Page 52 of One Summer Weekend
She went on, ‘Anyway, wasn’t last weekendthe deep dive with Jack? Pretending to be in love by day, and sharing a rather cramped space by night – you couldn’t help getting to know him better, surely?’
I swallowed and stared out of the window. We were driving through a landscape of moors and scattered cottages; bleaker than the Lakes, with only a smudge of hills in the distance. ‘Are we nearly there?’ My voice was little more thana whisper.
‘Ten minutes to Ramsbottom,’ she said, as if that explained everything. She added, gently, ‘If it’s any consolation, based on what I saw, I think you and Jack do have a future together.’ Just as I was about to ask her to elaborate, her mobile rang. ‘That’ll be Bill. Can you speak to him? I’m not hands free.’
I cleared my throat and took the call. Bill was phoning to reportthat Jack’s car was nowhere to be seen, and to suggest lunch in one of the local pubs. I relayed this message to Midge and she nodded. ‘Tell him to try the Eagle and Child first – we’ll be there in ten.’
The houses were clustered more densely now, suggesting some form of village or town. At first glance, their old stone walls glowed with the mellowness of those in the south; but I detecteda darker hue, as if the soot of Victorian industry still lingered. Attractive, though, and in keeping with the wilder landscape.
The pub was one of the larger buildings, and inside everything was clean and bright and shining. The warmth of Bill’s welcome, the cosy table for three, and the impressive Sunday lunch helped me to relax – once I’d stopped watching the door, in case Jack walkedin.
We left an hour and a half later, setting off in convoy back the way we’d come. After a mile or two, we turned off the main road and into a narrow street. At the end, backing onto the moors, was a row of six old cottages, huddled together in pairs. Midge pulled up outside the furthest one, where the road broadened out to allow parking for several cars. Jack’s was not among them.
‘That’s his house, the one with the blue door,’ she said. ‘I’ll show you where everything is in here, then Bill and I will be heading off.’
My stomach churned in disbelief; despite her earlier warning, I’d been fooling myself that they’d still be around when Jack returned – to act as referees, perhaps. I stood as if in a trance while she retrieved my suitcase, produced a mug, tea and somemilk, explained the idiosyncrasies of the plumbing. Then she handed me the keys and hugged me goodbye.
I blinked rapidly. ‘But how will I get Hermann back to you?’ I said, knowing that this was the least of my worries.
‘Och, we’ll think of something. Now you make yourself a nice cuppa and wait for Jack.’ She cocked her head on one side, as if noting my agitation for the first time.‘Do you want me to ring him and find out when he’ll be coming home? I’m sure I can think of an excuse to be in touch.’
‘No thanks,’ I said, forcing a smile. ‘For once in my life, I’d rather not be prepared.’
