Russ arrived at his agent’s office in London a little early, but you had to allow extra travelling time in case of delays because rail services weren’t always reliable.
Sally’s secretary looked up as he walked in. ‘Oh good, you’re early.’
She knocked on a nearby door, stuck her head round it and said, ‘He’s here,’ then gestured to him to go in.
Sally came from behind her desk to give him a hug. ‘You’re looking like your old self again.’
‘Am I? That’s good.’
‘No walking stick needed now?’
‘Not for a while, thank goodness. They’re such a nuisance to “park” when you sit down.’
She gestured to two comfy chairs over by the window 168and then got straight to the point. ‘I read your brief outline and loved the basic idea so I sent it to the guy at the production company.’
He was startled. ‘But it’s only a brief summary. I was going to write a proper outline after I’d discussed it with you.’
‘Well, you can do that later. Clement and Baines are interested. They’ve made a nice lot of money from your first series and they won’t mind making more, believe me.’
‘Wow.’
She gave him a motherly smile. ‘No one could accuse you of having an inflated ego, Russ, and yet, you’re a known TV identity in the UK these days.’
He shrugged. ‘The fame side of things isn’t nearly as important to me as sharing my love of nature and doing my bit for the environment.’
‘I know. But money is nice too. I’d rather we stayed with Clement and Baines, if that’s all right with you, because they’re the best for nature programmes and they have a very good rapport with your publisher.’
‘I hope the publisher likes my idea too, then.’
‘They love it. Everyone does. In fact, we’re having lunch with a couple of their staff today because they want to go to contract and for you to deliver your live shots and basic narrative as soon as is humanly possible.’
He was startled. ‘They decided so quickly?’
‘Well …’ she grinned at him. ‘It’s a question of carpe diem again, because with your agreement, I’m just about to sign up the sale I mentioned for American rights to your first series, and your book is going into reprint. So the TV people want to grab you while they can.’
He cheered loudly and pulled her up to waltz her round 169the office. She always felt to him to be more like an honorary aunt than a business associate.
She pushed him away, laughing. ‘I’m too old for that sort of thing.’
‘No one’s too old to show their happiness.’
She gestured to the chair. ‘Enough of your blarney. Let’s think about dates. How soon can you do this?’
‘Not sure. It takes time. Animals don’t always come out to play just because you want to photograph them.’
‘But it is spring now, Russ.’
‘Early spring. Luckily I’ve already got some shots that I can use. I never let a cute animal go to waste.’
‘Well, you said this is coming up to the best time of year to film them.’
‘It is. Now the move is over and I’m living in Wiltshire, I can check out the local conditions more carefully. I’ve had a preliminary look round a few places already.’
She cocked her head on one side. ‘Not interested in how much money is on offer for advances?’
‘As long as it’s not less than last time.’
‘Wash your mouth out! As if I’d allow that. It’s going to be a lot more, actually.’
‘Good. Go ahead and sort it out, Sally. I’ll go with what you think is OK. I needn’t have come up to town today, really, could just have left it all to you, O clever one. Though it’s always a pleasure to see you, of course.’
She shook her head in mock dismay. ‘You don’t like coming up to London, do you, Russ?’
‘Not really. Too many people pushing past you in the street, lots of fumes from all the vehicles and all those grey buildings towering over you. And going on trains below 170the ground makes me feel distinctly uncomfortable.’
He stared into space for a moment then realised she was waiting patiently for him to continue. ‘I do enjoy the museums sometimes, especially the Natural History Museum.’
‘You would.’ She looked at the clock. ‘Let’s walk to the restaurant. I suggested your favourite eatery.’
He didn’t need to ask which. They both loved its ambience, not to mention reasonable prices and delicious food in reasonably sized helpings. He hated places where you had to navigate pretentious food towers or other arty constructions teetering in the centre of your plate in order to obtain a few meagre mouthfuls.
The television people were fun, the food was excellent, but by the time he parted company with Sally and got on the train to go home, he felt utterly drained. It had been great to catch up with Sally, he was thrilled with his new contract and he was desperate for some fresh country air but someone he didn’t have to watch every word with.
It wasn’t late. He hoped Simone hadn’t gone out this evening, because he wanted to share his good news with her.
Simone saw him come back and when he waved to her, he was smiling so broadly she guessed something good had happened in London.
‘Come and celebrate!’ he called and raised a bottle of what looked like champagne in one hand as he clicked to lock the car with the other.
She grabbed her handbag and ran out to join him, not forgetting to lock the door. She’d never once forgotten that since she lost Harvey.171
‘What’s happened?’ she demanded as she joined him.
‘Come inside and I’ll tell you. But first I have a desperate need to open this bottle and sample its contents.’ He took her hand and tugged her into his house and across to the kitchen.
‘We have to stop meeting over glasses of wine or we’ll turn into alcoholics.’
‘This news deserves a drink.’ He found some champagne glasses and started to fumble with the bottle.
She took the glasses from him and tutted, then found a tea towel and polished them carefully. ‘What are we drinking?’
He showed her. ‘English sparkling wine. We’re not allowed to call it champagne nowadays. And anyway, who wants to?’
The top popped suddenly out of the bottle and with a laugh he poured the foaming liquid into the glasses then thrust one into her hand.
‘Today I signed a provisional agreement to go to contract for a new TV series and associated book.’
‘Wow! Well done. Here’s to your new venture, whatever it is.’ She clinked glasses with him then sipped appreciatively. ‘Lovely.’
‘Come and sit down. I’m exhausted underneath it all. London does that to me. I’m a country boy at heart.’
‘Is the new book going to be about what you said?’
‘Yes. Trouble is, the TV people want it like yesterday, so I’m going to have to hire some help.’
‘To do what?’
‘A bit of everything. Manage the details, take notes, hold the camera, hold a creature if necessary, to stop it running away. General factotum, I think you’d call it.’172
‘That’s a bit like what I used to do for my husband – well, except for the animals.’
‘Aren’t you on holiday, not to mention retired?’
‘I’m bored already. I like to keep busy. You wouldn’t like to give me a try-out, would you?’
He grinned. ‘I’d love to.’ Then he saw tears trickle suddenly down her cheeks and put his glass hastily down. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I’m so happy!’
He sagged back in relief. ‘Do you always cry when you’re happy?’
‘When it’s important. I’ve been a bit down about not having much to do.’
He picked up his glass and clinked it against hers. ‘You’re hired, then. When can you start?’
‘Day after tomorrow.’ She beamed at him.
‘Aren’t you going to ask how much I’m paying?’
She shrugged. ‘I’m sure you’ll treat me fairly and having something interesting to do is far more important to me than the money.’
‘Can’t you start tomorrow?’
‘I’m afraid not. I’ve arranged to have lunch with my great-aunt Henrietta.’
‘What a magnificent name.’
‘Isn’t it? She’s apparently the one who has to be obeyed in my English family. She summoned me to visit her because she wants to check me out. She lives in Pennerton.’
‘One of my favourite villages. There’s an unspoiled wood there where I’ve taken some of my favourite photos.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘Hey! How about we drive over together and then I’ll go off to check out the wood while 173you have your luncheon party? You can phone me when you’re ready to be picked up.’
She clinked her glass against his. ‘You’re on. I’ll enjoy that.’
His expression softened. ‘You’re not a solitary type, either, are you?’
‘No. And you?’
‘I like to be on my own sometimes, but I like to be with people. Or creatures. I love animals, beetles, birds, you name it. They fascinate me. I grew up roaming the English countryside and my biggest ambition is to save enough money to buy myself a fairly big slice of it and keep it safe from developers.’
‘Maybe if your new series is successful, you’ll be able to do that, or at least put down a deposit on somewhere suitable.’
‘From your mouth to God’s ear!’ He raised his glass again, then took the empty glass from her and put it down. Pulling her into his arms, he said huskily, ‘I’ve been dying to kiss you. I love it when your hair gets all ruffled and bouncy. It’s not wildly curly but it has a very nice bounce, as if it has a life of its own.’
He ran his fingers through it and she shivered, reacting to his touch but also feeling shy. ‘It’s starting to go grey.’
He chuckled. ‘Who cares? You’re what? Mid-fifties?’
‘Fifty-six.’
‘And you have only faint streaks of greyish hair at the temples. I think you’re doing very well for someone so decrepit.’
‘Your hair is the same.’
‘Ah, but I’m younger than you.’
She frowned at him and he grinned at her. ‘I’m only fifty-four.’174
She gave him a mock punch in the arm. ‘Decrepit indeed!’
‘When I was involved in the accident in Australia, I felt past my use-by date for a while. I’d only just got there too. I was going to suss things out for filming a series there, but I’m not in a hurry to go back now that this other project has turned up. I still get nightmares about that bushfire. I’ve recovered most of my physical functions, I’ve found myself a home and I’ve met you. What more can a man want?’
She stilled and he looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Now, why are you looking so wary?’
‘Because I’ve vowed not to rush into any more relationships. I did that once a couple of years after my husband died, and it was an utter disaster.’
‘I’m not rushing you into anything.’
‘And – I definitely don’t want to get married again.’
‘Have I asked you to marry me?’
‘No. But I want to make it clear from the start.’
‘How about a nice love affair? Would you be against that?’
‘No. As long as we take it slowly. I’m not very experienced, Russ. I got married young and the other guy only lasted a few months.’
‘Suits me to take things slowly. We can have an office romance – without an actual office most of the time because we’ll be out and about.’
He could see how tense she still was, so plonked a kiss on her cheek. ‘Lighten up, Simone. Let’s just enjoy some time together.’
‘All right. That I can do.’
When he’d walked her to her door, he went slowly back into his house. Phew! She was very wary of commitment as 175he’d noticed before, and rather lacking in self-confidence where men were concerned. What had her life been like with her husband? Quietly, happily domestic, from the sounds of it. They didn’t even sound to have travelled outside Australia. And what had the other guy done to her to make her so reluctant to commit?
He picked up the bottle and poured the last of the fizzy wine into his glass, raising it and murmuring, ‘To Simone. I might have to wait to marry you, my love, but I’m very likely to do it.’
He just knew she was right for him.
He hadn’t told her yet that he too had lost a spouse. He had vowed at the time never to marry again – until he’d met Simone and suddenly experienced the same sort of feelings as had led him into marriage with Poppy.
Oh, yes, he had plenty of experience and he knew for certain that Simone was right for him.
It had surprised him, he had to admit, because the two women in his life were nothing like one another. But the feeling was the same and made him just as willing to follow his instincts a second time.
His marriage had been very happy until poor Poppy died.
For some reason, he had high hopes that life with Simone would be happy too.
He’d take it slowly, but he could be very determined when he wanted something.