Page 32 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
Reminding himself to be patient, Archie said, ‘I thought it was worth introducing myself to her, purely to find out what she was up to. She’s very interesting, easy to talk to, you know,’ he carried on, feeling a little flustered.
‘I hope she’s not going to take advantage of you. Does she know who you are?’
‘Yes, Mother, she knows. If anything, she ought to worry about me taking advantage of her. She’s a very successful businesswoman.’
‘Why is she interested in swimming in a lake, then?’ Constance seemed genuinely perplexed, but presumably wasn’t up to speed with the phenomenon of cold-water swimming.
‘She finds it therapeutic. A way to relax.’
‘Well, you’re old enough to know what you’re doing, darling.’
‘Thank you,’ Archie said, relieved that the conversation seemed to be over.
The following evening at seven o’clock, Archie was attempting to tame his forelock like Andy the barber had shown him. It wasn’t working, but he had no intention of using Andy’s failsafe suggestion of hairspray. Instead, he put a little more wax on the tips of his fingers and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to knead the product in, willing it to look how he wanted. It didn’t, but it would have to do. He tipped some ancient aftershave into his palm and slapped it on his face, gasping as it stung his freshly shaven skin, but judging that it smelled alright, if a little old-fashioned.
Thankfully, Constance was eating dinner and wouldn’t have wanted to be disturbed so he was able to leave the house unhindered. Earlier in the afternoon, he’d turned over the engine on his father’s Jaguar XJS, which had been his pride and joy, to make sure the battery wasn’t dead. It was the one thing Archie was thrilled to have inherited, even though he didn’t drive it very often. And it was perfect for tonight.
Although as the crow flies, Nora didn’t live far away, it was a good ten-minute drive to get out of the estate and onto the country lane that led to her house. Dusk was well and truly falling but thankfully there was enough light to see the names of the houses on the gates along Elderbrook Lane.
The gates to Woodside Cottage were open, so Archie pulled the car into the gravelled driveway that ran down one side of the house before he climbed out and brushed his hands down himself to iron out the non-existent creases in his jeans. The cottage looked welcoming from the outside, slightly overshadowed by trees on the far side, and the glow from the small windows made him long to be inside, next to a cosy log fire. It looked as if all of its corners had been smoothed away, and the walls disappeared into the low overhang of the roof, all contributing to make it exactly the kind of house that he thought suited Nora perfectly.
He rapped the large circular knocker on the front door and almost immediately the door opened and Nora was there, smiling. Instantly, he felt himself relax. She looked beautiful. Her hair was swept back, and gathered low at her neck. Tendrils of hair escaped and gently waved around her face and shoulders. She was wearing a grass green coloured dress that reached almost to the floor but it was cinched in at the waist and had lots of tucks and things across the top and fitted her perfectly.
‘You look wonderful,’ he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek. It was how he’d been brought up, so there was nothing more to it than good manners as far as he was concerned, and he didn’t give it a second thought, but he noticed Nora blush slightly.
‘You look very good yourself,’ she said. ‘I love your shirt.’
‘Thank you. Do you know Jess from the haberdashery? She made it for me.’
‘Gosh, that’s incredible. I’m terrible at sewing.’
‘Well, I’m not sure how Jess’s pottery skills are.’
‘Speaking of pottery, I have something to show you. In the garden,’ she said, gesturing for him to step back outside. She locked the door, then led the way around to the back of the house. There was a little patio next to the kitchen door. ‘Here. I made these.’
There, bathed in the glow from the outside light, were two chimney pots.
Archie was speechless. She’d actually made him chimney pots for his house.
‘I know they’re quite plain. I really just wanted to get the feel for making them, and to find out whether they’d even fit. So try them out and if they’re okay, I can have a go at something more ornate.’
‘Nora,’ he said softly. ‘They’re incredible. Thank you so much.’ He turned to look at the car, which as his mother had constantly pointed out to his father, was the epitome of style over substance, since it didn’t have a back seat and the boot space wasn’t huge. ‘I think I’d better collect them in a more suitable vehicle, but I can’t wait to pop them on the roof.’
Nora was grinning. ‘I’m so glad you’re pleased. It at least makes me feel that I’m paying you back in some way for the use of your beautiful lake.’
‘There’s no need for you to worry about that but I’m all for a bartering system. I wonder if my roofer is into cold-water swimming?’
‘You never know,’ Nora said, laughing.
Archie grinned, feeling more relaxed with every moment he was in her company. ‘Right, we’d better go.’ He walked to the car and held open the passenger door, waiting while Nora climbed in and settled herself before he closed it and went around to the driver’s side. It felt amazing to have her beside him. He couldn’t quite believe how he found himself here.
‘This car is wonderful,’ she said as Archie reversed out of the driveway and headed along the lanes to town. She ran her hand over the polished walnut dashboard.
‘It was my father’s. Apparently, it’s entirely responsible for my parents ending up together.’
‘I can understand how the car might help if you were trying to woo someone.’
He chanced a glance at Nora to see whether there was anything to this comment other than an off-the-cuff remark. She flicked her eyes towards him before going back to looking out at the road ahead, but he thought he could see her suppressing a smile. It was hard to see now that it was dark.
