‘This is Renee,’ said Dixie. ‘She’s a very good friend of mine. We’d best do as she says.’
Dixie and Ned walked in silence for a bit. But Dixie had had enough of silence. She’d spent every evening with it for too many nights and it really wasn’t something she was going to miss. Ned on the other hand… she was very confused about how she felt about him. She’d thought they had been nurturing something but if he’d been trying get rid of her all along then he obviously didn’t feel the same but then again he’d left the lovely note that she was clutching. It was all rather befuddling.
‘Look. I’m sorry I shouted at you but it was a shock to find out the mean letters were from you. It wasn’t nice to discover that someone I thought was a friend was scheming to get me moved on.’ She felt instantly better for saying it.
Ned took a deep breath and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. ‘I was scared,’ he said.
‘Of what?’
‘I saw the campervan and I made assumptions about who had left it there. And then I realized someone was living in it so I told Gran and that had her awake at night, worrying that more people would move on to the land and we’d be overrun and they’d never leave.’
‘She has quite the active imagination.’
‘Yeah. It’s not helpful sometimes. Gran made me write the notes because we wanted to stop all of that happening. It was a pre-emptive strike if you like. Andthen I met you and you were the last person I expected to be living like that. Sorry, no offence.’
‘None taken. It is a little unusual and there is the teeniest possibility that I overreacted,’ said Dixie.
‘Great– something we can agree on,’ said Ned. But he was smiling.
‘Then who was the lady with the Labrador?’
‘A neighbour. Sorry I ran off that day but I knew she’d tell Gran if she saw me here talking to you.’
‘So it’s your Gran who owns the land then?’
‘She handed things over to me early as she’d had a few bad health episodes and now we’re in this odd place where we both think we’re in charge but neither of us wants to upset the other one.’
‘I get that,’ said Dixie. ‘You want to be your own boss but also keep things genial.’
‘Exactly.’ They walked on for a few steps before he spoke again. ‘Are we friends again?’ He gave Dixie a sideways glance.
‘I think so.’
‘Then you’ll stay?’
‘I don’t think I can. I’m a bit natured out. It’s an awful thing to admit but I miss a proper bed. Elsie’s mattress is like sleeping on a bag of spanners. I actually checked the first night in case there were a variety of tools underneath, it was so uncomfortable. And I miss proper coffee and, most of all, I miss my friends.’
‘I understand,’ said Ned. ‘Because when you leave I’ll miss my friend too.’
They strolled back in silence. Somehow silence wasn’t so bad when she shared it with him. As they neared the campervan, Arnold scurried across a branch above their heads and screeched her annoyance at them.
‘Grub’s up!’ called Renee.
Delicious smells met them as they entered the van where Renee was dishing up mushroom risotto. She grated a little of the washed truffle on top. ‘This is quite something.’ She waved the brown nugget at Ned.
‘Lucky find, I think,’ he said.
‘Nope,’ said Renee. ‘By the looks of things you’ve got a whole truffle orchard down by the ridge there.’ Ned looked stunned. Renee nodded at the food. ‘Now you’re both OK with shrooms, right?’
‘I love mushrooms,’ said Dixie.
‘Great. It’s a bit haphazard as it’s not the right rice but it’ll blow your mind, I guarantee it. Dig in!’
‘They don’t sell arborio at the garage,’ lamented Dixie.
They all sat down and began to eat. Renee was right, it was delicious. They chatted amiably while they ate.
‘There’s something about this,’ said Ned. ‘I’ve eaten a lot of foraged food but there’s something I can’t quite work out.’
