Page 18 of The Love Position

His phone rang. Benjamin. The eldest of his three older brothers.

‘Hi Ben, thanks for ringing me back.’

‘No worries. I’ve got a few minutes between meetings. Just getting a bit of air.’

Isaac listened to his brother’s breathing change as he sucked on a cigarette, and the traffic noise in the background. Taking in the silent trees around him, gratitude filled his heart at how different his life was from when he’d lived in London.

‘How are you? Rachel? The kids?’

‘All good, all good. Quieter now the last little bugger’s at boarding school.’

Isaac winced. Ben’s youngest, Edwin, was seven. ‘You must miss them.’

‘Yeah, of course. But with our long hours, it’s the best place for them. And we’re quids in now we’ve been able to ditch the nanny. The money we’re saving pays his fees with enough left over for us to go to Verbier in half term.’

Isaac didn’t know what to say in response, but luckily his brother was used to filling silences.

‘Anyway, I’ve had a squizz at that letter you sent over. Not my area of expertise, I’m afraid, but I’m going to ask one of the guys at my club. Best thing you can do is contact anyone else affected by the plans and coordinate your response. But there’s no guarantee you’ll fight it off.’

‘Okay, thanks.’

‘Look, gotta run, but you might want to think about finding somewhere else to live. Or cut your losses and come back to London. Plenty of yummy mummies here to keep you busy. I’ll ping you if I’ve got anything else.’

The line went dead.

Isaac stood in the clearing outside his house. Set in two acres of woodland, it had been derelict when he’d bought it at auction a decade ago. Razing it to the ground, he’d rebuilt a different home from scratch, living in a static caravan whilst he did the work. It had taken the best part of eight years, but now he had an off-grid sanctuary.

Covering a footprint twice the size of the original property, the building was single-storey and super insulated. Built primarily from wood, it had a green roof and blended into its surroundings. The biggest extravagance had been the windows. Almost an entire side of the building was glass, and when the enormous triple-glazed panels were open, the main living area continued outside onto a covered deck. No matter what the weather, Isaac could practise yoga or meditate surrounded by nature.

Putting the sausages and bacon in the fridge, he went outside to split logs for the burner. The rhythmic movement of the axe was meditation as well as exercise.

His body was filled with a restless energy that only physical labour could touch. He’d thought his life was perfect, but his happy-ever-after wasn’t giving him the same peace and contentment as it had done in the past.

Take longer off over summer. Spend time with Guruji. He’ll get your head straight even if you can’t.

4

APRIL

‘Nadia, could you mark out this section of the dig, please?’

Sophia handed the student a map of the site with the areas for excavation marked on it. Finally, after three months of site surveys, they were about to break ground.

Marcus had supported the project, but she didn’t know whether it was out of guilt or in the hope she’d take him back. The field was busy with university students and volunteers, but Marcus hadn’t shown up and Sophia was glad.

The last few months had been hell. Her brother was still in China trying to get their dad home, and when she wasn’t supporting her mother, Sophia was negotiating a department where she had to be civil to her ex and his new girlfriends on a daily basis. The only respite came from surveying the dig site and the yoga classes she’d started attending.

Spotting Maggie arriving, she went over and gave her a hug. ‘I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for coming.’

‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Is Britain’s biggest arsehole here?’

‘Not yet. And remember. I’m in charge and I want you here. We should get going in the next hour and I want you leading the team when we’ve got a spoil heap.’

Maggie glanced at Nadia, marking out a rectangular strip on the side of a small hillock. ‘Why are you starting there?’

Sophia followed her gaze. ‘We’re not. I’ve got no idea what she’s doing. Sorry, Maggie. Let me sort this out.’

Striding back across the field, Sophia’s heart thumped louder. Yoga was helping her anxiety attacks, but she’d been breathless far too many times to count. The doctor said it was stress-related, but that didn’t help the panic she felt when she became light-headed and struggled to breathe.

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