Page 14 of Finding Love at Roseford Blooms
And abruptly, she turned on her heel and strode out of the chapel.
Once outside, she picked up the pace as best she could, but she was in need of some more painkillers, and the uneven momentum made her bones ache.
‘Lizzie!’ Simon’s voice called after her. ‘Wait, I’ll walk you back.’
Lizzie didn’t respond. She tried to speed up, but she felt clumsy and off balance and she didn’t notice the slightly raised paving slab until it shifted under her feet and she felt herself falling. Her ankle turned and, with a yell, she hit the ground.
‘Christ! Lizzie, are you all right?’ Simon had made up the ground between them in the time it took her to go over, and he knelt down beside her, a look of concern etched on his features. ‘Did you hurt your arm again?’
Lizzie’s breath was coming in short gasps, and she struggled to regulate it. The thought of doing any more damage to herself had sent her into even more of a tailspin. Sucking in great gulps of air, she shook her head. ‘No,’ she managed. ‘My arm’s OK. I’m just a bit wobbly on my feet at the moment.’
‘Can you stand?’ Simon’s deep blue eyes regarded her with open concern. ‘Let’s get you a cup of tea somewhere more comfortable, shall we?’ He offered her his hand, and pulled her gently to her feet. His touch was warm, and she felt reassured as he helped her up. He glanced at her, and then gently released her hand as she found her feet again. ‘Take it steady now,’ he said, his expression still showing concern.
‘No damage, I mean, nomoredamage done,’ Lizzie said. She gave a nervous laugh. ‘Thank you for coming to my rescue.’
‘Look, can I buy you a coffee?’ Simon asked as they walked. ‘That was quite a fall you took, and it doesn’t feel right just to let you walk away on your own after that.’
They were drawing close to the small tea and coffee concession that stood at one corner of the manicured lawns to the front entrance of Roseford Hall. Lizzie was aware that they were getting closer to the house, but she tried to put it out of her mind. She smiled quickly at Simon. ‘I’d like that. Thanks.’
‘Take a seat,’ Simon said, gesturing to one of the benches nearby. ‘I’ll grab us a couple of coffees. How do you like yours?’
In a few minutes, Simon had placed a large takeaway cup in front of her. Lizzie picked it up and took a careful sip. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Simon glanced at her, then back out across the lawn, where more and more tourists were congregating. She tried to read his expression, but it was carefully neutral. Then he looked back at her, and she saw his eyes soften with concern.
‘So…’ He paused.
‘So?’ Lizzie asked. ‘That sounds like a question.’
Simon smiled. ‘I’m sorry. It’s probably none of my business, but you seemed a little jumpy when you were talking to Sarah in the chapel. Is everything all right?’
To stall for a little more time, Lizzie took another sip of her coffee. When she put the cup down, though, Simon was still regarding her with that gentle stare.
‘We were at Craven House School together,’ Lizzie began. ‘I was surprised she didn’t recognise me straight away, to be honest. But I suppose there were a lot of girls in our year, and we did come from all over the country.’
‘A lot can change in twenty years,’ Simon replied. ‘I mean, for instance, I haven’t always been the suave, sophisticated fella you see before you!’ He laughed, undercutting his words with a self-deprecating grin.
Lizzie smiled back at him. ‘That’s certainly true. Two decades can change a lot.’
‘So, you and your sister knew Sarah at school, then?’ Simon shook his head. ‘I’m sorry… Sarah had a lot of friends back to the house over the years during the school holidays. I didn’t pay a great deal of attention to them when I was at home. I was nineteen andterriblyserious!’
Thinking carefully before she spoke again, Lizzie opted for a neutral approach. ‘My sister, Georgina, she was a friend of Sarah’s back then. George and I were born within a year of each other. She was older by eleven months. Dad used to joke that the school fees were two for the price of one because of it. I wasn’t sure who he thought should have been chucked in as the freebie.’
‘It can be rough being in someone’s shadow,’ Simon replied. ‘I went to the same school as generations of my family had. The expectation weighs heavily.’
‘It does.’ Lizzie paused before continuing. ‘Your sister was in the same year as us. She was great mates with Georgina all through year ten and year eleven. Then, suddenly, they stopped hanging out together. In sixth form they barely spoke. Boy trouble, I think.’
‘That’s why Sarah didn’t recognise you straight away,’ Simon replied.
Lizzie nodded. ‘I recognised her though.’How could I not?she added to herself. She thought of the jumper in the carrier bag at Bee’s house, wondered if now was the time to elaborate. But then, what good would it do? Pulling herself together with an effort, and taking a large gulp of coffee, Lizzie stood up. ‘You’ve got better things to do than listen to me all day.’ She forced a smile. ‘Haven’t you got loads to organise for the wedding of the year?’
Simon had scrambled to his feet as soon as he’d seen Lizzie move. ‘It’s been nice talking to you, Lizzie,’ he said. ‘If you wanted another chat while you’re here in Roseford, it would be lovely to see you again. But perhaps without the fall, next time!’
The kindness in his voice made Lizzie want to cry. Simon’s gentle nature still seemed the same as it had been twenty years ago. With an effort, she pulled herself away from that particular mental pitfall.
‘Thank you, Simon,’ she said softly. ‘I think I’d like that.’
She looked into his eyes, and saw such understanding there that for a moment she wondered if perhaps he knew more than he was letting on. He certainly seemed to empathise. ‘Thank you for the coffee, and for picking me up off the ground,’ she said.
