“Are you sure? I can’t see any of the landmarks.”
Laura could feel a smirk breaking on her face. How quickly the tables had turned and now he was the one in need of help. “Don’t worry I walk this way every day.”
“Day yes, but it’s night.”
He was right, up to a point. She was mostly relying on her autopilot to navigate because with the days still short, dark had come on them rather quickly and this part of the island was mostly fields with no lit farmhouses to guide them. But she wouldn’t show him any hesitation.
“Come on, it’s a more or less straight route until we get to the stream, then it’s over the bridge and turn left.” Or was it right? No definitely left. She squared her shoulders and marched along the track.
A few steps later, his voice came to her out of the darkness, “I usually just walk aimlessly so I never bother to remember exact routes. I’m not going to be much help navigating.”
“Considering how badly your help backfired before, I think we can manage without.”
She had meant it as a joke, really, she had. But a sudden change in his breathing told her the words had hit a nerve.
“Sorry, I was joking. I know you meant well.”
If anything, her apology made things worse. Adam seemed even more…what? Upset? Offended? Withdrawn?
They walked in complete silence, except for the grit of their boots on the track, the rustle of bushes in the light wind and the sound of waves below the cliff. The night wasn’t only dark but cold and Laura hugged herself tight to gather the baggy jumper to her midriff and stop cold air swirling under her clothes. Last time they had walked together across the countryside, it had been sunny, and he’d been silent and withdrawn too. Did she never learn?
She used the absence of conversation to lecture herself. She was here to do a job and hopefully springboard herself into a successful career. Watching the weaving factory this last week, she had found herself envying the manager her position and the authority to make decisions for the business as a whole.
One day, she too, would have a design studio, perhaps not in Brighton but maybe London. Junior designers would vie for her approval instead of jealous colleague trying to keep her down. This cold, dark walk with a sulky silent man by her side was a good reminder of where her focus should have been. If she hadn’t climbed on the roof with him, she’d be home now and tucking into a hot dinner.
A little later it started to drizzle. Not a lot, but enough to make the air damp and a little colder.
“How long have we been walking?” Adam suddenly asked. “Shouldn’t we have reached the bridge by now?”
She stopped. How long had they been walking? She’d been lost in thought.
They stood in the middle of the lane, if it was a lane and not just a track running into the fields.
“I think we may have gone off-course somewhere,” he said.
“This is all your friend’s fault.”
“Friend?”
“Lord Rottw—” She amended quickly, “Lord M, isn’t it his island? What’s the point of not having proper illumination?” she huffed.
“Something to do with not interfering with starlight,” he said.
They both looked up. The sky was cloudy hiding moon and stars completely.
“I’m so glad. When they find us in the morning having fallen off the cliff into the sea, they can take comfort in Sagittarius and Pisces.”
“Okay, let’s look around. Can you see anything?”
She strained and squinted and searched the darkness on all sides. “We could be in the middle of the Sahara for all I can see. Except it wouldn’t be so cold.”
“Good. So, we’re not in the Sahara desert, that’s a good start. What else can you tell?”
She considered his question. “That you can tell I’m scared and you’re trying to cheer me up.”
Then she remembered her phone in her pocket. Thank God for GPS.
A couple of minutes later, it became clear than not even Google Maps was a match for La Canette’s rustic wifi signal. “I think it’s probably more useful as a flashlight.” She touched her finger to the icon and bright light shone on their immediate surroundings just as Adam snapped. “Don’t!”
