Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
From behind the curtains, Sarah spotted the man coming out of the house, followed by the woman.
It would be strange seeing people in the property.
It had been empty for the two years she’d been living here.
Richard had told her the previous owner, an elderly woman, had died several years ago now and her family had inherited it.
He’d often spoken to them when they’d shown up for a quick recce but nothing about their grand plans to refurbish the property had ever materialised.
And then the For Sale board had gone up, surprising them both.
She stood watching them for a while, seeing them going in and out of the house.
They looked to be in their mid-to-late thirties.
She could see no children, unless they were inside, glad if that were the case.
She wasn’t sure how she would cope if there were youngsters to contend with too.
And Richard would be a nightmare to live with as well.
‘What are you doing?’ Richard came up behind her, making her jump.
‘Seeing what’s happening next door.’
Richard stood beside her, not at all bothered that he’d be seen. He towered several inches above her, the sense of foreboding engulfing her. She waited for his snide comments to start, but he took her by surprise.
‘They look decent. I hope they keep themselves to themselves.’
‘I’m sure they—’
‘Don’t get any clever ideas.’ He turned his head to stare at her, waiting to see if she would react. Instead she moved away to go downstairs. She wasn’t in the mood for an argument.
‘It’s nearly lunch,’ she said. ‘I’ll make sandwiches. Will ham and cheese be okay?’
He nodded. ‘Bring them out to the garden. We can sit outside for fifteen minutes.’
Sarah trotted off quickly. So that was his game. The property next door was set further up the hill so they could always be seen in their garden. It was all show for the new neighbours.
In the kitchen, she cut thick slices of brown bread, fresh from the village that morning, and spread butter over it.
Then she added cheese, being sure not to hang any of it over the sides of the bread.
She topped it with ham and added a dash of dressing before stacking them into sandwiches.
The bread was cut diagonally, the sandwiches placed on top of each other on the plate.
Richard liked the simple things to be correct.
She made builder’s tea, strong with two sugars for Richard, and coffee for herself. She lay everything on a tray and took it out onto a decked area through the French doors. The sun was beating down and she stood for a moment to relish its warmth on her skin.
‘Come now.’ Richard clicked his fingers as he sat down. ‘I’m starving.’
She placed the tray down, spread its contents over the table and sat opposite him.
There was a twenty-five-year age gap between them, yet in some respects Richard seemed much younger.
His hair was dark, a thick, full head of it and when he smiled his eyes twinkled inside hooded lids.
He often had facial hair, a small goatee that he kept well-trimmed, but right now he was clean-shaven.
Yet it was those eyes that she’d been drawn to. Dark sapphire with hints of coal when he was at his most dangerous.
‘Have you spoken to either of them yet?’ Sarah asked, curious to know who was living so close to them now.
‘I said hello. We can do the friendly neighbour thing later.’ Richard picked up a sandwich. ‘We’ll have to be very careful what we tell them. You do realise that?’
‘Of course.’ Behind her, she could hear voices, but she wouldn’t look. They ate in silence and then Richard raised his hand.
‘Someone’s waving at us,’ he said. ‘Turn and wave too.’
Sarah did as she was told. The couple were standing together but moved apart again. It was just a small greeting, but it was friendly. It would be lovely to have someone so close to talk to, even if Richard would never allow her to mix and make friends.
‘They seem nice,’ she said, turning back to him. ‘They’ll most probably keep to themselves.’
‘They can see too much,’ he muttered. ‘I might have to let the hedge grow higher.’
‘We’re pretty private here though, don’t you think?’ Sarah couldn’t bear the barrier being raised.
‘I think you should clear this mess away.’ Richard stood up, his chair dragging across the flags. ‘Get inside now. It’s enough that you’ve been seen.’
Sarah piled the tray with the dirty dishes and took them into the house. There was no modern kitchen with a dishwasher for her. The kitchen was an old farmhouse style but purely because it was over twenty years old. She rinsed everything quickly, dried it and put it away.
She checked her watch: one thirty-five. She had a whole afternoon ahead of her. What she would give to be able to sit in the garden and read a book. But she couldn’t do that now there were people next door.
She wondered how much it would change their lives. Richard was right, they would have to be careful. Equally, this could be Sarah’s chance to change things, slowly but surely. For now, she would bide her time and hopefully get to know them better. Garner their trust.
With a sigh, she made her way upstairs to enjoy what little time she had left of the afternoon.