‘This way, follow me,’ he whispered.
To his elation, Alice did just that. She followed him from a respectable distance so as not to attract attention, right up the stairs, along the landing, into his bedroom. He locked the door behind them – not a soul on earth was going to ruin this moment he had waited so, so long for. He stared in wonder, completely mesmerised as she slowly undressed, watching how the lemon silk fell gracefully to the floor. Her body was amazing, fragile and petite. He urgently tore off his clothes, desperate to touch her white porcelain skin. She felt soft and smooth as she lay under his body on the bed.
Alice too was revelling in Fletcher’s toned, muscular body. She couldn’t help but compare it to Rufus’s flabby frame, even though he was much younger.
Fletcher wanted to relish the moment, savour every inch of her as he kissed and caressed, but it was impossible, he had to have her.
Alice was ready for him, longing to finally be taken by Fletcher.
Afterwards, Fletcher thought the earth had literally moved.
‘Alice,’ he croaked, hardly able to speak.
‘I know…’ she whispered and kissed his lips. Then, they heard voices, totally breaking the spell. They quickly dressed and went downstairs separately. The party was in full swing so they hadn’t been missed. Fletcher felt like he was floating on cloud nine.FinallyAlice had come to her senses.
As the night’s sky darkened and the stars came out, Fletcher struck up the last record, ‘Moonlight Serenade’. He took Alice’s hand and led her onto the lawn, where they danced in each other’s arms. Fletcher was past caring who saw; tonight Alice was his.
Chapter 30
Adira had studied the map and decided to head further up to the north-west, edging into Scotland to Dumfries. Research told her it was a lively market town with lots of beautiful coastal villages. She liked the idea of being by the sea and lazing on the sandy beaches it promised. There were also camping sites, which made it easier for her – as opposed to parking on private land, she smiled wryly to herself.
After a few hours’ travelling, Adira was well ready to see the ‘Welcome to Dumfries’ sign and followed directions to Dalbeattie, which is where she planned to stay. There was a small campsite right next to the Sandyhills Beach which would be ideal for her.
Pulling onto the site, she was greeted by an old man in a kiosk waving her towards him. She wound down her window.
‘Hello, would it be possible to stay three nights please?’
‘No problem, lassie, just a wee moment.’ He handed her a form. ‘You’ll need to fill this in and I’ll take payment up front.’
Adira quickly completed her details and took out her credit card. Within a few minutes, he gave her directions as to where to park the camper van.
She was pleased to be high on the west side of the field, overlooking the beach. Looking at the turquoise, glimmering water, she couldn’t wait to dive into its coolness. The drive had left her hot and sticky and she longed to feel refreshed.
After a quick bite to eat and a drink of tea, she changed into her swimming costume and headed for the beach. It was filled with young families playing in the sunshine. The beach sloped gently, making the water shallow, ideal for paddling and bathing. A low tide would reveal miles of sand and other secluded bays. Adira breathed in the warm, salty air and her spirits lifted slightly. It was hard not to appreciate such stunning scenery.
She walked straight towards the sea, enjoying the cold, wet sludge beneath her feet. It had been years since she had visited the seaside and once again she realised how dull her life had become, stuck in a mundane existence. Her mind cast back to the office in Goldgate Chambers, imagining it all ticking over like clockwork, everything going on as normal without her. That epitomised it, Adira suddenly thought, the likes of Goldgate Chambers didn’t need her; it was merely a machine that would function quite easily with another cog to replace her. Whereas in Lilacwell, she wasn’t just another cog. There, she was valued, people genuinely did care. That summed it all up.
As she reached the water’s edge, Adira tentatively stepped into its cold ripples, gradually easing the whole of her body against the chilly flaps of sea until she was able to swim. She could taste salt on her lips as she swam facing the sun, letting her face soak in the heat. It was invigorating. Adira stretched her arms and legs in the sea, loving the sense of freedom it gave her. She swam towards the rocks and pulled herself onto a flat slope. Taking great gulps of fresh air, her chest heaved with exhaustion even as she felt more alive than ever. A humid sea breeze drifted through her as she watched the sunlight glisten amongst the blue-green waves. Seagulls echoed in the distance, their silhouettes hovering on the horizon.
Adira turned towards the campsite. Squinting with her hand on her forehead, she could just make out her camper van. Thank God for Edie. If it hadn’t been for her, Sheila could well be rusting away in some garage and Adira would be rusting away in London. As it was, here she was on a beach in Dumfries. Yet, even as her happiness soared she couldn’t help feeling a pang for Lilacwell.
Later in the evening, Adira ventured into Kippford, a lovely seaside village on Solway Firth, often referred to as Scotland’s Riviera Coast. The waterfront was lined with pretty, whitewashed cottages and from there Adira walked along the shore road. Feeling famished, she made her way to a local cafe and ordered fish and chips to take back with her. She wanted to relax in a deckchair on the campsite rather than go out for a meal.
As she ate, a family camping in a nearby tent were setting up a barbeque. She watched, smiling at the excited children running back and forth as their mother ushered them away, while the father stood territorially over the heated charcoal. Adira remembered similar happy days when she’d holidayed as a child. Even then, her gran knew how to make them fun for her, always being the one to buy ice creams, fizzy pop and tacky souvenirs, under the disapproving glare of her mother. She recalled paddling in the rock pools with Edie and filling a bucket with her finds. When Adira had proudly showed it her mother, she had scrunched her face in revolt, not caring for the crabs, periwinkles and seaweed she’d collected. Edie had been the one who’d take her on the funfair rides, while her mother stood by with folded arms, waiting patiently, forever on the periphery, never joining in. Only once could Adira recall making her mother openly smile with pride – her graduation day. The day she stepped up to the platform and accepted her degree certificate in Law. How symbolic, when it was the very thing which had incarcerated her.
‘Would you like to join us?’ the mother of the family interrupted her thoughts. She’d seen Adira sitting alone and wanted to include her.
‘Oh thanks, but I’ve just eaten,’ Adira smiled.
‘Well, feel free to have a drink with us later, if you want.’
‘Thank you.’ She didn’t want to commit to joining them. Adira was tired from a long day’s driving, swimming and exploring.
Later, whilst getting ready for an early night, Adira contemplated contacting Jasper. Should she? Just a quick message, telling him where she was. She looked at the clock, it was almost nine p.m., making it midnight in Dubai. Even if he was asleep, it’d be there in the morning waiting for him. Why not? After giving it some thought, she typed in the message.
Hi, made it to Scotland, in a beautiful coastal village in Dumfries. Enjoying the sun, sea, sand and Sheila.
There, that was enough, just to let Jasper know her whereabouts and that she was thinking of him. She pressed send.
