She sounds tired.
‘I didn’t think you’d see me again either,’ I reply, adopting a similar tone.
‘May I ask what’s brought you here?’
‘I’m trying to find Ash.’
‘Oh.’ She sighs. ‘I hoped you might be bringing me news of Ashton yourself. The last I heard, he’d gone back to Europe,’ she adds.
This blow almost fells me. I’ve psyched myself up and I’m running on adrenaline, but if I’ve come all this way and he’s not even in the UK …
‘You’re not in touch with him?’
‘Rarely, and only on his terms. He’s still angry at me.’
‘Why?’
She meets my eyes. ‘I would have thought that’s obvious.’
‘Because your husband announced a fake engagement?’
She shifts, looking flustered and defensive. ‘I had nothing to do with that. But Ashton still blames me for not standing up to his father over his threats to sell the land. He got his revenge on me in the end, though.’ She looks around the room with a distinct air of self-pity.
‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ I find it in my heart to say.
‘I’m not,’ she replies sharply. ‘But I am sorry in other ways.’ She meets my eyes and I see a twinge of regret buried there. ‘He was so sure you were the great love of his life. He was very upset when you left.’
‘I need to find him.’
‘If he’s not abroad, he’ll be at his place in the woods.’
‘The ranger’s cabin?’
‘No, no.’ She shakes her head dismissively. ‘On the outskirts of Knighton. He went there for the dark skies. I believe there’s an observatory somewhere nearby. If he’s in Wales, he’ll no doubt turn up there at some point. He can never stay away from the stars for long.’
It’s past ten by the time I leave Berkeley Hall, and I’m starting to spiral. Knighton is forty miles south of here, about an hour and ten minutes away, according to my iPhone’s satnav, but the address I input is for the Spaceguard Centre – I discovered it when I did a Google search of the area around Knighton.
The most significant natural danger to life on Earth comes from asteroids and comets, the information on the website reads.The Spaceguard Centre is a working observatory and the main source of information about near Earth objects in the UK.
There’s a tour in the morning, but I’m going to head there tonight on the off chance that Ash might still be in Wales, watching the stars.
My car is running low on electricity by the time I roll into Knighton and I really need to find somewhere to plug in and charge up, but I can’t bear to face another delay. I drive upinto the hills, following signs for the Spaceguard Centre and keeping a close lookout for a large rounded shape in the darkness. Eventually I come to a wooden gate and pull to a stop, and there, at the end of a dirt track, is the green dome of an observatory. Out of the dark, two headlights appear, and now they’re coming towards me. I hurriedly reverse out of the way and exit the car in time to see a grey-haired man in glasses and a black fleece climb out of his vehicle.
‘Excuse me!’ I call as he opens the gate. ‘I’m looking for Ash.’
He might not even know who Ash is, but I want to sound like a friend, and hopefully I’ll get a friendly answer.
‘I haven’t seen him in a couple of days,’ the man replies.
My heart leaps and soars. Does that mean he’s in the country?
‘Do you know when he’ll next be here? Or where I can find him tonight?’ I ask.
‘He comes in sporadically and he lives somewhere over there.’ He points down the hill.
‘I don’t suppose you know where exactly?’
‘Only that it’s in the woods. Can’t be far. When he comes, he comes on foot.’
