Page 56 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
‘I’m Lou,’ said Ben’s wife. ‘We usually swim on the other side of Worcester so this is a real treat. What do we do about paying?’
‘Oh, no. We’re not charging anything,’ said Nora. ‘If anything, we’re the guinea pigs for whether this will even work.’
‘Well, it’s beautiful,’ said Sam. ‘Far prettier than where we swim now.’
They all set about getting ready to swim. Hilary was very quiet, which Nora took to mean she was nervous.
‘Are you worried about swimming?’ she said to her quietly.
‘I know the thought of it is so much worse than it will actually be,’ said Hilary. ‘But I really don’t want a fish to touch me.’
Nora tried not to laugh. ‘I can’t count the number of times I’ve swum in here now, and I’ve never been touched by a fish. I’ve seen a couple but only at a distance.’
‘That’s reassuring, thank you,’ Hilary said, looking anything but reassured.
‘Come on, let’s get in together,’ said Nora. Patsy and Lois were already in and happily chatting as they swam side by side. Sam and Lou were easing themselves in off the dock, and Jess was already around the other side of the island.
Hilary started rolling her shoulders and exhaling as if she was about to do a race in the Olympics. ‘Let’s get it over with.’
Nora lowered herself in from the dock and stood, water lapping at her waist, waiting as Hilary did the same.
‘It’s not as cold as I expected,’ she said, surprised.
‘I think you’ve been smart to hang back for a couple of weeks. It’s warmed up a bit since the others started.’
‘See? Method in my madness,’ Hilary said laughing. She looked a lot more relaxed now.
‘Wave your wrists in the water. It’ll help you acclimatise before you dip down.’
‘Christ, it doesn’t feel quite as balmy now.’
‘You’ll be fine,’ said Nora, dipping down into the water so that her shoulders were under the surface.
Hilary seemed to be psyching herself up, then without warning, she dipped straight in and began treading water, even though they were still in the relative shallows. ‘I think it’s easier if I’m actually swimming. Can we go?’
‘Yes.’ Nora said, grinning, and pleased that Hilary was breathing normally already. If she was gasping from the cold shock, Nora would have made her stay near the dock until she’d acclimatised a bit more. ‘You should be pleased with yourself, Hilary.’
‘I am quite pleased,’ Hilary said, swimming beside her looking extremely chuffed. ‘What was I scared of? It’s wonderful.’
‘Are you bringing your kit to Dorset?’ Nora asked her as they swam together, out of earshot of Jess.
‘Absolutely not. I’m planning on a romantic weekend away and this look is not sexy.’
Nora laughed. ‘Fair enough. I’m hoping to tempt Archie into the sea. We’ve booked a place right on the beach.’
‘If anyone can persuade him, it’s you. If you’d told me I’d be in a lake in the middle of March, I’d never have believed you. And now look at me. Invincible.’ It had taken two thermal rash vests, thermal leggings and a full wetsuit before she’d taken the plunge, but she sounded more evangelical about the lake than any of them now.
To prepare for going to Dorset, Nora had spent the past week finishing two overseas orders so that she could take the following week off. The experiments with the new range were still ongoing after a less than successful firing. Neil had given her several notes, as if she didn’t know that the thickness of the clay hadn’t been uniform enough. Still, she was going to persist, and she was going to win. Because that was part of the fun of pottery. The challenges and frustrations made the triumphs and successes feel amazing. And knowing that was where the joy lay for Nora.
Archie had stayed at the Court the night before they were due to leave for Dorset, so that he could dine and spend the evening with Constance. That suited Nora, who was keen for some time alone ahead of spending a whole five days with Archie.
But it had surprised her how she’d become used to spending every night together, to the point where she felt the gaping void in her bed that night. She missed him and it was nice to have had the chance to notice that, even if it was unsettling. How had she gone from independent to this in only two months? And was it something she should be worried about?
By the time Archie came to collect her later that morning, Nora was well and truly chilled-out and ready for their break. She’d stayed at the lake, chatting around the fire-pit with everyone, until they drifted off bit by bit to go to work or whatever else they were doing. Nora had come home, finalised her packing, enjoying the fact that she wasn’t in a rush. She added in a couple of extra things that had been delivered the day before and were a surprise for Archie for when they were in Dorset.
‘Your carriage awaits!’ Archie called as he let himself in. ‘I’ll take your luggage out.’
Nora slurped the last of her tea, rinsed the mug and left it on the drainer, then pulled her boots on and grabbed her bag and coat.
