Through the Dark Keyhole

by Rosalyn Richardson

  As I stood up and he approached me, he put out his hand in a welcoming gesture.

  “It’s Natasha, is it?” he asked, checking my name.

  “Yes, that’s right,” I confirmed nervously.

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m Jared Jacobs,” and he shook my hand very firmly.

  “Who’s this little fellow?” Mr Jacobs asked, as he gave Sam a soft pat on his head, at which Sam opened his eyes and let out a yawn.

  I introduced Sam to Mr Jacobs. “I’ll show you around first so that you can get some idea of the facilities we have and what we do.”

  It was all a bit awe inspiring as I followed Mr Jacobs around and he explained in detail, the day to day procedures. During the course of our conversation, he asked me about my previous working experience. I told him about working down in the surgery near Broughton in Hampshire, but skimmed over it as briefly as possible.

  “Ah, so you’re used to working in a surgery, that’s good. May I tell you though, despite what people say, animals are often easier to work with than humans!” He roared with laughter.

  Mr Jacobs was interested in how I came to work here at Ryedale. I kept strictly to the professional side of things and explained about Neil’s business and that it was my position to keep up with his UK clients and keep things ticking over here.

  “Yes,” began Mr Jacobs. “I’ve heard Mr Garside is overseas most of the time, but I will be pleased to meet him when the opportunity arises.”

  I decided to take the plunge and use some of Tim’s initiative. “That’s the thing,” I began. “I’ve only so much I can do here and at times, especially certain times of the year, business goes very quiet.”

  “Yes, I can see that would sometimes be a problem,” agreed Mr Jacobs and then he added, “Why don’t you have a month’s trial at the surgery?”

  I couldn’t believe my ears; it was music to them. “I would love to,” I replied eagerly.

  “Well,” continued Mr Jacobs, “If you come in around twelve p.m. tomorrow, when the two other ladies are both here, we could work out a tentative rota and see if you would be able to fit in without it affecting your present duties.”

  “That would be amazing,” I replied, enthusiastically.

  As I drove home, I felt as though I was in a dream, and chatted away to Sam nonstop, as though he was my listening ear. His response was every now and again to give a little wag of his tail, and look up at me with those gorgeous appealing eyes.

  The following morning Sam watched me from the settee as I made phone calls, replied to emails, sent out invoices and followed up some quotes to send out with Neil’s final approval. There were some deliveries coming, but the lads in the workshop took care of that.

  Suddenly the office landline rang and it was Neil. He sounded slightly irritated. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you since yesterday.”

  I secretly smiled to myself, feeling very much in control and excited about what I was going to tell him.

  “Oh, I had to turn off my phone as I was going into an interview,” I said and waited amused for his reply.

  “What? You’ve got a job,” he said tersely.

  So, I briefly explained about Mr Jacobs and the previous afternoon and that I was shortly going across to meet the team with a view to starting my trial period.

  “Oh, that’s nice,” he replied mockingly. “What about my firm and the work you are supposed to do for me?”

  I was beginning to get irritated myself now. “Oh Neil. I wouldn’t let your business suffer. Mr Jacobs knows I work for you and that I manage your business for you. I wouldn’t jeopardise that. For goodness sake, I’m only going to be the other side of the car park from the factory. That is what we are going to discuss today, whether the extra help they need can be flexible enough for me. Can’t you at least be pleased for me?”

  “Yes, I suppose so,” he responded like a spoilt child.

  I found him really annoying and I suppose I was a bit spiteful myself and I threw in a remark, “Oh and by the way, I’m going to make you an offer for your cottage. I need my independence.”

  I very quickly terminated the call, politely but more as though he was a customer. I scooped Sam up in my arms and took his small dog basket with me.

  As I was ushered into a small waiting room, there were adoring expressions as each member met Sam.

  Kim was there as was the other receptionist, Mandy, Mr Jacobs and Lucas, his son. Sacha, one of the veterinary nurses was present as well.

  The meeting went very well, and then everybody apart from Kim and Mandy went out and they had the task of explaining my expected duties and we worked out a rough rota to try for the next couple of weeks. We came to an agreement that I would be the emergency backup most of the time.

  I didn’t mind that there would at times be late evenings, and weekends and I was sure that now that I did have some idea of the hours on the rota, that I could fit Neil’s work in without it being affected in any way.

  I was elated as I returned home that evening, however, I did feel a twinge of conscience regarding my earlier conversation with Neil.

  As I sat at the dining table with a celebratory glass of white wine, gentle music in the background and Sam softly snoring in his bed, I set about composing an apologetic email to Neil. As I was about to do so, I notice I had an email from the Broughton estate agents, via Mr Bates. Apparently, there were a couple of potential buyers for the apartment and he just needed to speak to me as soon as possible to get my further instructions. From what I gathered the offers made were almost all the same, but still quite satisfactory. I just wanted to get rid of it.

  Therefore, in my email, despite it being a throw-away remark to Neil about the cottage, it might be quite a feasible arrangement to come to.

  Within minutes of me sending his email, he was on the phone. Neil sounded a lot calmer than earlier. I told him about my trial at Mr Jacob’s and explained reasonably how it could work very well. Anyway, I hadn’t even started my trial yet!

  We did discuss the sale of the apartment and I did say to Neil that although the money that he had paid for it was coming out of the divorce settlement, it was still mainly his money, but he would still benefit from it if he would let me make an offer for the cottage.

  Neil seemed to have come around about the extra work at Mr Jacob’s but he did seem reluctant to discuss the cottage. He did however tell me that he was coming over at the weekend and would stay at his usual spot. Apparently, he had to go through his annual accounts with his accountant, who I might add, was not Tim!

  Neil suggested that we have our usual dinner out and that we could catch up then. Neil offered to pick me up at six thirty p.m.

  It seemed so strange; the total shift in a relationship and its emotions. Waiting for Neil felt poles apart from that first time. Tonight, I was looking forward to seeing him, but as a good friend and someone I could talk to without being judged or made to feel small. There wasn’t that “heady” longing feeling, desperate for his body to be inside me, as had been before, but a loving hug from someone who I had been to hell and back with, and yet here we still were, friends through thick and thin. That’s what I thought and felt anyway!

  Neil turned up promptly in his reliable Bentley. He looked dapper as ever in his casual clothes and sunglasses. As I sat in the car, he came across and gave me a kiss on the cheek and he said that it was good to see me.

  This time Sam wasn’t with me and he looked dejected as I gave him a cuddle and said that I would be back later.

  The meal was divine as usual, and our conversation flowed naturally. When I tried to divert the conversation to the cottage and the sale of the apartment, he seemed somewhat reluctant. I explained that I had now potentially accepted an offer on the apartment, but I felt that it was only right that he had some say in it and that I was contacting Mr Bates on the Monday morning. Neil did remark that he thought that was very decent of me to do so, considering the events leading up to my moving and how I came to be th
ere.

  I smiled sweetly at him and said that I understood that he might still want to keep the cottage on, but that my happiest times had been there and it would be like a return on his investment, and that I would probably still have some capital left over.

  Neil nodded and said that he understood my reasoning perfectly. However, things didn’t seem to be that simple for him. He didn’t have to explain that the business was expanding still and that it was thriving. His concern was that the cottage was something he owned and that, really, it was always a means of escape if necessary. His usual hotel was there to stay in whenever he was over here but the cottage was like a security blanket. I twigged where he was coming from.

  I proceeded gently. “Are things a bit uncertain with Oksana and you, Neil?” I asked.

  He gave a huge sigh. “I love her very much and we do get on well, but she is very wearing. We both want and need very different things and have different goals in life. I wouldn’t want to separate from her totally, but I can’t manage to be with her all the time. She gets very wound up when she has to cope with that and her temper flares with a load of Russian expressions coming out. I don’t know if she’s swearing, but I can imagine the names she calls me aren’t flattering to say the least. I feel the cottage is like my haven that I can rely on.”

  “I perfectly understand,” I said, patting his hand.

  “I’ll start looking for somewhere in the area. I’m sure you’re not in a hurry to evict me,” I said jokingly.

  “You can move next door. I gather he’s having to move nearer to his mother in law, poor thing,” Neil said, half seriously.

  Mm, I thought, I could imagine that he was almost serious about that, but it wouldn’t work.

  We drove back as the sunset began to fade. It was so intoxicatingly beautiful around here, especially this time of the year, but all seasons carried their beauty in this part of the countryside.

  Neil was unusually quiet as we journeyed back to the cottage. He came and opened the car door for me as he always used to.

  We could hear Sam barking excitedly and then I saw him sitting on the window sill, his tail going nineteen to the dozen.

  As I turned the key and opened the door, Sam came rushing out and Neil crouched down and made a fuss of him and remarked how much he had grown in the short time since he had seen him the day that he brought him home.

  Sam then turned and went to his bowl in the kitchen as though he was saying that it was his supper time.

  “Thank you for this evening, it has been perfect and it has been good to see you and catch up and be able to talk to you about everything,” I said appreciatively.

  “Can I come in, Natasha?” Neil said softly, with those brown eyes that used to make me melt at the mere sight of them.

  “You can Neil,” I answered, “after all, it is your house,” I continued, a bit clinically.

  Neil stepped over the doorstep. “I’ll put the kettle on if that is okay, I think I’ve had enough wine today,” I chatted away as I walked into the kitchen.

  I brought the percolator into the living room with my best china mugs and a few shortbread biscuits that I had bought that morning.

  Neil and I just chatted generally for a short while, and had a bit of a laugh and recalled some of the amusing and good times that we had had in the past. The only time Marton Manor was mentioned, was when I went and fetched my laptop from the kitchen table and showed him the email from Mr Bates.

  Neil seemed to agree that the final offer from the first couple seemed quite reasonable, and he said he was more than happy for me to accept it.

  As Neil put down his mug after finishing his coffee, he turned to me and came closer to me, and I suddenly realised where the conversation and the mood was about to turn.

  “Natasha,” he began gently. “Please can I stay tonight, I really need you.”

  He put his hands gently on my shoulders to pull me towards him, as he looked down longingly at my lips on the tip of a highly charged embrace, I kissed him briefly, then pulled away.

  “Neil,” I began frankly. “I don’t regret our night the other week, but I am not going to repeat it tonight. I am not willing to be your “knock off,” as I feel this would be. I love you as a friend and you have done so much for me, but our sexual relationship ended a long time ago and it doesn’t feel right,” I said, trying to be firm. It was true, much as I needed him as a friend, that was where it ended. I wasn’t going to be a stand-in for when he was over in this country and away from Oksana.

  You could have cut the silence with a knife as I watched this all sink in with Neil.

  “Does that mean that you’re going to be a nun then? Surely you still have the needs a young woman of your age has?” he said almost sarcastically.

  I laughed at his reaction. “Of course, I do, but when the time is right, and with someone who has no strings attached. You never know, I might meet a farmer and become a farmer’s wife with rosy red cheeks and work doing all sorts of imaginable duties in the running of the farm.”

  “You really are such a totally different person Natasha. I’m having a job getting my head around it all. I do respect your integrity and openness though,” Neil said. “Well that’s me told,” Neil said, as he got up and walked towards the front door. He turned and hugged me like a big brother.

  “Well, I’ll keep in regular touch. I’ll email you about that large order from Hanson’s on Monday and I’ll forward you the details. I’ll let you know what happens with Mr Bates and this offer,” I said, reassuring him.

  We parted on good terms, and although I was excited about my new position at Mr Jacob’s practice, and the final closure on Marton Manor with quite a handsome pay out from there; no one could have prepared me for how my life would soon go full circle and move in a totally different direction.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Juggling my work between Neil’s factory and Mr Jacob’s practice was going quite well.

  I told Tim how grateful I was for his advice and that he certainly was right, working with the public again directly, was just right for me. I had the opportunity to meet so many different types of characters from the surrounding farmers to little old ladies with their pets. I wasn’t too keen on the young ones, who brought their pet rats and mice in for a consultation, and it did make me reflect on my previous encounters back in Broughton. Guinea pigs were about the smallest pet I could deal with.

  One Saturday lunchtime, after finishing my shift at the vet, I came out of the surgery with Sam on his lead and walked towards the car. It was a boiling hot, an early summers day.

  I didn’t feel like going straight home. The weather was too lovely to be indoors and I talked myself out of doing any more housework and gardening.

  After putting Sam in his seat at the back with his belt on, I drove to the main car park in Grassington.

  Sam and I had a walk around the village which, at this time of the year was heaving with visitors.

  I prepared myself for a walk down memory lane. Sam and I walked slowly past my parents’ old house.

  It seemed a hive of activity. There were children’s toys in the front garden and a slide in the back garden. There were shouts and screams of excitement as the young children played.

  Sam’s ears pricked up and his little tail began to wag excitedly as he caught sight of a ginger cat that was following the children around.

  Sam and I had a short wander around the village shops and then we made our way back to the car park.

  I decided on the spur of the moment, to make my way to the next village, Brundall. It was a pretty little village, and had won many awards for the upkeep of the village green and flower displays. Running through the village of Brundall was a wide river. On a day like today it was still and calm.

  Quite a few families were sitting on either side of the banks of the river, having picnics and the children were playing various outdoor games.

  The Blue Pheasant Public House was not far away. It was always
a popular place. Outside there were tables with umbrellas and it looked extremely busy.

  In my rucksack, I had a salad sandwich which I had made at work and some doggy treats for Sam.

  We made our way down to the river bank and sat down on the grass, warmed by the sun.

  Sam surveyed everywhere after he had feasted on his treats and then laid himself out for his afternoon nap in the fresh, scented air. I too felt sleepy, and put my rucksack behind me, as a pillow.

  Not long afterwards I suddenly became aware of a shadow behind me, as Sam obviously did as well and he jumped up, his tail wagging ferociously.

  On sitting up and looking at the figures behind me, I could see that one was a man, and a dog, a cocker spaniel just like Sam, only with different coloured markings.

  Upon looking at the man’s face, I thought he seemed familiar somehow. It was when he spoke that I realised who it was.

  “Natasha?” he asked.

  I then realised it was Matt! He was obviously older, as so was I. To be correct, he was twelve years older. He had filled out slightly and had grown into a mature looking man. Mind you, I must have changed a fair bit too.

  “Yes,” I answered rather nonplussed.

  “What a coincidence. It is you. I’ve been sitting at the other side of the river and I noticed you come from the car park, and I thought, ‘that looks like Natasha, I’ll go and investigate’,” said Matt.

  Before I had chance to reply, Matt continued, “I had always hoped I would bump into you again someday.”

  I was rather speechless by this sudden encounter and flurry of information, but I asked, “Do you live around here now Matt?”

  “Yes,” Matt replied. “I moved back about five years ago. How about you?” he asked.

  “Oh, I live just out of Ryedale in a small village now,” I replied.