Anna had been glowing with pleasure at his words of praise, but her throat had gone dry when he’d offered her the chance to go home. When she’d said she’d rather stay, he’d seemed pleased. But had he secretly wanted her to go, so that he could spend the rest of the weekend alone with Ben?
‘Okay, but just to make things clear I’m happy to go home, if you’d prefer it? I don’t want to impose on your time with Ben.’
‘Not at all. He’s really taken to you. He told me on the way home from football.’
‘I like him too. He’s a great boy. By the way, how did the football go?’
‘We won. Three-one and Ben scored a goal. He was chuffed to bits.’
‘I’m glad. He’s a great athlete. I was never very good at sports myself. I much preferred the art room.’
‘Me too actually — he must get it from Lucinda’s side of the family. Anyway, I’m glad you mentioned art, because that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘Oh, yes?’ Her throat went dry again — she reached out for a sandwich and took a bite, although she didn’t think she’d be able to swallow.
‘Yes, it’s about your photography. What are your subjects?’
She managed to get the food down, surprised at his question. He’d never shown the slightest interest in her photography before, but this weekend was a revelation. They were certainly getting to know each other better.
‘Urban landscapes mainly,’ she replied. ‘I can’t do people because of data protection, but I like comparing old and new buildings, especially around the East End where there’s such a contrast.’
‘Sounds interesting,’ he said. ‘I think you’ll find there’s quite a bit of contrast around Chester too. There are some beautiful old buildings and some very ugly modern ones. Would you like to take a camera with you?’
She gasped. ‘I’d love to. I usually just use my phone. It’s got a decent enough camera on it, but it will be a treat to use a proper one. Only if you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all.’ He smiled. ‘And later tonight, perhaps you’d show me what you’ve taken. I’d be interested to see what kind of photographer you are.’
‘Really? You’d do that?’
‘I’d love to,’ he said. ‘I’ve learned a lot over the years, particularly because I had some good mentors. I’d like to mentor you, if that’s okay?’
Anna nearly fell off her chair. She couldn’t believe her luck. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for all her life. ‘That would be more than all right,’ she eventually managed to say.
* * *
It was a beautiful late May afternoon when Daniel dropped Anna off in the centre of Chester.
‘I’ll pick you up here at four. Is that okay?’
‘Perfect,’ she said as she looked around her. Daniel had pulled into a layby next to the cathedral, its stone structure surrounded by magnificent gardens. Instantly she was itching to get Daniel’s camera out.
‘Now, you won’t get lost will you?’
‘Of course I won’t.’ She looked up to see a playful smile on his lips. ‘I’ve always got Google Maps, and a tongue in my head,’ she added, returning his smile. ‘I usually get there in the end.’
‘See you later, then.’ He switched the engine back on and she waved to them both as they drove off.
After taking some pictures of the beautiful cathedral and the town hall opposite, Anna walked into the tourist centre and picked up a map. She spent the next two hours happily wandering and photographing, walking along the city walls, which had been erected as part of a fort to protect the city when the Romans first occupied it, around 75 AD. She read that the walls were the most complete Roman city walls in Britain and were almost two miles long. As she walked, she thought the views were amazing, both for her own eyes and for her camera, and she knew she could fall in love with this city. The East End fascinated her with its own history and regeneration, but here she felt something much more peaceful, as though the city was proud of its ancient architecture. Daniel had been right though — standing between the beautiful buildings were modern monstrosities, mainly restaurants glaring in their gaudiness, but she took pictures of them too, because they provided the perfect contrast to the sense of history.
By the time she made her way back to the cathedral, her legs were aching but she was elated at having had such a pleasant afternoon. It was a joy to be away from the constraints of her life at home. It almost felt like a holiday and it made her even more determined to sort things out when she got back.
* * *
‘Let’s see what you took today, then,’ Daniel said when Ben was tucked up in bed and they’d finished editing the photos from the shoot. While he’d been preparing a delicious steak meal for them both earlier, she’d spent a pleasant hour with Ben helping him build Lego from an enormous box. He was a lovely boy, bright and entertaining, and she enjoyed spending time alone with him. She was amazed at how well he had adapted to her being around and she was looking forward to going out withthem both tomorrow. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in such a short time.
She uploaded the photos from the camera onto the laptop and passed them over to Daniel, biting her lip with nerves as she wondered what he would think of them. She prayed he wouldn’t have the same reaction as Mark, and tell her that they were no good. She waited, her nerves increasing by the second as he stared intently at the screen, clicking from one photograph to the next.
Eventually he looked up. ‘They are really good.’
