Chapter 30
30
F leur sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she drove along. It wasn’t the end of the world if the ring was lost, not really. It was a standard, fairly small signet ring that hadn’t actually cost a massive amount, but that wasn’t the point. It wasn’t because of the ring itself as such, but more the thought that had gone into it and the feeling behind it. She felt as if the ring signified a lot, even if Patrick just kept it on the side or in the glove compartment of his car and didn’t actually wear it.
Fleur thought about lots of things as she indicated and turned in the direction of the river as little flashes of images went through her mind: when she was wearing the glittery pink dress at Lovely Manor, when she’d been caught in the rain, when Lucy had been ill, and at Cassy’s fortieth birthday party. What had happened between her and Patrick had changed her even in the short time that she’d got together with him since the ball.
In the early days of them going out, she’d almost compartmentalised what they had. Thinking that what happened between them stayed in a nice little box that she could control and turn on and off precisely when she wanted to. At the time, she’d thought that she was correct in her assumption that she could turn that switch on and off. But now she knew that she’d been wrong. She no longer controlled the switch; she simply just always wanted it to be on. All in all, it was a funny place for Fleur to be. She’d never thought she would feel the way she did about anyone and certainly not that it would trigger feelings she hadn’t expected and nudge her to want to marry someone. Yet here she was. Part of her still felt as if it was preposterous .
Reaching a side road not far from the main riverboat jetty, Fleur pulled into the side, turned off the engine, grabbed her cardigan, and hustled down in the direction of the jetty. Immediately scanning the area for Clive, she squinted as the river stretched out ahead calm and glassy, reflecting the grey of the sky. There was no sign of any of the riverboats; neither Colin nor Clive were anywhere to be seen. The little wooden hut where Clive usually sat was open, though, the door slightly ajar as if whoever was manning it had just stepped away for a moment.
Fleur looked around, glanced over at the railway station in the distance, hesitated for a bit, and then stepped forward, peering inside. A jumble of maritime bits and bobs and small business stuff looked back at her; maps pinned on one wall, a row of life jackets hanging in the corner, a small desk covered in paperwork, and a Thermos that had definitely seen better days. A distinct scent too: water, damp wood, coffee maybe, and a working life on the river hanging in the air. Seeing not a single soul, Fleur walked back out, peered down the river, and turned to the far side of the hut where a noticeboard sat lodged onto the timber boards of its walls. Filled with worn cork, it sported an assortment of pinned-up notes, ferry times, local event posters, and a few sun-bleached leaflets about boat safety. Right at the top, scrawled in large, loopy handwriting, was a sign: LOST PROPERTY? TEXT ME.
Underneath the sign, both Colin and Clive’s numbers were listed. Fleur exhaled, pulling her phone from her pocket and crossed her fingers. She tapped out a message quickly.
Fleur: Hi Clive, it’s Fleur. Bit of a strange one. I think I might have left something in the deli last night, and Alice said you were there after we left. Any chance you found an engagement ring? I popped down to the jetty because Alice said you were manning the hut this morning… Anyway, let me know. Thank you.
She stared at the message for a second before sending. There was something ridiculous about the whole situation. How did people manage to get engaged without all this faff? Stuffing her phone back into her pocket, she leaned against the wooden railing of the jetty and let out a breath as the river lapped gently against the posts, salt and seaweed in the air. The river was very quiet with a few boats bobbing on their moorings, the distant sound of seagulls, and the occasional clatter of masts here and there. Tapping her foot, she wondered how long it would be until Clive got back to her. He probably didn’t have the ring anyway. It was a bit of a long shot. Her phone buzzed.
Clive: Bonjour. An engagement ring??? Who leaves engagement rings around?
Fleur felt her nostrils go wide. Just answer the question, for Fanny’s sake .
Fleur: Yes, I know. I am officially the world’s most incompetent proposer. Do you have it?
A pause. Then another buzz.
Clive: Relax. It’s safe with me.
Fleur sagged with relief and was so pleased that she felt as if little fizzes were coming out of her ears.
Fleur: Thank God and thank you. Where are you?
Clive: Few minutes away. I’ll meet you at the jetty.
Fleur slipped her phone back into her pocket and let out a deep breath. Crisis averted.
She still had to actually give the ring to Patrick, but at least she wasn’t about to go down in history as the woman who’d lost an engagement ring before even handing it over. A few minutes later, she heard the chug of the riverboat approaching. She turned, spotting Clive at the helm, looking pleased with himself as he pulled the boat alongside the jetty. He hopped off, tying up the rope, and turned to her with an exaggerated shake of his head.
‘Fleur, Fleur, Fleur,’ he tsked. ‘What are we going to do with you?’
Fleur folded her arms. ‘Oh, ha, ha. I know.’
Clive smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. He held it up between two fingers. ‘This what you’re after?’
‘Thank you. Where did you find it?’
‘It was under my chair in the deli. Good thing I spotted it before it got kicked under the counter.’
‘I can’t believe I did that.’
‘To be honest, I meant to give it to Alice this morning, obviously, but it completely slipped my mind. It was an early rise for me this morning and I may have had one glass of beer too many last night.’
Fleur chuckled. ‘Right.’
‘Colin told me what happened on the boat so I’d put two and two together, but then I had a call out this morning. I was going to get in touch when I got back. Anyway, here we are.’
‘Thank goodness.’
‘What I don’t understand is how Patrick doesn’t have this ring on his finger. Thought that was the whole point of a proposal?’
Fleur sighed, looking down at the box in her hand. ‘I got a bit distracted by blurting it out and so I didn’t even think about not having the ring. It’s a long story…’
Clive raised an eyebrow. ‘Distracted? You forgot to give him the ring.’
‘I got sidetracked. I was having a moment.’
‘Ahh, well, what goes on on these riverboats never fails to entertain.’
Fleur rolled her eyes. ‘Right, well, now that I have it, I need to actually give it to him.’
Clive leaned against the wooden railing of the jetty, arms folded. ‘It’s funny. You’ve managed to propose but not actually hand over the ring? That’s a new one…’
Fleur sighed, shaking her head. ‘Yes, I know.’
‘You’d better keep it safe now. So, what’s the plan? Are you doing it here in Lovely, or is it some big grand affair? Up at the Manor maybe?’
‘We’re hoping for Maui.’
Clive let out a low whistle. ‘Well, that’s a step up from a registry office in town.’
Fleur chuckled. ‘Yeah, it’s a bit different, isn’t it? But it just feels right. There’s a lot to discuss, nothing concrete yet, but something about being by the ocean, somewhere beautiful, somewhere that’s not tied up with I don’t know, anything really. Just us, starting fresh.’
Clive nodded. ‘I get that. Mmm, nice. Clean slate, clear waters, that tropical feel. Yes.’
‘It won’t be massive, just family.’
‘So, when are you giving him that ring then?’
Fleur smiled. ‘Soon.’
Clive straightened up, clapping his hands together. ‘Right, no time like the present then. Now, go on, get out of here before you drop that thing again.’
‘Okay. I’m going.’
As Fleur walked back in the direction of her car, the noise of a train approaching filtered through the air. She took in a deep breath and smiled. It was happening. The thing that had popped into her head was in progress. Good things were to come.