Chapter 24
‘You got my message then?’ he said.
I laughed. ‘Well, yes or I wouldn’t be ringing you.’
‘Of course. What a daft thing to say. And did Jillian tell you why I left early?’
‘No, and that was two weeks ago. She just said you had to go home.’
He sighed a bit. ‘Oh dear. I am sorry. You must have thought I was very rude. That’s why I started researching the art group to find you.
I felt quite the sleuth. I knew you weren’t far from Cheltenham and eventually I remembered the word Begley came into it, but I’d forgotten the English love of using the same name more than once.
Begley on Wold, Begley Moor and Begley St James to name but three.
And then I got on to Begley Mortimer and Begley by Ash.
I spoke to a very odd man in Begley Norton who was very deaf and thought I was someone called Paul who wanted to buy his orchard.
And I’m not sure we didn’t agree a price. Anyway, here we are, so…’
I could tell he was nervous, which was very disarming, and it somehow made the conversation easier.
‘Shall we meet up for a drink, and you can tell me all about it,’ I said.
Gosh, I was being unusually bold.
‘Love to,’ he said. ‘And then I can tell you all about my sister’s appendicitis, my brother-in-law being in New Zealand on a fishing trip and my nephews needing to be looked after until one of them could get home.
I say looked after; they are teenagers. What I really mean is I needed to supervise their revision because they are in the middle of A levels and not let them play video games all night or throw open the house to the general public for a party. ’
‘Ah,’ I said, and I expect he could hear the relief in my voice, ‘I see. Of course.’
‘Silly, isn’t it?’ he said, and I could tell he was smiling. ‘I didn’t want there to be any confusion. After everything.’
‘Great,’ I said. The grin on my face was so wide I could hardly speak properly.
‘And I have a present for you,’ he said. ‘It’s taken me ages to finish.’
A present. That was exciting.
‘It’s not the painting of Costas?’
He laughed. ‘I promise it isn’t.’
‘So what is it?’
‘A surprise,’ he said.
‘It’s not a mouse in a box?’
‘Definitely not. Why, has Ivan been up to his old tricks?’
I was rather touched that he would remember my irascible cat.
‘There’s one under the fridge at the moment. I’m going to have to lure it out somehow.’
‘Try peanut butter,’ he said, ‘or chocolate.’
‘Not cheese?’
‘Chocolate is better.’
Why are we having such a ridiculous conversation?
I realised I was hanging on to my phone so tightly that my knuckles were white. I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax.
‘I’m more likely to eat the chocolate myself than waste it on a mouse,’ I said, and he laughed.
There was a bit of a pause then and I wondered what to say to keep the conversation going. Which of course meant that we both spoke at once.
‘Would you like…’
‘I really think…’
And then there was a bit of, ‘Sorry, what did you say? No, after you,’ which made us both sound like a couple of teenagers. And it was very exciting.
‘Look, I’d really like to see you again,’ he said.
‘When are you free?’ There was the hint of a smile in his voice then, and it made me smile too.
‘Any time but Tuesday mornings, when of course I go to the painting group. You could always come along to that if you felt like it?’
He laughed. ‘No, I don’t think I’m quite up to that just yet. What day is it today?’
‘You’re like me, I never quite know what day it is. Tuesday. I was at the painting group this morning.’
‘What about tomorrow? Or Thursday? I have to be here for my builders on Friday I’m afraid, although I could move that if necessary.’
‘I’ll just consult my diary,’ I said, chuckling.
‘Oh dear,’ he said, sounding genuinely worried, ‘should I have given you more notice?’
‘Don’t be daft, I’m joking. Tomorrow would be perfect. Where and when?’
‘I’ve been researching your area on Google and there’s a place that sounds good. The Dog and Bonnet.’
I laughed out loud at that point, which I think confused him for a moment and then he joined in.
‘That is a daft name, isn’t it?’
‘I’m told they do exotic spicy nibbles.’ I giggled.
‘Do they by Jove. That sounds just the thing, doesn’t it? Would you like me to book a table? About six thirty tomorrow evening? Or is that too early?’
‘No, that’s perfect,’ I said.
‘Great. I’ll see you then.’
‘See you then.’
‘Bye then. Have a good day.’
‘You too, bye.’
‘Great to talk to you,’ he said, ‘and looking forward to tomorrow.’
‘Bye for now,’ I said.
Both of us started laughing.
‘Bye. Look this is ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Put the phone down. Although you don’t do that any more, do you? It’s just press a button.’
‘Okay,’ I said. And after a moment’s dithering, I did.
I sat looking at my phone for a moment and felt a sudden swell of happiness rise in my chest. He had wanted to find me and he had. And we were going out tomorrow evening.
I made a fresh cup of tea and congratulated myself with two more chocolate digestives. And then I picked up my mobile again and rang Anita’s number.
‘Anita? It’s me. You’ll never guess what just happened.’
* * *
The following morning, Beryl, Effie and Anita came round to my house, ostensibly for coffee, but in fact to catch up on the gossip and advise me what to wear. It was such fun.
‘You need to look as though you have made the effort but not tried too hard,’ Effie said, ‘so nothing glittery or low cut.’
‘I don’t have anything glittery or low cut,’ I said.
By that point the three of them were sitting on the edge of my bed while I went through my wardrobe trying to find the right outfit.
‘And nothing navy blue or grey or too short,’ Beryl chimed in. ‘You don’t want to depress or frighten him.’
‘This is like being a teenager again,’ I said. ‘I didn’t expect things to be as complicated as they used to be.’
‘Just wear something you’re comfortable in, and some pretty shoes,’ Anita said. ‘What happened to those zebra-print ones you had?’
‘Ruined, I’m afraid. They never did recover after my date with gravel, and then they got splashed with red wine. Oh dear, this is a problem all of a sudden.’
‘Nonsense, a problem is when you don’t have enough cheese in the fridge to make Welsh rarebit. Now this one,’ Beryl said, pulling out a favourite pink linen dress of mine, ‘and a denim jacket. That’s very cool.’
‘I haven’t got one,’ I said.
Effie stood up and pulled off the one she had been wearing.
‘You can borrow this one,’ she said, ‘let me just take the tissues out of the pockets. And those pale blue trainers I can see in the back of the wardrobe. You will look like a rock chick.’
‘More a rock hen at our age, I don’t think there is such a thing as a rock duck.’ Beryl said, ‘but I get your drift. And you can borrow this for good luck.’
She unpinned a little enamel duck brooch from her jacket lapel and ceremoniously attached it to the denim jacket. ‘That’s until your official membership of the Old Ducks Club comes through. Now then, tell us again, what did he say?’
‘I’ve told you,’ I said.
‘Well, tell us again,’ Anita said, ‘it’s very exciting. I might even phone Juliette later and tell her.’
‘Please don’t,’ I said, ‘nothing has happened yet.’
‘But it might,’ Effie said.
I turned away to hide my smile. And I wondered if indeed it might.
* * *
I got to the crowded car park of the Dog and Bonnet ten minutes early and sat in my car, not wanting to go in early and have to look around for him.
It was busy here this evening, with younger couples sitting outside in the garden enjoying the view over the river and the unusually warm evening.
I shivered despite the warmth; I was just nervous I supposed.
After ten minutes I decided to be brave and got out of the car. The driver of the car opposite mine got out of his car at the same moment and we stared at each other and then both burst out laughing.
‘It is you, I thought it was.’ Will chuckled as he bent to kiss my cheek. ‘I’ve been here for half an hour trying to pluck up the courage to go in.’
‘So have I,’ I admitted.
‘We are here now,’ he said, and we looked at each other for a moment and I had a terrible but wonderful flashback to the moment when he had kissed me properly, and I felt quite wobbly for a moment.
He was wearing a beautiful dark blue blazer, a blue and white striped shirt and dark jeans, and I could almost imagine what it would be like to slip my hands under his jacket around his waist and feel the warmth of his body through the thin cotton.
I hoped I might have the opportunity later to do just that and equally I hoped he wasn’t a mind reader.
‘We should go in,’ I said, my voice a bit croaky, ‘but first of all, where’s my present?’
He laughed and went back to his car, returning with a wine carrier.
‘It took me a bit of time,’ he said, ‘but I hope you like it. I managed to get it home without breaking it, and then I… well, you’ll see.’
I pulled out a familiar bottle of Assyrtiko wine, but this one had a hand-painted label stuck over the original. I peered at it in the fading afternoon light. It was absolutely lovely. Beautifully done, each little detail exquisite.
The new wine label had a scene of the sea, high rocky cliffs and a single seagull drifting in one corner and underneath in immaculate script were the words:
Chateau Meg.
Vin not Ordinaire
Good with salads, fillet steak and chocolate digestives.
I almost felt like crying. He had listened to me and more than that, he had remembered.
‘Did you do this? It’s beautiful, absolutely wonderful. I think that’s the nicest present I’ve ever been given,’ I said, trying desperately to stop my lower lip from wobbling with threatening tears. ‘Thank you.’
He reached out and took my hand in his.
‘I had fun doing it. And you deserve it,’ he said, ‘because you’re not ordinaire at all, Meg. You’re a wonderful, kind and funny woman. And I’ve missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you,’ I said, choking up a bit with the emotion of the moment.
‘I hope you’re hungry,’ he said.
‘Always, you know me.’
‘Yes, I rather think I do,’ he said, and he kissed me.
And the car park of the Dog and Bonnet this Wednesday evening was suddenly lit with a last burst of sunshine and was just as glorious and romantic as anything Santorini had to offer.