Desperately Seeking - By Evelyn Cosgrave Page 0,57

views over the street on one side, and what looked like a miniature forest on the other. The room was positively alive with light.

‘Oh, my God,’ I said. ‘This is incredible! I’d live here for ever!’

‘Glad you like it,’ he said, emerging behind me. ‘It did take some structural skulduggery, but I think it’ll hold.’

He was obviously very pleased with it. There was little else in the room apart from the remains of the structural work so there was no clue as to what he might use it for. ‘I was thinking I might make it a workroom,’ he said, reading my mind. ‘The light is great and it would be very peaceful.’

‘Mm,’ I said, rushing from one window to the other, ‘of course. But you know what I’d do with it?’ I was beginning to lose the run of myself. ‘I’d use it as my bedroom. Imagine waking up to that view, or going to sleep with it. You’d never have to close your curtains – you wouldn’t even need curtains.’

He nodded and said that was something he hadn’t thought of.

‘You’ve done an amazing amount of work,’ I said. ‘It must have taken ages.’

‘It was a good distraction,’ he said. ‘And I do have a few contacts in the building trade.’

Perhaps it was the altitude, but I was feeling a little light-headed. I decided to change the subject.

‘I’ve been a little busy myself,’ I said, moving away from the intoxicating windows.

‘Oh?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’ve quit my job.’

‘You have?’ He seemed amazed.

‘Yes, I’ve actually done it.’

He came over to me and wrapped his arms round me. ‘I am absolutely delighted.’

I was rather taken aback by the warmth of his response.

‘It’s a brave thing you’ve done,’ he said, placing me in front of him and fixing my eyes with his. ‘There’s hope for you yet.’

‘Hey, what do you mean by that?’ I was glad to get a note of mock-anger into my voice because I’d been afraid it was starting to wobble.

‘I’m so thrilled you did it. I didn’t know you had it in you.’

‘I didn’t either. But I guess I do now. It was good talking to you that day – it really helped.’

‘I only told you what you knew already.’

‘Yes. But it was good to hear it.’

‘Well, I’m glad if I helped you out. It can be hard sometimes to find what you really want.’

There was silence for a moment until he said, ‘Come on, let’s take the coffee outside and I’ll show you the garden.’

The garden was a gem. It wasn’t very big but it didn’t need to be. There was an old wrought-iron table and chairs on a small patio that opened from the house by what would eventually be french windows, and the rest was grass with neat little flowerbeds round the edges. Trees – birch, elm, beech – surrounded it, which gave the space complete privacy. They were on the other side of an old creeper-covered wall so they gave shelter without smothering the garden. From any angle, you would have had no idea that you were in the middle of the city.

I sat down while he went to get the coffee.

When he came back he put prospectuses for the local colleges on the table in front of me. ‘I thought these might be useful. There’s a lot to choose from. I was surprised by how many courses they’re running now.’

‘Thank you,’ was all I could muster, as I leafed through the glossy pages.

‘What does Keith think of your plans?’

‘Oh, ahm… he’s thrilled.’

Keith and I still hadn’t discussed it any further. My plans had become a rather large elephant in my compact little flat.

‘It’s all go, then.’

‘Yeah, all go.’

We had been silent for some time when I became aware of him placing his cup on the table.

‘I’ve missed this,’ he said. ‘I’ve missed our chats.’

‘Oh, me, too,’ I blurted out. ‘I was afraid that, with Jean living at my place, you wouldn’t feel comfortable calling and I wasn’t sure if I could come and see you. Jean and I are getting on so well now and I suppose I didn’t want to seem disloyal. It’s all a bit silly, really.’

He was smiling again, but this time there was a slight quiver at the edge of his mouth, almost as if he wasn’t sure he should be smiling.

‘It is a bit silly,’ he said, ‘but there’s no reason why we can’t be friends. I’ve known you all a long time, and as long as Jean and