Chapter 11
Mattie snagged the last free spot in the shade of the gazebo. The table was small and square, with barely room for their sandwiches, a pot of tea, and two mugs. “How’s your food?”
“Good,” Nell said, clearly relishing the first bite of her egg and cress sandwich. “I’m starving now, unlike this morning.”
Mattie’s barely fledgling spirits drooped. “Was my behaviour to blame for your hangover?”
“You didn’t force me to drink. How I deal with emotional upset is my issue, not yours.” Nell ate another mouthful. “What did you make of Agatha Christie’s house?”
Could Mattie truthfully recall one single fact about anything she’d seen? No. Her grogginess had refused to lift after a disturbed night, during which her mind mocked her by replaying her humiliating behaviour. “It’s pretty,” she said vaguely.
Nell poured a cup of Earl Grey from the pot. “My family laughs at me for drinking tea when it’s sweltering outside.”
“The jury’s still out on whether hot drinks cool you down.
” Mattie realised Nell knew she was still feeling awkward and was trying to put her at ease.
She was some woman. How many people would be as gracious?
Not many, certainly not in Mattie’s professional world.
Was it an inherent part of Nell or had it been passed on to her, just as Mattie’s dad had always insisted on honourable behaviour?
It’d been his voice she’d channelled in the dark hours of sleeplessness last night.
She sipped a mouthful of tea and willed herself to relax.
“Have you read any of Agatha Christie’s books? ”
“No, but I’ve seen a film adaptation of one of them. Murder on the Orient Express. I see the reality and consequences of crime on a daily basis, so I tend to veer away from that kind of fiction.”
“That hadn’t occurred to me. Simon loves reading murder mysteries. It makes it easy to buy birthday and Christmas presents for him.”
“How much can he actually hear?”
“Very little. He feels vibration so that helps him when he’s driving and so on.
He used to love going on the steam railway here, because he could feel the sound of it through his feet.
” The memory lifted Mattie’s mood, and she smiled.
“He doesn’t let it hold him back. He’s a teacher at a specialist secondary school for deaf kids these days. ”
Nell inclined her head. “You’re close to him?”
“Bordering on hero worship, not that I’d admit it to his face. Older sibling rivalry and all that.” Mattie smiled. “He’s a perfect blend of the best parts of our parents. Their hard-working ethos, Mum’s caring nature, and Dad’s gentleness. I inherited the less attractive qualities.”
“Which are?”
“Self-destructive, mostly.” Now wasn’t the time or place to delve into how she’d neglected family, friends, and relationships, all in the name of her career. Or how she regularly substituted alcohol and junk food for regular meals. The list was endless. “Are your parents still around?”
“Both are, yes, albeit quite doddery now,” said Nell.
“They still live in our family home and my three brothers and sister, Caroline, are close by to help out if needed. I’m the only one who fled to a different part of the country.
” She leaned back in her chair. “I’m also the only one who’s divorced and childless.
Thankfully, between them, my siblings have produced enough grandchildren to forgive my sins.
There are thirteen of them. That’s a Catholic upbringing for you. Kids everywhere.”
Divorced? That was news to her. From a man or woman? Mattie was eager to know but, having already crossed one red line, she wasn’t about to add another one to the list. “My mum got to spend time with Simon’s two kids before she passed away, and she said it was one of the pure joys of her life.”
“You talk about your parents a lot,” said Nell.
“I miss them all the time. They kept me grounded.” Mattie sighed. “Losing my dad in his early sixties hurt like hell. Mum made it to seventy-four, but that was far too early in our world.”
“I’m sorry.” Nell poured the remainder of the tea between their two cups. “Did your parents have hearing issues as well? If I’m not being too nosey by asking?”
“Asking questions is in my DNA as much as it is yours.” Mattie smiled wryly. “My parents had normal hearing, as do Simon’s kids. My niece and nephew know some basic BSL signs, but they’re not fluent. Julie, my sister-in-law, learned how to sign when she fell in love with Simon.”
“That’s so romantic.”
I’d do it for you. Mattie folded her paper napkin into a small rectangle as that thought hit home.
A hollow ache settled in her chest. Why?
Because nothing would ever come of her and Nell, and that’d always been the case.
She forced herself to focus on the here and now, and talked about the boat ride up to Greenway and the birds she’d seen and heard.
“I have no idea what birds they were, but they looked and sounded lovely.”
“I use an app called Merlin to identify them,” said Nell. “I’m able to recognise the more common bird songs now, like wrens, and robins, and chiffchaffs. I’ll show you.”
Heat suffused Mattie as Nell’s toned legs inadvertently brushed hers when she reached for her phone. Was Nell aware of what her proximity was doing to her? Mattie tried to focus as Nell showed her the app. “I’ll download it now so I can use it on my way back.”
Nell glanced at the time. “If you want a lift to Cove House with Angie then you’ll need to hit the trail soon. It took me a good couple of hours to walk it this morning.”
“I guess so.” Mattie could take the boat back if she wanted. Another trek on her own was suddenly unappealing. Unless... “Are you planning to take the same route back?”
“Yes. You go ahead, and I’ll leave in about half an hour. That way, you’ll get to enjoy some of your day without me intruding upon it.”
“That seems a little extreme.” Mattie busied herself with stacking their crockery and rubbish onto the tray. “Unless you’re desperate to be free of my company, I’m sure we can manage to walk together.”
Nell smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
Mattie’s treacherous heart leapt a mile high. That gave her another two hours of Nell’s company. She was going to treasure every minute of it. She packed up her things and checked out the route on her Ordnance Survey map while she waited for Nell. “Ready?”
“Ready.” Nell pointed to the right. “We need to head for those trees.”
“Lead the way.” Mattie followed Nell along the single file track into the heart of the bone-dry woodland.
Her eyes clung to each clench of Nell’s glutes, hidden beneath the stretchy material of her khaki shorts.
How would their shape feel, cupped in Mattie’s hands?
Strong, firm, warm, supple. All of those things.
Enjoy the view but be on your best behaviour.
Don’t give Nell another reason to question your integrity.
She kept up with Nell, who set a moderate pace and was clearly hiking-fit.
Inwardly, she continued to swoon at Nell’s legs.
Outwardly, she noticed iron tracks of the steam railway lower down to their right.
The only sounds were occasional birdsong, their own footsteps, and the swish-swish of their clothing. It was simply joyous.
Further along, she stopped beside Nell at a gap in the trees. From there, it was possible to see the valley stretched out like a Constable painting, with the smooth green ribbon of the river curling its way towards the open sea, its banks flanked by a battalion of trees. “That’s stunning.”
“I never tire of it.” Nell tipped her head to one side. “Can you hear that bird song? It’s a chiffchaff. If you listen, you can hear it singing chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff.”
Mattie listened. “I can hear it, but I can’t see it.”
“Nor can I. They’re olive-coloured and tend to flit between trees and shrubs.”
The track widened, and Mattie walked alongside Nell with a spring in her step.
This was lovely. No, it was much more than that.
It was quietly companionable. Who would’ve guessed that she and Nell would be such compatible walking partners, content to listen, and watch, and savour unless they pointed out yet another picturesque view?
A mile or so later, the tree canopy thinned out, and Mattie squinted in the full glare of the sun. “I hadn’t realised how much the woodland was protecting us.”
“There isn’t so much shade on the next part of the walk, so we’ll have to take it easy,” said Nell.
Mattie sipped from her half-empty bottle of water. She’d already suffered dehydration once this week and didn’t intend for it to happen again.
The next section of the trail led to a small lake.
The never-ending heatwave had caused it to shrink, as evidenced by the exposed reeds and tree roots.
Mattie sat on a wide stone next to Nell at the lake’s edge.
Flies traced the water’s surface, creating miniature ripples.
The air was utterly still, as if holding its breath.
When had she last been this still too, simply being in the moment?
It was such a trite thing to say and so hard to actually achieve.
Nell gasped and pointed across the lake with a gentle movement. “Can you see, just over there on the branch? A kingfisher.”
Mattie didn’t dare move for fear of startling it.
Perched on a slim branch hanging over the shallows, the bird lifted a wing and preened its blue and orange plumage with its long beak.
For long, breathless moments, they watched, silent and still, caught in nature’s spell.
The kingfisher tipped its head downwards, studying something in the water.
Suddenly, it plunged into the shimmering waters of the lake with such grace and precision that it took Mattie’s breath away.
“I feel so privileged to have witnessed that,” she whispered.
“It was magical.” Her gaze slid to Nell, whose eyes seemed to shine with the same pure joy that she felt.
Her fingers were wrapped around Nell’s forearm.
When had that happened? She hadn’t done it knowingly, but now she didn’t want to let go.
Nell’s skin was so soft and enticing. Wide eyes met her gaze.
Something elusive shifted between them. Did Nell feel it too?
Or was Mattie imagining it? Silence stretched between them for a long beat. Mattie waited.
And then Nell pulled away. “We should, um, move on.”
Mattie mumbled her agreement. Reluctantly, she slung her bag over her shoulders and followed Nell to rejoin the path.
Their pace was slower now, the silence between them full of thoughts and words unsaid, at least on Mattie’s part.
The track running alongside the riverbank widened and grew busier.
Far too soon, they reached the marina and its jetties, a cacophony of noise after the calm oasis of the woodlands.
“Do we have to walk around the inlet, or is there a bridge over it?”
“A footbridge,” Nell said. “Then it’s a short walk to the lower ferry crossing if you’re planning to go back across the river to get a lift back with Angie.”
Mattie shielded her eyes against the glare bouncing off the river. “Is there time?”
“We’d have to step on it.”
“I don’t want to step on it.” The words fell out of Mattie’s mouth before she had the chance to censor them. She halted in the middle of the path, forcing Nell to stop too. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”
Nell stared at her. “Do you mean the walk?”
“The day. I think there’s something between us, and I’m not ready to let it go.” There, Mattie had said it, even if her words came out as little more than a whisper.
Nell’s breath hitched. “I felt it that first evening in Angie’s garden, before everything got complicated.”
The fine hairs on the back of Mattie’s neck fizzed as Nell’s thoughts mirrored her own.
“I know we’ve pretty much run out of time but.
..stay a while longer? No agenda. Just two women enjoying some carefree time without any baggage.
We could explore the town and have dinner. Maybe watch the sun go down.”
“I’d like that,” Nell said.
“Which part?”
Nell returned her smile. “At the risk of sounding terribly British, let’s start with tea and work it out from there.”
Mattie laughed, and her body sang with joy. How different this day was turning out to be, after all.