“I’m sorry,” I said, lamely.
Leo seemed to shake himself. “No,” he said and smiled at me. “I’m sorry, I find it difficult to speak about her, still, sometimes. I shouldn’t. It was four years ago.”
“That’s not very long, not really,” I started. I didn’t really know what to say, or what was expected. The only deaths I’d personally experienced were grandparents and great-aunts. I’d been lucky; none of my friends had died young. One of Annie’s school friends had died in a farm accident when they were still at high school, before I’d met her. She didn’t talk about him much, apart from every year on his birthday when she usually got maudlin and drank too much wine.
“Well, anyway,” Leo started, and then didn’t say anything else.
“How did she die?” I asked after a moment, and then wanted to take the words back.
Leo frowned down at the photo. “A car accident. She was on her way to meet me for dinner, but… she never arrived.”
“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry, Leo.” I tentatively reached out and touched his arm. He looked down at me, as if he’d forgotten I was there.
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. Come, the piano is over here. I did promise you, did I not?” Leo grabbed my hand and pulled me gently to another room, his voice suddenly lighter.
I was immediately drawn to the dark brown piano. My fingers hovered over the keys, uncertain for a moment.
“Play. Please.” Leo leaned against the door frame, a slight smile playing around his mouth as he watched me. I pulled the stool out and sat down, arranging myself, back straight, foot hovering over the peddles. I wondered what to play.
“What kind of music do you like?” I asked.
“Anything you play, I will like.”
“That’s not very helpful.” I stuck my tongue out at him before returning my attention back to the instrument in front of me. I knew I was just imagining it, but I could almost feel the keys quivering, anxious to be played. I tried out a few simple chords and scales to make sure the piano was in tune. I was in luck. No wonky, discordant sounds.
I started with an old exam piece, one that I had practised countless times. I knew it would sound more impressive than it was, and a big part of me wanted to awe Leo. I shot a quick glance over at him. He was still leaning on the door frame, a smile lingering around his mouth as he watched me intently. Thoughts of dead fiancés and live ex-boyfriends vanished as I lost myself in the music. When I came up to surface, Leo clapped.
“Wow, you are brilliant.”
I could feel my cheeks grow warm. “Not really. I just practised that one a lot.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” he said. He turned and put an arm around his mother as Julie came sidling up beside him. “She’s very good, isn’t she, Mama?”
“Wonderful! I love to hear the piano played again in this house.”
“Do you play?” I asked, fingers skimming lightly over the keys, playing the odd chord.
Julie shook her head. “Not very well. I dabble. The piano was for Kaatje, really. And the boys too, of course, but mainly Kaatje. She got quite good before she quit.”
“Quit?” I couldn’t imagine quitting piano.
“She didn’t like her music teacher, and refused to play out of spite,” Leo explained. Julie shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Silly, stubborn headed girl. She was so good. But yes, it is very nice to hear it being played again, Beatrix.”
I played another song, supposedly for my audience, but mainly for me. I didn’t quite realise how much I’d missed playing until I had the keys under my fingers again.
“I really could listen to you play all day, my dear, but we are due to meet Leo’s brother at the beach soon.”
“Oh! Of course.” I stood up quickly, closing the piano.
“We don’t have to go just yet,” Leo said, with a disapproving glance at his mother. “She could play one more song?”
“Of course! Please do.”
I sat down hesitantly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Leo said firmly. “Please play.”
I glanced at Julie, not wanting to put her out, but she just smiled at me encouragingly. I thought for a moment, and chose a shorter, simpler piece.
Opening my eyes after the last note faded, I looked around feeling a bit self-conscious. The memory of my brother telling me I looked like a pretentious twat when I played with my eyes closed flared brightly for a few moments, but Julie and Leo both just applauded.
“I hope you brought your swimming clothes?” Julie threw over her shoulder as we followed her back down the hallway. I froze and tugged on Leo’s arm.
“I didn’t!” I whispered frantically.
“It’s okay,” he said to me. “Mama, it’s too cold for an Australian to swim. Bea told me she only swims when it’s over 35 degrees.” He winked at me.
“35! Crazy.” Julie laughed and shook her head. “Well, maybe our North Sea might be a bit cold for you.”
After a moment, she turned and asked, “what is the hottest day you have in Australia?”
I paused and thought for a moment, remembering stifling summer heatwaves.
“There was a summer a few years ago where it got up to 46 degrees. That was pretty gross.”
“Forty-six? Four six? Celsius?” Julie and Leo both exclaimed.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “And I was at my grandmother’s house that day. She has no air conditioning.”
“What did you do? I can’t even imagine a day that hot,” Julie fanned herself, apparently hot just thinking about it.
“I didn’t move much. Found the coolest part of the house and lay in front of the fan. And ate a lot of ice-cream. It’s not quite as bad as it sounds… well, actually, that day was - we had to put ice-packs on the cats bellies - but normally, the 40 degree days aren’t so bad. It’s dry heat, not humid like it gets here.”
“Ah. I see. I don’t think it’s ever even been 40 degrees here,” Julie said with a laugh. “They must make you Aussies tough.” Julie rummaged around in a few cupboards while Leo and I stood idly by.
“Air-conditioning and beaches help,” I said with a laugh.
“I’ve seen pictures of your beaches,” Julie said, linking her arm with mine, and leaving Leo to trail behind us with the bag Julie had packed. We left the house and started walking down the street. “They look very pretty,” Julie continued.
“Yeah, I guess they are.” Sometimes I really missed the windswept beauty of the coast down near Dad’s. Miles and miles of golden beach and sand dunes, and barely a person in sight. Sometimes we even glimpsed humpback whales breaching off the coast. Those were magical times.
“I hope our little old beach doesn’t disappoint you too much,” Julie said with a little laugh.
“I’m sure it won’t. I love any beach.”
Blankenberge was a bit different to what I’d pictured. Julie lived only a few streets back from the beach. The buildings looked a hell of a lot newer than those near Leo’s apartment in Ghent. It didn’t take us long to reach the beachfront. It reminded me more of Surfer’s Paradise or the Gold Coast than the wild beaches Dad would take us to on the south coast. The street that ran along the beach was full of tall apartment buildings that looked like they were out of the 1950s or 60s. It wasn’t really what I had been expecting. The beach in front of us was full of beach chair vendors. It was a sunny day, but the light wind blowing off the sea had a definite chill to it. Still, there were hundreds of people out and about, scantily clad and soaking up the rays.
We walked along for a little while. I wasn’t sure what exactly we were looking for until we stopped.
“There they are,” Julie said, and turned to look at Leo. He was glancing around with a slightly puzzled look on his face. I felt an irrational urge to kiss him and had to subtly shake myself. So not the time. Julie gestured in front of us.
“Ah!” Leo exclaimed and started forward. My eyes slid around, bouncing off different gr
oups until they landed on some slightly familiar faces.
Looking at Joeri, it was easy to imagine what Leo would look like if he had red hair and pale skin. It wasn’t a bad look as such, but I found myself preferring Leo’s darker shade. Perhaps I was biased. It was slightly uncanny seeing them next to each other, looking so similar, yet different. I wondered if it would be hard to tell them apart in a black and white photo. I hovered on the edge of the group as Leo and Julie swooped in. Leo lifted one of the little girls up high, and then blew a raspberry on her chubby little belly. Her giggles rang out, and I couldn’t help but laugh in return. Julie was fussing over the other twin, and then after a few minutes Leo and Julie swapped, and the cooing and fussing began again.
“You must be Bea,” Joeri came up to me with a friendly smile while his brother and mother remained enraptured by the young girls.
“And you must be Joeri,” I smiled in return. He nodded and grinned at me.
“Something you learn when you have adorable babies, is that no one cares about you anymore. Just the babies.”
I laughed. The sound seemed to attract Leo. Apologising profusely, he strode over to us and handed the blonde girl back to Joeri.
“Sorry, guys! Let me introduce you,” Leo started.
“No need, brother. We already did.” Joeri punched Leo lightly on the arm with his spare hand. The little girl looked at me curiously.
“Hello,” I said, smiling at her.
She gurgled at me.
“This is Lotte,” Joeri said. “And over there is Hanne.”
“They’re gorgeous,” I said, and actually meant it unlike when I said the same thing to my cousin about her boy. Little Noah had to be one of the ugliest babies I’d ever seen… poor kid.
“Where’s Anika?” Leo asked, looking around.
“She just gone to get her mum something,” Joeri said. “Her mum owns these beach chairs,” Joeri said for my benefit.
“Oh! That’s… cool?”
“Mmm,” Joeri said, glancing around.
“We don’t really have these at home. How does it work?”
“Well, tourists just rent the chair or subbed or umbrella for however long they want.”
“I see,” I said, but I didn’t really. Why didn’t they just bring their own chairs or towels?
“Don’t worry, we can use one for free while we’re here,” Leo winked. “The perks of knowing people.”
“I can pay, really.”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
We settled into the chairs. They were quite comfortable, although I would have been happy enough on a beach towel in the sand.
I drifted off, enjoying the sunshine and sound of the beach life around us, and besides, nearly everyone was speaking Dutch so I couldn’t eavesdrop.
After a little while, I decided it was about time to get my feet wet. Leo came with me and walked straight in.
“It’s not as warm as the water in Lisbon, but it’s still nice,” he said, waves splashing around his knees.
“Uh huh,” I said, eyeing the stormy grey water. I cautiously stuck my toe in and then pulled it out straight away with a gasp. “That’s freezing!”
Leo just laughed and attempted to splash me, but I retreated back up the beach, out of range. When we ventured back to where Leo’s family was encamped, Anika was back. She smiled warmly at me, and said hallo, then something in Dutch. I glanced at Leo for a translation.
“She said she’s sorry, but she never paid much attention in English lessons, and is embarrassed that her English is very bad.”
“I’m sure it’s better than my Dutch,” I said with a smile at the young woman. She had one of the twins on her hip. I thought it was Lotte. Lotte was chewing on Anika’s pony tail, and enjoying it immensely. Anika didn’t seem to notice, or mind if she did. I repressed a shudder at the thought of all that slobber in my hair. I had a long way to go before I was ready for kids…
We stayed at the beach for a couple of hours. Thankfully for my pale skin, someone had packed some sunscreen. The twins provided much of the entertainment. I didn’t know toddlers could be so funny and interesting.
The beach promenade was getting busier and busier even though the weather was turning cooler and beach itself was loosing people, as they packed up and covered themselves up.
“Is it always like this?” I asked Leo, as we helped Anika’s mother start to pack up her pavilion. The cushions on the beach chairs were heavier than they looked.
Leo shrugged. “It’s a holiday town, so it’s usually a bit crowded, but there’s the carnival on today, so maybe…”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that. Nicky’s sister’s band is playing, right?” I stretched and yawned. The stretching felt good after lazing around all afternoon.
Leo nodded. “Do you still want to go? We don’t have to if you’re tired.”
“No! I do want to go. It sounds fun.”
“Okay, good.”
We all trekked back to Julie’s house for some afternoon snacks, and then Joeri and Anika left with the girls, apologising profusely, but apparently in need of a nap. I wasn’t sure who needed the nap more; Hanne and Lotte, or Anika and Joeri.
The festival was going off by the time Leo and I made our way down the street. We looked at some stalls, and grabbed some frites and mayonnaise which I was actually becoming scarily addicted to, and then stood on the edge of a crowd watching a band play. I methodically ate the delicious crispy double-fried chips, and tried to ration out the mayo. The band wasn’t Nicky’s sisters band. At least, I assumed it wasn’t, seeing as they were all middle-aged men.
Nicky found us in the crowd, and gave me a hug and kiss. I should have been getting used to it by now, but the double cheek kiss from people I barely knew was still throwing me.
“So how are you liking Blankenberge?” Nicky yelled over the music.
“It’s nice!” I said, politely. What else were you meant to say to something like that?
“Ah you don’t have to lie,” Nicky teased. “I’ve been to your Great Ocean Road, remember?”
I laughed. “Blankenberge has it’s own charms.”
“Like a certain Leonardo Temmerman?” Nicky nudged me, and I realised he was a bit drunk. I just smiled and glanced over at Leo, but he wasn’t listening to us. He was standing up on his tip toes, searching the crowd for someone or something. I felt slightly put out until he yelled out,“Kaatje!”
A tall, pretty young woman with long dark hair, bounded over to us. She gave Leo a huge hug, and said something rapidly in Dutch. Once again I found myself wishing we had subtitles in real life, as Leo responded in Dutch. She gave Nicky what looked like a friendly hug, and then Kaatje turned to me and said something I couldn’t understand. She frowned at the blank look on my face, and then her eyes widened.
“You must be the Aussie,” she said, switching to English.
I smiled, slightly apprehensively. “Yep, that’s me. I’m Beatrix. You must be Leo’s sister.”
“Guilty.”
We both looked at Leo, not quite sure what to say to each other. Leo started talking, telling Kaatje about the last few days. The PG version, anyway.
“Who wants a drink? Bea? What can I get you? Kaatje?” Leo said, glancing between me and his sister.
“Surprise me,” I said.
Kaatje said something in Dutch. We both stood there in silence as we watched Leo and Nicky weave their way through the crowd.
“So, what are your intentions?” Kaatje asked in English, turning to me. I glanced at her, wondering how serious she was. Was she going to grill me? She looked pretty serious, not even the hint of a smile on her face anymore.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean with my brother. He likes you. A lot. I can tell.” She looked at me levelly.
“Oh. Well, I like him too.”
“Good. How long are you planning on living in London? What’s your visa status?”
I blinked at her. Yep, she was grilling me.
“I’m not sure at the moment. My current visa is good for another twenty months or so.”
“I see. And then?”
“And then… I don’t know, Kaatje. This is all very new.”
“Sorry. Yes. I suppose it is. What made you come to London in the first place? Work?”
“Not really… I graduated from university, and my friends were coming over and my…” I trailed off, not really wanting to mention Tom to Kaatje. “It just seemed like a good opportunity and timing to go and live in another culture.”
“Right,” Kaatje said. I wished I knew what she was thinking. “And what is your degree in?” she asked after a moment.
“History,” I said. “And a minor in politics…”
“Interesting. And what do you plan on doing with that?”
I blinked. Woah. “You sound like my dad…” I half-laughed, half-complained.
Perhaps she realised she was coming on a bit hard, but Kaatje eased up a bit after that.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just worry about my brother. He’s been through a lot the past few years. I don’t want to see him get hurt.” She looked at me directly as she spoke.
“I understand,” I said, wishing Leo would come back and rescue me from his sister.
“Do you?” Her eyes bored into mine. I shifted on my feet, uncomfortable with the intense attention.
“If you mean Emma, then yes. He told me about what happened to her.”
“I see,” was all Kaatje responded for a moment. Then she hurriedly said, “my brother hasn’t really been with anyone since Emma died. I don’t want to see him hurt,” she repeated.
“I’m not planning on hurting him…”
“Of course you are not. Who ever does? Yet still, the hurting happens.”
Leo and Nicky returned, rescuing me from the interrogation. A wave of relief surged through me and I let out a breath I didn’t even realise I’d been holding.
“They’re up next,” Nicky said, handing Kaatje and I both a drink. I thanked him and took a sip. Yet another delicious Belgian beer. This was getting a bit out of hand. They couldn’t all be this good, could they?
Unexpected: A Backpacker Romance (The Backpacker Romances) Page 14