Page 49 of Autumn at the Willow River Guesthouse
‘Don’t. Let me finish what I have to say. I did it, Lily.’
‘Did what?’
‘I got that big commission we were dreaming of. The refurbishment of Lemon Street Underground Station, they want to use my art in the redesign. I got a contract last week. It’ll be a year’s worth of work, but the money … it’s unbelievable. And it’s not just that, but I get complete creative freedom. It’s everything I—we—hoped for.’
‘Well, ah, congratulations.’
‘Despite having to move studios at such short notice,’—Lily didn’t miss the little dig, but Steve was staring at the space between his wildly gesturing hands like a conjurer magicking up a future—‘I managed to pull it off. And from here, who knows where things will lead? You know, so much of my … confusion … was over what was going to happen in the future, but now that’s ironed out, I can move on from those troubled times. I can move on … with you.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I’m sorry for everything,’ Steve said. ‘I want you to come back to London. This time things will be different. We can get another, bigger flat. I’ll still need my studio, of course, but we—’
‘What do you mean, “we”?’
‘You always wanted to live together, didn’t you? Well, now that I have a clear focus, I can handle someone else in my personal space. As long as you respect my work, I don’t know why we can’t make another go of things.’ He leaned across the table and put his hands over Lily’s before she could pull them away. In that moment she felt that old familiar thrill, the one she had loved so much, and despite the arrogance in his words that was beating on the side of her head like a big fat gong, so much of her wanted to believe him, to go back to London and to rebuild her dreams of marriage and a future with Steve, glue the shards together like one of her father’s murals.
Very gently, she pulled her hands away from his and stood up.
‘I can’t … this is too sudden … I have to think,’ was the best she could do. Her heart wouldn’t let her utter an outright rejection, but putting some space between them felt appropriate.
‘I’m sorry,’ Steve said, standing up. ‘I shouldn’t have been so forward so soon. I’m staying nearby for the next couple of days, and you have my number. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon if I don’t hear from you before then. Just think about what I said.’
He went out of the room, and a few seconds later the front door closed with a soft thud. Lily closed her eyes and waited until she heard his car engine starting up, then she went into the kitchen, opened the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of red wine.
The door leading out to the garage opened and her dad came in, her mum at his shoulder, both peering at her expectantly.
‘Everything all right?’
Lily shook her head. ‘No.’
Pete came forward, arms opened to wrap her into a hug, but right now, she needed to be alone with her confusion. She backed off, shaking her head.
‘I’m going for a walk,’ she said.
‘Are you sure you’re not going to do anything stupid?’
Lily shook her head. ‘Absolutely not. I just need some air.’
‘At least take a corkscrew and a glass,’ Sarah said, opening a draw with one hand and a cupboard with the other.
Lily smiled. ‘Thanks, Mum.’
‘If you’re not back by ten I’ll call the police,’ Pete said.
‘Dad, I’m twenty-six.’
‘All right, eleven.’
Lily nodded. ‘I’ll do my best.’
She gave them both a quick hug, then headed for the door, the bottle of wine, a glass, and a corkscrew conveniently placed in a plastic bag her mum had provided. It was only just past dinner time, but the nights were already getting shorter, and what light was left in the day would soon fade, bringing with it the evening chill, so Lily pulled on a thick coat, taking a hat and scarf with her, just in case.
Outside, she wasn’t sure what to do, so she walked down the road to the bridge over the river, and then down the steps onto the cycle path. The sun was low in the sky, soon to set behind the distant hills, its deep reds and oranges filtering through the changing leaves of the willow trees alongside the river, leaving the cycle path a mottled contradiction of shadow and colour. Lily didn’t want to risk being seen from the guesthouse, so she wandered down towards the annexe, looking for a good spot to sit and toast her sorrows. About halfway there she spotted a nice place under the trees, but the grass was wet, so instead she carried on, aiming for one of the council picnic benches on the riverside outside the annexe.
To her surprise, one of them was already occupied, a figure dressed in a thick duffel coat, the hood pulled up. The figure leaned on the table, something in one hand that glinted in the evening sun.
A wine glass. As Lily watched, the figure drained what was left, before producing a bottle from the seat beside them and refilling the glass.
