,’ he laughed. ‘She’s like a dog with a bone. Almost put me off wanting to come to supper.’ I rolled my eyes at that. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy giving me a hand, Tilly, do you? I’ve got at least three hours work to do here and just two hours to do it in.’
I got the impression that Rick charged Constance for far fewer hours than he worked, but I couldn’t help him that morning because I needed to get ready and go.
‘On any other day,’ I told him.
‘Yeah, yeah. I know,’ he moaned.