Becky said goodbye to the others, telling them she’d see them at dinner, and set off toward the woods. She considered going back to the cabin to grab a sweatshirt but she decided she’d risk it. The day was pleasantly warm for Fall and besides, she didn’t plan on going too far. She left the buildings behind and wandered into the welcoming, quiet gloom of the woods, kicking up the Fall leaves beneath her feet and sucking in deep breaths of the cool, fresh air.
Chapter Five
“I’m sorry. About before.” Alice thrust a posy of wildflowers arranged in a coffee cup of water at Becky as soon as she stepped back into the cabin. “I shouldn’t have touched your things. Friends?”
“You didn’t need to do that, Alice.” Becky couldn’t help but notice that one of the ‘wildflowers’ looked suspiciously like one of the primroses from the front garden. “I’m more than willing to be your friend.” She awkwardly took the coffee cup and sat it down on the small beside table between the two beds. “They’re very pretty.”
“I don’t know if they have any smell. I don’t have any sense of smell.”
“Oh, how unusual.” Becky bent and politely hovered her nose over the flowers. “I can tell you that they smell fresh and sweet. Thank you.”
“Other people, the ones with all of their senses intact, don’t understand how limiting and constricting it is for a person to have a disadvantaged sense of smell.” Alice said this very seriously, as if she was talking about a vastly crippling handicap.
“I guess you could compare it to color blindness,” Becky suggested helpfully. “People with color-impaired vision aren’t aware of how other people see the world so they don’t know what they’re missing. If you’ve never had a good sense of smell you won’t know how other people experience scent.”
“I guess. How was lunch?”
“It was good. Plenty of food for everyone and the other guests are very friendly.”
“I like your hair,” Alice said unexpectedly. “My mother had hair like that.” She tugged at her own spiraling curls. “My hair is hopeless.”
“No, your hair is gorgeous! I noticed it as soon as I met you. You’re very lucky.”
Alice smiled proudly. “Thank you. I’m going to wash it tomorrow with some of that lovely shampoo in the bathroom. It takes ages to dry so I only wash it once a week. What are you doing now?”
Becky threw a wistful glance at her bed. If she was here alone… “I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll read a book.”
“We could talk,” Alice suggested. “Tell me about you.” She sat gracefully in one of the armchairs and patted the seat of the other one. “Come and sit with me.”
Becky hesitated. “I need to look at the workshop schedule. I’d hate to miss a class this afternoon that I’d really wanted to attend.”
“There’s only two left before dinner. One is a vegetarian cooking lesson and the other is a session designed to help people deal with the onset of rheumatic aches and pains as they age.”
“Oh.” Becky wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think either of those are what I’m looking for.”
“Me neither.” Alice patted the seat cushion again. “Sit.”
Becky balanced on the edge of the seat. Her walk through the woods had tired her out, but in a good way. In a non-stressful, peaceful way. She had to make sure she made the most of the idyllic surroundings and walked a nature trail every day while she was here. Daily exercise was always part of her well-intended plans back home but it didn’t often get to feature in her over-packed timetable.
Alice looked at her thoughtfully. “Let me guess what you do for a job. I’d say you work in sales.”
“Yes, I do work in sales.” Becky wondered if she’d been through her bag while she was out walking. “How did you guess?”
“It’s the way you carry yourself. Your confidence. The way you look directly at a person when you speak to them.”
Becky laughed lightly. “Maybe that’s just because I’m nosey and I’m checking them out. But yes, you’re right. I’m a salesperson.”
Alice sat back and crossed her legs. “What do you sell? Luxury cars? Home furnishings? You’re very elegant – it must be something expensive and upmarket.”
Becky smiled faintly to acknowledge the compliment. It seemed Alice hadn’t been through her bag and found her business card after all, unless she was bluffing. “You were close when you guessed home furnishings. I sell realty. My best friend and I have our own property business.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “Your own business? Wow, I’m impressed.”
“We started it a few years back and we’re pleased with how the business is going.” She employed some of her own sales techniques and turned the conversation back on Alice. “What do you do?”
“I work as a P.A. I’m a Personal Assistant.”
“A vital member of any office, as I’m sure you’ve been told many times in the past. Where do you work?”
Alice pulled a long spiral of her hair forward and wrapped it around her finger. “I mostly do temp work. I’m the person who gets called in to fill a gap when someone is away sick or on vacation.”
“That sounds intriguing. You must work at so many interesting places. I guess you’re fairly versatile. It can’t be easy walking into an unknown workplace and just sitting down and getting on with things.”
“You get used to it.” Alice let the curl go and Becky watched it ping back into place. “Tell me about your hunky husband. Where did you meet him?”
“He’s not my husband. Michael is my boyfriend, but we do live together. We met at a charity function two years ago.” Becky would never forget that night. She wasn’t going to go, had considered phoning Sasha to say she had a headache and was opting for an early night instead, but she’d forced herself to get dressed up and attend. And oh boy, she was so glad she did.
“It must be a fancy house.”
“It’s nice enough.” Suddenly restless, Becky stood up and walked over to the coffee machine. “Do you want a coffee? I might make myself one and then go and relax in the tub before dinner.”
“No, I don’t want a coffee. Have you met all the other guests yet?”
“I met everyone at lunch. There’s a group of book club ladies here, and three sisters, plus one solitary man. He looks a little out of place but I’m sure he’ll be fine. Everyone seems friendly enough.” Becky went through to the bathroom to switch on the faucets above the bathtub and fill the water reservoir for the coffee machine. She glanced at the toiletries on the basin, preparing to add a generous splash of bubbles but she was startled to see that most of them were now missing. She popped her head around the door. “Alice, did you take the toiletries?”
“Huh?” Alice turned from where she was now standing gazing out the window. “Oh, yes. I put the shampoo aside for me to use tomorrow. My hair takes a lot of product.” She picked her hair up with two hands and let it drop back down to demonstrate its bulk.
“The toiletries are here for us both to use. Besides that, you’ve taken more than just the shampoo. The conditioner, body lotion, and bubble bath are missing. You’ve only left the cleanser.” Becky knew her voice sounded whiney but she’d been looking forward to a hot, bubbly soak.
Alice shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “I’m sure the housemaids will replace them tomorrow.”
“That’s not the point. I want to have a bubble bath now. I don’t understand why you had to take them when you’re not using them.” Becky suddenly felt like a spoilt toddler, stomping her feet because she couldn’t have bubbles in her bath.
“Look, if it’ll make you any happier I’ll go and ask at the reception desk for some more.” Alice wrenched open the door. “Do you want me to ask for anything else for you while I’m there?”
“You could just put the things that you took back.” It was too late – Alice was gone. Becky frowned at the now closed door. Becky prided herself on getting along with all sorts of people but Alice was proving to be slightly erratic in her moods. She glance
d at the girl’s filthy duffle bag where it lay on the floor at the end of the bed. Perhaps she didn’t have a great deal of money and she wanted to take some of the luxurious personal products home with her but still, she didn’t need to act so selfishly. Shaking her head, Becky went back into the bathroom to turn off the faucets.
Chapter Six
The wildflowers in the coffee cup of water had drooped and faded remarkably quickly. While Alice was using the bathroom the next morning, Becky opened the window and flung them out. Alice should never have picked them in the first place. Flowers were best left in the ground, growing unmolested for everyone to enjoy. Even Michael had stopped buying her cut flowers after discovering her views on them.
She shut the window again and watched through the glass as Gordon strolled across the lawn with one of the sisters. Annie. She’d seen them chatting together last night over dinner, having apparently found a common interest in music. Dinner itself had been fun. Once again, the food was fantastic with a roast of rolled pork for those who wanted it and a mushroom risotto for the vegetarians. The book club ladies’ banter had died down a little, probably as a result of their busy afternoon spent between the batik class and a vigorous game of croquet on the lawn. However, they were revived and ready for a few laughs, complete with plenty of bawdy retorts and thigh slapping, after a glass or two of the organic bottles of wine that Marian placed reverently in the middle of the table.
Alice attended the dinner and Becky had been astounded at how much she’d piled onto her plate, especially given the comment she’d made earlier about being a light eater. Not that Becky was counting, but Alice went back twice for seconds and made sure to take plenty of the crispy, fatty pork crackle. She’d noticed Becky watching her and grinned across the table, making Becky feel embarrassed for staring. If she hadn’t eaten all day she’d probably be just as hungry for food as Alice, if not worse.
Most of the group sat around the fire pit for a while after dinner but it was clear that no one was looking for a late night. Becky saw Alice slip away and she stayed for a few minutes more before making her own excuses and walking back to the cabin. She walked with her head tipped back, watching her breath fog in the chill night air and gazing wonderingly at the myriad of stars in the ink black sky. She was glad she’d come, even if her retreat hadn’t started out as she’d expected it to. She’d spoken briefly to Michael just before dinner, explaining how she had a roommate who she hadn’t bargained for and Michael told her she shouldn’t put up with the inconvenience. He told her to demand a full refund and head back to the city, where she could book herself into a city hotel and spend the week pampering herself in private. Becky explained she had considered that option but she liked being out here in the wilderness. Anyway, she didn’t have to spend every minute of her day with Alice. She hadn’t told Michael about the toiletries incident, well aware that would only start him off again.
She heard the toilet flush in the bathroom now and she guiltily hid the flowerless coffee cup behind her back. She wasn’t sure why she should feel guilty, it wasn’t as if she’d asked Alice to bring her a gift but there was something needy about the girl. Becky hadn’t quite put her finger on it yet but there was something childlike about her. Something slightly off center, as if she operated at a different level from Becky. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Becky felt bad all over again. Who was she to judge anyone else? Becky Monroe hadn’t always fitted into the world as well as she did now.
Alice had tied her gorgeous curls into a loose bun while she was in the bathroom. She was wearing the same long shorts and top as she’d worn yesterday but she’d added a sleeveless vest to her ensemble. She looked enquiringly at Becky, who tried to act nonchalant with the coffee cup hidden behind her back. “I’m going to the dream workshop this morning. Do you want to come?”
Becky felt her stomach roll over. The last thing she wanted to do was analyze her dreams, especially not in front of a group of near strangers. She’d suffered night terrors for years, vague haunting images that galloped on steel hooves across her sleeping brain and she had no intention of delving into the meaning of them during the daylight hours. “No, I’m going to have a massage. I’ve been drooling over the thought of having one since I drove up here.” She’d booked her session yesterday when she returned from her nature walk, determined not to miss out again.
Alice was still looking at her, as if she expected her to say something more and Becky nodded at the door. “Are you going to breakfast?”
“No, I’ll just have a coffee. I’m not big on breakfast.” Alice turned to the coffee machine and Becky hurriedly hid the flower cup under her pillow. She strode quickly across to the door, picking up her handbag from beside the armchair on the way. “I guess I’ll see you later. Have a great morning.” She stepped outside, inhaling deeply once she was out in the fresh air, and she set off down the path to the courtyard for an alfresco breakfast with the others.
The massage was everything Becky needed it to be. The masseuse, an Asian woman with a ready smile and surprisingly strong fingers, knew exactly how to go about loosening Becky’s neck knot. She dozed on the massage table for a few minutes afterward, enjoying her drowsy but energized state while the masseuse tidied away her lotions and potions. Yes, there were places where she could’ve gone for a massage back in the city but she never seemed to have the time to do it. At least here at the retreat her time was entirely her own.
She considered skipping lunch, perhaps taking a leaf out of Alice’s fasting book, but the loud grumble of her stomach soon propelled her in the direction of the courtyard. Julie and Francis were out walking but Annie was there at the table, along with Gordon. The book club ladies had not yet arrived and it was peaceful and pleasant to sit and chat with Annie and Gordon over plates of salad and cold chicken.
The book club ladies arrived soon enough, bundling into the courtyard with their loud voices and immediately making the space feel too small. They were talking about their upcoming massage treatments and Becky told them she’d enjoyed a session in the treatment room just before lunch.
Gordon, swallowing hard and stuttering over his words from where he sat close to Annie, said he’d had a massage the day before and he recommended the Asian masseuse with her firm but gentle hands.
Poor Gordon. His innocent words were enough to draw shrieks of delight from the book club ladies, who started falling over themselves with innuendo-filled comments and raucous jibes.
“I’ve heard that having a massage can have an erotic effect on men,” said sharp-eyed Janelle, flipping the ends of her ever-present hand-knitted scarf over her shoulder and nudging the plump woman beside her with her elbow.
“Beat it like it owes you money,” June, one of the most outspoken and loudest of the ladies said, sending her friends into fits of cackling laughter.
Gordon blushed a deep, bright red. He glanced at Annie, who was looking appalled, and hurriedly scooted his chair back. “I’m going for a walk.” He scuttled away, quickly disappearing around the side of the building and out of sight.
June wiped the tears from her eyes and turned her attention to Becky. “Doesn’t your friend like to socialize?”
For a brief moment, Becky thought she was talking about Gordon but then she realized she meant Alice. “She’s not really my friend. We’re just sharing the cabin.” She saw the looks the other women exchanged and hastily added, “Marian said they were overbooked. I don’t mind.”
“June and I are sharing,” put in Maureen, an auburn haired woman with a large mole on her cheek. “She farts like a trooper all night long.”
This sent the book club ladies into yet more gales of laughter. Becky smiled politely as she dropped her napkin onto her plate. “I might take Gordon’s lead and go for a walk. Enjoy your afternoon, ladies.”
She walked across the lawn, accompanied by laughingly shouted instructions to watch out for bears in the woods, and wandered past the start of the trail she’d walked yesterday. Marian had
said there were several different tracks surrounding the property and she hoped to find one that lead to a vantage point where she could take a good photo of the mountains.
She found a trail signposted ‘Scenic Lookout’ and set off down it. The noisy laughter of the book club ladies soon faded away and was replaced with the sigh of the wind in the branches overhead and the crackle of fallen leaves beneath her feet. She felt more relaxed today, more ready to allow her thoughts to drift. The massage had helped. She decided to book another one tomorrow afternoon, maybe after she’d done a few laps of the indoor pool. Pleased with herself for finding Far Horizons, she ducked under a low hanging tree branch and continued on her way.
Chapter Seven
“Do you mind if I hitch a lift back to the city with you?”
Becky looked around the parking lot as the book club ladies collected their cars and called out their final ribald comments to one other. “How did you get here?”
“Someone dropped me off,” Alice said vaguely. She’d already walked around to the passenger side of Becky’s car and was waiting expectantly for her to unlock the doors. “If you could drop me off near the city center I’d sure appreciate it.”
“Uh, of course.” Becky knew she couldn’t very well say no when she was going that way herself, but what would Alice have done if she wasn’t here? Surely the person who dropped her off could’ve arranged to come back to collect her?
Alice climbed into the passenger seat and dropped her bulging duffle bag down on the floor at her feet. She’d cleaned the cabin out of all the toiletries, coffee capsules, tea bags, and even the little creamer pods. Becky had seen her at the reception desk when she left the courtyard after breakfast, asking the young woman for more toiletries, but she knew Alice hadn’t taken a shower or a bath before they left.
Becky wrinkled her nose as the musty smell of Alice’s clothes flooded the interior of the car. Alice had worn the same outfit every day, although twice over the week she’d washed the garments out in the bathroom basin and hung them over the backs of the armchairs to dry overnight. Becky had pointed out that there was a small laundry room for the guests’ use over at the main building, with a washing machine and dryer available at a small charge, but Alice said she preferred to hand wash her clothes. Unfortunately, her clothes had never completely dried overnight and they now held that peculiar, nostril-pinching sour-sweet smell of unaired fabric. Alice didn’t seem to notice.
The Life Thief Page 3