Chapter 36
Robyn rubbed her eyes. Chinks of light filtered through the heavy curtains at the window. She hadn’t pulled them shut properly earlier that morning when she’d fallen into bed, exhausted and fully clothed. Her mug of tea sat cold and untouched where she’d left it on the bedside table, thinking she’d sit and drink it in bed in the early hours.
She had thought the argument with David would have played on her mind, keeping her awake, but that hadn’t happened. She realised that she must have fallen asleep sitting up, and that at some point, feeling cold, she’d crawled under the covers and promptly fallen asleep again.
Now, she was wide awake, feeling disconcerted. For a moment, she had to think what day it was. She was meant to be visiting Rose the day after New Year to start work on the interior design of her new house. She frowned when she realised what day it actually was. The same horrible day that had begun with an argument between her and David in the early hours.
But an argument is not how it started out , she remembered. Her New Year’s Day had started in the highest village in the Cairngorms, with her clasping David’s hand, singing Auld Lang Syne , and then enjoying their first kiss.
Yes, but look how it ended , she thought, shaking her head. Now she couldn’t wait to put New Year’s Day behind her. She decided that the next day, which she would spend with Rose, pushing all thoughts of David to the back of her mind, would be a better day. Much better . She managed a smile at the thought.
Robyn sat up with a start when she heard a faint knocking on her bedroom door.
‘It’s me – Gayle. Are you awake?’ Gayle called in barely a whisper.
Robyn sighed in relief and relaxed. ‘Yes, I’m awake.’
The doorknob turned, and the door opened. Gayle popped her head around the door, and grinned. ‘There you are. Happy New Year!’
‘Happy New Year,’ Robyn chimed, even though she’d already wished Gayle a Happy New Year hours ago.
‘Are we feeling better?’
Robyn actually felt in high spirits. She threw her arms wide stretching. ‘Yes, much better.’ Especially at the thought that David would be long gone.
‘You’re dressed already,’ Gayle observed.
Robyn shook her head. ‘Actually, I must have been so tired, I fell asleep in my clothes.’
‘Yes, the eventful evening certainly caught up with you.’
Robyn’s smile faded at that comment. That was when she remembered that she’d left Gayle and David talking in the lounge. What had he said? And more worryingly, what had Gayle told him?
Robyn remembered to breathe. What did it matter? After last night, she’d probably never see David again.
Even so, she had heard them chatting in the lounge when she closed the door behind her, and it was still on her mind. ‘Last night – I mean earlier, when I went to bed – did you mention to David about my memory issues?’ Robyn motioned at her head.
‘Of course not. I never betray confidences.’
Robyn knew she shouldn’t have asked. She threw Gayle an apologetic look. She did wonder, though, what David might have confided in her. Gayle was one of those people who exuded calm, and she was so easy to talk to. She was a good listener, and gave people the inclination to open up to her.
Robyn thought that perhaps, instead of going back to hairdressing, Gayle should have considered training to become a counsellor instead. She could have swapped her role in nursing, looking after people physically, to helping people with their mental health instead.
‘I’m making breakfast – come and join us.’
Robyn grinned. ‘Fantastic. I am so hungry.’ She swung her legs out of bed and exclaimed, ‘Ouch!’ clutching her head.
‘Headache?’
Robyn nodded. ‘Yeah.’
‘I’ll bet. You should have eaten something before you went to bed last night.’
‘Why?’
‘Helps when you drink too much.’
‘I did not drink too much! I only had two bottles of beer. What has David been telling you?’
Gayle just smiled. ‘Oh, before I forget.’ She walked into the room with a kettle.
Robyn knitted her brow. ‘What’s that for?’
Gayle said, ‘The boiler’s on the blink again. I’m afraid that means no baths at the moment, so I brought up a kettle of hot water.’
‘Oh.’ Robyn glanced at the sink in the corner of the room. Although the sink would come in handy today, it would have to go, thought Robyn, if Gayle was going to have paying guests.
Gayle didn’t know it yet, but her non-paying guest, Robyn, intended to do up the house – for Gayle and for her mum. It would make the most amazing guest house, and earn them lots of money. That was how she intended to repay Gayle back for her kindness and generosity, taking her in when she had nowhere else to go. The problem was that now, she didn’t want to leave.
Thinking of guests as she watched Gayle cross the room and leave the kettle by the sink, Robyn wondered if Nick, the site manager from the housing estate where Rose lived, had arrived there yesterday evening, while she was out with David.
She was about to ask – she hoped Gayle hadn’t turned him away – but she decided the question could wait. She needed to wash, and head downstairs for something to eat, hoping that helped her headache. She was looking forward to having breakfast with Gayle and her mum.
‘I’ll leave you in peace,’ said Gayle. ‘Come down to breakfast when you’re ready.’
‘All right.’
Gayle was just closing the bedroom door behind her when she paused, and said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’
Robyn smiled. ‘Me too.’
She watched Gayle close the door, and then stood up. She looked at the heavy dark curtains. This place needed more light. The property had dark wood everywhere – the skirtings, dado rails, staircase, and the mahogany furniture. Although some of the wallpapered rooms were quite pretty, the wallpaper itself looked shabby and was peeling in places. The heavy velvety curtains throughout didn’t help at all; they really aged the property.
Robyn couldn’t do anything about all that just then, but what she could do was open those curtains and let in some natural light.
Before washing, and changing her clothes, she walked over to the heavy curtains, took one in each hand, and yanked them apart. The strong sunlight took her by surprise. It was later than she’d thought.
She immediately closed her eyes against the glare, standing in the window for a moment, feeling the warmth of the winter sun on her face. It felt wonderful. A new day was dawning, a new year, and Robyn couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be than standing there in that house, holding the old worn curtains in her hands, soaking up the morning sunshine.
When she did open her eyes, she smiled at the view across the front garden. The grounds were quite extensive. Gayle had told her that the property had been the first one built at the end of the cul de sac, and so it had the prime corner position with more land than the others.
Although it was overgrown – Gayle’s mum really could do with a gardener – Robyn could see past the overgrown hedgerows and weed-filled lawn to the sort of garden it could be, with perhaps a little wooden summerhouse sitting at the end of a perfectly manicured lawn, and colourful flower borders. The only thing she wouldn’t change was the amazing backdrop of the snow-peaked Cairngorms.
And that was just the front garden. She could imagine what the back garden could be turned into with a little TLC, and a gardener.
Robyn was just turning to the sink when her gaze shifted just below her window to the stony drive outside the house. She blinked in surprise. What is David’s van doing here? she wondered.
Her first thought was that he’d returned to make a delivery. She shook her head. On New Year’s Day? Nobody should be working on New Year’s Day; it was a bank holiday. But what if, after speaking with Gayle last night, she’d persuaded him to return and deliver some flowers as an apology?
‘Well, I shan’t accept them,’ Robyn decided, folding her arms and pouting at the van for a full minute.
As she walked over to the sink, she thought it strange that Gayle hadn’t mentioned he was back. Perhaps he wasn’t. Maybe Gayle had given him a lift home in the early hours because she didn’t think he should drive, so he’d left the van there.
That was it, Robyn decided as she washed and changed for breakfast.