Chapter 9
Noah had never met anyone like Beth before, he thought as he followed her inside from the chilly veranda. She continued to amaze him, not just with her chatty friendliness but now he could add an expert knowledge of astronomy to her many skills.
She didn’t appear to have much self-esteem though, he considered, remembering how she had apologised for what she had assumed was boring.
But he had always loved looking up at the stars; having often worked next to the sea he was used to endless dark skies at night so everything she had told him had been very interesting.
She was, and he could think of no other word, fascinating.
Whoever the man was that had broken her heart, he could think of no greater fool.
Still, he thought with a shiver, it had been a little cold out there.
He had been anxious to seek some solitude after dinner but had forgotten to take his coat in his haste to get outside.
The family had been very welcoming towards him but he just wasn’t used to the attention of so many people and it made him uncomfortable.
From the peace and serenity of the outside world, as soon as they stepped in through the glass doors, Noah was immediately enveloped in a wall of cosy warmth and lively conversation.
‘There you are, Noah!’ called out Dotty, who was sitting on the sofa facing him. She appeared to be surrounded by a number of photo albums on the coffee table. ‘I’ve just got these out. Come and have a look at our very own rogues’ gallery!’
Noah smiled politely, although the last thing he wanted to do was sit amongst the group who had gathered around his aunt.
His eyes flicked briefly to the door through which was the entrance hall and the stairs up and away from the family.
He craved the privacy of the bedroom and yet he couldn’t say no to Dotty who had been so kind to him so far.
So he took a deep breath and sat down on the vacant seat next to her on the sofa.
Being around family was a new concept to him.
Being around people was a new kind of feeling for him.
But he couldn’t deny the homeliness of the place, with the crackle of the large fireplace nearby and Tiny the dog sprawled on the rug nearby.
‘There you go,’ said Dotty, plonking an album down on his lap already open. ‘What do you think about those little angels?’
Laughing, she pointed at the photograph in the top right-hand corner.
Noah gazed down and saw a picture of three small children, playing in some sand.
‘Oh, my goodness!’ said Hannah, who was sitting on the other side of Dotty and leant across to take a better look. ‘Is that us? Me, Ben and Noah?’
‘Look how cute your bunches are, Hannah,’ said Lily, who was standing at the back of the sofa.
Hannah tugged at her long hair a little self-consciously.
‘Very cute,’ said Alex, reaching out to squeeze her shoulders.
Noah was quickly reminded how little self-confidence Hannah had in herself and felt glad that her boyfriend was obviously supportive of her shyness.
‘Look at Ben!’ carried on Lily, laughing. She looked across at the other sofa where Ben was sitting next to Walter. ‘You have knobbly knees!’
‘I do not!’ said Ben, with a small smile. ‘You can check later, if you like.’
‘You all used to love playing on the beach out there,’ said Faye who was sitting on the opposite sofa next to Ben. ‘Do you remember, Dotty? We always had to dig out the buckets and spades whenever Noah came to visit with his dad.’
Noah looked down at the photograph once more, trying to remember the feeling that he had been as happy as he looked in the faded picture.
But he couldn’t recall any time spent playing on the sand by the lake at all.
He frowned. Then again, he didn’t have any photographs from his youth.
His dad had never been one to take any pictures and so all he had were his own faded memories.
‘You were probably a bit too young to remember,’ said Dotty, who had been studying his reaction and quickly turned the page. ‘What about this?’
He looked at the next photograph and saw himself older, probably around the age of ten. He was at a bench, holding a chisel, bent over a piece of wood.
‘You’re a master craftsman, like your uncle over there,’ said Dotty, smiling at her husband.
Walter was nodding in reply. ‘And we both get that from your great-great-grandfather.’
Noah looked at him with a start. ‘We do?’
He’d never thought about where he had inherited his talent from before then.
‘He taught me how to work with the correct tools,’ Walter told him. ‘And I was glad to pass on my knowledge to you and Ben.’
Ben made a face. ‘I’ve got the gear but no idea compared to your skills though, Grandad.’
Walter shook his head. ‘Your work is just fine,’ he replied. ‘And there’s only one rule, as you well know.’
‘The only difference between something good and something great is attention to detail,’ Ben told him.
Noah drew in a sharp breath. It was a phrase that he had repeated to himself so many times in his life and yet he had never known or remembered where the advice had come from. It turned out that he had been following Walter’s guidance all these years without even realising it.
‘I thought the rule around here was if you combine wine and dinner, you get winner,’ said Frankie, with a grin.
Faye shook her head with a smile at her best friend.
Dotty picked up a nearby photo album which looked far older than the others on the coffee table.
She flicked through the pages until she stopped. ‘That there is your great-great-grandfather,’ she told him. ‘Henry Jackson.’
Noah looked at the black and white photograph of a man standing next to what appeared to be Dragonfly Lake. He was a more slender build than Walter and yet there was definitely some resemblance there.
‘Is that Maple Tree Lodge?’ asked Hannah, pointing at the small wooden log structure behind the man in the photograph.
‘Yes,’ said Dotty, nodding.
‘The original one?’ asked Noah, looking up and around inside the far larger building he was sitting in.
‘Henry Jackson bought this land, including the lake, in 1918,’ Walter told him. ‘He built the lodge for his wife and two sons. Each generation since, all five of them, has added a little more and more until it became the size of the place it is now.’
‘Which part is the original building?’ Noah couldn’t help but ask.
‘The kitchen,’ Walter told him. ‘That was the one large room that they all lived in those early days.’
‘Which is why it’s still my favourite room,’ said Dotty, with a soft smile.
‘It’s always been the heart of this place,’ added Frankie.
‘Now it’s got twenty guest bedrooms with en suites, as well as the family quarters,’ added Ben. He smiled at his grandad. ‘We’ve done all right, haven’t we?’
‘Aye,’ replied Walter, nodding. ‘And now your lodges will add the next bit of history to our land. Henry Jackson would approve.’
Our land. History. Noah stayed silent as he felt apart from the rest of the family. There was a heritage there at the lodge, something he knew nothing about.
It would continue on after he left, safe in Ben and Hannah’s hands, but once more he had the feeling that whilst he shared a surname with the Jacksons, perhaps that was all it would ever be. But perhaps that was for the best. After all, he knew better than to let anyone in too close.
His childhood had proved that closeness only led to hurt. It was best to leave as soon as he could, wasn’t it?