James might as well get on with some work now. Catch up from the couple of days’ holiday he’d taken for the coastal drive up here. He could go for a swim later on, and then maybe for a long run this afternoon, explore the island.
As the day went on, the clear skies gradually clouded over, and a few minutes into his afternoon swim the heavens opened. James didn’t mind swimming in the rain, but it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. And it wasn’t that pleasant trying to wrap yourself in a soaking wet towel that you hadn’t had the forethought to leave somewhere sheltered. He’d need to take the weather into account when he was thinking about tourism opportunities in the area, and check out rainy day activities.
God, the towel was absolutely sopping. There was no point in using it at all. He put his feet into his sliders, squeezed some water out of the towel and slung it over his shoulder and started back towards the house.
‘Oops, sorry.’ Cassie was immediately recognisable due to her enormous coat and blue-edged hood. What was she doing here? Hadn’t she said she was leaving today? Where had she sprung from? They were walking in the same direction so she had to have come from the end of the garden rather than up the drive.
‘I was just saying a wee goodbye to the animals,’ she said. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’
He did mind. But excellent news that she’d been saying goodbye.
‘Not at all. What time’s your flight?’ Just to make sure.
‘Eight this evening.’
Perfect. She’d have to be on the ferry soon.
‘Have a good one,’ he told her.
‘Thank you. How was your night? Is everything alright? Did the notes make sense?’
Kind of her but she really didn’t need to behave as though they were friends.
‘All good, thanks. Have a great journey.’ He nodded at her and gave her a small smile and took a couple of steps towards the kitchen door, turning his back slightly as he went.
‘Thank you. Bye then. Obviously call me or email me if youdohave any problems. And we’ll no doubt speak soon.’
‘I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, thanks, and I think everything in the flat’s pretty self-explanatory. Enjoy your stay in London.’
‘Thank you.’ And off she and her coat went round the side of the house. Finally.
Six
Cassie
‘Oh my goodness,’ Cassie said to Dina, as the ferry that was going to take her away drew closer. ‘This is so scary. I don’t know if I can do it.’ It was like the island and her friends here were a cocoon, a comfort blanket. What had she been thinking? She wasn’t ready to venture back to the UK and to city life.
‘Well, two things.’ Dina pulled her into a big hug. ‘One, you kinda have to, because there’s a strange man living in your house now.’
Strangehotman, Cassie thought, remembering him in his swimming kit. And strangegrumpyman, she thought, remembering everything else.
‘And two,’ continued Dina, ‘you totally got this, babe. You’re going to have an amazing time in London. In fact, you’re probably not going to want to come back.’ She squeezed Cassie hard. ‘Please do come back.’
‘Of course I’m coming back. I’m missing you and the rest of the island already.’ She wasn’t joking. This was going to be hard.
* * *
The great thing about a very long journey was that it did transition you from one location to another and lessen the shock of the change.
By the time Cassie had driven a hire car down to Boston and endured all the airport checks, she was just desperate to get on the plane. And after an almost entirely sleepless flight with poor bathroom facilities, she was just desperate to arrive at the flat, so her arrival at Heathrow kind of passed her by. She’d expected it to be weird being surrounded by mainly British accents again, driving on the left-hand side of the road, seeing British architecture, but she didn’t really register any of it.
She did take in her surroundings when she finally got out of her taxi outside James’s building. The road was amazingly peaceful for somewhere in the middle of a big city. It was a quiet cul-de-sac, between Notting Hill and Kensington High Street, ending in a footpath leading to Holland Park. This was a fab location. For this, she could forgive James’s unfriendliness.
The contemporary mansion block in front of her was the one. Cassie picked up two of her suitcases and moved forwards. She buzzed on ‘Reception’, per James’s instructions, gave her name, the main entrance door clicked open and, as she pushed it, a man – dressed in what looked like an actual uniform bordering on livery – came towards her through the foyer.
‘Good morning. Can I help you with your bags?’
Yessss. The thought of schlepping up and down with them by herself at the end of what had been a very frazzling journey had not been appealing.
