by Nell Dixon
She finished her coffee and swallowed more tablets. Evan was due to call around lunchtime, giving her time to compose herself and digest whatever news her consultant might have for her.
****
When Nathalie emerged from the hospital later that morning, she knew her eyes had to be pink from tears, but she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The decision was made, and she had agreed an operation date for autumn with her surgeon.
She glanced at her watch and realised she would need to hurry to make it back home in time to change her clothes. She’d worn a suit for her appointment, subconsciously hoping a smart appearance would give her a better outcome. Now she wanted to change into a more comfortable pair of jeans and sweater in order to accompany Evan on his house hunt.
An accident on the ring road slowed traffic to a crawl. She pulled to a halt outside her house to find Evan’s car already at the kerb. Nathalie glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror to check that the redness had faded from her eyes before she got out of the car.
“Am I too early?” Evan stood by his car. She felt his gaze take in her formal attire. “You look very smart.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry, I got held up at my appointment. The traffic was awful. Do you mind if I go in and change? I’ll feel a bit overdressed otherwise.”
“You look fine to me, but go ahead. We’ve got plenty of time before the first appointment.” He smiled at her, and for the first time that day her spirits lifted.
“I promise I won’t take long.” She pulled her house key from her bag and led the way to her front door.
“I thought we could get some lunch on our way to the first house.” He stepped into the hall behind her.
“Fine.” She was very aware of his proximity and moved away quickly down the hall, talking as she walked to cover her nerves. “How many appointments have you made?” She hung her scarf on the coat hook and carried on through into the kitchen.
“I’ve three booked. Two look promising. The third one is a bit of a long shot. I didn’t find it through the agency. Actually, Jerome recommended it.” Evan leaned on the kitchen doorframe and watched her as she opened the fridge.
“Would you like a drink while you’re waiting?” Her hand shook as she reached for the juice carton. She hoped he couldn’t see it.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“Are they all near town?” She spilled droplets of orange on the countertop as she poured some juice into a glass. Her nerves felt shot to pieces after her appointment, and being so close to Evan in a small space wasn’t helping.
“Fairly near. I had to think about Polly’s school.”
Nathalie was aware of his dark blue gaze levelled on her as she took a welcome drink of the cooling juice. All of her senses were on red alert. “Great, I’ll nip upstairs and get changed. I won’t be long.”
“I’ll wait right here.” He stepped back from the doorway to allow her through.
She scooted past, giving him a wide berth as she went by. Nathalie thought she saw the hint of smile on his lips as she headed for the stairs.
Once safe inside her room, she took another long draught from her glass and turned to her wardrobe. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirrored door and was surprised to see two feverish spots of colour high on her cheekbones.
“This is ridiculous!” Nathalie pulled a pair of jeans and a warm sweater from the cupboard and changed in a hurry. Before she returned downstairs, she took a moment to refresh her makeup and tidy her hair, relieved to see her colour had settled back to a more normal tone.
As she entered the kitchen, Evan turned round from his position by the window. “I was admiring your garden and watching your cat.” He nodded his head toward the window. Nathalie followed his gaze and saw Min stalking a long-dead leaf across the emerald surface of the small lawn.
“Min, the scourge of leaves everywhere.” She smiled.
Evan looked thoughtful. “Polly wants a pet. She’d like a pony, but because of her asthma, I’ve been a bit wary of letting her get too close to animals.”
“What does her consultant say?”
“He’s left it up to me. Polly doesn’t have an allergy to animals, at least not one that we’re aware of. I’m just a bit overprotective, I suppose.”
“I can understand that.” Nathalie watched Min pounce on her prey.
“Well, we’d better leave if we’re going to get lunch before the first appointment. I’ve got the agents’ details in the car for you to see.”
****
Evan watched Nathalie discreetly from his position at the counter while he waited to place their food order. The café was busy, considering it was the middle of the week, and as soon as a table had become free, he had insisted Nathalie sit down. Her pallor concerned him, and he felt certain that she’d been crying before she’d arrived at her home earlier. He hoped everything was all right. She’d mentioned an appointment, and from her reddened eyes, he could only guess it hadn’t been good news.
He ordered two coffees and their food from the harassed-looking waitress behind the counter, then walked back to take his seat opposite Nathalie. “You look cold.” Without thinking, he reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. He felt, rather than saw, the faint tremor in her fingers.
“I’ll warm up when the food gets here.”
“Your hand is freezing.”
She made no attempt to disengage herself from his grip. “You know what they say — cold hands and warm heart.” Yet her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Nathalie had always hidden her true feelings behind a wall of wisecracks and smart remarks. Although, as he thought a little more about it, Evan realised that wasn’t strictly true. Once she had been prepared to share her feelings and her heart with him. Six years ago, before he’d blown his opportunity.
“What do you think of the properties?” He inclined his head toward the details spread out on the table in front of them.
She studied the paperwork in front of her. He suspected she felt reluctant to meet his gaze. “They look nice, though that one looks as if it might need a lot of work. I take it you haven’t anything on the place Jerome has recommended?”
The waitress arrived with their food, and Nathalie slipped her hand from his as they quickly cleared a place on the table for the plates and drinks.
“Enjoy your meals.” The waitress hurried away.
“This looks nice.” Nathalie picked up her cutlery and surveyed her meal of salad and fish.
“It’s a little different from the Langstone Country Club.” Evan knew from Jerome that Nathalie could usually be found at all the smart places, so he’d been nervous about bringing her to a small tearoom on the edge of town.
“You know me. If the company is good, then I’m happy anywhere,” she joked.
“I take it you’re paying me a compliment?” He watched a rosy blush creep over her cheeks as she realised what she’d said.
“Maybe.” Her tone sounded noncommittal. She began to eat her fish.
“That’s a shame.”
She glanced at him as her cheeks bloomed pinker, then looked back down at her plate again. “Which property do you prefer?”
She’d steered the conversation back onto neutral territory. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Being with Nathalie stirred all the feelings he’d had for her before. He longed to recapture those emotions, but she had been so cool toward him he doubted it was possible.
He followed Nathalie’s lead for the time being. “The stone-built house with the land looks as if it might be a possibility. It’s a shame there’s no photograph with that one. I might be able to grant Polly her wish of a pony.” Maybe if they could start chatting like they used to, he could break through the wall she’d built around her heart.
Evan longed to know where she’d been earlier, what had happened to make her cry. He had to regain the trust between them, but how? If he asked too many questions like he had the other day, she would j
ust close off from him.
“Evan, could you pass me the tartare sauce, please?” She looked puzzled, and he realised she must have asked him the same question more than once.
“Sorry.” He passed the sauceboat across and watched her spoon a generous dollop onto her plate.
“You were miles away.” She put the spoon back in the sauceboat.
“Sorry.” He placed his cutlery on his plate and picked up his coffee. “I seem to be apologising a lot lately.”
The wariness was back in her eyes, and her shoulders were rigid. “You’re the man who knows the law. Isn’t there something people plead when they don’t feel like answering someone’s questions?”
“I’d say sorry again, but I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to apologise enough to you, Tali.” For a split second, he saw the hurt he had caused resurface on her face. His heart ached with regret.
She placed her knife and fork on her plate with care before dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin. “I think we’ve covered that ground already. We need to move on.”
Her gentle reproach stung more than if she had shouted. He pushed his plate away, meal unfinished. His appetite had gone.
****
Nathalie forced herself to continue with her meal. She hadn’t enjoyed rebuking Evan. His apologies had sounded sincere, and she had no doubt that he truly wanted her to forgive him.
In many ways, she wanted to erase the events of the last six years and go back to how they had been before, but it felt impossible. Too much water had passed under the bridge. He hadn’t trusted her with the truth then — could she trust him now?
She glanced at her watch. “Do you think we should leave?”
Evan frowned and pulled back the cuff of his jacket to check the time. “I guess you’re right. Have you finished your meal?”
“Yes, thank you.” She picked up her bag, and Evan stood up to assist her with her coat. Her pulse quickened as she shrugged into her jacket. Conscious of his body close to hers, she could smell the faint, musky scent of his cologne, and she swallowed hard.
He opened the door for her and held out his hand to help her in. Nathalie’s skin tingled as his fingers closed over hers for the second time that day. It had taken all her concentration to not betray her feelings when he had held her hand at the table.
She moved her hand from his as soon as she thought it polite, murmuring her thanks as she slid onto her seat. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and her palms felt sticky with sweat. Evan programmed the satellite navigation system for directions to the first property on the list. Nathalie busied herself with reading the house details yet again.
The journey to the first house didn’t take as long as she’d expected. The property stood at the end of a short country lane not far from the main road that led from town. They sat for a moment in the car, looking at the outside of the building. “What do you think?” Evan asked.
“It looks newer than it does in the photo on the details.” She cast around for something positive to say about the house’s garish red bricks and dark wood window frames. Two large conifer trees stood quite close to the building. On a murky winter afternoon, the house looked dark and depressing.
“You don’t like it, do you?” Evan looked at her.
Nathalie shook her head. “I can’t say it’s a house that appeals to me, but it might be nice inside,” she suggested.
“I must admit I’m not keen on the exterior. Still, the owners are expecting us, so we’d better go and take a look.”
Half an hour later they returned to the car and he put the property details inside the glove box. “I think we can rule that one out.” He turned the car around and programmed the satnav with the details for the next property on the list.
“I don’t think they’d been strictly honest on the details with their descriptions,” Nathalie mused.
He burst out laughing, and after a second’s pause, she joined in. “You’re telling me! I think we both need a lesson in estate-agent-speak.”
“Mmm, who would have guessed ‘classically decorated’ meant they had an Egyptian-themed bathroom, complete with scarabs and a mural of the Sphinx?” Nathalie wiped tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I think I liked the Greek columns in the dining room the best.”
“Just the columns, or the nude statues, too?” She teased. Any remaining tension between them disappeared, and she realised she enjoyed having fun with Evan like this — as they had done in the past.
He shook his head, a wide grin on his face. “I can’t wait to check out the next one. How is it described in the details?”
She smoothed the brochure out on her lap. “It says, ‘‘Old-World charm, original features, scope for improvement.’ I can’t wait.” She read him the other key points.
A moment later, he pulled up at the kerb outside the second property. “Well?” he asked.
Nathalie looked at the rambling stone house in front of them. The slate roof sagged in the middle, and the paintwork had peeled away from the window frames. The path was overgrown with weeds. A wooden gate leant drunkenly on one hinge against the garden wall.
“It’s got ‘Old-World charm,’ remember?” She tried to keep the laughter out of her voice.
“It’s definitely got original features,” Evan agreed.
“The owners have seen us. Come on.” She grinned at him as they got out of the car and walked up the path together.
Twenty minutes later, they returned. Nathalie placed the property details in the glove box with those of the first appointment.
Evan started the engine and waved to the elderly owners who stood at the front door. “Well, there was room for improvement.”
“Oh, yes. I’d say adding an indoor toilet and maybe one or two other modern conveniences would improve it considerably.” She laughed.
“It did have plenty of charm, but what a money pit! It would make a great project, but Polly and I need somewhere that’s ready now.” He frowned and reprogrammed the satnav for the third time. “Let’s hope this last place that Jerome suggested will be better.”
Nathalie settled back, and he turned on the radio, tuning in to a local station playing hits from a few years ago.
“What has Jerome told you about the house?” Nathalie asked.
“It’s empty, and I’ve got the keys. It belongs to a friend of his who recently inherited it. The owner doesn’t want to live there himself — he lives in Scotland — so he plans to put it on the market. He hasn’t placed it with an agent yet, as it’s only been vacant for a short time.”
“It sounds interesting,” she observed. Perhaps Jerome had done something useful for once. Her older brother wasn’t known for taking responsibility.
The road they followed led them further out of town than the other two had, but soon they turned off down a small lane, then turned again down a long driveway between two rows of trees. The driveway ended in front of a house built of faded blue-red bricks. A portico supported by stout stone columns covered the top of the front door to protect visitors from the elements. On either side of the house lay fenced pasture.
“Oh, Evan.” Nathalie turned to him. “Is this it? It’s beautiful.” Even in the gathering twilight, the building looked elegant and homey. A family house waiting for a family to live in it once more.
He stopped the car on the gravel turning circle in front of the house. “I guess I don’t need to ask you what you think of this one.” He smiled at her and pulled a set of keys from his jacket pocket.
Evan climbed out of the car and came around to open her door. They stood still for a moment in the dusk, looking at the exterior.
“It’s like a doll house, with the sash windows.” For a split second, Nathalie forgot the house was just for Evan and Polly. She could see herself in that house, with lights in the windows and smoke coming from the chimney, Polly playing by the hearth, Evan working in his study, and the smell of fresh bread in the kitchen.
“Let’s see if the interior matches up to the exterior.” He slipped his arm through hers, and together they crunched their way over the gravel to the front door.
Chapter Seven
Evan searched through a large bunch of keys and unlocked the front door of the house. Nathalie tried to shake off the strange feeling of homecoming that washed over her as she stepped over the threshold into the hall.
“There’s a light switch over here.” Evan flicked it, and the hall filled with soft yellow light from the beautiful Venetian glass chandelier. The crystals sparkled in the light from the candle bulbs, which made them flash and twinkle in a waterfall of light.
“Wow!”
“Double wow, as Polly would say,” Evan agreed.
The hall floorboards looked dusty, as did the staircase, which was of carved oak with barley twists on the balustrades. “You are sure Jerome gave you the right address?” Nathalie touched the newel post with a tentative finger and left a trail in the dust.
“The key fit.” Evan smiled at her.
She followed him through a panelled door leading off the hall into a large sitting room. The cornices were deeply moulded plaster, while wooden shutters hung at the windows. The fireplace was white marble.
“It’s too good to be true. There has to be a problem.” Nathalie spun around, laughing.
Evan laughed with her. “Maybe we’d better see the rest of the house, to be on the safe side.”
They explored the remainder of the empty house together, opening the doors to admire the generous sizes of the empty rooms. “It needs a new kitchen, and some of the tiles in the main bathroom need to be replaced.” Nathalie led the way back down the staircase.
“But compared to the last place, this house needs hardly anything done.” Evan paused on the stairs to look around.
“You’re right there. The last place needed to be demolished. Are you going to make an offer?” She stopped on the bottom step and turned to look at him.
