Chapter Thirty-Two
The end of January was still winter. It was actually more wintery than December, but this was offset by hints of the approaching spring.
The most noticeable for Eloise was the slight lengthening of the days.
Not particularly apparent on a rainy, mist-laden day where the lowering clouds obscured the sun, but a clear, blue-skyed afternoon like this gave her hope that the season would soon turn.
As she neared Honeycombe Bay, the road rose a little before cresting like a roller coaster to reveal the tree-lined valley she had come to know so well.
Houses were visible, dotted amongst the bare branches, the buildings clustering together, closer and closer until they reached the shoreline, and from this angle they appeared to spill into the sea.
The embracing arm of the sturdy harbour wall sheltered several boats, and beyond it, stretching first to the island in the middle of the bay and then to the horizon, was an expanse of deep blue water, its surface shimmering and rippling under the weak sun.
Eloise knew the temperature outside would be chilly, but she’d also seen the white nodding heads of snowdrops in the verges and the first green shoots of the daffodils poking through the soil—more promises of spring.
Spring signified new beginnings and fresh starts, and as the car trundled along the road leading to Sea View Guest House, she wondered whether what she was about to do would lead to a fresh start for her too. She prayed it would, but was terrified it mightn’t.
When Eloise pulled up outside the house, her heart was in her mouth. She felt sick and nervous at the thought of seeing Bart again, and she debated the wisdom of what she was doing. Yet she did it anyway, as she turned off the engine and got out of the car.
Unlike last time, she hadn’t brought a case with her, although she did have an overnight bag in the vain hope she might actually stay.
The ding-dong sounded deep in the house, and she waited nervously for him to answer the door, her hands clasped tightly together and her pulse thudding in her ears.
Bart’s face, when he opened the door, was politely curious, and for a second it remained that way as her presence sank in. Then it creased into a huge smile, swiftly tempered by caution.
“Eloise.” He cleared his throat. “What a lovely surprise.”
Gosh, that was so formal. She fought the urge to turn tail and drive away.
“Come in.” He stood aside, opening the door wide, and she stepped into the familiar hall. “Tea?”
Mutely, she shook her head. What was she doing here? This was excruciating. How could she possibly go from “Hi, Bart” to “I love you”?
He said, “I thought you were the tow truck.”
As he led her through his private sitting room and into the kitchen, her gaze fell on the side table next to his chair, made conspicuous by the absence of Penny’s photo.
Despite Eloise’s refusal of tea, he flicked the switch on the kettle—but she noticed he hadn’t plugged it in at the socket.
“Sit down,” he offered.
Nervous heat flowed up her chest and into her face. The kitchen was warm, too warm, and she eased off her coat and draped it over the back of a chair, but she didn’t sit. “Tow truck?” she asked.
“My car won’t start. I’ve got to get it towed. To the garage. So they can fix it.” He smiled at her, a pained uplifting of his lips.
Oh God, she shouldn’t have come.
He cleared his throat again. “I was, um, coming to see you, and it wouldn’t start.”
Eloise blinked. “Pardon?”
“Coming to see you,” he repeated, running his hand across his chin. She heard the rasp of stubble and stared at his fingers. “I haven’t shaved this morning.”
“That’s okay. Why were you coming to see me?”
Bart screwed his eyes shut. When he opened them, he said, “Do you want to go first?”
“Sorry?”
“Why the unexpected visit?”
“Oh, right…” Regretting her impulsive decision, she said, “Sorry, I’ll go. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“You didn’t. I’m pleased to see you.”
“Pleased,” she repeated woodenly. Was that all? He was pleased?
She turned away, blindly trying to hook her coat off the back of the chair, but all she succeeded in doing was knocking the damn thing over.
“Bugger!” she cried, bending to pick it up at the same time as Bart reached for it.
The crack as their foreheads clashed was loud, and the pain was instant and shocking.
Eloise saw stars.
She’d always thought it was simply an expression, until her vision exploded into flashing lights for a second as she staggered back, clapping a hand to her forehead.
Bart’s head must have been made of stronger stuff, because his arms snapped around her in an instant, stopping her from falling.
Then everything faded.
Bart lowered Eloise gently to the floor, panic making his heart race. She was still conscious, but only just. Her eyelids were fluttering, and she uttered a low moan.
Bart wanted to moan too, fear consuming him, but he held it together. “Stay with me, my love, stay with me,” he pleaded.
Ambulance. He should phone for an ambulance. She might have a concussion—or worse. If anything happened to her…The thought was too dreadful to contemplate.
“Bart?”
“I’m here. Don’t try to move. I’m going to call an ambulance.”
“Don’t you dare.” Her voice was stronger this time, and her eyes were fully open, although they were clouded with pain.
Relief made him feel weak and trembly as he argued, “But you’re hurt.”
“We bumped heads, that’s all.”
“That’s all? You’re going to have a lump the size of a hen’s egg by tomorrow. You must get it checked out. I won’t have anything happen to you.”
She struggled to sit up, and despite his better judgment and because he knew how stubborn she could be, he hastened to help her. “Here, lean against me until you feel a bit stronger.” He sat down next to her on the floor and patted his chest. It was better than propping her up against a table leg.
“I’m okay, I’m just—” She broke off and froze, confusion filling her face.
Bart gritted his teeth. Please, no, he begged silently, feeling in his pocket for the mobile phone he’d probably left upstairs. He didn’t care how vigorously she protested, he was going to ring for an ambulance because he—
“You called me my love.”
His heart pounded. “Yes…”
“Did you mean it?”
Now wasn’t the time to tell her. She’d just received a bump to the head and—
But when was he going to tell her? Tomorrow? The day after? Next week?
He would have driven to Northampton yesterday afternoon to tell her that very thing, if his car hadn’t broken down.
So now was as good a time as any.
Biting the bullet, he said, “I did mean it. I do love you, Eloise. That’s why I wanted to see you, to tell you. I know we haven’t known each other long and you don’t feel the same way about me, and I fully understand if you never want to see me again, but—”
Eloise was beaming. It wasn’t the reaction he expected.
She said, “I haven’t told you why I’m here.”
He chewed his lip, unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer. “Why are you here?”
“To tell you I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Bart was certain he must have misheard. “You’ve…what?”
“I love you, Bart.”
“But when I kissed you, you were horrified.”
“Yes, because you were appalled. The look on your face…You still love Penny.”
“I do. I always will.” Bart shifted position, his arms tightening around Eloise, holding her close.
“She was my wife for thirty-seven years, and losing her was terrible. For a long time I didn’t want to live without her, and for a long time after that I couldn’t be bothered to live without her.
Then you came into my life and changed everything.
” His voice broke. “I didn’t think I’d fall in love again, but I have. ”
“And I didn’t think I’d fall in love at all, but here I am.”
“How’s your head?”
Her hand crept to the bump on her brow. “It’s fine.”
“Are you sure? You don’t want me to take you to the hospital?”
“Definitely not.”
“In that case…”
This time there was no ambiguity about who kissed who.
Bart kissed her with a passion and thoroughness he hadn’t expected to feel again, and as his heart swelled with love for this prickly, generous, wonderful woman, he knew he never wanted to let her go.