The Catch Up, page 23
“Yes. Why? Do you know it?” Lois sounded astonished. “The lady who owns it had put a note on the door saying she needed help. It’s not full-time, but it will be enough for me to live on.”
How nice to be able to say part time would be enough to live on.
“I went to school with Cally,” Jan said affably. “She is nice. Congratulations.”
Lois stared and her lip trembled. “It’s a long while since anyone congratulated me.”
* * * *
“And that was that. We agreed to draw a line under it, and she would like to apologise to you properly. But not today. The rest of today is for us.”
Thom nodded. “Then here we go…”
* * * *
Was it rude to press your ears to see if you really had heard properly? Probably. Jan decided she better not but instead go over in her mind what Thom had explained to her.
“I think I’ve got it straight,” she said cautiously. “Please shout out if I haven’t. Explain to me where I’ve gone wrong.”
“I won’t shout, that’s rude,” Thom said in a prim voice, then smiled. “Go on, tell me what you think, please.”
“Right then. Firstly, Moss has asked you to go in partnership with him and maybe someone else—if you agree—to set up your own production company?” To Thom’s obvious amusement, she ticked that off on one finger. “Set in Scotland but open to working where you think is right. Yes?”
He nodded. “Correct so far.”
“It would mean you spending more time here.”
“Also correct.”
Jan frowned. Something was niggling her.
“You say you want us to really be together, but if you are here and I’m in Hong Kong, won’t that be hard?”
“It will but, if we really do want to be a couple, and I do, we could sort something out I’m sure. In fact,” Thom got down on one knee, “I’ve intimated I’d be based in Hong Kong—if you agree to me sharing that part of your life with you. You see,” his voice was serious, “I love you and want us to be together. Will you marry me? Or at least think about it?”
Pardon? Did I hear that correctly? Oh my. Her mouth became dry, her heart missed a beat and her pulse became erratic. I’ve got all the signs of shock.
“I’ll think about it,” she said in a cautious manner. Stared at him, saw a cloud of what—Hurt? Worry?—flash through his eyes and realised she was being idiotic. It was what she wanted. Why on earth was she being so stupid? Talk about a Victorian maiden. She might as well have fluttered her eyelashes, twisted her hands together and done the ‘oh my, this is so sudden, I have no idea what to say’ routine. Then fainted and needed reviving. With a kiss?
“I’ve thought about it,” she said, and grinned. “Yes, please. When?”
Thom got up, pulled her to her feet then swung her around before kissing her soundly. Jan returned the kiss with enjoyment and increasing passion. When they finally drew apart her breath was choppy, she was hot, sure she was flushed, and her skin tingled.
“Wow. Kissing is much better when you’re properly engaged.” Jan flapped her hand over her face, laughed and gave Thom a quick hug.
“I’ve got news for you as well.” She tugged him to sit on the settee and snuggled beside him. “Just before I went across to the meeting I sent an email to May, my boss. I said that after careful consideration, I might be able to accommodate their suggestion that I spent more time in the UK as their European representative. I was going to see ask you what you thought of that suggestion.”
Thom stared at her. If only she could work out what he was thinking. As ever, when he wanted it to be, his expression was blank.
“But you adore Hong Kong,” he said. She’d be happy to leave it for months? “It’s not fair asking you to move elsewhere.”
“You didn’t ask, love. I suggested it,” Jan said with a happy laugh. “To be precise, the company did before I even got here, and at first I said a flat no, which is why I hadn’t mentioned anything about it before. They are amenable to me keeping on the house in Sai Kung as long as I spend part of the year there and part here, in Europe. And, if I need it, they’d give me an allowance for a house here as well. What do you reckon?”
“I reckon you are remarkable,” Thom said hoarsely. “We could swing between here and there as the mood—or the jobs—take us. Do I take it you think I should say yes to Moss? It will be hard work, but I’m not bothered about that. I’ll be a bit short of spare cash, but I have enough saved to put in for our startups. He’s got some ideas on what we should do first, and now I can put him out of his misery and say yes, I’m in, we can decide what to ask of the other person we think might be interested.”
“What about the TV series of this film?”
That had been one of their niggles. That and Lois of course. Plus, he was certain Jan was curious who the mysterious ‘other person’ was. If he had been free to divulge that, he would have done.
“I thought that was next?”
“If it goes ahead I’ll see, I’m not contracted or anything.” Thom held his hands up in a ‘who knows’ gesture. “At the moment I reckon it’s very up in the air. As in, I can’t see anything happening with it. This filming is just about wrapped up, no talk of more as yet. I’m lucky, I do have another job lined up. I’ve got a month before I start it.” He grinned. “I play a convict who has just got out of jail and heads to a deserted croft to think over what next. Gets mixed up with poachers, the polis, the local lady laird. It sounds weird but the script is fabulous. It’s supposed to be a one-off, but I’m not so sure. Anyway, time will tell. Coincidentally, it’s set in Scotland.”
“With a croft in it I did wonder.” Jan laughed. “Good planning?”
“Good luck more like,” he said honestly. “And between you and me, I’m in the running for a part in a new drama series set in Hong Kong. Keep everything crossed for that.”
“Everything,” Jan assured him. “And you won’t need to hunt for digs. Mind you, except for the Lois perfume, that apartment you had was bloody great.”
“But you weren’t in it with me. Sai Kung is preferable. Oh, and about where to live here, I have a suggestion. Have you got tomorrow morning free?”
“If I hadn’t I would have now. Why?”
“Wait and see.”
* * * *
The following morning Thom hauled Jan out of bed as soon as it was light. “Early start today. I’ll make coffee.” He smiled at her thoroughly rumpled, thoroughly loved appearance. “You look like a sleepy dormouse.”
“Thanks for that. Proper thanks for coffee. Give me ten minutes.”
“You can have twenty.”
* * * *
“I’m all a-wondering where we are off to.” Jan wriggled in her seat as Thom headed down the drive. “You going to give me any clues?”
“Nope.” He tapped his nose. “Patience, hon, not too long to wait. Twenty, thirty minutes max.” He’d borrowed Moss’ sturdy, larger-than-his-own four-by-four vehicle for the journey. It wasn’t that far to go, but the distance could be cut by a third if they used a couple of tracks and single-lane roads. “That’s a clue.”
Jam huffed. “If you say so. The coast? The ben? The town?”
“Not saying. Hold on, this is going to be a wee bit bumpy but it cuts the corner off, so to speak.” Thom turned onto a rutted track which, by the looks of it, had recently seen cows driven down it. “This is on land owned by a friend so we can use it. Not that there is a law against trespass here. I could have taken you along roads but thought this would be more fun.”
“Fun… Ah, okay.” Jan held onto the door handle as Thom braced himself to drive over one of the deeper ruts.
Damn it, he’d known it would be bad but after no rain the ruts were rock-hard and deep. It was lucky it only went for a few more hundred yards. “Half a mile of hell to save five,” he said as they reached the end of a lane and turned onto a minor road that also had evidence of cows’ presence. “Then only about ten more miles. No points for guessing.”
“Okay I won’t guess Easter Archraig, then.”
Thom laughed. “What makes you think there, clever clogs?”
Jan grinned smugly. “You always said if you could live anywhere that’s where it would be. I’m having a wild guess here, but I’m sort of thinking there might be a house for sale and we’re off to see it. It’s not too far from the airport or shops and it’s a village that has all anyone needs.”
Thom laughed. He’d had a bet with himself he wouldn’t be able to deceive Jan. “Almost but not quite. We are going to see a house there, but it’s not up for sale.”
“Not? Then why? Ahh.”
Thom saw the moment Jan got his drift.
“You have one there? Wow! Where? What’s it like? Is it—”
“You’ll see in five minutes.” Thom broke into her myriad, bullet-fast questions. “I bought it several years ago and I’ve been doing it up as and when I had the time or the money. Now I’ve got a bit of both I thought, if you liked it and we agreed it could be our Scottish base we could get some workmen in to finish it. I’ve enjoyed the bits I’ve done but some things needed and still do need professionals. It’s been rewired, new water pipes put in and a new bathroom. They’re all professionally done and to the required specifications of course. I’m no plumber. Putting a washer on a tap is about my limit. The house needs a better kitchen, that was next on my agenda. A Welsh dresser, a press, a sink, fridge and Aga aren’t really enough. The press makes a good larder, and I’ve added an old bookshelf to use as a sort of pantry for now, but it needs doing up.”
“It sounds like it.” Jan wriggled and bounced a little. “Exciting. Can’t wait.”
“You don’t need to.” Thom turned off the main road—if it could be called that—and drove up a narrow side street until the road opened out and circled a tiny duck pond and a patch of grass. He pulled up outside what he’d call a traditional Scottish cottage. One-and-a-half stories, with the bedrooms in the roof. “This is it. Two old farm cottages knocked into one. That means we get two good-sized bedrooms and a smaller one. That gives us space for two bathrooms, one of them is en suite. Downstairs there’s a large open-plan living-kitchen-diner, separate lounge or snug or whatever you want to call it, and a broom cupboard for an office. Gah, I sound like a seller singing its praises.”
“You do sound like an estate agent. A broom cupboard?” Jan got out and stared at him over the bonnet of the car. “Seriously?”
He shook his head and grinned at her mock-scowl. Or he thought it was put on. Hopefully. “Small but not that small, big enough for a desk and cupboards and so on. Earmarked for you, if it all works.”
“What about you?”
“There’s a really not much bigger than a broom cupboard room off the hall. I think it was originally a place for storing coats and outdoor stuff. There’s a porch for them now. It would do me for all the times I’ll use it. The cupboard, not the porch. Anyway, instead of talking about it, how about us going in and you can see?” He was both curious and concerned to hear what Jan thought. “Give me your honest opinion.” He loved the place and had poured a lot of time and effort into it, but if it wasn’t to Jan’s taste then he would think again. It was only bricks and mortar and hard graft already completed. In the past.
Jan was his future.
A sudden sharp spatter of raindrops made him grimace. “Let’s make a dash for the porch.” Once there, he took out a key and unlocked the door to usher her in.
There was a loud pitched ringing. Jan looked at him with alarm. “What the?”
“Security.” That’s what came from being gallant. He had forgotten all about it. “Give me a sec.” He punched in the security code and there was a blessed silence. “All fine now.”
She let out her breath. “Phew. Good. You had me worried for a bit. I had visions of us being carted off to explain who we were and what we were doing. Crazy. How long did you have to turn it off?”
“Long enough. I’ve never actually discovered that because I always until now remember about it. Anyway, as you are now in my parlour, so to speak, have a wander and let me know your thoughts on what you see.” He’d never felt so anxious in his life about anything. Not even passing his finals at uni, or his driving test. “Take your time and be nosy and I’ll wait in the kitchen, make coffee and bite my nails.”
Jan nodded. If she was on her own and hated the place it would give her time to compose herself and think of a pleasant way of saying it wasn’t her cup of tea and to try to find an alternative. “Can I look in there first, though? The kitchen.”
“Love, you can look where you want whenever you want. Unless it’s the loo and I’m in there.” Thom rolled his eyes. “My time then.”
“Fair enough.” She grinned. “I prefer privacy there myself. Which door? Not the loo, the kitchen.”
Tom pointed towards a door. “That one. To the left.”
Jan opened the door he indicated, gazed into the room beyond and gasped. She’d never expected to see what she stared at. “Oh my! This is something else. It’s gorgeous.” It might not be finished, but the potential for an amazing family room was there. ”Love the colour scheme.”
Behind her she heard Thom chuckle. “It’s not bad, is it?”
“Not bad?” Jan turned away from viewing the delights ahead of her and glared at Thom. “Understatement there.”
His smile nigh-on split his face. “A four-door Aga with a stove attached that gives out constant heat. That fabulous fridge in mint green, and ohh, a plate rack. For some weird reason, I love plate racks, even if you do need to keep washing clean plates to be able to use them.”
“Eh? You’ve lost me.”
Come to think of it, that doesn’t make sense. “Because if the kitchen door is open, there’s often a bit of dust floating around. Plates are out, so it can land on them. I once saw a plate rack behind glass doors. I think that’s a good idea. But seriously, this is amazing. All that gorgeousness to be played with? What a brilliant start to a viewing.”
“Don’t forget the Welsh dresser and a vast expanse of emptiness,” Thom added. “One sort-of-comfy chair and a wee table with a wobbly leg. All home comforts.”
Jan swatted him with her scarf. “Don’t be negative. That vast space is perfect. You know as well as I do it has so much potential. You wouldn’t have bought it otherwise.” She wandered across the half-empty room and visualised where she, if she did end up living there, would put a settee or two and a big dining table. The settees to take advantage of that glorious view of the garden. The window was south facing, and the view from it encompassed the good-sized garden and the hills beyond. Perfect.
At one time, she thought, the room must have been the whole downstairs area of one of the cottages, and she could imagine the garden was one of the advantages of living there.
Thom cleared his throat and she turned to look at him with her eyebrows raised in question.
“You stood still and silent for so long I wondered if you were all right,” he said. “Asleep on your feet or turned into a pillar of salt.”
“Cheek. Like Lot’s wife, eh? I was admiring the view. You sit in the sort-of-comfy chair and let me carry on my nosy.” She didn’t wait to see if Thom complied but went back into the hall to continue her walk around.
There was nothing about the cottage she didn’t like, Jan decided as she wandered from room to room. Yes, it still needed a lot of work doing to it, but on the whole it was perfect for them. Thom even had a super-king-sized bed…and not much else in what she assumed was the main bedroom. It was certainly the biggest, anyway, and had the en suite he’d mentioned. As he had also mentioned, the main bathroom had been refitted, and the plain white loo, basin and bath were totally to Jan’s taste. So was the walk-in rainforest shower. She itched to try that big-enough-for-two space out. The image of her and Thom in it, naked and making love, was hard to dispel. Jan shook her head at her wayward thoughts and moved out of the room at a smart pace. There was no time for those thoughts at that moment. Later, maybe!
It didn’t take her long to check out the rest of the cottage. The other two bedrooms were a decent size and cried out to be furnished. She’d have fun doing that. Would Thom mind her saying how his house should look?
He said it’s ours. Nevertheless, Jan made a note to remember to suggest and discuss, not state how things should be.
Back downstairs she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Did that mean visitors? Damn, I’m not in the mood for socialising. I want to finish looking around, then tell Thom yes please and talk about what we do next. Not make polite conversation to someone I probably don’t know. She stood outside the kitchen door, uncertain whether to go in or not, and listened intently.
It was a radio or TV, which meant Thom must have either been listening to something on his phone, or he’d got either of them hidden away in the dresser. She moved on.
It didn’t take long to check out the other few rooms. He’d been right about the so-called broom cupboard. It wasn’t spacious, but it would work. Jan accepted without compunction she’d let Thom have that and she’d go for the smaller of the other two rooms as an office, leaving the other room to be their snug.
She went back into the kitchen with a grin on her face.
“I love it,” she said as Thom looked up quizzically from studying his phone. “When can we move in?”
He wiped his brow in a very over-the-top manner. “Whew. Thank goodness. When do you want to?”
“Tomorrow,” Jan said promptly. “However, I accept that’s maybe a bit premature. As soon as we can. I’ve all but wrapped up at Romansa Castle, which I’ve decided is well named, and I’ve got a month or so before I have to go back to work in Hong Kong.”
“I’m all yours.”
Tom leered. “Oh, that sounds good.”
Jan batted him with her fingers. As long as he was all hers as well. “I hope it is. So, what do you reckon?”
“I thought you were off to Portugal?” Thom said. “When do you go there?”
How nice to be able to say part time would be enough to live on.
“I went to school with Cally,” Jan said affably. “She is nice. Congratulations.”
Lois stared and her lip trembled. “It’s a long while since anyone congratulated me.”
* * * *
“And that was that. We agreed to draw a line under it, and she would like to apologise to you properly. But not today. The rest of today is for us.”
Thom nodded. “Then here we go…”
* * * *
Was it rude to press your ears to see if you really had heard properly? Probably. Jan decided she better not but instead go over in her mind what Thom had explained to her.
“I think I’ve got it straight,” she said cautiously. “Please shout out if I haven’t. Explain to me where I’ve gone wrong.”
“I won’t shout, that’s rude,” Thom said in a prim voice, then smiled. “Go on, tell me what you think, please.”
“Right then. Firstly, Moss has asked you to go in partnership with him and maybe someone else—if you agree—to set up your own production company?” To Thom’s obvious amusement, she ticked that off on one finger. “Set in Scotland but open to working where you think is right. Yes?”
He nodded. “Correct so far.”
“It would mean you spending more time here.”
“Also correct.”
Jan frowned. Something was niggling her.
“You say you want us to really be together, but if you are here and I’m in Hong Kong, won’t that be hard?”
“It will but, if we really do want to be a couple, and I do, we could sort something out I’m sure. In fact,” Thom got down on one knee, “I’ve intimated I’d be based in Hong Kong—if you agree to me sharing that part of your life with you. You see,” his voice was serious, “I love you and want us to be together. Will you marry me? Or at least think about it?”
Pardon? Did I hear that correctly? Oh my. Her mouth became dry, her heart missed a beat and her pulse became erratic. I’ve got all the signs of shock.
“I’ll think about it,” she said in a cautious manner. Stared at him, saw a cloud of what—Hurt? Worry?—flash through his eyes and realised she was being idiotic. It was what she wanted. Why on earth was she being so stupid? Talk about a Victorian maiden. She might as well have fluttered her eyelashes, twisted her hands together and done the ‘oh my, this is so sudden, I have no idea what to say’ routine. Then fainted and needed reviving. With a kiss?
“I’ve thought about it,” she said, and grinned. “Yes, please. When?”
Thom got up, pulled her to her feet then swung her around before kissing her soundly. Jan returned the kiss with enjoyment and increasing passion. When they finally drew apart her breath was choppy, she was hot, sure she was flushed, and her skin tingled.
“Wow. Kissing is much better when you’re properly engaged.” Jan flapped her hand over her face, laughed and gave Thom a quick hug.
“I’ve got news for you as well.” She tugged him to sit on the settee and snuggled beside him. “Just before I went across to the meeting I sent an email to May, my boss. I said that after careful consideration, I might be able to accommodate their suggestion that I spent more time in the UK as their European representative. I was going to see ask you what you thought of that suggestion.”
Thom stared at her. If only she could work out what he was thinking. As ever, when he wanted it to be, his expression was blank.
“But you adore Hong Kong,” he said. She’d be happy to leave it for months? “It’s not fair asking you to move elsewhere.”
“You didn’t ask, love. I suggested it,” Jan said with a happy laugh. “To be precise, the company did before I even got here, and at first I said a flat no, which is why I hadn’t mentioned anything about it before. They are amenable to me keeping on the house in Sai Kung as long as I spend part of the year there and part here, in Europe. And, if I need it, they’d give me an allowance for a house here as well. What do you reckon?”
“I reckon you are remarkable,” Thom said hoarsely. “We could swing between here and there as the mood—or the jobs—take us. Do I take it you think I should say yes to Moss? It will be hard work, but I’m not bothered about that. I’ll be a bit short of spare cash, but I have enough saved to put in for our startups. He’s got some ideas on what we should do first, and now I can put him out of his misery and say yes, I’m in, we can decide what to ask of the other person we think might be interested.”
“What about the TV series of this film?”
That had been one of their niggles. That and Lois of course. Plus, he was certain Jan was curious who the mysterious ‘other person’ was. If he had been free to divulge that, he would have done.
“I thought that was next?”
“If it goes ahead I’ll see, I’m not contracted or anything.” Thom held his hands up in a ‘who knows’ gesture. “At the moment I reckon it’s very up in the air. As in, I can’t see anything happening with it. This filming is just about wrapped up, no talk of more as yet. I’m lucky, I do have another job lined up. I’ve got a month before I start it.” He grinned. “I play a convict who has just got out of jail and heads to a deserted croft to think over what next. Gets mixed up with poachers, the polis, the local lady laird. It sounds weird but the script is fabulous. It’s supposed to be a one-off, but I’m not so sure. Anyway, time will tell. Coincidentally, it’s set in Scotland.”
“With a croft in it I did wonder.” Jan laughed. “Good planning?”
“Good luck more like,” he said honestly. “And between you and me, I’m in the running for a part in a new drama series set in Hong Kong. Keep everything crossed for that.”
“Everything,” Jan assured him. “And you won’t need to hunt for digs. Mind you, except for the Lois perfume, that apartment you had was bloody great.”
“But you weren’t in it with me. Sai Kung is preferable. Oh, and about where to live here, I have a suggestion. Have you got tomorrow morning free?”
“If I hadn’t I would have now. Why?”
“Wait and see.”
* * * *
The following morning Thom hauled Jan out of bed as soon as it was light. “Early start today. I’ll make coffee.” He smiled at her thoroughly rumpled, thoroughly loved appearance. “You look like a sleepy dormouse.”
“Thanks for that. Proper thanks for coffee. Give me ten minutes.”
“You can have twenty.”
* * * *
“I’m all a-wondering where we are off to.” Jan wriggled in her seat as Thom headed down the drive. “You going to give me any clues?”
“Nope.” He tapped his nose. “Patience, hon, not too long to wait. Twenty, thirty minutes max.” He’d borrowed Moss’ sturdy, larger-than-his-own four-by-four vehicle for the journey. It wasn’t that far to go, but the distance could be cut by a third if they used a couple of tracks and single-lane roads. “That’s a clue.”
Jam huffed. “If you say so. The coast? The ben? The town?”
“Not saying. Hold on, this is going to be a wee bit bumpy but it cuts the corner off, so to speak.” Thom turned onto a rutted track which, by the looks of it, had recently seen cows driven down it. “This is on land owned by a friend so we can use it. Not that there is a law against trespass here. I could have taken you along roads but thought this would be more fun.”
“Fun… Ah, okay.” Jan held onto the door handle as Thom braced himself to drive over one of the deeper ruts.
Damn it, he’d known it would be bad but after no rain the ruts were rock-hard and deep. It was lucky it only went for a few more hundred yards. “Half a mile of hell to save five,” he said as they reached the end of a lane and turned onto a minor road that also had evidence of cows’ presence. “Then only about ten more miles. No points for guessing.”
“Okay I won’t guess Easter Archraig, then.”
Thom laughed. “What makes you think there, clever clogs?”
Jan grinned smugly. “You always said if you could live anywhere that’s where it would be. I’m having a wild guess here, but I’m sort of thinking there might be a house for sale and we’re off to see it. It’s not too far from the airport or shops and it’s a village that has all anyone needs.”
Thom laughed. He’d had a bet with himself he wouldn’t be able to deceive Jan. “Almost but not quite. We are going to see a house there, but it’s not up for sale.”
“Not? Then why? Ahh.”
Thom saw the moment Jan got his drift.
“You have one there? Wow! Where? What’s it like? Is it—”
“You’ll see in five minutes.” Thom broke into her myriad, bullet-fast questions. “I bought it several years ago and I’ve been doing it up as and when I had the time or the money. Now I’ve got a bit of both I thought, if you liked it and we agreed it could be our Scottish base we could get some workmen in to finish it. I’ve enjoyed the bits I’ve done but some things needed and still do need professionals. It’s been rewired, new water pipes put in and a new bathroom. They’re all professionally done and to the required specifications of course. I’m no plumber. Putting a washer on a tap is about my limit. The house needs a better kitchen, that was next on my agenda. A Welsh dresser, a press, a sink, fridge and Aga aren’t really enough. The press makes a good larder, and I’ve added an old bookshelf to use as a sort of pantry for now, but it needs doing up.”
“It sounds like it.” Jan wriggled and bounced a little. “Exciting. Can’t wait.”
“You don’t need to.” Thom turned off the main road—if it could be called that—and drove up a narrow side street until the road opened out and circled a tiny duck pond and a patch of grass. He pulled up outside what he’d call a traditional Scottish cottage. One-and-a-half stories, with the bedrooms in the roof. “This is it. Two old farm cottages knocked into one. That means we get two good-sized bedrooms and a smaller one. That gives us space for two bathrooms, one of them is en suite. Downstairs there’s a large open-plan living-kitchen-diner, separate lounge or snug or whatever you want to call it, and a broom cupboard for an office. Gah, I sound like a seller singing its praises.”
“You do sound like an estate agent. A broom cupboard?” Jan got out and stared at him over the bonnet of the car. “Seriously?”
He shook his head and grinned at her mock-scowl. Or he thought it was put on. Hopefully. “Small but not that small, big enough for a desk and cupboards and so on. Earmarked for you, if it all works.”
“What about you?”
“There’s a really not much bigger than a broom cupboard room off the hall. I think it was originally a place for storing coats and outdoor stuff. There’s a porch for them now. It would do me for all the times I’ll use it. The cupboard, not the porch. Anyway, instead of talking about it, how about us going in and you can see?” He was both curious and concerned to hear what Jan thought. “Give me your honest opinion.” He loved the place and had poured a lot of time and effort into it, but if it wasn’t to Jan’s taste then he would think again. It was only bricks and mortar and hard graft already completed. In the past.
Jan was his future.
A sudden sharp spatter of raindrops made him grimace. “Let’s make a dash for the porch.” Once there, he took out a key and unlocked the door to usher her in.
There was a loud pitched ringing. Jan looked at him with alarm. “What the?”
“Security.” That’s what came from being gallant. He had forgotten all about it. “Give me a sec.” He punched in the security code and there was a blessed silence. “All fine now.”
She let out her breath. “Phew. Good. You had me worried for a bit. I had visions of us being carted off to explain who we were and what we were doing. Crazy. How long did you have to turn it off?”
“Long enough. I’ve never actually discovered that because I always until now remember about it. Anyway, as you are now in my parlour, so to speak, have a wander and let me know your thoughts on what you see.” He’d never felt so anxious in his life about anything. Not even passing his finals at uni, or his driving test. “Take your time and be nosy and I’ll wait in the kitchen, make coffee and bite my nails.”
Jan nodded. If she was on her own and hated the place it would give her time to compose herself and think of a pleasant way of saying it wasn’t her cup of tea and to try to find an alternative. “Can I look in there first, though? The kitchen.”
“Love, you can look where you want whenever you want. Unless it’s the loo and I’m in there.” Thom rolled his eyes. “My time then.”
“Fair enough.” She grinned. “I prefer privacy there myself. Which door? Not the loo, the kitchen.”
Tom pointed towards a door. “That one. To the left.”
Jan opened the door he indicated, gazed into the room beyond and gasped. She’d never expected to see what she stared at. “Oh my! This is something else. It’s gorgeous.” It might not be finished, but the potential for an amazing family room was there. ”Love the colour scheme.”
Behind her she heard Thom chuckle. “It’s not bad, is it?”
“Not bad?” Jan turned away from viewing the delights ahead of her and glared at Thom. “Understatement there.”
His smile nigh-on split his face. “A four-door Aga with a stove attached that gives out constant heat. That fabulous fridge in mint green, and ohh, a plate rack. For some weird reason, I love plate racks, even if you do need to keep washing clean plates to be able to use them.”
“Eh? You’ve lost me.”
Come to think of it, that doesn’t make sense. “Because if the kitchen door is open, there’s often a bit of dust floating around. Plates are out, so it can land on them. I once saw a plate rack behind glass doors. I think that’s a good idea. But seriously, this is amazing. All that gorgeousness to be played with? What a brilliant start to a viewing.”
“Don’t forget the Welsh dresser and a vast expanse of emptiness,” Thom added. “One sort-of-comfy chair and a wee table with a wobbly leg. All home comforts.”
Jan swatted him with her scarf. “Don’t be negative. That vast space is perfect. You know as well as I do it has so much potential. You wouldn’t have bought it otherwise.” She wandered across the half-empty room and visualised where she, if she did end up living there, would put a settee or two and a big dining table. The settees to take advantage of that glorious view of the garden. The window was south facing, and the view from it encompassed the good-sized garden and the hills beyond. Perfect.
At one time, she thought, the room must have been the whole downstairs area of one of the cottages, and she could imagine the garden was one of the advantages of living there.
Thom cleared his throat and she turned to look at him with her eyebrows raised in question.
“You stood still and silent for so long I wondered if you were all right,” he said. “Asleep on your feet or turned into a pillar of salt.”
“Cheek. Like Lot’s wife, eh? I was admiring the view. You sit in the sort-of-comfy chair and let me carry on my nosy.” She didn’t wait to see if Thom complied but went back into the hall to continue her walk around.
There was nothing about the cottage she didn’t like, Jan decided as she wandered from room to room. Yes, it still needed a lot of work doing to it, but on the whole it was perfect for them. Thom even had a super-king-sized bed…and not much else in what she assumed was the main bedroom. It was certainly the biggest, anyway, and had the en suite he’d mentioned. As he had also mentioned, the main bathroom had been refitted, and the plain white loo, basin and bath were totally to Jan’s taste. So was the walk-in rainforest shower. She itched to try that big-enough-for-two space out. The image of her and Thom in it, naked and making love, was hard to dispel. Jan shook her head at her wayward thoughts and moved out of the room at a smart pace. There was no time for those thoughts at that moment. Later, maybe!
It didn’t take her long to check out the rest of the cottage. The other two bedrooms were a decent size and cried out to be furnished. She’d have fun doing that. Would Thom mind her saying how his house should look?
He said it’s ours. Nevertheless, Jan made a note to remember to suggest and discuss, not state how things should be.
Back downstairs she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Did that mean visitors? Damn, I’m not in the mood for socialising. I want to finish looking around, then tell Thom yes please and talk about what we do next. Not make polite conversation to someone I probably don’t know. She stood outside the kitchen door, uncertain whether to go in or not, and listened intently.
It was a radio or TV, which meant Thom must have either been listening to something on his phone, or he’d got either of them hidden away in the dresser. She moved on.
It didn’t take long to check out the other few rooms. He’d been right about the so-called broom cupboard. It wasn’t spacious, but it would work. Jan accepted without compunction she’d let Thom have that and she’d go for the smaller of the other two rooms as an office, leaving the other room to be their snug.
She went back into the kitchen with a grin on her face.
“I love it,” she said as Thom looked up quizzically from studying his phone. “When can we move in?”
He wiped his brow in a very over-the-top manner. “Whew. Thank goodness. When do you want to?”
“Tomorrow,” Jan said promptly. “However, I accept that’s maybe a bit premature. As soon as we can. I’ve all but wrapped up at Romansa Castle, which I’ve decided is well named, and I’ve got a month or so before I have to go back to work in Hong Kong.”
“I’m all yours.”
Tom leered. “Oh, that sounds good.”
Jan batted him with her fingers. As long as he was all hers as well. “I hope it is. So, what do you reckon?”
“I thought you were off to Portugal?” Thom said. “When do you go there?”
