‘Thanks for coming in’ Helen says to Stephanie as she watches her take her jacket off and prop her umbrella in the small wash hand basin in the cloakroom ‘We probably could have managed but I’ve got that meeting later and I’m not sure how long that is likely to go on for’
‘No problem’ Stephanie smiles, rubbing mud splashes from the backs of her legs with a paper towel. ‘Isn’t it lovely? I never met him but Marie was crazy about him, I know that much…To think he just got on a plane and came back!’ She scowls and wets the towel ‘Look at that…and I’ve only come from the car park’ she grumbles
‘A very expensive proposal’ Helen agrees with a laugh, turning away and walking towards the water boiler. ‘I hear you had a date on Friday’ she calls, dropping teabags into two mugs ‘You do want tea, don’t you?’
‘Yes please…’ Stephanie replies as she emerges from the cloakroom. ‘And yes, I had a date…if you could call it that. Me and Nathan went for a meal if that’s what you mean’
‘Oh dear, doesn’t sound as if you enjoyed it much’
‘It was alright’ she shrugs and balls the paper towel into the waste bin. ‘The meal was nice…Italian…in Woodbury’
‘Il Pavone?’
‘That’s the one’
‘That’s where Kester proposed!’ Helen smiles ‘I can vouch for the food…it’s wonderful. That was such a special evening’ Helen reminisces with a soft smile. She dunks the teabags with a spoon before adding milk. ‘I sense there’s a but?’ she says, coming back to the present.
Stephanie hesitates before answering. ‘I thought there was something…you know…’ she says bashfully ‘That he fancied me a bit…the way he kept looking at me and he seemed sort of gob smacked when I asked him out…pleased’
‘You asked him out?’
‘I did…You think that’s what the matter was, that I asked him?’
‘I shouldn’t think he cared one way or the other’ Helen laughs.
Stephanie’s face clouds ‘Oh, right’
‘No’ Helen laughs again ‘I meant that he wouldn’t care who asked who as long as you were going out together’
‘Sorry?’
‘I should be the one saying sorry…It’s not for me to say anything at all but thunderstruck is the word I’d use. I’ve never seen him quite like that before’ she grins.
‘Still not with you’ Stephanie looks puzzled.
‘Nathan…you…boom…knocked him for six’ Helen flushes awkwardly when Stephanie continues to look confused. ‘He fancies you like hell!’ she finishes.
‘Could have fooled me’ Stephanie sighs and takes the mug Helen offers ‘He was very cool all night. We talked a lot…that was good…but I might just as well’ve gone out with my Dad. Home before midnight…straight home at that…and I only got kissed goodnight because the dogs were barking’
‘Eh?’
‘Doesn’t matter’ she sighs again ‘Obviously the idea of me is much more attractive than the actual me. I really thought….Oh, never mind’
‘I don’t know what to say’ Helen pushes her hair behind one ear. ’I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy yourself…’
‘It’s not that I didn’t enjoy myself. It was a nice evening but that’s just it…. it was ’Nice’. I…..expected more’ she blushes slightly. ‘Not that I like having to fight blokes off…but…’
‘You accepted that you might have to?’ Helen suggests
Stephanie laughs mirthlessly. ‘Yep! Guess I wasn’t worth the effort’ she says dryly. ‘And who says I wanted to fight him off anyway?’ she adds with a doleful grimace. ‘Right…best get on. What do you want me to do first?’
The Village Library
Chapter Nineteen
Tawny House, Manor Road
‘Weell…I disnae know whether tae go across the way or if tae leave it fae a wee while’ Jeannie smirks as she replaces the doormat after giving it a good shake outside.
‘You don’t?’ Harriet queries from her seat at the kitchen table, craning her neck to look across the courtyard.
Jeannie chortles as she washes her hands. ‘Aren’t the blinds closed and it’s the middle of the day?’
‘Ohhh…I see’ Harriet smiles ‘but I rather think that they have merely forgotten to draw them back. I am certain that Helen is at work and Kester is hardly here these days with all that he has on’
‘Are ye sure? I dinnae want tae go barging in’ Jeannie sets a tea tray and puts the kettle on to boil.
‘All but positive…’ Harriet says, getting up and walking to the window ‘And they must know it is your day to call…I hardly think that…’
‘Perhaps I cud be cleaning the windows and make a wee bit of a din afore I gae in’
‘I am sure you are worrying unnecessarily. Both of the cars are gone’ Harriet turns as Jeannie joins her in looking out.
‘Och…so they are…and there was me thinking the laddie wis working on another bairn fae ye’
‘What it is to be young’ Harriet sighs as she lets the curtain fall into place and walks back to the table. ‘I remember those days so well’ she smiles soft reminiscence.
‘Aye’ Jeannie exhales noisily. ‘Me too. But nae mair. Me an’ ma man disnae dare pull the blinds through the day noo’ she says forlornly as she pours water into the teapot.
‘No?’
‘Och nooo!’ Jeannie laughs, bringing the tray to the table. ‘These days, we’d hae folk banging on door tae see if we were deid!’
