Page 16 of The Island in Bramble Bay
‘Me too.’ Although he had slept well, Charlie had been woken up early to have his temperature and blood pressure taken and had been waiting impatiently for Maggie ever since, all the time mulling over what he could remember from the day before. Especially the part where they had been sat together holding hands. He thought they’d had an understanding but the more he thought about it, the more worried he became that he’d got it wrong. After all, he’d had some good painkillers and been unconscious. It could be that he’d mistaken Maggie’s concern for something more.
‘So, you know yesterday,’ he cringed inwardly, unable to decide how to phrase it even though he was already talking. ‘I don’t know what you think but something was different with us yesterday.’ He couldn’t read Maggie’s expression and she didn’t say anything, so he felt he had to carry on. ‘I mean, not just yesterday. The oak tree, that was when.’
Maggie was smiling now. ‘For me, it was when you helped me out of the boat in Poole. And then the oak tree and then yesterday in the boat.’
‘I don’t remember that.’
‘I know.’ She reached over and took his hand. ‘The thing is, I didn’t expect this to happen. I thought I’d come to Bramble Island to start again. I had a lot I needed to leave behind.’ She looked into his eyes, hers full of worry.
‘I have plenty of stuff I’ve left behind. I just know that with you, none of that matters like it did before. You matter and that’s kind of it.’
‘That sounds too easy. It’s easy to think we can leave the world behind, being on Bramble Island, but —’
‘But we could see how it goes.’ He looked up to the ceiling to take a second to gather his thoughts. ‘I think we have something but it’s so long since I’ve felt anything like that, it scares me in case… in case it ends up like before.’ He wasn’t ready or thinking clearly enough to explain to Maggie why he felt the need to hold back even when she was right here, wanting to be with him and even when he thought he wanted that too, more than anything. ‘Let’s just start off together and see what happens.’
She nodded and he let go of her hand to gently pull her towards him, unable to wait for a better moment to kiss her properly. As their lips met, it was as if tiny sparklers were brushing between them, the tingling so intense that all Charlie wanted was to take her in his arms and carry her right back to the hotel she had just come from.
13
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL, Maggie found them a taxi and helped Charlie in, fastening his seatbelt. His arm was in a sling and although he hadn’t said anything, she could tell from the expression on his face that he was in pain.
‘Are you alright?’ She stroked his good hand absentmindedly with her fingers as if she could smooth away the hurt for him. The nurse had said he would be weak for a few days because he’d lost a lot of blood and had been sedated for them to stitch him up, but he seemed to have faded gradually since he’d left the ward.
‘Yeah, I’m good.’
‘Will you be alright to get the Bramble Bay Ferry and then I can take you home on your boat? Or we could take the taxi round to Studland, but it’ll cost quite a lot.’ She wondered whether that kind of thing mattered to Charlie, armed as he was with a high-end credit card. Even she knew that card must have a hefty credit limit and that, coupled with the fact that he worked for the Trust, well it didn’t add up.
‘I don’t live in Studland.’ He offered no further explanation and Maggie didn’t feel it was the time to press him as he was starting to look almost as bad as he did when she’d found him at the bottom of the oak tree. She half wondered whether she ought to take him back to the hospital.
‘Okay…so Bramble Island?’ He nodded, then laid his head back and closed his eyes. Perhaps he was expecting to stay with her. After all, the nurse had said he should have someone with him for twenty-four hours. She’d have to sleep on the sofa but that was okay.
The taxi pulled up at the Sandbanks quay and Maggie could see that the ferry was on its way back from the island so they wouldn’t have to wait long. They walked slowly to a bench where they waited, Charlie once again sat with his eyes closed as if he was trying to shut himself off from the world. Once the ferry docked, William came and helped Charlie on board. They sat in silence which Maggie found increasingly worrying until Charlie placed his hand on her leg and gave it a gentle rub.
‘Sorry, Maggie. I’m not feeling so good.’
‘It’s okay, we’re almost there.’
When they disembarked, William gave Charlie a hand again. ‘Your house, Maggie?’
‘Yes, I think that’s a good idea, thanks.’
‘No, I need to go home, my boat’s just there.’
‘C’mon mate,’ said William, ‘you’re in no state to pilot that.’
While entirely agreeing with William, Maggie knew that all Charlie wanted was his own bed, his own space.
‘It’s okay, I can take him,’ said Maggie. William looked unconvinced. ‘I can, it’ll be fine.’
‘Thanks, William, we’ll be okay from here.’ Charlie’s voice said he was in no mood to argue. William shrugged and helped Charlie into the boat.
‘You be careful, Maggie love. The wind’s still strong today.’
‘Did you drive the boat yesterday?’ Charlie asked her.
‘No, Megan did, it turns out she knows her way around a boat so I was off the hook. But I was paying attention when we went shopping. How hard can it be?’
Charlie managed a weak grin. ‘Okay, you start it off but I’ll take the tiller once we get close.’
