Page 82 of Old Girls Go Greek
My mobile buzzed, a text arriving. I saw with no great surprise that it was from Beryl.
Beryl
Rung him yet?
I didn’t answer because at that moment, Ivan returned with yet another unlucky mouse in his jaws which he deposited proudly on the floor. It immediately scurried behind the fridge, much to Ivan’s fury, and mine.
‘How am I supposed to get at that?’ I said.
I got down on the floor and peered hopefully underneath the fridge and Ivan did the same. We stared at each other for a moment and I laughed to think how ridiculous we must have looked.
It was doubtful I could move the fridge unless I emptied it, so I imagined I would have to bait a humane trap somewhere in the hopes the mouse would come out when the coast was clear.
‘I have better things to do than sort out your unpleasant habits,’ I said.
Ivan stalked off, offended, and then sprang onto the windowsill and knocked the Post-it note onto the floor.
And then he gave me a hard look, and if I hadn’t known that Ivan was solely motivated by food or sleep, I would have sworn he was trying to provoke me.
‘So you think I should ring him too?’ I said, picking up the note.
Ivan gave a soundless meow.
‘Oh, shut up,’ I said.
I rang Will five minutes later.
24
‘You got my message then?’ he said.
I laughed. ‘Well, yes or I wouldn’t be ringing you.’
‘Of course. What a daft thing to say. And did Jillian tell you why I left early?’
‘No, and that was two weeks ago. She just said you had to go home.’
He sighed a bit. ‘Oh dear. I am sorry. You must have thought I was very rude. That’s why I started researching the art group to find you. I felt quite the sleuth. I knew you weren’t far from Cheltenham and eventually I remembered the word Begley came into it, but I’d forgotten the English love of using the same name more than once. Begley on Wold, Begley Moor and Begley St James to name but three. And then I got on to Begley Mortimer and Begley by Ash. I spoke to a very odd man in Begley Norton who was very deaf and thought I was someone called Paul who wanted to buy his orchard. And I’m not sure we didn’t agree a price. Anyway, here we are, so…’
I could tell he was nervous, which was very disarming, and it somehow made the conversation easier.
‘Shall we meet up for a drink, and you can tell me all about it,’ I said.
Gosh, I was being unusually bold.
‘Love to,’ he said. ‘And then I can tell you all about my sister’s appendicitis, my brother-in-law being in New Zealand on a fishing trip and my nephews needing to be looked after until one of them could get home. I say looked after; they are teenagers. What I really mean is I needed to supervise their revision because they are in the middle of A levels and not let them play video games all night or throw open the house to the general public for a party.’
‘Ah,’ I said, and I expect he could hear the relief in my voice, ‘I see. Of course.’
‘Silly, isn’t it?’ he said, and I could tell he was smiling. ‘I didn’t want there to be any confusion. After everything.’
‘Great,’ I said. The grin on my face was so wide I could hardly speak properly.
‘And I have a present for you,’ he said. ‘It’s taken me ages to finish.’
A present. That was exciting.
‘It’s not the painting of Costas?’
