Page 8 of The Forever Cottage

‘I know. I heard. It’s you I’ve come to see. I hope it’s not a bad time?’

‘No, I was just about to stop for a break,’ she said, glancing at her watch. ‘Come in.’ She suddenly felt self-conscious, thinking how unkempt she must look in her denim dungarees and white t-shirt, now covered in dust marks, and her bird’s-nest hair perched high up on her head. She wiped the itch on her nose with her forearm.

‘You look to be busy,’ he said as he wandered through, noticing the skip outside.

‘Yes, I’m having a bit of a clear-out. Reclaiming the office now that Charles has moved out.’ She gave a shrug, her glance catching on Nico’s eyes, his easy manner and good looks making her feel self-conscious. On previous occasions, she would have met him at a swanky do, dressed up to the nines, on her best form. She remembered a time when they had been laughing together, exchanging light-hearted conversation. Now in her home, she felt vulnerable and exposed, still uncertain exactly what he was doing here. ‘Did Charles send you?’

‘No.’ Nico’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘I’ve not spoken to Charles in ages. You know, I took early retirement and left the firm about eighteen months ago?’

Now he mentioned it, she recalled Charles saying something to that effect, but it clearly hadn’t registered with her.

‘I still keep in touch with some of them in the office and they told me about Charles… what had happened.’ His eyes widened, his mouth curling in incredulity. ‘I don’t know…’ He gave a shrug. ‘Something made me want to check on you. Make sure you’re doing okay? I hope you don’t think I’ve overstepped the mark just turning up like this? When we’ve met before, I’ve always thought what a lovely person you are. If I’m being honest, I couldn’t work out what you were doing with someone like Charles,’ he said with a quirk of his mouth. ‘Look, I know how difficult break-ups can be. I just wanted to put the offer out there, if there’s anything I can do to help then just let me know.’

He reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out a card with his details on, handing it over to her.Nico Brunswick.

‘Thank you. That’s really kind of you.’ She’d been overwhelmed with the level of support she’d received from her friends and neighbours, even those who she might not necessarily have expected it from. And, of course, there were a few people who she hadn’t heard from who she suspected were siding with Charles, but she wouldn’t hold that against them. It was a difficult situation all round. Still, she could never have expected to find Nico offering his support in her kitchen.

‘How are you with an electric screwdriver?’ she asked.

‘An absolute whizz!’

‘Really? I’ve been trying to dismantle some bookshelves but they’re refusing to budge. You couldn’t give me a hand, could you?’

‘Let me at them,’ Nico said with a wide smile. He slipped off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. It was only then that Tess appreciated that in his smart chinos and buttoned-up shirt, he wasn’t best dressed for a touch of DIY, but that didn’t seem to deter Nico in any way. He wielded the power tool with an authority that showed he’d done it several times before and Tess was grateful to have some help with a task that had been proving particularly troublesome.

‘So how are you finding retirement?’ she asked as they worked together, throwing bits of wood into the skip.

‘Busy. I’m doing a couple of days a week at the Citizens Advice Bureau, and then I’m involved with a charity too. I also belong to a cycling club so I like to get out with them as often as I can. So it’s a good kind of busy. I don’t miss the cut and thrust of the practice, that’s for sure.’

‘No, I bet. I was looking forward to Charles retiring so that we could spend more time together, but that clearly wasn’t meant to be.’ She sighed. ‘Now, I don’t know what he’ll do. If he might carry on working for a few more years?’ She gave a shrug, not wanting to make it feel awkward, before gathering herself. ‘Well, it’s not my problem now and it does mean that I get a new craft room in the process so it’s not all bad,’ she said, with a wry laugh.

‘I’m sorry you’re going through this. It’s hard to navigate a new path when you’ve been with someone for such a long time.’

‘You’ve been through it too, right?’ Tess wished she could remember what Nico’s situation was. She remembered meeting his partner once. She was French possibly and very attractive.

‘Yes, Sabine and I broke up about eighteen months ago. Not the same, but similar circumstances. She wanted out of the relationship, which came as a complete shock to me because I thought we were happy, and then very soon afterwards, a matter of weeks, she was in another relationship with someone else. I don’t know if anything was going on while we were still together, but I suspect it was.’

Tess gave a sympathetic nod. How was it possible that you could believe that you knew your partner inside out, only to discover that you hardly knew them at all?

‘You’re doing okay now, though?’

‘Yep,’ he said, brushing off some dirt from his trousers. ‘What’s the alternative? You have to get on with life, but I’m in a much better place now. It’s a cliché, but things don’t stay the same forever. It will get better.’

‘That’s what everyone keeps telling me,’ she said, hoping it might be true. ‘Thanks for all your help here.’

They both stopped in unison, hands on hips, to assess the job in hand. In a relatively short space of time, they’d managed to clear all of the unwanted furniture into the skip. All that was left were some books and folders which Tess would move into the garage. Already, the room was looking clearer and brighter, much like Tess’s state of mind.

8

‘You’re looking good, Tess. Isn’t she, Suzy?’

‘Really well! Positively glowing, I’d say.’

‘Well, I thought I should make the effort.’ Tess wriggled on the high stool and took a sip from what was for her an uncharacteristic choice of drink, a Cosmopolitan, which was helping to ease her anxiety. ‘I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in paint-splattered dungarees so it makes a nice change to get dressed up and come out.’

In truth, it had been way out of Tess’s comfort zone, going out as a single woman again, actually leaving the village, with the sad prospect of returning to a lonely house, when in reality, she would much have preferred to stay home in her pyjamas, curled up on the sofa with Barney and a good book. Like she did every other evening. She’d thought about calling off, feigning a migraine, but she knew Gina would see right through any excuses and would have been straight round to check. So she’d showered, spent time taming her wayward curls with a conditioning treatment and the straighteners so she looked respectable at least, and put on her best black trousers with a silky, pink blouse. They’d taken a taxi from Lower Leaping to the nearest main town of Bramlingham, ending up in a cocktail bar that was in the basement of a Regency townhouse. The refined setting and mellow lighting created a warm atmosphere that went some way to allay Tess’s awkwardness. At least the fruity, refreshing cocktail was hitting exactly the right spot.

‘So, how are you doing?’ Suzy asked, laying a hand on Tess’s.

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