Chapter 7
It was a cathartic process clearing the office.
Charles had collected some of his belongings on one of his recent visits, when Tess had stood arms crossed and tight lipped as she’d watched him move boxes into the back of his car, feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness and anger.
She’d barely been able to look at him, let alone reply to his ridiculous questions about her wellbeing.
How the hell did he think she was doing, after he’d dumped her for a younger woman, only weeks earlier?
Not tickety-boo, that was for sure. She told herself that it was part of the process, that things would start to improve soon and removing reminders of Charles was a good place to start in helping her to move on.
There was still plenty of his stuff that needed to be sorted though.
Anything that Tess thought he might want to keep, she put away into plastic boxes and stacked in the garage.
If he didn’t come and collect them by the end of next month, then she would dump them at the tip.
She took a step backwards to survey her handiwork.
Already, she could imagine how the space would look once she’d removed all remnants of Charles from the place.
She’d always had an eye for interior design and had overseen the decoration of the entire cottage, with soft cream hues a running theme throughout the house, and bold splashes of colour from the cushions, artwork and rugs.
She would give the same treatment to her new craft room but she was thinking a colour scheme of soft pastels – mint, baby blue and pink – white wooden furniture and accessories of patchwork blankets and plenty of plants.
Tess sighed hearing the ringing of the doorbell, mentally preparing herself.
If it was Dilly again, she would turn her away.
Explain that she had a lot to be getting on with.
She was sure Dilly meant well, but seeing her earlier had done nothing for Tess’s self-confidence.
Thinking about it, she should probably book a visit to the hairdresser’s soon, but she had more important jobs on her list first.
Only it wasn’t Dilly standing on the doorstep this time, it was… Well, it took her a couple of moments to realise exactly who it was.
‘Nico?’ After all, it had been a long time, a couple of years at least, since she’d last seen him.
Her mind scrabbled around to remember exactly when.
Probably a Christmas do at the law firm where he worked alongside Charles.
An image of Nico in a burgundy velvet suit popped into her mind and she shook away the reminder.
Now, he cut an equally distinctive figure standing on her doorstep, dressed elegantly in navy chinos and a pale-blue chambray shirt.
He was tall and lean, with an abundance of dark wayward curls.
She suspected he was younger than Charles, probably late forties.
‘I’m sorry, but Charles’s not here,’ she said, gathering herself.
‘I know. I heard. It’s you I’ve come to see. I hope it’s not a bad time?’
‘No, I was just about to stop for a break,’ she said, glancing at her watch.
‘Come in.’ She suddenly felt self-conscious, thinking how unkempt she must look in her denim dungarees and white t-shirt, now covered in dust marks, and her bird’s-nest hair perched high up on her head.
She wiped the itch on her nose with her forearm.
‘You look to be busy,’ he said as he wandered through, noticing the skip outside.
‘Yes, I’m having a bit of a clear-out. Reclaiming the office now that Charles has moved out.
’ She gave a shrug, her glance catching on Nico’s eyes, his easy manner and good looks making her feel self-conscious.
On previous occasions, she would have met him at a swanky do, dressed up to the nines, on her best form.
She remembered a time when they had been laughing together, exchanging light-hearted conversation.
Now in her home, she felt vulnerable and exposed, still uncertain exactly what he was doing here. ‘Did Charles send you?’
‘No.’ Nico’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘I’ve not spoken to Charles in ages. You know, I took early retirement and left the firm about eighteen months ago?’
Now he mentioned it, she recalled Charles saying something to that effect, but it clearly hadn’t registered with her.
‘I still keep in touch with some of them in the office and they told me about Charles… what had happened.’ His eyes widened, his mouth curling in incredulity.
‘I don’t know…’ He gave a shrug. ‘Something made me want to check on you. Make sure you’re doing okay?
I hope you don’t think I’ve overstepped the mark just turning up like this?
When we’ve met before, I’ve always thought what a lovely person you are.
If I’m being honest, I couldn’t work out what you were doing with someone like Charles,’ he said with a quirk of his mouth.
‘Look, I know how difficult break-ups can be. I just wanted to put the offer out there, if there’s anything I can do to help then just let me know. ’
He reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out a card with his details on, handing it over to her. Nico Brunswick.
‘Thank you. That’s really kind of you.’ She’d been overwhelmed with the level of support she’d received from her friends and neighbours, even those who she might not necessarily have expected it from.
And, of course, there were a few people who she hadn’t heard from who she suspected were siding with Charles, but she wouldn’t hold that against them.
It was a difficult situation all round. Still, she could never have expected to find Nico offering his support in her kitchen.
‘How are you with an electric screwdriver?’ she asked.
‘An absolute whizz!’
‘Really? I’ve been trying to dismantle some bookshelves but they’re refusing to budge. You couldn’t give me a hand, could you?’
‘Let me at them,’ Nico said with a wide smile.
He slipped off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
It was only then that Tess appreciated that in his smart chinos and buttoned-up shirt, he wasn’t best dressed for a touch of DIY, but that didn’t seem to deter Nico in any way.
He wielded the power tool with an authority that showed he’d done it several times before and Tess was grateful to have some help with a task that had been proving particularly troublesome.
‘So how are you finding retirement?’ she asked as they worked together, throwing bits of wood into the skip.
‘Busy. I’m doing a couple of days a week at the Citizens Advice Bureau, and then I’m involved with a charity too. I also belong to a cycling club so I like to get out with them as often as I can. So it’s a good kind of busy. I don’t miss the cut and thrust of the practice, that’s for sure.’
‘No, I bet. I was looking forward to Charles retiring so that we could spend more time together, but that clearly wasn’t meant to be.
’ She sighed. ‘Now, I don’t know what he’ll do.
If he might carry on working for a few more years?
’ She gave a shrug, not wanting to make it feel awkward, before gathering herself.
‘Well, it’s not my problem now and it does mean that I get a new craft room in the process so it’s not all bad,’ she said, with a wry laugh.
‘I’m sorry you’re going through this. It’s hard to navigate a new path when you’ve been with someone for such a long time.’
‘You’ve been through it too, right?’ Tess wished she could remember what Nico’s situation was. She remembered meeting his partner once. She was French possibly and very attractive.
‘Yes, Sabine and I broke up about eighteen months ago. Not the same, but similar circumstances. She wanted out of the relationship, which came as a complete shock to me because I thought we were happy, and then very soon afterwards, a matter of weeks, she was in another relationship with someone else. I don’t know if anything was going on while we were still together, but I suspect it was. ’
Tess gave a sympathetic nod. How was it possible that you could believe that you knew your partner inside out, only to discover that you hardly knew them at all?
‘You’re doing okay now, though?’
‘Yep,’ he said, brushing off some dirt from his trousers. ‘What’s the alternative? You have to get on with life, but I’m in a much better place now. It’s a cliché, but things don’t stay the same forever. It will get better.’
‘That’s what everyone keeps telling me,’ she said, hoping it might be true. ‘Thanks for all your help here.’
They both stopped in unison, hands on hips, to assess the job in hand.
In a relatively short space of time, they’d managed to clear all of the unwanted furniture into the skip.
All that was left were some books and folders which Tess would move into the garage.
Already, the room was looking clearer and brighter, much like Tess’s state of mind.