Helen strides along Manor Road towards the village, enjoying the cool stillness of the night. She stops suddenly and turns.

‘What exactly are you doing?’

Ten yards behind her, Kester slows to a standstill. ‘Going for a walk’ he replies glibly and waves her forwards.

Helen rolls her eyes and carries on. At the junction with Priory Road, she looks behind her again. ‘Streetlights, civilisation, I’ll be fine now’

‘I’m out for a walk’ Kester insists

‘Please go home’ Helen sighs

‘Have I annoyed you again?’ he asks

‘No. I think you’re being very sweet but there’s no need…’

‘Sweet?’ he huffs ‘I don’t do sweet’

‘And just where is this walk taking you?’

‘Which way are you going?’ he grins

Helen looks up at the night sky ‘Oh, Lord give me patience but give me it now!’

‘See? I have annoyed you’

‘Kester?’ She sees him properly as he steps from the gloom.

‘I slipped’ he chuckles looking down at his mud caked trousers ‘in the ditch back there. I feel a bit more compos now. Told you I needed a walk’

‘You’re not safe to be let out’ Helen mutters ‘Come on. If you insist on taking this walk, we might as well do it together.’

‘Yeah?’ Kester grins and catches up.

‘I don’t really need an escort.’

‘You should have stayed. You could have slept in my bed, I wouldn’t have minded ..’

Helen stops and points back the way they have come ‘Home!’

Kester holds up his hands, palms forward. ‘I wouldn’t have minded sleeping on the sofa. That’s what I was going to say.’

‘Hmm’

‘Hell, you could have chucked a blanket over me where I was, I wouldn’t have known any different.’

‘Until you stirred and decided to creep into bed.’

‘There’s always that of course.’ He dimples.

She points again.

‘Sorry’ he says ruefully and ambles beside her with his hands in his trouser pockets. ‘You had a good time, then?’

‘I did. Harriet is a wonderful hostess’

‘Am I a good host?’

‘Very attentive’ she says wryly.

‘I think I kept everyone happy.’

‘Especially the rather attractive redhead, what happened to her?’

‘Amelia? Went home with her husband, I expect. She likes to dance. Stephen likes to see her having fun. He likes dancing but his balance is a bit off now though. MS…not aggressive but a bit limiting, I was just taking up the slack’ he explains, swinging round a lamppost

‘Oh…I’m sorry.. I thought’

‘Don’t tell me you were jealous!’

‘No…’ Helen replies coolly ‘if you want the truth, I thought what an attractive couple you made. I hadn’t realised that she… Was he the tall rather studious looking man? There were a lot of people there. Harriet was very good with the introductions but it was a lot to remember’

‘And what with her insisting on mixing everyone up at table’ Kester rolls his eyes ‘Yes, that’s Stephen’

‘Oliver is a very interesting man’ Helen comments nonchalantly.

‘Served all over the world. I think you might hear from him again’

‘I won’t’ she says definitely.

‘No?’ he glances sideways at her ‘But you seemed to be getting on really well’

‘It’s a little…too much, right now’ she mumbles, feigning interest in a shop window as they pass.

‘Ah… but I bet he won’t take no for an answer’

‘He’ll have to when he gets the ticket office at The Royal Opera House’

He looks at her with open-mouthed amusement. ‘You didn’t’

She nods, her eyes crinkling. Kester chuckles throatily. ‘Nice one’

‘He insisted on a telephone number, it was the only way I could get rid of him….Nice man…but…’

‘You’re not ready for anything like that just yet.’

‘Meaning?’ her eyes spark. ‘I confided in Harriet, confided!’

‘Whoa! It was you that said not right now’

‘Sorry.’ They walk in silence.

‘I know someone’s treated you pretty badly’ Kester says at last.

‘Harriet told you that?’

‘Touched on it when she was trying to explain why you were a bit off the first time I spoke to you. No details. You can trust Harriet. She would never break a confidence.’

‘I hope you’re not expecting the whole story, even Harriet didn’t..’ A defensive tone creeps into her voice again.

‘No…’ Kester assures quietly ‘but I am here whenever you need someone…a friend…That’s all I’ve ever tried to be. No threat, just a friend. Okay?’

‘Looking out for me, seeing me home, checking up on me, making sure I’m alright…. Falling into ditches’ she returns wryly

‘Something like that’ he grins

‘With no strings’ she adds with a disbelieving shake of the head.

‘None whatsoever’

‘Humph’

They slow as they reach the gate to Pennywell.

‘Goodnight, then’

‘What, no plea for coffee?’ Helen asks with sarcastic surprise.

‘No plea for coffee’ Kester smiles and kisses her lightly on her forehead. ‘Goodnight Helen, sleep tight’

‘Goodnight Kester’ She watches his departing figure, giggling when he turns to wave and stumbles. She walks up her front path, a warm feeling somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

Manor Road

Chapter Four