The next day Malcolm was safely settled in his room at La Folie, having been given the all clear by his doctor. Not that he showed any inclination to spend much time there; as soon as he had unpacked his belongings, he expressed the desire to go and sit in the garden.
‘Are you sure you’re up to it?’ Louisa asked.
‘Wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t. I need to breathe in that sea air after that stuffy hospital room. You can accompany me, if it will make you feel better.’
Malcolm was right. The invigorating air brought a healthy colour to his cheeks as they sat on a bench. The walk downstairs had been slow as he insisted he could do it unaided. Louisa stayed by his side at all times, as she would have done with her physio patients. Guests and staff kept coming up and asking how he was. Louisa quietly observed her father making light of his fall. The occasional curious glance was cast in her direction, but she simply smiled in return. When Malcolm decided he had sat enough they walked the few yards inside for lunch. Fortunately, they were allowed to eat undisturbed before Malcolm was collected for his physio appointment. He made it clear he hated being escorted everywhere, but Paul had made it obligatory if he did not want to spend all the time in his room. Louisa headed off for a massage. She had missed Lin’s soothing touch the last few days and it was not long before she drifted off, lulled by softly playing music and the heavenly scent of the oils. Bliss!
The following afternoon, coming back from a swim, Louisa bumped into Paul.
‘Ah, Louisa, was hoping to see you. I’ve invited Malc to join me for dinner tonight in my rooms and would love you to join us. And you needn’t worry about my cooking as Chef’s preparing the food again,’ he said, smiling broadly.
‘Right, that would…be great, thanks. What, um, time?’ she replied, taken aback. At least it wouldn’t be as intimate as last time, Malcolm providing a substantial chaperone.
‘Say seven-thirty? I look forward to seeing you later. Bye.’ He gave her a quick hug and left.
As she continued her way upstairs, Louisa remembered what Charlotte had said about the way Paul looked at her. His smile had been warm, lighting up his eyes. But didn’t he smile like that at everyone? She couldn’t remember, but would take more notice in future.
*
Malcolm did not want to admit it, but he had been shaken to the core by his TIA and the resulting skull fracture. For the past few years he had made a determined effort to become as fit and healthy as possible, not wanting to die of the invidious disease that claimed his mother. His embracement of healthy living informed the ethos behind La Folie. So it came as a shock to be told he had suffered a minor stroke. But he concealed his reaction well, his pride did not allow for any public display of weakness. Although apparently critical of the suggestion he move into the centre for a few days, he was actually quite relieved. The fear of suffering another TIA while on his own sucked at the core of his being. He wanted – needed – time for the meds to kick in before he returned to his apartment. And physically, he was nowhere near up to par. As he sat at his bedroom window, watching the ever-present gulls swooping up over the cliff, then down again to the sea, he felt as vulnerable as he had when a small boy. Then, he had yearned for the support and protection of a father, not understanding why he was absent.
His mother had tried to explain.
‘When you were still a baby in my tummy, darling, a bad man got angry with your daddy and hit him very hard. Daddy…was hurt badly and…and he died and went up to heaven, with the angels. But he…didn’t want to leave, he loved me very much and…and was so happy that you were growing inside me. He’d put his hand on my tummy to feel you kicking and…laugh,’ she said, wiping away tears from her eyes. It had made him sad too, to think of his father in heaven with the angels; whenever he had to recite the prayer, beginning, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven…’ he thought it referred to his father and it pleased him that everyone was praying to him. Until one day he learnt the truth. And he had lost even that comfort.
Malcolm was the odd one out at school; everyone else had a father and he got picked on by the class bully. He learnt quickly that he needed to stand up for himself or he would be lost. As soon as he was old enough, he learnt karate from an old Japanese guy who had settled in Canada before the war. From then on, he was left alone. But he still missed the father he could never know.
He continued to stare, unseeing, out of the window, knowing his fear was of death; his own mortality. He had not given it much thought till now, somehow feeling he was invincible. Or at least that death was a mere speck on the horizon. But now that speck had morphed into the ubiquitous grim reaper and he could almost feel the sound of the scythe slicing through the air. He shuddered, telling himself to stop being so fanciful. Yeh, he’d had a scare, but so what? Didn’t mean he was about to “shuffle off this mortal coil” or whatever it was Hamlet had harped on about. Get a grip, man! If you go on like this, you’ll have another stroke and it’ll be goodnight, Malcolm! He stood up and stretched. Glancing at his watch, he saw he had an hour before dinner with Paul and decided to catch up on his emails. It would be ironic if people thought he had died because they had not heard from him for a few days. Waiting for his laptop to boot up, his mind wandered to his daughter. A pleasurable glow warmed his heart. Now, there was someone to keep him going for a few more years! Louisa had shown real concern for him when he was taken ill and it had been a long time since anyone had done that. Except Paul, of course. He was the son he never had, but now there was a flesh and blood daughter too and Malcolm considered himself very fortunate to have two such caring and bright young people by his side. Dinner promised to be fun. If a little tiring.
That evening Chef sent up a mini-banquet, albeit an extremely healthy one. As Malcolm had to forgo alcohol for the moment, fresh juices accompanied the food. But the mood was still buoyant as Paul entertained them with stories from his trips around the world, geared to make them laugh. Malcolm was touched; the two people he was fondest of seemed determined to make him forget the drama of the past few days and simply chill out.
‘Do you have any amusing tales from your trips abroad, Louisa?’ Paul asked as they were finishing their fresh fruit and yogurt.
Her face screwed up in concentration for a moment and then she laughed. ‘Well, there was this time when I was in Madrid with a girlfriend and we wandered into the red light district by mistake. This Spanish guy came up and asked how much for a threesome…’ As she described what happened next Malcolm joined in with the laughter. Facing them, he noticed Paul lean towards Louisa, touching her arm in a particularly friendly way; his smile lighting up his eyes. Louisa’s answering flush spoke volumes. Ahah! These two fancy one another. Wonder if they’ve said anything? Would be great if they got together. I’ll have to encourage Paul, let him know I approve. Might be awkward for him, me being her father.
*
The next few days passed quickly for Louisa. Alternating her time between Malcolm and Charlotte, enjoying long chats and walks with her friend and more sedentary time with her father. Even after Malcolm declared himself fit enough to return home, he popped back to La Folie each day for physio and a swim. It became a regular occurrence to see him pacing Louisa up and down the length of the pool before flopping onto adjoining loungers for a juice. She was happy to see her father slowly recovering the vitality he had shown before his fall and her worry about him eased. One day, after seeing Malcolm drive off to his apartment, she turned to find Paul watching her.
‘Hi, were you looking for me?’
‘Yes, do you fancy a quick turn around the garden? I’ve got a free half-hour and thought we could have a chat.’
‘Sure.’
They walked around to the side garden adjoining open fields. Grazing cows lifted up their heads; liquid eyes cast a quick glance in their direction and, not seeming to find them interesting, returned to the serious business of eating.
Louisa, wondering what was on Paul’s mind, broke the silence.
‘Was there something in particular you wanted to chat about?’ Surely it wasn’t bad news about her father? Her heart lurched. But he seemed so well…
‘I wondered if you’d like to go out for a drink one evening. You remember I said Ben and I were friends?’
Letting out a tiny sigh of relief, she nodded.
‘Well, I sometimes join him and a few others for a drink. He hasn’t been out since the baby was born and we’re all meeting up tomorrow evening. Thought perhaps you’d like to join us; there’ll be a couple of other girls as well so you won’t feel outnumbered.’
She wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or relieved that there would be others around. Not exactly a date then. But he had asked her out, which was a sign he liked her, for sure.
‘Love to. Where do you meet?’
‘At The Rockmount, a pub in Cobo, on the west coast,’ he replied, grinning. ‘Glad you can come. I plan to leave at eight, if that’s okay?’
‘Yes, I’ll have an early dinner. So, tell me more about these friends of yours.’
Paul chatted about the group as they circled the garden. As he left for his appointment he gave her a peck on the cheek, saying he looked forward to seeing her later. Louisa headed off in search of Charlotte. She needed a girl chat.
Thinking the best person to ask would be Nadine, Louisa stopped at her desk in the hall.
‘Hiya. What can I do for you?’ Nadine asked, glancing up from the computer screen, her curls bouncing around her head.
‘I’m looking for Charlotte. Any idea where she is?’
Nadine returned to the screen and scrolled through the appointments.
‘She’s due to finish a session with Molly in ten minutes. Do you want to wait or shall I give her a message?’
Louisa checked her watch; nearly three. ‘Could you ask her to meet me in the sun lounge for a drink, please?’
‘Sure thing.’ Nadine smiled before focusing once more on the screen.
Entering the sun room, Louisa was struck by the scent of freshly mown grass. The door to the garden stood open, letting in one of her favourite smells from childhood. For her it epitomised summer and the long school holidays. Although only spring now, the scent from the garden was equally as powerful. The days were becoming warmer, gearing up for the following Easter weekend and the official start of the holiday season. Louisa stepped out onto the terrace to take a deep breath and decided it was warm enough to sit at a table while waiting for her friend. Lulled by the scent and utter peace of the garden, she closed her eyes, letting her mind drift. Images of herself as a child, running around her grandparents’ garden, chased by their elderly and arthritic dog, made her lips curl into a smile. Although not very hands-on grandparents, they had been happy to have her stay for two weeks in the summer holidays while her mother worked. Their rambling house in Surrey had appeared palatial after Susan’s tiny two-bed terrace with a sunless back yard. It felt good to be able to run free before collapsing, spread-eagled on the lawn, to be thoroughly licked by old Benji. Mr and Mrs Canning were old school and believed in setting ground rules for her stay, but tended to let her have the run of the garden, it being completely enclosed and safe. Her grandmother was a keen gardener, encouraging Louisa to learn the names of plants and trees and to help with weeding as she grew older.
Susan had inherited her mother’s love of gardens, but it was not until after her parents’ deaths that she was able to afford the house in Islington, complete with a thirty foot long walled garden. Tiny compared to the Surrey house, but enough for her to enjoy pottering for hours after a stressful week at work. Louisa felt her eyes begin to water as she pictured her mother, on her knees, planting in the latest purchase from the gardening centre. Oh, Mum! You’d have loved it here! Not just because of Malcolm, but because it’s beautiful and so, so peaceful.
‘Drifting off in the sun? Gorgeous, isn’t it?’ Charlotte said, sinking into a chair.
Louisa opened her eyes and smiled. ‘Yes, it is. Thought we could have our tea out here. The usual?’ she asked, getting up to place their order. Charlotte nodded and she went inside to ask for a pot of the mixed berry tea to which they were both addicted. When they were not drinking wine.
‘Right. What’s on your mind? Something happen since this morning?’ Charlotte frowned.
‘It’s nothing bad. I…bumped into Paul and he’s asked me to go for a drink–’
Charlotte cut in. ‘Hey, that’s great news. I told you he was interested–’
‘Yes and no. It’s not just the two of us…’ She explained about the group of friends and her continued doubts about what Paul really felt about her.
Her friend rolled her eyes. ‘In my book it counts as an invitation to spend time with him and his friends. Nothing wrong with that, he wants to take it easy, which is fine. The word is Paul hasn’t been in a relationship for a long time; he’s been too busy with his work. So, he’s cautious. As are you. He knows you’re grieving and that you’ve just found your long-lost father; who, by the way, happens to be his boss, which might complicate things a tad. You know, the over-protective father bit.’ Charlotte sipped her tea before continuing, ‘Personally, I don’t see Malcolm playing the Victorian father role. He seems pretty fond of Paul and might see it as a match made in heaven,’ she grinned mischievously, as Louisa tried to interject.
‘You’ve already got us walking down the aisle and we haven’t even been on a date!’ she exclaimed, aiming a mock punch at Charlotte’s arm.
‘Forgot to tell you I was psychic, didn’t I?’ Charlotte teased.
Louisa’s jaw dropped. ‘You’re not, are you?’
She shook her head. ‘No, only kidding. But it’s not that bad a scenario, is it? Handsome, caring and intelligent man ready to whisk you off your feet and up to his ivory, or should I say, granite, tower. A lot of women would be very jealous!’
Louisa shifted in her chair, made uncomfortable by the image Charlotte had presented so vividly. A very attractive, but unsettling image of Paul carrying her to his rooms. Not that even he would be physically capable of that; the stairs were far too steep…She pulled herself together and glared at Charlotte.
‘Can we stop daydreaming please and re-enter the real world. I do concede that Paul is…interested in me – and I in him. So let’s see what happens. I may be leaving Guernsey soon, anyway, if the detective finds That Man. I came here on the assumption it would be for a week max, and it’s been three so far. Once I leave, there wouldn’t be a reason to return.’ As she said this, Louisa felt a heaviness fill her being. A feeling of loss. Could she really face returning to London and never coming back to this magical place? Or Paul?