he says, elbowing me playfully in the ribs.
‘That was in 1850,’ I say, pleased with myself for remembering the date on the tombstone. ‘Anyway, if you show me the way instead of standing around pretending to argue with me, we’ll soon warm up climbing that hill you mentioned.’
Alex chuckles. ‘Come on, then.’
He takes my hand and leads me along a country lane. He proves himself to be a great guide and he knows a lot about the area, its geography and its history. He points out Helm Crag, whose distinctive peak, according to Alex, has earned it the nickname the Lion and the Lamb. I stare at it, shielding my eyes, but I can’t see anything remotely resembling a large feline or a woolly ruminant.
‘That sounds more like the name of a pub than of a fell,’ I comment, but if Alex hears me, he doesn’t respond.
It’s a lovely walk and the sun stays with us the whole time. I’m so glad that the weather has brightened up and we weren’t stuck in the house all day today like we were yesterday, although after my journey up here, it was great to have a lazy day, too, especially as it was spent mostly in bed with Alex. I look at Alex and he smiles at me. A warm feeling of happiness engulfs me as I beam back.
‘This route is part of the Coffin Trail,’ Alex announces, a little further up the hill. That wipes the smile off my face for a moment.
‘The Coffin Trail?’
‘Yes. People used to carry the coffins down this hill to St Oswald’s church to bury their dead.’
We continue to walk up the hill and after a while, we arrive at the tiny village of Rydal. A dog barks as we walk around the grounds of Wordsworth’s home, and again as we walk away, down the hill. On our left is a large sloping field.
‘This is Dora’s field,’ Alex resumes. ‘Dora was Wordsworth’s favourite daughter and he was heartbroken when she died.’
‘What did she die of?’ I ask, intrigued.
He shrugs. ‘No idea,’ he says. ‘He lost all his children. Dora was the only one left but then she died, too. He planted hundreds of daffodils in this field as a memorial to her. It’s quite impressive in the spring when the flowers are in bloom.’
A line from the verse I read on the church paving stone echoes in my head.
A host of golden daffodils.
‘That’s so sad,’ I say.
‘Yes, it is,’ Alex agrees. ‘I can’t imagine what it must be like for a father to lose his children.’
It crosses my mind that in a way Alex has lost his daughters. For the moment, at least. His ex-wife won’t let him see them. I wonder if that’s what is going through his head. Then my thoughts turn to my own father. And my mother. It seems to me that it’s somehow far worse for a mother to lose a child, but I keep this to myself.
Alex and I sit down on a wooden bench and admire the view over Rydal Water.
‘I’ve got something for you,’ Alex says, letting go of my hand and thrusting his hand into the pocket of his jeans. He brings out a small blue jewellery box.
I open it and gasp at the necklace inside. ‘Thank you. It’s beautiful,’ I say. And it is. It’s a red heart crystal pendant on a silver chain and I’m instantly reminded of his tattoo.
Alex puts it around my neck and I hold my hair up and bow my head so that he can do up the clasp.
‘Maybe you can wear it on the day,’ he suggests.
I tilt my head upwards to kiss his lips, suddenly aware that the sun has gone behind a cloud and the air has become cooler since we’ve been sitting on the bench. Alex must feel me shiver as he suggests we get on with our walk.
I take his hand as we get up from the bench, but he pulls it away to scratch his nose. I turn my head to follow his gaze and see a woman coming down the path towards us, chatting away to her little white dog. I’m not sure what breed it is. I sense Alex hesitate next to me before striding more purposefully up the path. I have to quicken my pace to keep up.
The woman widens her dark oval eyes, which seem to bore into me as she approaches. I think she’s about to say something as she opens her large mouth, revealing a rather prominent set of very white teeth. She has short dark brown hair with red highlights, and severely plucked eyebrows, which only serve to heighten the look of shock on her face. She brushes my arm as we pass.
‘Do you know her?’ I whisper.
‘Never seen her before in my life.’ He has answered me so loudly that I nudge him, certain that the woman has heard him.
But I can tell something is not quite right. I look at him askance.
He glances over his shoulder. ‘I’m just a bit wary of dogs,’ he admits in a much quieter voice than before.
This amuses me. That white dog is so small, after all, and Alex is tall and strong, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid of much.
Something else I didn’t know about him. Perhaps I don’t know him quite as well as I thought. This idea makes me a little uneasy, but that feeling is quickly dispelled as I imagine the fun we’ll have getting to know each other better.
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sat, 10 Sept 2016 at 22:56
Subject: SEE YOU!
Dearest Katie,
I’m sorry if my replies to your emails have been so brief lately. I’ve been really busy at work. I promise to make it up to you. Maybe I can do that very soon …
I’ve got a proposition for you: would you do me the honour of dining with me one evening? I have a supplier in Exeter and he has just brought out a whole new collection of sports clothing, which I’d like to go and see for myself. I’m planning to go down by train next month. If you’d like to meet up, I can time it so it’s on a day when you’re working at the university. I’d love to meet up with you again after all these years!
Now I know we’ve been getting kinky in our emails recently (I love it when you talk dirty – you’re so hot!) and I know you wanted to try and slow things down a bit, but I assure you that I can be the perfect gentleman and I’ll be on my best behaviour. I’m just asking you to let me take you … out for a meal.
If you don’t think this is a good idea, please say so. If I walked through the door of a restaurant with you on my arm (or at my side) I would probably burst with pride anyway, so you’ll be saving me from that fate if you turn me down.
What do you think?
See you soon, maybe?
Alexxx
