Chapter 28
I knew, even before I’d opened my eyes, that it was later than I wanted it to be. Having taken ages to nod off, I’d then slept like the dead and our trip into town to check out the autumn market was going to be delayed as a result.
Rather than lingering to see if I could hear Erik moving about, I quickly opened the bedroom door and found him sleeping at a diagonal angle across the sofa bed.
He was on his front, with one leg bent and one arm above his head.
I was grateful that he was wearing pyjama bottoms, because the sight of his bare tanned back and arms was enough to cause my heart to race again and now I had a dilemma. Should I wake him or leave him be?
Given what he’d said about not sleeping I decided to leave him and crept into the bathroom.
When I came out he was still asleep but now on his back, the same arm stretched over his head and his hair mussed up and covering half his face.
He looked so peaceful, not to mention hot but I didn’t stand and stare because that would have been creepy!
Feeling desperate for a drink but mindful of the noise the kettle would make, I went back into the bedroom and quietly closed the door.
I snuggled back under the duvet and checked the forecast. Both days were looking fine so we wouldn’t have to cram everything in in a rush and I thought the pumpkin patch and a walk around the nature trail on the farm belonging to it, which was called Skylark Farm, could be the Sunday highlight ahead of finding a pub somewhere for a traditional roast before driving back to Nightingale Square.
I was just beginning to doze off when there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.
‘You can come in sleepyhead,’ I called and the door opened.
Erik, still half naked and with his hair now in a total state, stood looking sheepish.
‘I overslept,’ he croaked.
‘No, you didn’t. You slept for as long as you needed to.’
‘In that case,’ he said as he gingerly lowered himself to sit on the bed, ‘would you mind telling my knee that because it’s a bit stiff this morning. I must have slept in the same position all night.’
‘Oh Erik,’ I winced. ‘Is it really? I told you I should have slept on the sofa.’
‘I don’t think it was the sleeping arrangements themselves that were the problem,’ he grimaced as he bent and straightened his left leg. ‘More like me not moving while I was asleep on top of using a manual gearbox for the first time in so long.’
‘Oh, crikey,’ I said. ‘You’re used to an automatic?’
‘Yep,’ he grimaced. ‘And it was stop start for a while in Norwich, wasn’t it?’
‘It was a bit. We should have come in my car.’
Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the apartment door.
‘I’ll get it,’ I said as I pushed back the duvet and edged around him.
‘I’m sorry to bother you,’ Bella said, when I opened the door, ‘but I’ve just had to pop back from town and wanted to check everything was okay before I head off again.’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘thank you. The apartment is lovely, and we’ve got everything we need.’
‘That’s all right then,’ she smiled. ‘I won’t keep you.’
She turned to walk away just as I did then think of something that might be useful.
‘Actually, there is something. Do you, by any chance, know of a taxi firm local to here?’ I asked. ‘We were thinking of booking one to take us to town this morning. I’m so excited to visit the autumn market.’
‘Oh, fantastic,’ she said. ‘You’ll love it and there’s a number listed in the welcome folder, but my partner, Jude, will be driving into town in about an hour. I can ask him to give you a lift if you like?’
‘Oh yes please,’ I smiled. ‘As long as it wouldn’t be a bother?’
‘No bother at all,’ she smiled back. ‘I’ll tell him now and I’ll see you at the market.’
She didn’t say why she’d be there.
‘Thank you,’ I said as she headed off. ‘We’ll be waiting outside in an hour.’
I found Erik still sitting on the bed.
‘I didn’t want to appear half-dressed,’ he explained.
‘Did you hear Bella offering us a lift with her partner?’ I asked. ‘I hope that was okay. I thought it might be easier on your knee if you didn’t have to drive today.’
‘More than okay,’ he said and awkwardly stood up. ‘I’ll jump in the shower now if that’s all right? The hot water will help.’
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘You go for it. Though I don’t recommend you jump anywhere for the time being.’ Erik rolled his eyes. ‘We’ll find somewhere to have breakfast in town so we can get straight on.’
‘Good idea.’
By the time Jude, who was as lovely as Bella, had dropped us off next to the market, Erik’s knee was feeling much better and we made an attempt at a beeline towards The Cherry Tree Café that I’d read about online for some breakfast and to get our bearings.
I say attempted to make a beeline because it was a struggle not to become distracted. With the whole market square decorated for autumn, including all the shop windows and market stalls, it was a miracle we arrived at all.
‘Come on,’ Erik encouraged, more than once as I veered off to admire something, ‘I’m fading away here and you read online that this café is always packed out.’
Taking pity on him, with his hat pulled down and his collar right up to hopefully avoid being recognised, I put my blinkers on and made for the café door.
‘Oh wow,’ I gasped as the bell melodiously chimed our arrival and my senses were hit with a full-on autumnal tableau.
The entire aesthetic was seasonal perfection and the smell was spot-on, too.
There were lengths of autumn leaf and pumpkin fabric bunting strung about, patterned oilcloth on every table and the cake counter was practically glowing orange, red and gold and filling the room with a hunger inducing waft of what smelt like cooked apples and cinnamon.
‘This place is amazing,’ I said as I took it all in.
‘And busy,’ Erik said as he nudged me further inside. ‘Look, there’s a table over there. Let’s nab it quick.’
The table was just big enough for two and Erik manoeuvred his chair so he could face me.
It only gave him a view of the wall behind me, but he didn’t mind that.
We both ordered the same thing – autumn harvest pancakes and coffee – and I spent as much time looking around and out of the window as I did talking.
I had wanted to engage the woman serving us, who introduced herself as Jemma, in conversation about the town, but knowing Erik didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention, I didn’t.
‘That must be the Jemma, who’s married to Kate’s brother, Tom,’ I said quietly. ‘No wonder Kate and Luke love visiting. I’d be the size of the house if I had someone in my family who could bake like she can!’
‘Don’t let Mark hear you say that.’ Erik smiled. ‘His are the only buns any of us are supposed to be interested in.’
That made me laugh.
‘Here we are then,’ Jemma said. ‘Two coffees and your pancakes. Just wave at me if you’d like a refill.’
‘Oh, my goodness, these look delicious,’ I praised. ‘Thank you.’
‘I hope you enjoy them,’ she said, before rushing back to the counter where a queue was forming.
The stacked pancakes were light and fluffy and tasted of apple, pumpkin and cinnamon and they were topped with maple syrup, whipped cream and chopped pecans.
‘Oh my god,’ Erik groaned after his first mouthful. ‘How sublime are these?’
‘Definitely not something to discuss in front of Mark,’ I grinned and Erik nodded in agreement.
Once we’d devoured the lot and enjoyed a second cup of coffee we paid and reluctantly left. I think we both could have spent the entire day ensconced in the café, but with people waiting that wouldn’t have been fair, and now the sky had cleared and the sun was shining, the market beckoned.
‘Don’t forget we’re supposed to be looking for inspiration,’ Erik reminded me as we walked around and made a few purchases.
There were lots of autumn themed stalls, and I could have easily been tempted to buy something from each of them.
‘Hello,’ smiled Bella, who was standing behind a stunning display of handmade fairies. ‘How are you enjoying the town?’
‘It’s so lovely,’ I gushed. ‘And these are exquisite.’
‘Thank you,’ she blushed.
‘Did you make them?’ Erik asked.
It didn’t escape my notice that she gave him a double take but if she recognised him, she didn’t say so.
‘I did,’ she confirmed. ‘My business is called Away with the Fairies. I sell mostly online, but the Wynbridge markets are such fun I make enough stock to come here, too.’
I’d never seen anything like the fairies she created. They were so detailed and each one had a slightly different character and outfit. They came in a range of sizes which, Bella smilingly informed us, was true to real-life fairies.
‘I’m going to buy two,’ Erik said to me while Bella served someone else and I noticed she was wearing a set of glittery wings over her coat. ‘Jasmine and Abigail will love them, and I can wrap them up for Christmas. What do you think?’
‘I think Jasmine and Abigail are two very lucky girls,’ I smiled dreamily up at him.
‘No,’ he laughed. ‘I meant which two do you think I should get?’
I still thought they were lucky, but I helped him look through the fairies on offer. He had the final say though because he knew the girls so well.
‘Have you seen anything else you might like?’ I asked him as we explored further.
‘I did see something on a stall further back,’ he told me. ‘And now I wish I’d got it.’
‘Let’s go back then,’ I said. ‘Which way was it?’
‘I can find it,’ he insisted. ‘Why don’t you start checking out the shop window displays? I heard someone say the first-place prize for the best dressed is highly coveted.’
We spent quite a while admiring the windows and then, sitting on a bench in the square, shared the most amazing bowl of jacket potato halves which had been twice baked and stuffed with lardons and raclette.
Washed down with warm apple cider made from local apples, it was the ultimate autumn feast. In fact, everything about the day had felt like the ultimate autumn experience.