‘Very kind,’ said Meg, blushing although she wasn’t quite sure why.
There was an awkward silence. ‘I’ve made porridge,’ said Meg, stating the obvious as they all watched the pot on the stove giving the occasional glug.
‘Look, darling—’
‘Mum, I wonder—’
Louise and Meg spoke at the same time, laughed awkwardly, and then Louise said, ‘I was going to say that I can do breakfast if you like. It’s only us, Ambrosine, and the couple in the Yellow Room.’
‘And I was going to ask if you could manage as I really want to …’ Meg paused, not knowing how to say ‘get out of your way’ politely. ‘Explore the countryside a bit, get to know my surroundings.’
‘I’ve always loved the view from the top of May Hill,’ said Andrew, helpfully. ‘Especially at this time of day. The early-morning mist makes everything magical.’
‘I’d love to see it!’ said Meg.
‘Take the Mini,’ said Louise.
‘If you’re sure?’ Meg looked at Andrew.
He nodded. ‘It’s insured for any driver.’
Meg left, taking a slice of bread and butter with her, wishing she’d given herself time for another cup of tea.
Meg took some time to get used to the car – she’d only driven it once before (carefully, as she hadn’t been sure if it had been insured) – and then set off up the nearest hill. She had only the faintest notion where May Hill was, but going up seemed like a good start.
She drove slowly, giving herself time to look at the view of the Dorset countryside. It was wonderful, like a landscape painting. But although she enjoyed seeing the curved green fields, the hedgerows, dotted with white-flowering trees that reminded her of patchwork quilts, she was really thinking about her mother and Andrew. They did seem very smitten with each other.
Why was Justin so hostile to her mother? Meg wondered. Had his father been the object of predatory women in the past? Or was it not a logical feeling at all? If her mother and Andrew got together formally (she wasn’t quite ready to imagine them married), would Justin always make her mother’s life difficult?
The hill became very steep and as she rounded a bend at a snail’s pace she was confronted with a machine she couldn’t instantly identify, rearing up from one side of the road. Then she saw it was a motorbike. It was so unexpected that her heart gave a jerk. She stopped immediately and she saw Justin half lying, half sitting next to his bike in a ditch.
She pulled the car into the side of the road, only just finding space for it, and got out, running towards Justin.
‘Are you all right?’ she said, looking down at him.
‘Mostly. I think.’ He smiled up at her sheepishly.
Meg realised he was embarrassed. She wouldn’t have thought he was capable of such an emotion. ‘What on earth happened?’
‘I wanted to clear my head and so got the bike out for a ride early, before I had to start on lunch. A car came round the corner too fast. I pulled over, out of his way. Went into the ditch.’
‘And the car didn’t stop?’
‘Nope. I’ve done something to my leg, and I can’t get the bike out of here on my own.’
‘I’d better make sure you haven’t broken anything and then I can go back and ask the local farm if they can send a tractor.’ She paused. ‘Where’s your helmet?’
‘I wasn’t wearing it,’ he said.
Meg pursed her lips but didn’t comment, her mind full of ‘what ifs’? that were frightening. Then, glad she was wearing slacks, she clambered down into the ditch. Too late she realised that it was deep and there was water running along the bottom. But the sides were too steep for her to pull herself out easily so she waded along to where Justin was sitting, her feet squelching in the mud.
‘Where does it hurt?’ she said to him.
‘My ankle made a noise when I hit the ground,’ he said.
‘Painful,’ said Meg. ‘Which one?’ He was a little above her so she was in a good position to investigate.
‘Right.’
