As we reached the woods, Seb slowed, picking his way between thick tree trunks and their gnarled roots that stuck up out of the muddy earth. The slower speed gave me more of a chanceto admire the surrounding scenery. Even with their skeletal branches, the native trees maintained a barren beauty. New life was emerging from the forest floor, a carpet of snowdrops signalling spring was just around the corner.
The quad caught on a hidden root, jerking me back in my seat and sending pain searing through my shoulder. Seb pulled the quad to a stop, the engine turning over lazily as he looked back at me.
‘Are you OK? That was quite a jolt.’
‘I’m fine, it’s just my shoulder that hurts.’
‘You’d best hold on to me rather than the rail,’ said Seb. ‘You don’t want to be twisting that shoulder any more than you have to.’
I wanted to protest, but the pain in my joint outweighed any sense of pride. As I wrapped my arms around Seb’s waist, I was grateful for the helmet that hid my blush. What I needed was for him to be an arsehole, or have some disgusting habit that would put me off and stop my teenage-like thoughts. Perhaps he was a secret nose-picker? Or washed only once a week? Maybe he chewed his own toenails whilst watching TV, or didn’t wash his hands after going to the toilet?
We continued deeper into the woods, and even through all the layers, I felt the tension in Seb’s shoulders as he navigated past the obstacles thrown up by the forest floor. The trees thinned out and Seb’s shoulders relaxed. The scrubby, snowdrop-filled ground changed to a green sea of moss, then to grass, and finally, there it was, the lake.
Seb turned off the quad’s engine and climbed off. He pulled off his own helmet, then helped me with mine.
‘Oh my God.’ The view took my breath away. Of all the images I’d had in my head, none came close to the view in front of me. When I’d pictured a lake, I’d thought of a vast stretch of water, surrounded by a band of gravelly sand. Instead, the water infront of me was guarded on three sides by tree-covered granite cliffs. Plants had taken up root between the trees, speckling the grey rock and brown bare-branched trees with flashes of green.
Seb began walking to the nearest shore. Here, a small wooden jetty stuck out into the water. A cheerfully painted red and green rowing boat bobbed beside it, and three upturned canoes lay on a gravel beach.
I walked out onto the jetty, pulled onwards by an invisible force. Something about the water made me catch my breath. As thin clouds tripped across the sun, the colour of the water changed. One minute it was a rich emerald, the next olive before transforming into a silky teal.
For the first time in weeks, possibly months, maybe even years, a deep sense of peace flooded through me. The change was both physical and emotional. As my muscles loosened, my mind cleared, the stresses and strains of my situation floated away and for a moment, all I felt was happiness.
‘Pretty special, isn’t it?’
Seb’s voice broke the spell and as quickly as they’d come, all my fears for the future came rushing back. Tears filled my eyes, and I coughed to clear the lump in my throat. Ever since Rob left, I’d been fighting the sense of hopelessness which threatened to engulf me. Somehow, this exquisite example of nature at its finest had cut through my resolve and all my pretence. I choked back a sob.
‘Hey, are you all right?’
Keeping my face turned to the water, I listened as Seb’s footsteps grew closer. Unable to speak, I waved a hand in the air to show I was fine. Another sob escaped as a hiccup.
‘Do you want to talk? Or would you rather have some time alone here?’
I brushed my tears away with my sleeve, plastered a smile on my face, and turned to face Seb. ‘I’m fine, honest. It’s just the cold making my eyes sting. Tell me about this place.’
Seb took my lie as it was meant.I don’t want to talk or be alone. He kept his eyes fixed on the far side of the lake, allowing me enough privacy to wipe my eyes with a tissue and silently blow my nose. ‘We call it the lake, but really it’s a deserted quarry. When it fell into disrepair, Harry’s grandparents had the foresight to buy the land. It’s our secret weapon, our key to success. See through there?’ Seb turned his back on the lake and pointed diagonally from where we stood. ‘That’s Pat’s cabin. Mine’s a little behind his.’
‘What an incredible place to live.’
‘I know, we’re very lucky.’
‘Have you lived here long?’
‘A while.’
Right, so that was how he was going to play it. Thank God I hadn’t spilled my problems out to him when he seemed determined to share as little as possible with me. So far, Seb had shown no sign that he had any memory of me, and I was happy for it to stay that way. He seemed most comfortable talking about Lowen Farm, so I stuck to safe ground.
‘So, what are these mysterious plans you have for the place, then?’
Seb laughed. ‘There’s nothing mysterious about them, not really. You’ve seen the state of the house? How much work it needs?’
I nodded as I pictured our mouldy bedroom ceiling.
‘The lake could be our way of funding the repairs needed and continuing the legacy of Harry’s grandparents. Our plan is to use the lake for water sports, school groups, youth groups, executive team building trips. You name it, we’ve thought about it.’
‘Where would everyone stay?’
‘Ah, this is where we get into dreams rather than reality. The last thing Harry wants to do is cause any destruction to the natural landscape. She’d like to build low-impact tree houses for guests to stay in.’
