Chapter 21
‘What time do we need to get going?’
‘No rush,’ Edward said. He was lying next to me on the picnic blanket, eyes closed, long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. ‘Unless there’s something you need to get back for?’ He rolled his head slightly towards me and opened one eye, awaiting an answer.
‘No.’
‘Good. Then rest a while longer.’
Silence resumed. I looked up at the trees, watching the leaves move lazily in the afternoon breeze, noting how the sunlight danced through, making patterns and shadows.
I propped my head up on my arms and watched cows moseying across a field.
To their right was a quad bike, and what looked like a dog riding on the back, jumping off occasionally to herd them in the right direction. I shifted position again.
‘You’re not exactly resting, are you? You’re fidgeting worse than a toddler.’
‘Rude.’
‘True.’
‘I’m taking in the scenery.’
Edward’s arm wrapped around me and pulled me gently back down.
‘I’m not tired!’
‘You don’t have to be tired,’ he said, his eyes still closed, his voice soft and disturbingly dreamy. ‘Just close your eyes, clear your mind and rest.’
‘My mind is never clear.’
‘I’m learning that.’
I did as he said. For about a minute.
‘What now?’ he asked, amusement laced his words.
‘I’m bored now.’
‘Then talk to me.’
‘About what? Anyway, weren’t you resting? Empty head and all that.’
‘I don’t mind. Anything you like.’
‘I can’t think of anything when you put me on the spot.’
‘OK then. Your friend, Freddy, that Isaac apparently has a crush on despite never having met her. Tell me about her.’
‘You’d have a crush on her too. It’s just how it is with Freddy.’
‘I doubt it, but carry on. How did you meet?’
‘We met at uni and then both moved to London for work at the same time. Neither of us could afford to rent a place on our own so rented together there too. We’ve been living in the same place since.’
‘Really? All this time later?’
‘Yeah. The guy that owns it lives abroad somewhere so it’s just another stream of revenue for him and rents are so ridiculously high in London – everywhere really – that it provides a secure income for him, I guess.’
‘What did she think of you moving down here?’
‘She was fully behind it. She knew I hadn’t been happy in my previous job for some time. Said I’d only regret it if I didn’t try.’
‘And whose idea was the Kew Garden training?’
I felt him shift beside me. When I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him, he was looking at me, that amused expression back on his face.
It felt intimate yet relaxed and he’d been right: closing my eyes and talking about something that was important to me had stopped all the other monkey chatter in my mind.
‘Oh, that was all me,’ I said, injecting false pride into my words. ‘I’d spent a career helping to sell stuff to people, even if they didn’t want it. I thought that throwing a top-notch background into the mix couldn’t hurt.’
‘No. You’re right. But it didn’t occur to you that people would check or want references?’
‘I… er… had a reference.’
Edward watched me for a moment, then started laughing. I could feel the vibration of it in my chest and despite everything in my head saying otherwise, my heart was telling me it felt wonderful.
‘What?’ I asked, my tone full of innocence.
He laughed again. ‘Don’t give me that. I might not know you as well as I’d like yet, but I do know that wide-eyed look is bullshit.’
This time, my eyes widened in genuine surprise.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘You heard me. I’m not buying that look for a moment. And I’d bet the house that reference was written by your best friend.’
I looked back up at the sky, not least because gazing into Edward’s eyes was a little too pleasant for comfort.
‘Absolute slander.’
‘Can I see it then?’
‘What?’
‘This reference.’
‘No. It wasn’t requested at the time of employment so I assumed it wasn’t needed and destroyed it.’
‘So, not only did you fake evidence but then destroyed it.’ He tutted. ‘Dear me, Ms Buchanan, the charges are racking up here.’
‘Oh Pfft!’ I blew a raspberry. Never let it be said that I can’t hold my own when it comes to highbrow arguments.
‘Excellent retort.’
‘I thought so.’
The laugh this time was low and melodic and no less attractive.
I pushed myself up to a sitting position.
‘Shall we make a move?’
‘If you want to.’
‘I think it’s probably about time and if I stay here any longer, I might nod off.’
‘Would that be so bad?’
Would it?
‘Yes. I’d like to explore more of the estate before we go back.’
‘Right ho.’ Edward sat up and together, we began repacking the picnic rucksack.
‘So, what’s Freddy doing now her housemate’s moved out?
’ he asked as we wrapped up the remains of the food.
I passed the items to Edward before he stood and grabbed the blanket up, folding it between us until it was small enough to fit back in the pack.
‘Looking for another place to stay, actually.’
‘Oh?’
‘Yeah. The new bloke is a bit of a nightmare.’
He looked over from where he was zipping up the bag, balancing it on his knee as he did so. ‘In what way?’
‘Leaves the kitchen filthy, ditto the bathroom. Hogs the TV. Freddy hardly ever watches telly anyway but on the odd occasion she has done, apparently, this chump just swoops in, says something like, “You’re not watching that, are you?” and switches the channel to his own choice and then proceeds to channel-hop anyway. ’
‘Has Freddy not said something? Surely there are rules in the contract?’
‘There are but one person’s idea of tidy isn’t always the same as another’s.’
‘No. I can imagine. Does she need to be near that area of London for work?’
‘No, not now. She’s a contract worker and usually works from home which is making the situation with this new bloke even worse as he often works from home too, and has loads of video meetings and doesn’t bother to use headphones.
I mean, he’s a dick in every other aspect, why wouldn’t he be with that too? ’
‘Quite. And her family?’
‘Scattered about but they all get together pretty regularly back in Dublin.’
‘Ah… so there’s nothing tying her to that area now?’
‘Not especially.’ I took a swig of water from my bottle, tucked it back in the side of my own day pack and shimmied into the straps. As I did so, I caught the thoughtful expression settling on Edward’s features.
‘What?’
‘I’ve had rather a brilliant idea.’
‘Let’s hear it then. This way?’ I pointed to the path that led out of the shady glade, out onto the main footpath and towards a large five-bar gate leading into a field.
‘Yes. What do you think about inviting Freddy to come and stay at Rose Cottage with you?’
I was huffing and puffing my way over the gate, making sure each step was secure. In the sunlight, I could see large roundels of cowpat just begging for me to fall in.
Edward unhooked the chain that was securing the gate and pushed it open, with me now along for the ride, entered the field and then closed it, replacing the loop of chain as I remained on my perch.
‘You could have told me it wasn’t locked.’
‘I didn’t realise you were going to go all Lara Croft on me and you looked like you were enjoying the challenge.’
I gave him a narrow-eyed look that merely made him chuckle.
‘Here.’ He held out his hand.
‘I’m fine, thank you.’ And proved this by jumping off the gate and missing the cowpat. Edward, however, was too busy laughing to notice and stepped straight in it.
‘Oh shit!’ he said, looking down at the squelchy sound.
I made a point of studying his foot briefly. ‘So it appears.’ And walked on.
‘Smart arse!’ he called after me and I couldn’t help my laughter.
By the bottom of the field, Edward had found enough damp grass to clean his boot off and we were back on track for both the walk and conversation.
‘What do you think? Is that something that would make you happy?’
‘Of course! I’d have to ask Freddy, though. We are in the back of beyond here and she’s used to going out and grabbing a coffee five minutes in any direction.’
‘You seem to have accommodated those inconveniences well.’
‘True. But I have a different sort of job.’
‘What is it that Freddy does?’
‘She’s an illustrator. Books mostly. Her current contract is for a children’s series, she’s done a few books for them before so she’s really enjoying that.’
‘That’s great! What a lovely job. I can’t draw a stick man.’
‘Me neither. I’m always in awe of her talents.’
‘As she is of yours, I’m sure.’
‘That’s kind,’ I huffed out a small laugh, ‘but as I’m yet to discover exactly what those are, I’m not sure that’s entirely the case.’
‘I bet Freddy would think differently, as I do.’
‘You barely know me.’
‘I know enough.’
‘Hmm.’
‘OK.’ He held up a hand and began ticking things off on his fingers. ‘You’re kind, funny, resourceful,’ he put an inflection on this that made me look up. He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. ‘Not to mention eminently practical.’
‘I’m not sure about—’
‘I am,’ Edward interrupted before I could continue.
‘Well, as you said, you haven’t known me that long.’
‘And yet I’m still entirely sure of my judgement.’
I rolled my eyes and tramped on.
‘And from what I found out in my research, you were excellent at your previous job. They were sorry to lose you in the restructuring.’
‘You spoke to my old company?’ I asked, stopping so suddenly, Edward had to brace himself against a tree to prevent careering into me.
‘I did. I always follow up on references. Part of my business protocol.’
‘Right.’ I adjusted my day pack and resumed walking. ‘Yeah, I was good at that job. Good at finding ways to sell people yet more crap they didn’t need and help more people get into debt.’
‘Is that how you saw it?’ Edward was walking beside me now.
‘Not initially,’ I said, looking out over the stunning vistas around us as I replied. ‘Initially, I was excited, finding it creative and enjoying that aspect of it.’
‘When did that change?’