Chapter 9 #2
‘It’s early days yet. That’s the plan. As for the logistics, I’m just working those out.
I’ve got some money put aside from the sale of the holiday villa I had in Spain and a bit of inheritance, so I’ll manage until it’s all up and running.
In reality, I don’t expect to start making anything for the next six months or so.
Who’s going to want to stay in a pod on a hillside in the British winter, even if they were ready to go? ’
‘Not me, that’s for sure,’ Zoe agreed. ‘It sounds like a great idea for summer, though.’
He peered at her, something like curiosity on his face now. ‘You’re not worried that it’ll shatter your peace? Having people coming back and forth to stay?’
‘You forget, I’ve lived in Manchester my whole life. It would take a lot more than a few tourists to be worse than some of the house parties I’ve had going on next door to me over the years. What makes you worry about that? Has someone complained already?’
‘You’re the first person I’ve told, but I’ve been warned by a friend who did something similar to be ready for local opposition, especially in a small place like this. People tend to be wary of change.’
‘I don’t expect it’ll be all that bad. Victor already has a business geared up for tourists.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘Alpaca trekking. He takes big parties out over the fields all summer. Does well out of it, I think.’
He nodded slowly, as if digesting the information. ‘That’s worth knowing. I’m sure we could be good for one another.’
‘I’m sure he’d agree. He seems like a nice, reasonable guy. You should go over and chat to him.’
‘I will, thanks.’
‘It really helps to have good neighbours, in our situation, I think.’
‘Yes,’ he said, turning that warm openness on again. ‘I couldn’t agree more. Not that we’d be bothering you every hour of the day, but it’s reassuring to know you’re not far away. For Billie, I mean.’
‘I actually meant Victor and Corrine, but I take your point.’
Zoe silently wondered what sort of neighbours Alex and Billie would turn out to be. Something told her she’d like having them around, but they’d come with baggage. Did she want that? She was still dealing with so much of her own, after all.
‘Ah,’ he said, taking another sip of his drink. ‘Of course. We tend to keep ourselves to ourselves, so don’t worry about?—’
‘I didn’t mean that at all,’ Zoe cut in.
‘Anything you need, anything Billie needs, please don’t think you can’t come over and ask.
In fact, I’ll give you my phone number before you leave.
Billie has the surgery number in her records, but you can have my personal…
’ Zoe flushed. It was silly, there was nothing in her offer but friendship, but she suddenly worried that it would be taken the wrong way.
‘Thank you,’ he cut in. ‘It’s kind of you.’
She relaxed as she realised he’d taken it at face value, just as she’d intended. Or perhaps he’d understood her mortified expression and wanted to put her at ease. Either way, it was a relief.
‘I wanted to say,’ he continued, his words measured, as if he’d rehearsed them, ‘I am sorry about the way I spoke to you yesterday when you came to check on Billie. I’m surprised you didn’t throw her out of your clinic.’
‘Why on earth would I do that? Even if you had been unforgivably rude to me – which you weren’t – it’s not Billie’s fault, and it’s certainly not her baby’s!’ She shook her head. ‘I’d never turn her away!’
He stared at her. Perhaps it had been something of an impassioned outburst, and perhaps it had been a little too dramatic, but since she’d lost her own baby, her motivation to make sure it didn’t happen to anyone else was something like a personal religion.
She’d never been one to take life seriously until it had happened to her, but losing her own child had changed her.
These days she took life, and her job, very seriously indeed.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it, and she did, but she was determined to pull out all the stops to care for her expectant mums in the very best way she knew how, no matter what it took, no matter if it encroached on her personal life.
‘You really…I’m glad Billie’s got you in her corner.’
Zoe flushed again. She suddenly felt silly for the way she’d reacted, quite certain that he hadn’t been looking for such a passionate response. The kitchen fell into an embarrassed silence.
Then the moment was punctured by the sound of a phone pinging the arrival of a message.
‘I think that’s yours,’ he said. ‘Doesn’t sound like mine.’
‘I think it might be,’ she said. ‘I’ll get it later.’
‘Don’t mind me, if you want to see who it is?—’
‘I’m sure it will wait half an hour or so. If they really need me, they’ll phone rather than text.’
‘Good point.’ He tipped up the mug to drink the last of his coffee.
‘Not that I meant you only had half an hour or anything,’ Zoe added hastily, realising how that sounded and blushing again.
‘I know what you meant,’ he said with a warm smile. ‘But I think I probably have outstayed my welcome, and you’ve got an evening meal to heat up.’
The smile that broke free from her now matched his. ‘I’d offer you some, but there’s not enough.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it, and besides, I’ve got to get back. Billie’s cooking, and I’m sure it will be nearly ready.’
‘It’s good to know she’s looking after you as much as you’re obviously looking after her.’
‘She does,’ he said, his smile spreading, warm and mellow as a summer’s evening. There was so much pride in it, so much protection, so much subtext that told Zoe that his daughter was everything to him, and if Zoe had ever doubted their relationship, that smile would have swept it all away.
Zoe’s phone pinged again, and this time a vague frown creased her forehead. She got up to put it on silent and noted the identity of the messenger, and her frown deepened.
This village of yours is really hard to find. Did you choose it deliberately so I wouldn’t be able to visit, lol? x
What did that mean? Surely Ritchie didn’t mean literally? He wouldn’t be on his way in the car? Would he? They’d made no arrangements, even though he’d mentioned coming over earlier that day.
No, Zoe decided, even Ritchie wasn’t that obtuse. He must have been looking on Google Maps or something, trying to find Thimblebury’s location online. Even that bothered her, though she couldn’t exactly say why.
Despite trying to draw a sensible, reassuring conclusion to what Ritchie’s message might mean, Zoe was suddenly gripped by a vague panic and a need to get Alex out of her house.
As she scrabbled for an excuse that wouldn’t sound rude, he seemed to understand.
She looked up from her phone to see him put his mug down and stand up.
‘I can see you’re busy,’ he said. ‘I’d better be off anyway. Thanks for the drink – and for seeing Billie earlier today.’
‘Oh, that’s…thank you for the chocolate. You really didn’t have to, but—’ Her sentence was cut short by a knock at the door. A wave of dread swept over her. ‘Could you wait here for a moment while I see who it is?’
Zoe left Alex in the kitchen without waiting for his reply.
If Ritchie was at the door, what did it matter?
They weren’t together, and she had nothing to hide, so why did she feel guilty for having another man in her house?
And what did she hope to achieve by asking Alex to wait?
Was he going to cotton on and climb out of the window so he’d be gone by the time she’d shown Ritchie in?
And why did the prospect of it being Ritchie make her heart sink like this?
They’d agreed to stay friends, and they still got along well, so there was no reason for it.
There was a second knock at the door.
‘OK, OK!’ Zoe called, and this time she knew for sure. There was nobody else in her life with that kind of impatience.
She threw open the front door and there he was, Ritchie, on the doorstep with a bunch of flowers and a grin that blindly assumed she must be pleased to see him.
‘Housewarming,’ he said, shoving the bouquet at her. ‘This place is a bugger to find. What do you want to go and live up here for? It’s like that village out of the League of Gentleman – you know, This is a local shop for local people… ’
Zoe had never regretted a decision quite so much as she did at that moment.
What had possessed her to give Ritchie her address when she’d taken possession of Kestrel Cottage?
At the time, she’d thought nothing of it – she had nothing to hide, after all – but what kind of idiot had she been not to have seen this coming?
Things were made worse when she heard Alex’s voice in the hallway behind her.
‘Sorry,’ he said, glancing from her to Ritchie and then back again. ‘I see you have…I should go. Thanks again for the coffee.’
‘Right…’ Zoe flattened herself against the wall of the hallway to let him past, flowers right under her nose making her want to sneeze.
Ritchie paused and almost seemed to make himself bigger as Alex approached the front door, and then, after a strange, charged moment, he moved aside to let him out.
Nobody said a word as Alex made his way down the path and away from the house.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Ritchie turned back to Zoe. ‘Aren’t you going to ask me in?’
‘Yes, I was …yes, come in.’
Ritchie followed her inside and closed the door behind him. ‘God, this is tiny!’
‘There’s only me so it’s big enough. I wasn’t expecting you…I’m sorry, I’m still a bit upside down.’
‘I said I was coming.’
‘You said you wanted to. I didn’t realise that meant immediately.’
He paused as she led him to the kitchen. ‘You want me to go? After I drove all this way?’
‘I didn’t say that. I meant I wasn’t expecting company.’
‘Except for him .’
‘What?’
‘The bloke who just left. So you had company. Is that why you didn’t want me to come over?’
‘I never said I didn’t want you to come over – you didn’t give me a chance!’