Page 7 of Hearts Colliding
“I’m not using the title—” But Eva was already heading back towards the bar, dragging Ryan with her.
CHAPTERFIVE
“Whodid you say is living in the New House?”
“The heir to the throne, or at least to the house and estate. Alex Love. He came in a couple of nights ago, on pie night. Nan recognised him.”
“Well, I am surprised,” Charles, the owner of Harbour Coffee said. “I never thought I’d see Alex here again. Or anywhere, for that matter.”
“You know him?”
Charles’ surprise revelation took Ryan aback. This could prove interesting
After his first disastrous encounter, as far as Ryan had been concerned he knew more than enough about the heir to the New House, but once the frenzy of pie night was over he’d shut himself away in his bedroom and opened up his laptop. Keying in Alex Love, he’d found nothing. Alexander, too, had yielded no results. The New House scored a few entries, but like Joss had said, nothing of interest. Social media searches came up blank. If Alex was listed anywhere, it was locked down and private. Perhaps Charles would be more forthcoming.
“So, how do you know him? Were you friends?” Ryan couldn’t imagine frosty, disdainful Alex Love having too many in his life, let alone the mellow, good-natured café owner. Ryan sucked in his lower lip and waited, the curiosity he didn’t want to feel gnawing at him.
Charles puffed out a sigh, golf balling his cheeks. “We were at school together, weekday boarders, but I only got to know him when we were about sixteen or seventeen and in the sixth form. Or, I should say I got to know him as well as he allowed me to. Alex Love. I’ve not thought of him in years, and now here he is.”
Charles cocked his head to the side, his fine-drawn features pinching together as he thought.
“There was always a distance about him. Not shy exactly, more as if he wanted to hold the world at bay. He was rather sweet in some ways.” Charles laughed. “Sweet. Not exactly how most teenage boys would like to be described, I imagine, but it’s what he was when he let his guard down — which was rarely. He was bright, very sharp, older than his years in many ways.” Charles laughed again, and shook his head, a fond smile ghosting his lips. “He used to help me with my maths homework — or more precisely he’d do it for me — but I couldn’t reciprocate because he was pretty much top of the class in all subjects, whereas I most certainly wasn’t.”
Charles’ smile faded and was replaced with a frown. Ryan waited, eager to know more about the reserved boy who’d turned into the stiff and frosty man. But he wouldn’t push, not wanting Charles to ask why, exactly, he was so keen to find out about Alex Love.
“When Friday rolled around, everybody was keen to get home for a couple of days. Alex, however, seemed to dread it. I knew his mother had died, so I put it down to that. Missing her, I mean. He never said anything, but I had the impression he had a very difficult relationship with his father.”
Ryan picked up a cloth and mindlessly began to wipe down the bar. It was a common enough story. He’d known plenty of kids growing up who’d had difficult relationships with one or both of their parents. His own may have gone their separate ways, but he had them in his life and was unconditionally loved by both. All the titles in the world, and inheriting a grand old house, were nothing in comparison. He glanced at Charles, who was drawing wet circles on the bar. There was more to the story, and he was determined to get it.
“So he’s back, after being away for years. Do you know what happened to him? When you both left school, I mean?”
“I don’t, because I wasn’t here — at school or even in the country. My father took up a posting in Australia, and I went out there with him and my mother. The internet wasn’t like it is today, and my contact with Alex pretty much fizzled out immediately. I picked up a few bits and pieces, later, all second and third hand at best. As soon as Alex turned eighteen, he left. Packed a rucksack and walked out on the morning of his birthday without a word to anybody. Or that’s what I heard. So why he’s returned is anybody’s guess as I can’t imagine he’s jumping with joy to be back in Love’s Harbour.”
* * *
The evening wore on, the pub experiencing what it so seldom did — a quiet night. By eight o’clock, Ryan pulled his last pint, leaving his mum and nan to see out the rest of the shift as they sat and talked with a couple of regulars at the bar.
Too early to go to bed, too restless to sit and stream a film, and mulling over what Charles had said, Ryan took Tina’s lead off the hook by the back door, and waited for the gangly dog to lope over to him.
The lights of Love’s Harbour twinkled in the soft evening light. A few people were around, mostly being taken for walks by their four legged companions, and Ryan waved or passed a word or two with the villagers he’d known for most of his life. He turned inwards from the harbour front, to wander along the winding cobbled streets, but Tina had other intentions, and dragged him towards the path that led up towards High Top, the not very high hill that overlooked the village.
“Come on, you daft mutt. By the time we reach the Top, it’ll be getting too dark to see.” Not that it mattered, as he could walk the surrounding hills and valleys blindfolded in the dead of night and not put a foot wrong, but even though he tugged at her lead Tina whined and strained to take the path she’d decided upon.
Up on the hill, Ryan let Tina off her lead to snuffle around. On the exposed higher ground, the wind was sharper than in the village and Ryan shivered, regretting not bringing his jacket.
“Time to go home.”
Tina pretended not to hear him as she trotted, not towards Ryan who’d turned to retrace his steps back to the village, but further along the hill towards the fork in the path. Oh no. No way.
“Tina. Get back here. Now.”
The dog turned and stared, wagging her tail and challenging Ryan to make her obey. Ryan delved into the pocket of his jeans for any trace of a treat, the only thing that would tempt her. There was nothing.
“Come here, you little sod.” He advanced, slow and stealthy, confident he could lunge for her collar. Tina was a quirky mutt and he loved her to bits, but she wasn’t always the brightest; she wouldn’t realise she was being stalked until it was too late.
Ryan stumbled over a piece of rock poking out of the earth, windmilling his arms to keep his balance and stay upright. Tina yelped and scampered off.
“Tina! Stop!” Ryan ran as hard as he could as Tina bounded along the path leading to the New House. No way was he going to risk another encounter with Alex Love. Determined not to make it the third time in as many days, he picked up the pace, his breath coming hard and fast.Oh, fuck…With a sinking heart, he watched as Tina bolted through a wide gap between two broken down fences. “Tina!” he hissed as he stood panting on the public path. “Come here. Now!”
