Page 52 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
‘I have a home, Archie,’ she said gently. Because it was important for her that they both knew exactly where they stood, and what the expectations were. It was so easy to blindly saunter into a relationship only to find that you had a fundamental incompatibility. Not that she and Julian had been incompatible, but what happened with him made her feel that the next relationship she had; this relationship, needed to be clear of misunderstanding. She was older now. Sure of what she wanted. And that was a great deal more autonomy, and independence from having to run her decisions past anyone.
Archie came to sit next to her on the sofa, lifting her legs up so that he could sit down, and then resting them on his lap. ‘Do you think we’re at that point where we ought to talk about the future?’ he asked.
Nora pulled her glasses off and laid them on her chest along with the book. ‘Maybe.’
‘Whatever happens, I’d never expect you to give up what you have to become the lady of the manor.’
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ she said, laughing. ‘I’m not sure I’d make a very good lady.’
‘I think you’d be perfect. But I know that’s not what you would want. And the best things about you are the things that make you independent and confident. I wouldn’t want to lose those.’
‘Neither would I.’ Nora wasn’t sure she could have explained exactly what her problem was with the idea that Archie might ask her to be his wife, but he had explained it for her. ‘I think we’re both old and wise enough to know that being together in the more traditional sense would mean too much compromise for either of us to be happy. I don’t want to change anything about my life. But when I’m not throwing pots or swimming, I’d like to spend as much of it as I can with you.’
Archie leant over and dropped a kiss onto her lips. ‘That’s all I want too.’
They went downstairs and ate dinner with Constance.
‘Penny told me that Seb is planning on asking some of his and Jess’s friends down to Dorset for the wedding,’ said Constance.
‘I still don’t think that means you, Mama,’ said Archie.
‘It’s only us, Oliver and Lois and Patsy and Matt,’ said Nora, who had been sworn to secrecy by Seb when he’d told her.
‘And Penny and her husband,’ Constance pointed out.
‘She does run the shop with Jess,’ Nora said reasonably.
‘Have you looked at where we might stay?’ Archie asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it might be better to put an end to the subject of Seb and Jess’s wedding.
‘I’ve emailed you a couple of options. So did you finish the book, Constance?’
‘Dorset can be wonderful in March,’ said Constance.
Archie put his knife and fork down. ‘Mama. Please.’
‘We’d better get going, Constance,’ Nora said.
Constance huffed and stood up, her eyes darting to Archie before she headed upstairs to get ready.
‘Gosh, she seems quite put out at not being invited.’
Archie sighed. ‘I know. I don’t think it’s about that at all. She has a bee in her bonnet about us, I think.’
‘What has she said?’ Nora was intrigued. She’d never mentioned to Archie what Constance has started to say when she came for dinner, but presumably it was along the same lines.
‘She feels I’m letting the side down by having a relationship with you where there is no commitment. In the traditional sense,’ he added quickly.
‘And what do you think?’
‘I think we’ve discussed it and we’re both happy with how things are and that’s all that matters.’
Nora grinned, pleased that he wasn’t about to conform to an outdated stereotype. ‘That is all that matters. That and choosing a place to stay in Dorset, because one of them is amazing. It’s within a stone’s throw of the beach.’
‘So you can swim in the sea?’
‘Yes, and unless you object, I’d like to book it tomorrow so have a look while we’re out and let me know. And might you swim in the sea?’ she asked, ever hopeful that one day they’d swim together, even if it wasn’t in the lake at Croftwood.
He laughed. ‘I’ll consider it. But it depends on the size of the waves and how sunny it is.’
