‘Not at all,’ Nina said, casting her eyes down to the ground and hoping that Justin wouldn’t notice her fast-rising colouring.
‘Listen,’ he said, looking at his watch again. ‘I’d really better be making a move.’
‘Already?’ she said and then she bit her lip as she realised how very ardent she sounded. ‘I mean, it’s early.’
It was then that they heard a car horn in the lane.
‘Oh, it’s Dudley!’ Nina said. ‘He’s back much earlier than I expected.’
Suddenly, Justin was on his feet and Bess was up and alert. ‘Blimey,’ he said. ‘I’ve really got to fly.’
‘Oh, don’t worry!’ Nina said with a reassuring smile. ‘Stop and say hello. I’m sure he’d love to see you.’
But Justin had virtually sprinted to the little gate in the wall of the garden that led out into the lane.
‘No, no,’ he called back. ‘I’d hate to intrude.’
‘You’re not intru—’
‘I’ll give you a call,’ he cried and Nina watched, perplexed, as he hurried over the bridge with Bess.
‘Extraordinary!’ she said to herself, cursing herself for feeling disappointed when he didn’t turn back to wave at her. She couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever see him again.
Chapter Twenty
It turned out that Dudley had been working on Sunday – getting up very early in the morning before he went out to his club – because he’d left a whole pile of notes, ready to be typed up on Monday. So without further ado, Nina made a start.
She was always surprised at how quickly time flew when she was typing. Even the laborious task of reading Dudley’s scrawl didn’t stop the clock racing, and it was with some surprise that the doorbell disturbed her trance at eleven o’clock. She hit the print icon and the ink-jet kickstarted into life.
She was glad of the distraction of work because her mind was still reeling over the events of Sunday afternoon when Justin had made his comedy sketch departure from the mill. Sitting at her desk now, she found it hard to believe that she’d felt she’d had a connection with this man. One minute, they’d been happily drinking tea and chatting like old friends and then, the next minute, he’d been hightailing it out of the garden with a very sorry explanation.
Nina shook her head feeling a mixture of bemusement and rejection. Was she never destined to meet a nice normal man? She was going to have to try and put him out of her mind, she decided. It was the only way.
The sound of the doorbell brought her back to the present and she paused a moment, waiting to see if anybody was going to answer it. She got up from her chair and peered out at the driveway. There was a cherry bright Metro in the driveway that she didn’t recognise.
The bell went again and Nina left the study to answer it.
To say that the sight that greeted her was shocking was an understatement, for there on the doorstep of the mill was a Joan Collins lookalike, sporting dark sunglasses, a pale headscarf, a white knee-length coat, and smoking a very long cigarette.
‘Hello,’ Nina said hesitantly, her eyes taking in the extraordinary person who must surely have taken the wrong flight out of LA. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Ah!’ she said, stubbing out the very long cigarette on the doorstep and pushing past Nina. ‘Dominic,’ she said, without giving any further information.
‘Yes?’ Nina said, pretending that she didn’t understand her abruptness.
The woman surveyed her through the smoky lenses of her glasses. ‘I’m here to see Dominic,’ she said, enunciating each word as though Nina were stupid.
‘Oh, I see,’ Nina said, keeping a smile in check. ‘Is he expecting you?’
This time, the woman removed her glasses. ‘Well, of course he’s expecting me! What else would I be doing here?’
‘I’ll show you upstairs then.’ Nina led the way upstairs, the words stuck-up cow teetering dangerously on the tip of her tongue.
She knocked on Dominic’s door, not quite sure of the reception she’d receive after their last meeting.
‘Come in,’ his voice called from inside and Nina opened the door to see him standing in the middle of the room, a red shirt unbuttoned at the throat and a pair of black jeans on.
The Joan Collins lookalike pushed past Nina in her haste to get into the room. ‘Ah, Dominic! I told this young lady that you were expecting me but she didn’t seem to understand me.’ She looked back at Nina and her perfectly made-up face scowled severely at her.
‘Well, of course I’m expecting you, Mrs Makepeace,’ Dominic said, all politeness and smiles.
Nina registered the name, her eyes widening. So this was Felicity Makepeace. Faye had been right about the killer-mutton dressed as lamb. She’d never seen anyone like her. She didn’t think that ladies really dressed like that after a certain age. It just didn’t seem right. But, if Felicity Makepeace’s flirty-girl shoes and film-star sunglasses had surprised Nina, that was nothing compared to what she was about to reveal.
As Dominic set the easel up, Mrs Makepeace unbuttoned the pale coat to reveal the sort of dress Nina would have thought twice about wearing at night, let alone during the day. It was a low-cut thigh-skimming number in blue silk, which embraced her body like a second skin. Nina was conscious that her mouth had dropped open and quickly snapped it shut before anybody could notice.
She watched, mesmerised, as Mrs Makepeace sat down on a velvet chair that Dominic had brought from downstairs. As she made herself comfortable, the dress crept its way up another couple of inches. Nina looked across at Dominic, who was setting up his paints and brushes, not really paying attention to the display of flesh in front of him.
‘Do you need any help, Dominic?’ Nina asked, not really wishing to spend any more time in the room, but feeling bad about having let Dominic down before.
‘No, I can cope, thanks. But how about seeing you at lunch?’
‘Oh,’ Nina said, surprised. ‘Okay.’
‘One o’clock?’
Nina nodded and gave him a half-smile, hoping that he’d forgiven and forgotten her escapade with Alex.
‘See you later, then,’ he said quietly, returning her smile and making her feel a lot happier.
At a quarter to one, Nina heard the front door open and close. She walked over to the window in time to see Felicity Makepeace climbing into her car, without a thought about the amount of leg on display for all to see.
Nina ambled through to the kitchen and was greeted by Olivia.
‘Are you getting on all right?’ she asked cheerily, a plate of sandwiches in her hands, which she was about to take through to the front room. ‘And what are you typing today? Would it be the scene where Caroline and Ellis are stargazing from the tower?’
Nina looked stunned for a moment. ‘Er – yes.’
Olivia laughed. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let on. I’m not meant to have any idea what Dudley’s writing about, but he does tend to leave the papers all over the bed and then fall asleep. I just can’t resist having a peek at what he’s been up to.’ She laughed coquettishly. ‘It’s good though, isn’t it?’
Nina looked at her, surprised by her question. ‘Yes. I think so.’
‘Oh, I’ve just remembered,’ Olivia said. ‘Alex is going to pop along to Party Parade. It’s on the outskirts of Norwich. It’s the most marvellous place and I’ve got a big list of things for him to get but – well – you know what men are like with these things. If I put “purple balloons” and they don’t have any, he’d be likely to pick up pink ones instead and that just won’t do. Do you think you could go along with him? Supervise things for me?’
Nina chewed her lip. The idea of another trip in close proximity with Alex didn’t really appeal to her at all after the disaster at the beach, but organising the anniversary party was part of her job description so she couldn’t very well say no, could she?
‘Of course,’ she said with a smile. ‘Just let me know when.’
Olivia nodded and they both turned
around as Dominic waltzed into the room. ‘Hi, Nina. Hi, Mum.’
‘DOMINIC!’ she yelled, making Nina jump. ‘What’s that on your cheek?’ Olivia’s expression of horror crinkled her whole face.
Dominic searched quickly for a mirror, consternation clouding his face, but Olivia had started to laugh.
‘What is it? Get it off – whatever it is!’ Dominic cried.
It was then that Nina saw the magenta streak of lipstick right across his cheek. She reached into the pocket of her trousers for a clean tissue.
‘Here, let me,’ she said, stepping forward. Dominic bent down obediently and Nina wiped the worst of the lipstick off. ‘Blimey – this stuff’s like emulsion!’ she exclaimed, as she doubled her tissue over and wiped the smear that was fast turning Dominic’s cheek into a Hawaiian sunset.
Dominic chuckled.
‘I suppose this was Madam Makepeace marking her territory?’ Nina enquired, causing Dominic to start.
‘She’s a bit over-friendly, that’s all,’ he explained.
‘I hope she pays extra for the privilege,’ Olivia said, leaving the room.
‘Actually, I think that’s her idea of a tip,’ Dominic smiled.
‘Well, next time she goes for a grope, I think you should tell her you’d prefer ready money,’ Nina suggested with a laugh.
‘Yes,’ Dominic said, lifting his head, ‘thanks.’
Nina threw the now-pink tissue into the bin. ‘Right, lunch.’
‘So, how are the portraits going?’ Nina asked once they’d sat down at the table.
‘Fine,’ Dominic said, nodding as he munched. ‘I’ve worked out that each client will need about three sittings, so the workload should be quite manageable after all. I have to say that it’s all a bit of a surprise. I’m actually quite enjoying it. I think I was just a bit nervous at first because I wasn’t sure what I was letting myself in for, but it’s not bad as jobs go.’
‘That’s great, Dommie,’ Nina said with a smile. ‘You’ll be raking it in then?’
‘It’ll make a nice change.’
‘Yes,’ Nina said, ‘and I know how you can make a few extra pounds on top.’
‘Yeah?’
Nina nodded. ‘I’d like to have a portrait done,’ she said.
Dominic looked at her incredulously. ‘Really?’ he said, his brown eyes wide with joy.
‘Could you set that up for me?’ she asked. ‘Perhaps at The Folly?’
He nodded. ‘When were you thinking of?’ he asked.
‘Well, let me check some other things first and I’ll give you a call, okay?’
Dominic nodded, and the sweet smile that crossed his face made Nina feel just a little bit guilty at what she was plotting.
Chapter Twenty-One
It was shortly after lunch that Dudley made a surprise appearance. Nina hadn’t expected him back as he’d said he was going to the library and then onto a museum. He was studying costumes from the time when his novel was set but, from the look on his face, things hadn’t gone well.
‘I can’t seem to find what I’m after at all,’ he told Nina as he paced up and down the study. She watched him for a moment, wondering if it was her place to interject and ask him if there was anything she could do to help. Would he appreciate that or would it upset him? She didn’t know much about writers, but weren’t they solitary beings who hid away with their muse and hated interruptions? Perhaps Teri had offered some such help and had ignited Dudley’s artistic temperament. Well, that was something Nina certainly didn’t want to do.
‘Well?’ he said, turning to look at her, his face red with either exertion or anger.
‘Is there something I can do?’ Nina dared to ask.
‘I wish you would. I wish you would!’ he said.
‘Okay,’ Nina said. ‘What do you need to know?’
Dudley fished around in his jacket pocket, brought out a tatty piece of paper covered in his scrawl and handed it to Nina. She looked down at the strange list.
Fashion of the 1860s.
What was Charles Darwin doing?
Would Caroline have been religious? Would she have read Darwin?
Look up popular names for girls.
What novels were being published?
Was sugar readily available?
Look up astronomy – what was known in Victorian times?
The list went on and on in his maddening handwriting, with lines crossing out some of the scribbles and asterisks marking others. It really was a terrible jumble of unregulated thoughts.
‘Well?’ Dudley said again.
‘Would you like me to look these things up for you?’ Nina asked. ‘They should be quite straightforward on the internet.’
Dudley made a derisive noise in his throat. ‘The internet!’ he said.
Nina tried to stop herself from smiling. So her employer obviously wasn’t a silver surfer.
‘It’s amazing what you can find out on the internet – it’s a brilliant tool for a writer. Really – I’d recommend it. Perhaps I could give you a crash course.’
Dudley flopped down in his chair and surveyed the mass of papers in front of him whilst Nina looked on and made a tentative start on Dudley’s long list. It was just a couple of minutes later when she called him over to her desk. He peered closely at the screen.
‘What have you got there?’ he asked.
‘It’s a database of names that were popular in the 1860s.’
Dudley dragged his chair from across the room and sat down next to Nina.
‘Good heavens!’ he said. ‘How on earth did you find that?’
‘It was very easy. I just used a search engine.’ He frowned at her. ‘You really must let me give you a few lessons sometime. You’ll fly through some of this research.’
He made another dismissive noise but then gave a great cry of joy that made Nina jump out of her chair in surprise.
‘Look at that!’ he said and Nina looked. ‘Lissy!’
Nina looked at the name on the screen. ‘Lissy?’ she said.
‘Just the sort of name I was after. Perfect for the niece, don’t you think?’
‘The one that comes in during the dinner?’
‘The very one!’
Nina nodded.
‘Write it down!’ he barked. ‘Before we forget it. And that one, too. I like that!’
‘Which one?’
‘Evadne. You just see if I can’t shoehorn an Evadne in there somehow.’
They turned to look at each other and Nina saw the look of complete delight on Dudley’s face. She laughed as he took hold of the mouse.
‘What do I do?’ he asked.
Nina couldn’t quite believe that, so far, Dudley had only used his computer as a very sophisticated word processor and had done no more than sent the occasional email from his last workplace. It was hard to believe that he hadn’t actually used the internet for research purposes before.
‘Click on that link there. That’s right,’ Nina said, watching as her boss cautiously surfed the net.
‘Bless my soul. Bless my soul!’ he sang. ‘I predict many many lost hours of writing now I’ve discovered this. Why I let Teri have all the fun with my research, I don’t know!’
Nina smiled to herself and vowed not to mention the world of social media just yet. Not until they’d completed the first draft of his novel, anyway.
It was only half an hour later when the eruption began. Nina was in the kitchen making coffee when she heard a long string of expletives coming from the study.
‘Dudley?’ she cried, dropping her teaspoon and running back along the hall as quickly as she could.
‘WHAT THE BLAZES IS GOING ON HERE?’ Dudley yelled as Nina entered the room. His face was a startling red and his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head.
‘What’s happened?’ Nina asked, looking around the room as if a fire might have started somewhere.
‘It’s gone! It’s all gone!’ Dudley said, gesticulating at the comput
er.
‘What’s all gone?’
‘I had this page up and was making notes and it just DISAPPEARED!’
‘Let me see.’ Nina nudged him gently to one side as she took control of the mouse. ‘There you go,’ she said a moment later.
‘WHAT? Where the hell did that go?’
‘You must have clicked this little button at the top – see?’
Dudley squinted at the screen. ‘Bloody hell!’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I never saw that. It nearly gave me a heart attack.’
‘It nearly gave me one, too!’ Nina said. ‘But that button shrinks the page down. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost it.’
Dudley shook his head and stared at Nina in wordless wonder. ‘Well, I erm—’
‘You’re welcome,’ Nina said with a tiny smile. The crisis had been diverted and Dudley was, once again, in control of his temper.
After an afternoon spent at the keyboard tutoring Dudley in the ways of the web, Nina made a much-needed cup of tea and walked out into the garden, stopping to dip her nose into a large burgundy-coloured rose whose perfume was deeply intoxicating. Ziggy had followed her outside and the two of them ventured into the walled garden where Faye was working with a fork.
She stood up to full height when she saw Nina approaching.
‘That looks like hard work,’ Nina said, feeling guilty that she did nothing more strenuous than a spot of typing.
‘You know they call gardening the “green gym”?’ Faye said, pushing her dark hair out of her face. ‘You can definitely feel the benefits when digging. I’m going to have iron-strong muscles if I work my way round this place over the summer.’
Nina smiled. ‘So, Olivia’s agreed to turn this into a vegetable garden?’
Faye nodded. ‘I told her how much money she could save on her shopping bill if she just planted a few rows of salad and potatoes and she told me to get started. It’s going to be so beautiful. I’ve been looking into heritage varieties because it would be so nice to have them growing here. They’re really lovely to look at, too. I think Olivia’s been put off growing vegetables because – well – they aren’t flowers, but I’ve slowly been changing her mind and introducing her to varieties that taste good and look good, too.’
A Summer to Remember Page 18
