Meet Me at Wisteria Cottage

by Teresa F. Morgan

  ‘Good morning,’ Maddy said, secretly admiring the view of Harry’s back. His hair all ruffled from sleep. Not a bad view first thing in the morning.

  ‘Morning,’ Harry said grumpily over his shoulder. He shoved a kitchen drawer shut, and the contents inside it clattered.

  Maddy tensed. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘It would be if I didn’t get an early wake-up call from your cat.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’

  ‘I can’t see why she can’t be outside at night.’

  ‘It’s safer, that’s why.’ Maddy’s tone matched Harry’s. ‘And it’s not good for the wildlife, as this time of year the birds are about earlier.’

  ‘Well, she’s outside now.’ Harry slammed the fridge door, putting the milk away. ‘Probably shitting on my garden.’ He handed her a cup of coffee, but Maddy hesitated, reluctant to take it. When he was angry, Harry looked intimidating. Maybe he didn’t realise how big he was towering over Maddy’s five-feet four-inch petite frame.

  What Maddy lacked in height, she made up for in feistiness. ‘And you have the cheek to call me moody. Is something the matter? Surely this isn’t all about Sookie?’ She placed her hands on her hips and pushed out her chest. ‘Because if it’s a problem, maybe I will go to Val’s.’

  ‘No, the damn cat didn’t really wake me. I was already awake.’ Harry groaned as he leaned against the kitchen worktop and combed a hand through his wavy black hair. ‘I didn’t get much sleep last night. The accident, the fire …’ He trailed off as if he’d said too much.

  ‘What about them?’ Maddy thought he looked troubled. Every now and then she saw a glimpse of some deep trauma in Harry.

  ‘Nothing. It’s nothing.’ He grabbed his coffee and left the kitchen. ‘Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?’

  Maddy shrugged, frowning at him. ‘Of course not. It’s your bathroom.’

  ***

  Harry ducked his head under the hot water and let it flow over his tired body. He needed to wake up and improve his temper. It wasn’t fair to take it out on Maddy. He’d never been a moody person; it wasn’t normally in his nature.

  Although Karin had had terrible ups and downs, he recalled, which he’d dealt with patiently.

  He hadn’t slept well at all last night, tossing and turning on the couch. Maddy’s ex calling hadn’t helped. His tablets had knocked him out for a good four hours, but in the early hours of the morning, he’d awoken, sweating and panicked. He dreamt of fire, of Karin, the horrors all over again. Either Maddy’s house fire had triggered it, or helping the family out who had broken down. There on the road, for one brief moment, he’d thought it was a traffic accident, a collision, sparking visions of crumpled cars, trapped bodies, the smell of smoke, petrol and hot tarmac. As he’d started to drift back off, the cat had pounced and in a dreamlike state he’d confused her purring with other terrible noises.

  It had been about five thirty. He’d fed the cat, put her out and then he’d lain on the sofa, hands behind his head, wide awake, until it was a reasonable hour to get up.

  Dressed and ready for the day, Harry stomped down the stairs, his head full of thoughts. Some thoughts were better than others, in an attempt to crowd the bad thoughts out. If he kept himself busy, the memories would dull again.

  ‘Feeling better?’ Maddy was sitting at the dining table nursing a fresh cup of coffee. She had obviously made some breakfast and washed up everything because the kitchen was tidy, with washing up piled on the draining board.

  ‘Yes, sorry, I’ve got some jobs I must attend to today, but I’ll fix your back gate too.’

  ‘I might show my face at the gallery. No point moping about here, so I’m going to stick some washing out then head to Tinners Bay. As it’s Saturday, it will be fairly busy. Valerie will need a hand.’

  ‘Sounds like a plan.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t mind me and Sookie staying at yours? I could put her into a cattery – the insurance said they’d pay.’

  Harry hesitantly shook his head. Would the dreams cease if Maddy moved out and his life went back to normal? ‘No … for the last time, Maddy, there’s no need.’ Realising he still sounded angry, he softened his tone. ‘I just had a rough night, that’s all.’

  ‘Would you like your bed back? I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.’

  ‘The sofa wasn’t the cause of my rough night.’

  ‘What if we took it in turns?’

  ‘Maddy, I said I don’t mind.’ Harry grabbed his truck’s keys. ‘Oh, while I think about it, here’s a spare key to the front door. Then you can come and go as you please.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes, as long as you don’t burn my house down.’

  ‘Not even funny,’ Maddy huffed, snatching the key out of his hand. ‘Go, have a good day at work.’

  ***

  ‘Hello, stranger.’ Valerie, open-armed, greeted Maddy as she walked into the gallery, and gave her a squeeze. Then, holding Maddy by her shoulders, taking a good look at her, she said, ‘But you don’t need to be here, I’ve got it all under control.’

  ‘To be honest, I’ve done as much washing as I can bear, and I don’t fancy doing the ironing during the day – far too hot. I can’t do anything with the house until I see the insurance guy so I might as well make the most of my time and help out here.’

  ‘Okay, if you’re sure.’

  ‘I’m better off here, investing time into my business. Let’s face it I need the money.’

  Valerie smiled her understanding. ‘I’ve put the kettle on. Coffee?’

  ‘Could murder one,’ Maddy said, beaming.

  While the kettle boiled and Valerie made the coffee, Maddy filled her in about Connor’s phone call last night.

  ‘He said I should come home, my mother’s worried about me.’

  ‘Your mother always worries about you. She’s your mother.’ Valerie looked at her sternly. ‘Take no notice of him. He’s trying to exploit a bad situation, trying to catch you while you’re weak.’

  ‘I’m not weak.’

  ‘I know you’re not, dear,’ Valerie said, patting her arm. ‘Connor, however, may believe so.’

  ‘Good point.’

  ‘And you wouldn’t though, would you? Go back home?’ Valerie said, eyebrows raised, her expression concerned.

  ‘Hell no!’ Maddy shuddered, and they both laughed.

  ‘What’s it like living with your neighbour?’

  Maddy shrugged. ‘It’s okay, I think. I do worry I’m getting under his feet. And really, we are strangers after all. I don’t know much about him.’ Maddy thought of the medication in Harry’s bathroom cabinet, and Harry’s reluctance to talk about it. She wouldn’t worry Val about those niggles, though. Val was as bad as her own mother for fretting really.

  ‘You can stay at mine.’

  ‘I don’t want to impose on you either, though.’

  ‘You wouldn’t be,’ Valerie said, squeezing her shoulder.

  Once they both had a mug of coffee in their hands, and forgetting Connor, Valerie showed Maddy around the gallery, pointing out some new pieces delivered by a local painter, Declan, and updating her on the ones sold. Maddy remembered she’d spoken to Declan a couple of weeks ago to agree terms for exhibiting paintings in her gallery. He’d said something about popping in with a couple of pieces of his work.

  ‘You had a busy day yesterday, then?’

  ‘Yes, luckily the artist who came in with his paintings hung them for me,’ Valerie said. ‘Even at my age, I know how to bat my eyelashes.’

  ‘You do know Declan is gay, don’t you?’

  ‘No! Never! What a waste! Josie and I were swooning over him all bloody day.’ Valerie looked horrified with her eyes wide. ‘He was bloody gorgeous.’

  Maddy chuckled. Valerie was a breath of fresh air and the medicine she needed was right here in this gallery. She would paint her worries away.

  ***

  After a couple of hours, Maddy put her p
aintbrush down, only realising she was hungry by the growling of her stomach. She’d got so lost in her work she hadn’t realised the time had flown by incredibly quickly.

  She told Valerie she was going to head out for some fresh air. It was a beautiful day outside, and she would make the most of the sunshine. You never knew how long this weather would last. Maddy walked to the cafe on the corner of the high street by the entrance to the beach, and bought a freshly made toasted bacon and brie sandwich, with lashings of cranberry sauce, and a mango and pineapple iced smoothie. She slipped off her flip-flops and walked on the beach, delighting in the warm sand between her toes.

  She always admired the houses situated above the beach, looking down on this beautiful view, and out to the ocean. She dreamed of owning one of those houses … one day. But they rarely came onto the market, and she’d need to be making a success of her gallery first. There was a cottage looking sorry for itself situated amongst the row of houses. It had done for a while now, but as far as she could tell, building work was underway, although the overgrown thicket of brambles in the garden made it difficult to see. It would look beautiful once it was finished. Would the owner live in it, let it or sell it? Maybe once it was finished, Maddy could capture it on canvas, painting its new look?

  She found a spot to the side of the beach which was sheltered from the chilly sea breeze that took the heat out of the sun, and settled on a rock. She watched the sea and the surfers.

  Tonight, to thank Harry, she’d cook dinner. If he were prepared to let her stay, then she would at least help around the house. Only what to cook? His physique told her he ate healthily and looked after himself, but with all that toned muscle, maybe he’d appreciate a good steak? Or oven-baked chops? Or perhaps a nice fillet of grilled salmon?

  A seagull cry brought Maddy back to the beach, with the realisation she had a couple of gulls eyeing her sandwich greedily. The little bastards were nifty thieves. On many occasions, she’d watched them steal ice creams from children’s hands or burgers straight from the barbeque. She huddled around her sandwich. If she threw out a bit, she’d be bombarded. It was best not to encourage the little critters.

  Maddy finished her sandwich and closed her eyes, letting the warmth from the sun soak into her skin. Until Wednesday night, everything had been going to plan. She loved her life by the coast. You couldn’t beat lunch on the beach with the sun shining. She’d chosen this part of Cornwall, possibly as a safety net.

  She had known Valerie since birth (not that she could remember that bit). Valerie was an ‘aunty’ but not by blood. Sandra and Valerie had been best friends since their school days. Maddy had moved here knowing Valerie would help with the gallery. It was her dream too. Valerie had moved to Tinners Bay many years ago, and Mum and Dad had brought Maddy and her brother, Edward, here on holidays. Tinners Bay didn’t feel alien to her. It had always been her second home. Valerie had been the one to tell Maddy about the shop space becoming available, and this had spurred her to take the plunge, and give it a go. ‘Tinners Bay needs a gallery,’ Valerie had urged, ‘it’ll work.’ It would mean being surrounded by everything she enjoyed painting: landscapes, seascapes, gorgeous cottages – and no longer having to travel up and down the M5 and A30 for commissions.

  And, however much she loved her mother, she was out from under her net. Maddy was able to stand on her own two feet without Sandra breathing down her neck, making her ‘recommendations’.

  After half an hour, Maddy strolled off the beach, depositing her rubbish in one of the bins. She resolved she would do a couple more hours’ work then head back so she was home in plenty of time to cook dinner. She brushed the sand off her legs the best she could and slipped on her flip-flops. She crossed the road and entered the gallery to see a tall, muscular man in shorts and a ripped T-shirt talking to Valerie. He turned and looked at her, smiling. Raising her sunglasses to place on top of her head, she gave herself a mental shake. It was Harry.

  ‘Hi,’ she said, realising she sounded surprised. Then she panicked. What if something else was wrong with the house?

  ‘Hi, I thought I’d call in,’ Harry said, oblivious that Valerie was giving him the once over. ‘I was only up the road. I’ve got a few contracts here. I just started a new one, plus I do a garden on Sandy Lane and I have a couple of holiday home gardens in Tinners Bay I maintain as well.’

  His mood was certainly better than it was this morning.

  ‘Oh right, I was just thinking about you,’ Maddy said, trying to get her brain to catch up with her mouth. Harry tilted his head, raising a curious eyebrow at her. ‘I mean, uh, I was thinking I’d cook dinner for us tonight. It’s the least I can do.’

  ‘You don’t have to.’

  ‘No, I do. You’re not fussy are you?’

  He rubbed his stomach. Not one ounce of fat. ‘Do I look like I’m fussy?’

  Maddy shut her mouth and shook her head. She went to lick her lips, but pressed them together until she could think of something to say. ‘So …’ she took a deep breath, ‘I see you’ve met Valerie.’

  ‘Yes,’ Valerie said, eager to join the conversation. ‘I’ve told him how I’ve known you since you were in nappies.’ Valerie smiled smugly. She was worse than her mother for embarrassing her. Only Valerie knew damn well she was doing it.

  Maddy blushed. ‘Thanks for that.’

  ‘Actually, she’s been showing me your work. I love what you’re working on at the moment,’ Harry said walking over to the easel set up in the corner. Maddy hadn’t moved from the spot all morning until lunch. It was her seascape with the waves crashing. She’d painted streaks of pink in the sky for a sunset. The picture still needed a lot of work.

  ‘Thank you,’ Maddy said. ‘I think I’ve ended up making the sea choppier due to recent events.’

  ‘Understandable.’

  ‘Did you want a coffee?’

  ‘No, no, I better head off. I have a big contract I need to put some time into.’ Harry pulled his truck keys out of his pocket. ‘Just thought I’d say hi as I was in the area.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll see you later. Remember, I’m cooking dinner tonight.’

  ‘I know better than to argue.’

  ‘Bye, Harry, lovely to meet you.’ Valerie waved coquettishly. Maddy watched her suspiciously. She’s such a flirt.

  Harry waved back and was gone.

  ‘Now I know why you didn’t want to stay at mine,’ Valerie said, hands on her hips, her tone teasing, giving an all-knowing nod. The sixty-two-year-old had been positively drooling over Harry’s backside as he had walked out.

  ‘He insisted!’ Maddy blushed.

  ‘I’m sure he did.’ Valerie had a twinkle of mischief in her eye. ‘It’s okay,’ Valerie placed a supportive palm on Maddy’s shoulder, ‘you probably wouldn’t want to stay with an old biddy like me anyway.’

  ‘You’re not an old biddy.’

  ‘Well, if I had the choice, I’d definitely be sleeping in his bed.’

  ‘Valerie! It’s not like that.’

  ‘It should be. He’s gorgeous. And he doesn’t seem obnoxious. You said he was obnoxious.’

  ‘That’s before I got to know him – remember?’ Only Maddy still didn’t know him well. Why the restless night? Why the drugs in his bathroom cabinet? Why had he left a job he’d loved so much?

  ‘Well, I approve.’

  ‘Approve of what?’ Maddy frowned, suspicion etching into her thoughts.

  Valerie coughed, clearing her throat. ‘Um … he is safe to stay with …’

  Maddy’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t what she meant at all.

  ‘He comes across as a perfect gent,’ Valerie continued, ‘Which is a shame really because sometimes us girls don’t want them to be gents … well, not in the bedroom.’

  ‘Valerie!’

  Maddy probably wasn’t his type … was she? She ticked herself off. She shouldn’t be thinking along these lines; Harry was simply doing her a platonic, neighbourly favour.

  And e
ven if he were interested in her, after Connor, Maddy wasn’t sure she was ready to try again.

  Chapter 10

  Maddy clocked off at the gallery early, leaving Valerie to lock up. She needed no persuading, literally pushing Maddy out the door.

  ‘I have no idea what to cook for dinner,’ Maddy said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and hesitating in the open doorway. ‘What if he doesn’t like my cooking?’

  ‘He will,’ Valerie said, still holding the door open, ‘I’m sure you’ll think of something. Pasta? A man like Harry can do with the carbs.’

  ‘But we had pasta yesterday.’

  ‘What about oysters? They’re supposed to be an aphrodisiac.’ Valerie tried to keep her face straight, but failed.

  Maddy tutted. ‘I do not need an aphrodisiac. And even if I did, I wouldn’t eat oysters unless you paid me. They are revolting and I can’t think of anything less sexy.’ Maddy grimaced at the thought. ‘And knowing my luck, I’d probably get food poisoning and spend the night with my head down the toilet.’ Valerie chuckled. ‘You are not helping, Valerie.’

  ‘Oh, go get some inspiration from the supermarket then.’

  ‘I will.’

  Maddy pushed the trolley around the Co-Op in Wadebridge, going down each aisle for some inspiration, agonising over what to cook. Cooking for someone really proved how well you knew them. She really didn’t know Harry very well at all. It had only been a couple of days and before that, they’d usually been at each other’s throat.

  She used to hate cooking for Connor. She’d be on tenterhooks dishing up dinner. He’d been so fussy about food, and controlling, usually ending up taking over in the kitchen.

  As she walked past the fresh fish counter, Maddy decided to stay away from fish, in case Harry was allergic. Or fussy, like Connor. In the end, erring on the side of caution, and deciding it was probably best to keep things simple, she picked up a couple of steaks. It wasn’t a date or anything; she was providing dinner as a thank you. Nothing more.

  Harry had eaten chicken the night before, so Maddy was confident he wasn’t vegetarian. To go with the steaks, she decided to stick with the healthy theme, picking up some new potatoes and a packet of posh veg as she called it – all ready-prepared; baby carrots, mangetout, baby corns and green beans. She would make a peppercorn sauce. She was no Nigella Lawson, but her mother had taught her to cook simple tasty dishes.