Epilogue
Violet loaded her rucksack onto her big, wheeled case and pushed it in front of her as she navigated her way across the station concourse toward the taxi rank. Tired, grubby and with too much railway coffee sloshing around inside her, she was fit for nothing but a long, steaming bath and bed.
The film she had worked on with Rachael was completed after nearly four months, with a mix of studio and location shooting.
The last two weeks had been spent on location on the South Coast, and after volunteering to stay and help clear out the AD truck, Violet missed the crew bus and took a train home.
The Saturday journey from rural Dorset to Yorkshire was no mean feat and had taken over seven hours, including three changes, and one bus replacement service.
Violet also knew far too much about the dating and sex life of a woman called Kelsey after she chatted with a friend on speaker for over forty minutes.
The carriage was only saved from finding out what Kelsey said to Derek after he suggested she bring a friend, by a long, signal-less tunnel.
Exiting into the taxi zone, she was headed towards a black cab when there was a shout. Looking around, she saw Finn waving at her from the pickup area, holding a huge homemade sign that read, ‘Welcome home Vi!!’ Three helium balloons were tied to his wing mirror.
Violet burst out laughing as Finn jogged over to her. Swinging her off her feet and into a bear hug, he growled, ‘Never leave me again.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Violet said as he lowered her down. ‘I thought you were away shooting on When the Light Fades until next week?’
Finn shook his head. ‘I thought so too, but there were some schedule changes while we were away, which meant I got home Thursday night and I’m not due back until Tuesday. Which I was extremely pleased about because I don’t know how much longer I could survive without seeing you.’
‘How did you know I would be here?’
‘Rachael. I messaged her, and she told me what train you caught, and I worked the rest out for myself.’
He bent down, pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply until a taxi honked at them to get out of the way.
Once her luggage was stowed in the car, Finn steered them out of the busy station.
‘I missed you,’ he said, glancing over at her.
Violet, the helium balloons bobbing behind her head, said, ‘I can tell. And I missed you too, you know.’
‘I’m taking you to your place and cooking you dinner,’ Finn said.
‘That’s very sweet of you,’ Violet murmured.
‘Not really,’ Finn said. ‘I need you to have plenty of energy for what comes after dinner.’
Violet burst out laughing. ‘And there was me thinking it was my sparkling personality you missed.’
Finn glanced over at her, his face serious. ‘Vi, I have missed everything about you.’
Shifting in her seat, Violet’s foot struck something in the footwell. Peering down, she saw a large manila envelope with pages spilling out. She reached down and picked it up.
‘What is this?’ she asked, shuffling the pages ready to be stuffed back in. ‘Is it a script?’
‘Oh, no, just leave that.’ The car lurched as Finn stretched across for the envelope.
‘Jesus, Finn, what are you doing?’ Violet said as she bumped towards the passenger door. ‘Are you having an affair?’ She looked at the plain brown envelope. ‘A really boring affair with someone with terrible taste in stationery?’
‘Vi, please. Just give me that.’
‘Finn, you should really concentrate on the road.’
The car dumped into a pothole, Violet lost her hold on the sheaf of papers, and the sheets spilled out across her lap. For a second, she wasn’t sure what she was looking at, a mix of text and images. Then she realised they were estate agent listings for houses.
‘Finn, are you moving?’
Finn sighed. ‘Can we talk about this when we get back to yours?’
‘Why can’t we talk about it now?’
Violet looked down at the listings, flicking through the pages of Yorkshire stone houses, cottages with little gardens and smart Victorian terraces.
‘Who put this collection together for you? Seems like a bit of a random selection here, Finn.’
‘I didn’t know what you might like,’ Finn muttered.
Violet’s head snapped up. ‘What?’
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, facing straight forward. Ahead was a little row of local shops. Finn pulled the car into a parking bay and cut the engine.
‘You weren’t supposed to see those. I forgot they were in the car.
I was just…it was just an idea. I wasn’t even going to talk to you yet.
I was just thinking about…’ He shrugged, picking at the steering wheel.
‘I was just getting some information, you know. At some point, when the time is right, when you’re ready… ’
Violet looked down at the array of properties fanned out on her knees and back up at Finn.
‘Are you ready?’
‘Violet, I have been ready since the first time I kissed you,’ he said without hesitating. ‘But I don’t want to rush you. I didn’t mean for us to talk about it like this, not today. I just wanted to see what’s out there.’
‘This is what you’ve been doing while I was away?’
He looked sheepish.
Violet looked again at the listings in her lap. ‘Finn. These houses are for sale, not rent.’
He looked straight ahead. ‘Mmmhmm. Like I said, I was just looking. It’s not like I’ve been to view any of them.
’ He turned to face her then. ‘Vi, we know the worst of each other. We did this backwards. Most people share their best selves, and eventually, in time, they find out the less fun aspects. We did the worst first. So yes, I am ready, and I am sure. More sure than I have been about anything in my life, but there’s no rush.
I’ll still be here when you’re ready, too. ’
Violet thought of how every day that she had been away, Finn had been on her mind constantly.
He was the only person she wanted to talk to at the end of a twelve-hour day when she was peopled out.
When something funny happened, he was the one she wanted to tell, and when something bothered her, he was the person she wanted to talk it through with.
She looked back at the listings and shuffled them on her lap.
The last few months since Huxton had wrapped had been a whirlwind.
They hadn’t had much time to enjoy together before they were both off onto separate jobs, snatching weekends and evenings and phone calls where they could.
Every time they were apart, she missed him like crazy.
‘I like this one,’ she said, holding up a listing for a small detached Victorian house. ‘And this one.’
A huge grin spread across Finn’s face.
‘Really? You’re sure?’
‘Yes! I’m sure.’
Finn leaned across the car and kissed her, arms and seatbelts tangling.
‘I am going to make you a very happy woman, Violet Hathersay,’ he said, as he sat back into his seat, his hand still holding hers. ‘And I have one more piece of news. I got a call from my agent yesterday. Huxton Bridge has officially been renewed for a second season!’
‘Oh my god, Finn, that’s amazing!! When does it start?’
‘They’re in early prep, so the shoot won’t be for a few months yet.
It looks like I’ll finish on When the Light Fades and have about a month between that and Huxton starting up.
’ Finn was beaming ear to ear, his eyes crinkling.
‘Obviously, I hope they’ll be able to get the same AD team, and maybe then you’ll be back on the show too. ’
‘Let’s see,’ Violet said. ‘If it’s not starting up for a while, I’ll need to find a job in the meantime. And we can’t always work together, you know.’
Finn nodded. ‘I know, I know. But this weekend, you are mine. Tomorrow night, I’ve booked us a suite at the Welton Grange Hotel and Spa.’
‘Wow, Finn—that’s so thoughtful! That is just what I need after this job; a relaxing spa weekend.’
‘Hopefully it will be relaxing,’ he said, setting the car in gear and steering them back onto the road. ‘And uh…it’s conveniently close to a stately home with an impressive four-poster bed that features in Sleep Tight. After all, I will need to report back when I see Ed and Emma again…’