by Leela Ash
Jasmine breathed in. The smell was an odd combination of old books, decaying upholstery and the scent of the nearby beach. It was heavenly and stifling at the same time.
“Somebody should have taken care of this place,” her mother said as she walked across the hall, staring up at the chandelier that had too many broken or missing pieces to count as one anymore.
“We didn’t even know it existed,” Jasmine turned to watch the older woman walking slowly along the wall, staring up quietly at the faded paintings hanging on the patchy walls.
“What does that mean?” Jasmine asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. She knew how her mother hated curiosity.
“It means that our father bought this house and lived here with his mistress any chance he could get. We didn’t know it existed until he died and left it to us.” Her mother was surprisingly talkative today and Jasmine was finding all of it very hard to believe. It was overwhelming to hear so many words coming from her mother’s mouth that didn’t include censure of anything Jasmine did.
“Are you serious?” is all Jasmine could respond with and watched as an ironic, short laugh escaped her mother’s lips.
“As if this house was going to make any difference. He drank all his money away or gave it to that woman for all we know. And this house became more of a burden than a profitable inheritance,” Camilla continued. She was turning doorknobs, opening and then shutting the doors that surrounded the circular, central hall.
Jasmine stood silently in the middle of it all. She literally had no response. She was certain that anything she could possibly say to her mother would result in a fight.
“We never met her,” her mother continued, not even noticing Jasmine didn’t respond to her earlier statement. Jasmine thought she detected a hint of despair in her mother’s voice, but then it quickly changed to anger again.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I had no idea,” Jasmine said weakly, watching as her mother stood under the chandelier.
“I just want to get rid of this house and finally begin to move on,” she continued, letting out an exhausted sigh. “As long as this house remains with me, it will serve as a constant reminder of how terrible he was as a father.”
More than being surprised at the things her mother was saying, the fact that she was so willing to talk about her father and her own feelings, was what was new to Jasmine. She decided to pat her mother gently on her shoulder, but she quickly moved away and Jasmine let her hand drop back to her side.
“The last thing I want is a pity party. Now, help me make this house somewhat presentable,” her mother said with a sudden change in her voice. Jasmine looked around her and smiled.
“When was the last time you dusted anything, Mom?”
***
Jasmine wiped her brow as she ran a wet sponge over a large glass-top coffee table in the living room for the last time. She stood up from her hunched position and looked around her. The thick curtains had been dusted down, as had the carpets; while the sofas and chairs were covered with sheets of plastic. She and her mother had spent the last four hours dusting, cleaning, and wiping as many surfaces as they possibly could. The rest had to be covered or hidden. She knew that the house still didn’t come close to what might have been its former glory, but like her mother said, at least now it looked ‘presentable’.”
“I might go down to the beach for a bit,” Jasmine said when she met her mother in the hall again.
“Why? We have to prepare for the evening, Jasmine. Don’t go running off in the middle of this,” her mother glared at her, but Jasmine had already brushed past her and opened the front door, missing the look directly but feeling it boring into her back.
“The place is as clean as it can possibly be for the moment. I’m done,” she said and walked out of the house. She could hear her mother call out to her and remind her to be back as soon as possible.
It was evening by now, but the sun was still out and bright as Jasmine walked lazily down the driveway and onto the unkempt narrow trail which she assumed would lead her to the beach. She could smell the sea and hear the accompanying seagulls, a smile creeping across her face as they swooped down on the water. The humidity had made her curls poof up and added a few inches to her otherwise slight height. If nothing else, Jasmine was grateful that she’d worn a pair of white cotton shorts and a thin printed blouse. Anything else would have been enough to roast her immediately.
Chapter 3
When the beach came into view, Jasmine took off her leather sandals and skipped over to the sand, digging her toes into the warm, rough texture. She’d forgotten her sunglasses and her tanning lotion in the house, but she wasn’t too bothered. She took in a deep breath of the scent of the sea and kept walking. She had to raise her hand to shade her eyes, but she could see a handful of people lazing around and a few kids chasing each other. This is the life, she said to herself and smiled. It wasn’t hard to see why her grandfather had picked this town as his annual getaway.
When she came closer to the water she sat down, folding her legs in front of her and placing her head on her knees, letting the sun seep into her skin and relax the tenseness in her muscles after spending so many hours cleaning. A few feet away, a man was lying on a beach towel, his face facing the sun. He had definitely come prepared for sunbathing; his dark glasses shielded his eyes from the sun, while a book lay open and forgotten on his chest. He seemed to be much older than she, although Jasmine found herself admiring his sculpted body. His tanned skin was smooth; the muscles on his shoulders and abdomen looked effortless, as though he was involved in hard physical labor on a daily basis. His bare chest was covered in a spray of dark curly hair. Jasmine jerked her head away when she saw him shifting in his spot; she wasn’t sure if he’d seen her staring at him behind his dark glasses.
She went back to admiring the view until she was uncomfortable with the silence again. Her days spent having loud and endless conversations with five-year-olds had put her in the habit of talking incessantly. She tried clearing her throat to get his attention, but he didn’t budge.
“Lovely day,” she finally said, loud enough for him to hear. She could see that he tilted his head in her direction, but he didn’t say anything in response.
“The sun never seems to set here,” she said, trying again for conversation. This time she said it directly to him and continued looking at him, forcing him into a response.
“Yup,” was his short and succinct reply. Jasmine smiled, she had her ‘in’. She dragged her bottom in the sand and wiggled over closer to him.
“Are you on a holiday as well?” she asked him, pasting a bright smile on her face. She could sense that he was studying her, even though his eyes were hidden behind his dark glasses. He didn’t respond for a few seconds, but Jasmine continued to stare and smile. He finally seemed to let out a sigh, pulling his glasses off his face. His sparkling, yet piercing blue eyes took Jasmine by surprise. They were focused directly and narrowly on her face and she couldn’t help but look away, embarrassed.
“No,” he said after what seemed like too much time. Jasmine looked back at him, gave him a weak smile and turned her face away again. She knew his eyes were still on her, making her feel naked and exposed for some reason.
“You’re clearly on one,” he said after a few moments. Jasmine looked back at him and tried to nod and smile.
“Yeah. Sort of,” she said and unconsciously licked her lips. Without the large glasses covering his face, she could now see his rugged sharp jaw lines clearly. He was clean shaven, while his thick, greying hair was neatly cut and brushed back. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, and Jasmine was growing increasingly uncomfortable under his glare.
“So you live here? That must be lovely,” she finally said, hoping to distract him from studying her so keenly. He smiled suddenly, and her heart nearly stopped. His slim lips stretched broadly, and a boyish sparkle made his eyes shine even more brightly. Jasmine couldn’t help but smile back; even though she wasn’t enti
rely sure what they were smiling for.
“It is indeed,” he said eventually and in one quick motion placed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose again and picked up his book.
“What are you reading there?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“Ulysses and Us,” is all he said and offered no other explanation or illuminating insight into a book, which for all he knew Jasmine might be interested in. He didn’t even look away from the page he was concentrating on.
“Ah, Joyce!” Jasmine said, trying to drag the conversation on a little further.
“About Joyce,” he corrected gruffly. She could see that his brows were scrunched above his glasses. She bit down on her lip and decided to leave him alone, even though she had no idea what she had done to offend him. She turned around to face the sea again, although she remained in the same spot, a few feet away from this man she couldn’t stop stealing glances at from the corner of her eye.
“Have you read Ulysses?” she was surprised to hear his voice and turned around. He was looking at her with a smirk on his face, his glasses were off again. For an older mature man, he sure couldn’t make up his mind.
“I tried and failed three times over; now it’s only a doorjamb,” she said, trying to make a joke. It obviously didn’t impress him, but he still smiled.
“You’ll get there. I don’t think I managed to finish it before I was thirty-five myself and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since,” this sudden softening of his tone took Jasmine by surprise, a pleasant surprise that made her heart skip a beat. The fact that he was willing to have an actual conversation with her made her self-conscious and she held her head up higher than usual.
“Do you read for pleasure or is it connected in some way to your work?” she tried to further the conversation and turned her body to face him again. He laughed at that and she liked the sound of it, it had a sort of wise and self-assured tone to it.
“I wish my avocation was my vocation. No, our family business kept me busy during my youth but now I seem to have more time on my hands for reading,” he said and smiled. Jasmine didn’t know if these references to his age were purposeful on his part or not, but she couldn’t stop herself from flicking her hair behind her shoulder. She was immediately aware that it might have been too obvious a flirtatious move on her part, but thankfully there was no change of expression on his face.
“What about you?” he asked, and she told him in brief about her life as a kindergarten teacher.
“That is very interesting,” he said immediately after she had finished. “My family, or whatever is left of it, runs a private school in Bloomingshire,” he said and Jasmine raised her eyebrow.
“Wait. You own Mornmouth House School?” Jasmine’s jaw almost dropped. She didn’t know many people personally who went to that school, but you would have to be living under a rock not to have heard of it. He only smiled in response. Jasmine licked her lips as she watched him return his attention to the book. He caught her looking when he suddenly turned his gaze to her and Jasmine dropped her eyes, embarrassed.
“What is an attractive young woman like you doing teaching kindergarten?” he asked and the word “attractive” was enough to make Jasmine blush like a school girl.
“That’s exactly what my mother says, well, not in exactly those words.” Jasmine didn’t want to meet his eyes; she could sense that they were on her.
“Not that there’s no nobility in it,” he added, and she looked at him; her cheeks were burning up, and it had nothing to do with the sun. He didn’t shy away from looking at her when their eyes met. He had a smirk on his face and he seemed to be drinking in her features. She was hoping it was more than general curiosity.
“I’m Marvin Byrne,” he said suddenly as he turned a page in the book. He didn’t look at her when he said this, but Jasmine couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m Jasmine. Jasmine Kiberd,” she said cheerily and stuck out her hand towards him. He just seemed like the kind of person who liked to shake hands. He apparently didn’t, though. He was looking at her again from behind his glasses, his book was still in his hands, not making a motion to accept the handshake at all. Instead he said, “I see,” and stood up suddenly.
Jasmine couldn’t help but look surprised as she watched him bend down and bunch up the towel from the sand and then start walking away. He didn’t look back at her or exchange parting words. She remained sitting, with her mouth hanging slightly open as she watched him walking away from her. His loose blue trunks outlined the sinews on his thighs as he took each step.
I see? I see! Who says that! Jasmine was screaming inside her head.
Chapter 4
“Where have you been?” Jasmine heard her mother yell at her just as she banged the front door shut.
“I told you I was going to the beach.” Her mind was too occupied with Marvin and his ill manners to be sweating over appeasing her mother.
“He’ll be here in an hour,” her mother said, appearing from a room within with the dusting cloth still in her hand. She had, thankfully, taken her jacket off and Jasmine could see sweat stains under her armpits on the dark blouse she was wearing.
“Exactly why you need a shower,” she couldn’t help but smirk. She had never seen her poised mother so worked up before.
“You need one as well, in fact,” she said and crossed her arms across her chest. Camilla was looking her daughter up and down with stern eyes. “Will you please wear something appropriate for the evening?” she stated rather than asked.
“I’ll wear something clean. I want to stress again how this is not a business meeting,” Jasmine said as her mother brushed past her to wipe imaginary dust off the shelf behind Jasmine.
“This is not a kindergarten, Jasmine. The appropriate thing would be to look professional,” she heard her mother add as she climbed the long spiral staircase to her makeshift room.
The room that she had chosen for her stay in the house had been dusty, but Jasmine had managed to wipe it down and find new linen for the bed. Floral patterned upholstery covered the two armchairs, and a wide oval wooden mirror rested in the corner. Jasmine stood in front of it and realized she had some sand on her face.
He must have thought I’m a silly girl. She couldn’t get Marvin out of her head. She turned on her heels and found her big bag on the floor. She rummaged around inside it and pulled out a pair of dark straight jeans and a thin, red silk blouse. “This will have to do,” she said aloud and thanked God that she’d packed her favorite pair of red pumps as well.
•••
The long shower Jasmine treated herself to seemed to have calmed her racing mind. She patted her curls dry with the old towel she found hanging in the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. The jeans fit snugly around her waist, accentuating the curves of her hips and thighs. The soft material of her blouse stretched across her voluptuous breasts and she ran a muted rose colored lipstick over her pouting lips. The warm weather dried her hair much quicker than she had anticipated. The humidity still added volumes to its mass, but now that it was fresh and clean, her auburn curls looked soft and like a different shade of her blouse.
“Jasmine, will you please come down?” Camilla’s voice boomed around the house, and she skipped over to the door, trying to slip into her shoes on her way out.
“What is it?” she asked as her heels clicked against the wood of the staircase. She never failed to be surprised by how her mother always managed to look on-point. She was in one of her black skirt-suits again, with a white, high-collared blouse sticking out from the folds of her jacket. Her bob was neatly combed back, and not a strand of hair was astray. The fact that she was wearing her pearls indicated to Jasmine that she was clearly trying very hard to impress.
“I just want you to empty out the bottle of Glenlivet into the crystal decanter in the drawing room,” she said, patting her hair down – not that it needed any more patting.
“You carried Scotch with you?” Jasmin
e widened her eyes as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Well, I would have liked to arrange for some hors d'oeuvres, too, but that of course would be impossible,” she replied casually.
“Wow. You’re charging ahead with guns blazing aren’t you?” Jasmine giggled and walked over to the drawing room which now looked more than presentable. Most of the light bulbs were dysfunctional, but the few that still worked added a faded charm to the room.
“Good job with the tidying up, Mom,” she said loudly as she found the unopened box of whiskey on top of the corner bar.
“It’s the best I could do in half a day,” her mother replied from the hallway, just as Jasmine heard a loud rap on the front door.
“Jasmine, he’s here. Be good,” Camilla hurriedly said, peeping into the drawing room as she began pouring the whiskey into the decanter that her mother had polished down earlier.
“Calm down, Mom,” she managed to say, just as her mother disappeared.
Jasmine remained standing by the bar as she heard the front door open and her mother’s nervous high pitched voice greeting someone.
“I trust you’ve seen the house from the outside before,” Camilla’s loud voice could probably be heard all around the house. “Let’s have a quick chat before I take you on the tour,” Jasmine heard her add a nervous laugh to that and she rolled her eyes.
She hadn’t heard the gentleman’s voice yet, but seconds later her mother entered the drawing room with her arm outstretched, directing her guest into the room.
When she saw Marvin walk in, Jasmine’s heart stopped and she didn’t even try to not look surprised. Marvin was in tan slacks now, a white Polo t-shirt covered his torso, which she had seen bare only a few hours ago. His hair was combed back as before and his piercing blue eyes were lazily taking in the drawing room until they rested on Jasmine standing in the corner. He looked his age when he was clothed. In the faded light of the room he looked much older. His hair suddenly looked more grey, and there were lines on his face that she hadn’t noticed in the sun. He looked more tired too. Marvin didn’t seem to be as surprised as she was. Instead, his eyes betrayed a mocking glimmer, and he smirked.