So that was precisely what she did.
CHAPTER TWO
It was surprising the amount of wildlife which could be found in urban areas, Ashton thought, as he left the house. To be fair though, Thornbury wasn’t as urban as some towns he could mention, as it was surrounded by rolling hills and farmland, pretty villages and tiny hamlets.
It also benefitted from having a canal running through it, and that was where he was headed now, his camera around his neck. It was a substantial piece of kit, and he often attracted odd looks from strangers as they wondered why he was carrying such a large camera and what on earth he could be photographing.
This morning, he was hoping to spot a heron. They regularly fished in the canal on the outskirts of the town, especially in the early morning when it was quiet. Only the most resolute of joggers and the occasional dog walker were out and about at this time of day.
Sidling through a swing gate, he stepped onto the towpath and walked along it for a short distance until he found a suitable place to stop. The towpath was well-maintained, but the edges had been allowed to grow wild, and large trees and bushes lined the gravelled path. Wildflowers grew freely, and the hum of busyinsects added to the birdsong and the quacking of squabbling ducks.
Slipping his rucksack off, Ashton carefully wriggled between two substantial bushes and took out a small folding stool, making sure it was steady on the uneven ground. He had also brought sandwiches and a flask of tea, but he didn’t take those out just yet. He wanted to give the resident wildlife time to forget he was there first. Photographing wildlife took patience, and that was something Ashton had in spades. He could spend hours sitting on a riverbank, in a field, or on the side of a mountain without being bored.
Lacey hadn’t understood. With the benefit of hindsight, he finally realised that she hadn’twantedto.
With peace settling around him as he blended into the undergrowth, Ashton’s mind began to wander. He’d found himself doing that a lot over the past few weeks, which wasn’t surprising considering his humiliation in the restaurant.
When Lacey had refused his offer of marriage, she’d said she wanted to talk about it later, but little discussion had been involved after he’d taken her home. She had clearly been embarrassed, and the surprise he had planned had come out of left field. As far as she was concerned, marriage had been the last thing on her mind. In fact, she was contemplating ending their relationship, and this made up her mind. Lacey may have been the love of Ashton’s life, but he clearly wasn’t the love of hers. And, he had discovered, she wanted more excitement than a mere postman could give her. Apparently, he wasn’t ambitious enough, either.
Ashton hadn’t been able to argue with that. Hewasn’tambitious. He had no urge to climb the corporate ladder and no burning desire for greater responsibility because, along with theincrease in salary, there would be an increase in stress. He liked his work-life balance just the way it was. Besides, he enjoyed what he did. He was out in the fresh air for a big part of his shift and getting plenty of exercise at the same time. He didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day. He earned enough to pay his bills, with a bit left over for his hobby plus a meal out now and again and a couple of drinks down the pub.
Thinking of meals out made him cringe as he recalled the events of that night, and he vowed never to set foot in the place again. The staff had been lovely, but he had felt the weight of their pity as he’d paid the bill and left sharpish. And if it wasn’t for the fact that Picklewick was on his round, he probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere near the village again, either.
A flash of orange and turquoise caught his eye, and Ashton sucked in a breath. It was a kingfisher!
The bird plunged into the water, then flew onto an overhanging branch to eat its catch.
Ashton’s camera whirred silently as it captured image after image. He zoomed in, the telephoto lens displaying the bird’s gloriously iridescent plumage as it manoeuvred the fish into the right position to swallow it whole. Breakfast finished, it darted off peep-peep-peeping as it disappeared from sight.
Ashton let out a soft, delighted breath. What a treat! He couldn’t wait to show Lacey the photos—
Reality threw a bucket of cold water over him as he remembered that he and Lacey were no longer together. And even if they were, she would have shown scant interest in his photography. The only photos she was interested in were those with her in them.
Crossly, he told himself to stop thinking about her. It didn’t change anything and only served to make him feel even more sad.
These past few weeks had been awful, filled with misery and hurt, and today was no exception. He didn’t think he could face going home just yet. He would stay here a while longer, because although they had spent more time at her place than at his, the house felt far too empty. He could cope with the silence, but the loneliness in his heart was a different matter.
Dulcie was waiting by the door when Carla arrived at the farm, and as she held out her arms, Carla stepped into her embrace. ‘Aw, you poor thing,’ her friend said, hugging her tight, then called to her partner over her shoulder, ‘Thanks for picking her up, Otto.’
‘No probs. See you later,’ Otto said, getting back in his car and driving out of the yard.
Carla hugged her back fiercely. ‘I could have got the bus,’ she protested. She had considered using her mum’s car, but as she didn’t drive often, she didn’t feel up to a long journey on unfamiliar rural roads, especially when her head was ‘in the shed’ as her nan used to say.
‘Nonsense! Otto had to go into Thornbury anyway, so it was no bother.’
‘Are you sure you don’t mind me staying with you for a while?’
‘Of course not! You should have come sooner. I did ask you to.’ Dulcie released her and slipped an arm through hers, leading her across the cobbled farmyard to the house.
A black cat ran up to them, almost tripping Carla as it wound around her legs.
‘That’s Magic,’ Dulcie said. ‘She seems to have adopted us. I think she’s a stray.’ She bumped the door open with her hip. ‘Coffee? Or wine?’
Carla wasn’t in the mood for alcohol. ‘Coffee, please.’ She plonked herself down on a kitchen chair. ‘Thank you for having me. I don’t think I could have faced another day on my own in that house.’
Dulcie gave her a stern look. ‘I’m going to set a few ground rules, and the first one is that you have to stop thanking me. I’m your friend – that’s what friends are for.’
Carla smiled sadly at her. ‘Everyone descends on you when they’ve got a problem, don’t they? Nikki, Maisie, your mum, and now me.’ She barked out a laugh. ‘At this rate there won’t be anyone left in Birmingham. They’ll all be here!’
