‘The best thing you can do is have a proper conversation with him,’ Suzy said. ‘Don’t make any assumptions. If you’re honest with each other, then you’ll know exactly where you stand.’ Suzy laughed. ‘Listen to me, giving advice as though I know the first thing about love. I’ve not been in a relationship for years, so take my advice with a pinch of salt.’
‘No, it makes perfect sense,’ said Tess, although it didn’t stop her feeling hopelessly out of her depth, navigating the murky waters of a new relationship, experiencing the highs and lows as if she were a naïve teenager. Did she need those complications in her life now?
‘You see, this is why I gave up on men after my last relationship,’ said Dilly wearily. ‘I can’t be doing with all the drama. I like a simple life these days. I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs; I can do as I please, have what I like for dinner and wield full control over the remote control.’ Her distinctive laughter rang out. ‘Honestly, it’s a dream!’
‘I get that,’ said Gina. ‘When Ryan and I split up, my overriding emotion was one of relief. I just needed some space away from him. He was very needy and of course he wanted to get married which made him even more clingy. I’m enjoying being single again, but I suppose I do miss having a man in my life. Someone to snuggle up to on the sofa of an evening or to bring me a cup of tea in bed in the morning.’
‘Oh, don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes look at a handsome man, someone like Rob,’ said Dilly with a devilish grin, flashing a glance at Tess, ‘and admire their sheer physicality and masculinity. I was always rather taken by Rob’s tanned forearms and his muscle definition.’
‘Dilly!’ chided Gina, but Tess took it in good part. She nodded her wholehearted agreement, having been swayed herself by Rob’s strong physique on several occasions.
‘I mean, I haven’t completely closed up shop. I still have desires,’ Dilly said, flapping her hand against her chest like a Victorian spinster. ‘Those feelings don’t change just because you grow older, but I’m not interested in one-night stands. It would have to be someone pretty special for me to let them into my life right now, and do you know, I’m really not that fussed. Besides, I’m far too busy to make time for a man.’
‘It’s true the longer you’re on your own then the harder it is to imagine meeting someone new again. Look at me, I’ve been on my own now for about twenty years and I can’t even imagine being with someone who isn’t Martin. I mean, I’m sure I’ve forgotten how to even talk to a man, let alone take my clothes off in front of one.’ Suzy’s exaggerated shudder made her friends holler with laughter.
‘Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,’ Gina reassured her. ‘It’s true what they say. It’s like riding a bike. You don’t forget how to do it. You just need to be brave enough to get back on the bike and start pedalling. Before long, you’ll be flying down the hill, legs akimbo, having the time of your life!’
‘Oh good grief, I’m not sure I’m ready for that,’ said Suzy, laughing, as she stood up and started to clear away the plates. ‘I knew there was a reason why I hadn’t put myself out there.’
With the laughter still ringing out, Suzy returned a few minutes later with a plate of lemon squares and a bowl of raspberries, which her guests greeted with exclamations of oohs and ahhs.
‘Talking of men,’ said Dilly, ‘we have a rather interesting new resident living in the village.’
Tess gave Dilly a sideways glance, her mouth twisting in amusement, suspecting that Dilly had been itching to move the conversation on to this particular subject.
‘His name’s Michael and he’s moved into The Old Post Office. I popped round there the other day with a batch of buns as a welcome gift. He seems very lovely, but I think he was a bit busy. He mentioned he was about to jump on a call so he couldn’t stop and chat, but I’m sure we’ll find out more about him in due course. I need the perfect excuse to bump into him so that I can tell him everything he needs to know about Lower Leaping.’
‘Poor man,’ said Gina. ‘He’s probably more than happy in his ignorant bliss. He really doesn’t know what’s coming to him, does he?’
‘Well, perhaps I’ll invite him to the Christmas party at Hollyhocks so you’ll be able to get to know him better then.’ Tess offered with a smile.
‘I was wondering what you might decide to do about that,’ said Suzy. ‘It’s always such a highlight on the village social calendar, Charles and Tess’s Christmas party. I’m so glad that you’re still going ahead with it.’
‘Yes, I did think about scrapping it, but then I thought, why should I? Charles has wielded far too much control over my life this year. Why should he spoil what has always been such a fun occasion? Obviously, there will be no Charles this year. So there’s a bonus. And I will probably do it at the beginning of the month to kick off the festive season rather than on Christmas Eve. I’ll definitely be striking a few people off the invitation list too, like Charles’s colleagues from work and his friends from the tennis club. It will be a very select group of my friends and all the better for it.’
‘Does that mean I’ll receive an invitation this year?’ asked Dilly guilelessly.
‘Of course you will! You’re at the top of my list. It wouldn’t be the same without you!’ Tess reached a hand across the table and grabbed Dilly’s wrist, tapping it affectionately.
Would Tess ever get over the guilt of having basically ignored her neighbour for years, glibly going about her business without a second thought to Dilly? Now, Tess didn’t recognise herself as the woman who would act so unkindly to someone who hadn’t deserved that treatment.
‘Good!’ Dilly clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘I’ll look forward to that and if you need any help, then you only have to ask. I can always whip up some mince pies or some Christmassy rocky roads.’
Tess would look forward to it as well, she mused, as she gave a passing thought to how her life might look in three months’ time. After all, it had changed considerably over the previous few months. Would Rob still be playing an important role in her life or would recent events have taken him in another direction entirely? She knew what she hoped might happen, but then she was becoming accustomed to the world throwing her a few curve balls, just to keep her on her toes. One thing was for sure: she would be glad to see the back of this year. She’d had more than her fair share of lows, punctuated with a few highs too, but next year would represent a completely fresh start. Looking around the table at her friends chatting and laughing, she knew that, whatever else the universe might have in store for her, she could count on the backing of her close friends, and when everything else in her life was so uncertain, that reassurance and familiarity offered a warm hug of hope.
7
‘Mum, do you want to come and take a look at this? See what you think?’
Tess had been flicking through some craft magazines, looking at the latest ideas for Halloween and bonfire-night decorations. She always liked to make something to mark the changing of the seasons: an autumnal wreath with natural foliage that she had gathered on her walks with Barney, golden leaves, pinecones, berries and conkers, or a centrepiece for the table. Already she was brimming with ideas that she would get started on in the next couple of weeks, if she could find the time. She eased herself out of the chair and went to join Hannah, who had been working on her laptop at the kitchen table.
‘It’s not finished yet. This is a first attempt, but what do you think to the overall design? We can change the template, which includes the background and the headings, if you want to.’
Tess peered over Hannah’s shoulder to see the first incarnation of the website for The Garden Retreat.
‘Wow, that looks amazing!’
‘You’ve got the main landing page, then a gallery of photos and then some information about the area and places to visit, plus a contact page.’ Hannah clicked through the various pages. ‘We can always add additional pages at a later date if you need them, but this should at least be a starting point.’
