‘I’m thirty-four, I’m a workaholic, I love Japan and manga. I also like mangos. As I mentioned the other day, I am a terrible singer but secretly believe I’d be the world’s best drummer if I knew how to bang things in time. I don’t believe in ghosts. I hate mustard, and I take my tea and coffee black. I’m a busy man. You’d have the place to yourself most of the time. Your dog is welcome to sleep in the garage and eat on the patio. What else do you need to know?’
‘Nothing. I’m not getting into bed with you, Nic Castle. What would Sophie say?’
‘Sophie? I’m not sure we need her approval. And we’d sleep in separate beds, obviously. In different bedrooms. This is a business arrangement. We can draw up a contract if it makes you more comfortable. I can get Theo to send a draft tonight.’
‘Hey, whoa cowboy! You’re getting ahead of yourself. Why would I help you buy any more land? You’ve hoovered up enough around here.’
‘Think about it,’ he advised her, before leaving through the door that had injured him earlier.
***
Aria spent the rest of the evening mooching around. She was not the answer to his problems and he sure as hell wasn’t the answer to hers. How could she move in with him when theydidn’t even like each other? How dare he presume she would drop everything and up sticks on his command? Later, she pulled out a sleeping bag and some blankets and lay under the stars, waiting for night to fall, wondering what her dad would say about Nic’s offer. In her heart, she knew he’d be outraged at her neighbour’s plan to cheat his way into a land grab, and he’d tell her to stick to her guns. But he didn’t have to deal with an empty bank account, a patched-up roof and a dog who needed treats. When a shooting star fell, she wondered if it was her father’s spirit, but decided he hadn’t stuck around in the ether to be her cheerleader. She had to get herself out of this mess. Sitting up, she grabbed a handful of pebbles and sent them flying towards the lake, startling a snoozing Tiger. Behind her, the cabin felt like a deserted hut on a desert island. It wasn’t a home. It was a shack with a damp problem. Was her only option moving in with a stranger whose principles she despised? Forget the star. How hadshefallen this far?
22
Next morning, Nic travelled to London and spent the day at the office. Later on, he made his way to his Earl’s Court flat, noticing for the first time how grimy the pavements were and how slow the traffic moved. A car backfired, belching smoke into an already choked atmosphere. Whipping off his jacket, he paused outside his own front door. The white paintwork of the ground-floor apartment was coated in black dust. Someone had thrown a half-eaten apple behind his fence and a fox had been at the bin next door. He breathed in and surprised himself by longing for the clean lakeside air. Listening out for urban birdsong, he heard only the rant of a man who’d been on the bottle. Even though Nic owned the place, he rang the doorbell out of respect. Then he worried about Theo being mobile enough to open it. But his brother seemed fine as he let Nic in and led off down the hall, walking slowly but steadily, using crutches to help.
‘Want a cuppa, or shall we crack open the wine? I got a bottle of the Pinot I know you covet. I discovered a new shop three streets down – an Aladdin’s cave of extortionately priced grape juice.’
Nic hadn’t been expecting such a cheerful welcome, and he definitely wasn’t expecting the cheese board, fresh bread and wine laid out on the breakfast bar. Everything was tidy in the kitchen and the dishes were done.
Theo asked him to carry the food. ‘I can get around the flat without crutches, but I’d hate this to be the one time I toppled.’ As he slowly made his way over, and eased himself into a chair, Nic looked away. ‘Not you too?’ Theo exclaimed. ‘Come on, you’ve seen the leg plenty of times in rehab. Don’t be polite. Take a good look and then we can ignore it. And I am fine, before you ask. Climbing into a cab is a marathon each morning, but I’m managing. Stairs are still almost impossible, even with a technique they taught me. Things I used to do on automatic pilot, like showering and getting into bed, take a while, but I’m getting there. That disabled room in Mum’s hotel really helped in those early weeks.’
‘You’ve bought cushions,’ Nic said.
‘I had to. Your sofa was hard as hell and your spare bed was a cross between an army bunk and an IKEA sale piece. I know you’re pretty minimalist, but still. I needed a few home comforts.’
‘Oh, right, well done…’ Nic tried not to show how surprised he was.
‘What did you expect? A cripple crying in a corner? In other news, I’ve been house hunting and found the perfect flat to rent until mine sells.’
‘But you can’t–’
‘Oh, I can. I chased you out of your home, but you can have it back in a couple of weeks. I will be moving out and moving on.’
‘Oh!’ Nic let out a breath. The truth was, he’d been delighted to open his home to his brother, and couldn’t work out why they hadn’t bought a property together in the first place. ‘I like having you here,’ he said, feeling depressed at the idea of returning to these four walls alone. Or at all. Despite the cool welcome in the Lakes, he’d been seduced by the life, his initial sense of injustice overtaken by a feeling of contentment. In the last few days, he’d been enjoying the company of a deer nibbling at his borders and a moor hen inadvisably constructing a nest on the slats of the rickety jetty. He’d kind of made a friend with the barman and was looking forward to going in for another pint. And then – Aria. What a complex thing he had going with her.
‘Let’s see if you still like having me here tomorrow after you experience my snoring,’ Theo chuckled, refilling Nic’s glass.
***
Nic rose early. The snoring had failed to materialise, but he had been disturbed by Theo crying out in the night. The limb was gone, but the dreams weren’t? Or else he’d been experiencing more ghost pain.
Without saying anything to Theo, Nic quietly left the flat. His brother had enough to worry about and it was up to him to get them out of the hole they were in. Rocking up ten minutes before the arranged time, he grabbed a takeaway coffee and headed down to the dock. The tide was receding, and the mud was deep. Nic sipped the drink, feeling the heat on his tongue.He had no idea why his father chose to meet here when his offices were so close. But he’d long ago given up trying to work him out and, for the most part, he chose to steer clear. That wasn’t a difficult task – Dad had left them years ago for a new family. Giorgos Castellanos was punctual as ever, walking like a man who had all the time in the world. Dressed in a light-blue blazer, he looked cool and comfortable with life. Too content maybe, thought Nic, checking out the beer belly.
‘Nicolas.’ Giorgos was one of the few who used his full name. His father held out his hand as though greeting a business contact. When Nic shook it, he found it slightly damp, which brought him a little comfort. Clearly, he hadn’t been the only one sweating it about their meet-up. As they walked along the river, the two men made a little small talk about politics, a subject his father loved to preach about. He didn’t ask about Theo,no surprise there, but he was in a nostalgic mood.
‘I thought I’d bring you back here for old times’ sake,’ he said. ‘Thought we could visit one of our special places then grab brunch.’
‘If I chose to visit aspecial place, a muddy bank of the Thames wouldn’t feature,’ Nic replied. ‘Although I’d be hard pushed to think of anywhere else either.’ He bet Aria could list off a hundred special places she went with her dad.
His father’s mouth formed a thin line. ‘We came for walks here when you visited my office as children, Nicolas. How is your mother?’
Nic scratched his arms in response to non-existent midges. ‘A while back, you mentioned you might be interested in investing in our company.’
‘Theo told you that?’
‘He said you got drunk one night over the summer and bleated on about missing us, offering to throw money at Castle Enterprises if we provided a return on your investment.’
