Page 33 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
‘You think I’m trying to woo you?’ The darkness, and Nora’s easy company made Archie feel bolder. For once, he wasn’t stifling what he wanted to say for fear of what the answer might be. Perhaps because he felt confident he wasn’t about to be rejected.
‘I do. I think you’re a surprising man, Archie, and I’m glad we’re friends. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.’
‘Likewise.’
They stuck to safer topics for the rest of the ten-minute journey, with Archie pointing out local landmarks, and Nora interested, asking questions about everything.
‘This is the park where the festival was held last year,’ he said, pointing it out, not that you could see an awful lot in the dark.
‘What’s the building over there? With the festival lights in the trees?’
‘That’s Croftwood Cinema. It had been derelict since I was a child, then Oliver from the coffee house, and his business partner, Patsy, renovated it. It’s very versatile now. They hold all sorts of events there. My mother went to see Singing in the Rain the other day, a special showing where they left the lights on so people could knit.’
‘How fantastic. I love it when people are innovative like that. It’s so inspiring.’
‘And they held part of the Croftwood Festival in there too. They had the book club during the day and music in the evening.’
Archie parked the car on the side of the road outside the restaurant and came to open the door for Nora, offering his hand as she climbed out of the low-slung seat.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
He smiled and put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her inside, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.
14
NORA HAD NEVER experienced such chivalry, and she was absolutely charmed by it. She could tell that it was Archie at his most natural, rather than a show being put on for her benefit. From the moment they left the car and she felt Archie’s hand on her back, to the way he held her chair out. All of it made Nora wonder why she had ever thought she might not be ready to explore a relationship with this man.
‘Would you like the dessert menu?’ the waiter asked as he cleared their plates.
Archie raised an eyebrow in question and after Nora confirmed with a nod, he said, ‘Yes, thank you.’
‘I don’t have room for pudding,’ Nora admitted, ‘but that pasta was so delicious, I bet they do an amazing tiramisu.’ She wasn’t ready for the evening to end and being too full seemed like a small price to pay to extend it.
‘Our cook, Mrs Milton, makes the best sticky toffee pudding in the world but I don’t think she’s ever turned out a tiramisu.’
‘I’m not sure how trendy it is these days but it was the only pudding you could get in the Italian we used to go to as students. We used to share a portion between us.’
‘Where did you got to university?’
‘I went to art college in Bristol. And then I stayed in that area afterwards.’
‘It must have been a big decision to leave there after such a long time. Brave.’
‘I don’t think I was being brave. On some level it was more like running away, trying to leave the past behind. I wanted a life that was mine, where I didn’t have to consider anyone else. I wanted things on my own terms. Gosh, that makes me sound so selfish.’
‘I’ve never had a relationship for anywhere near as long as yours was, but I imagine that when it ends, it’s important to find yourself again. Get used to being an individual again. That’s not the same as being selfish.’
‘The thing is, I always felt as if I’d kept my identity. I’ve built a career for myself and although Julian would take the credit for helping with that, as soon as I became vaguely successful, he was resentful. Not massively at first, but it built over the years and it took me a while to notice.’
‘What does he do?’
‘He’s a potter too. That was part of the problem. I suppose he didn’t understand why my stuff started selling better than his. He still doesn’t,’ she said with a soft laugh.
‘It sounds like jealousy as much as resentfulness.’
‘Mmm. I think once I realised that, it was probably over.’
‘I’m not sure someone who loves you would ever feel like that. I’d imagine you’d be each other’s champion, wanting the best things for each other. Always.’
