After a long day, we descend down the rocky, steep path and the centre emerges into our welcome sight, at the bottom of the valley becoming more visible with each step we take. I have enjoyed the walk, but a cup of tea and sit down would now feel like heaven. On approach, I notice a little dog running around, which races towards us as soon as it sees Pete.
“Hi Jack, how are you mate?” Pete rhetorically asks as he fusses over the dog. The name and dog are familiar; it suddenly clicks into place. I have of course met Jack a few weeks ago and I have also met his owner, who I now discover is Mark’s friend and centre owner, James Collins. I quickly utter my findings to Kate and Ruth and brace myself for further embarrassment, should James mention anything about my naked exposure to Mark or Tabitha.
“James, it’s good to see you at long last,” says Mark giving James a friendly slap on the back.
“You too, have you had a good time getting outdoors for a change instead of being cooped up in an office?” he replies.
“Unlike you, we can all hack the London pace mate, but I have to admit, you’ve done a great job with the centre James. Let me introduce you to everybody.” Mark proceeds to go through his work colleagues and then moves on to me. “This is my little sister Lizzie, who you’ve met years ago when we were at university together.
“Actually we’ve met several times since. In fact I’ve seen quite a lot of you haven’t I Lizzie?” smirks James. This seems so surreal. I now remember Mark bringing a James to visit from university, but I am sure he had long hair and I was probably about 13 years old at the time. Looking at him more closely, I do recognise him. Of course, that’s how he knows my name.
“Yes we are very well acquainted as it happens.” I respond with as much confidence as I can muster. “We’ve bumped into each other on a few occasions, although I hadn’t quite put the connection together–that James is your university friend.”
“Well that’s great; James have you popped into Lizzie and Kate’s cafe yet for a cake? What Lizzie can’t do with chocolate, is nobody’s business!” says Mark. Oh no, this is too much. Why does my imbecile of a brother have to mention chocolate?
“I believe so,” coughs James to disguise his laugher. He guides everybody towards the centre as if to relieve my unease, although there remains a hint of a smile in his face. May be he isn’t so bad after all.
Everybody kicks off their boots and grabs well-earned drinks and flapjacks that Pete seems to have magically produced even though he remains in his animated conversation with Ruth. Kate heads to our room to call Ben and check The Tea Cosy is still standing in our absence. With most others resting in the lounge area, I head outside to sit at one of the wooden picnic benches with my Jayne Eyre escaping Mark and also James.
The centre really is in a superb spot over-looking a babbling river, yet sheltered in a cosy, leafy valley. I can’t think of a more perfect place for this sort of thing, especially being within a two hour drive from London. James has made a fantastic investment in my opinion.
I am engrossed in the final chapters of Jayne Eyre, so don’t hear the footsteps on the soft grass approaching until I hear a voice. “Hi, I just thought I’d come out and apologise for teasing you on a few occasions and also for not re-introducing myself to you earlier. If truth be told, I was enjoying myself far too much feeding off your obvious discomfort.” says James ruefully. I am quite stunned and warmed by his honesty.
“Erm, that’s okay. I didn’t recognise you without all the hair, but then it has been quite a few years since I saw you.” I clearly recognise James now with his strong rugged features more visible without the long, unruly hair he had previously worn.
“I cut it all off after university when I started to go for interviews in London. I admit to having seen recent photos of you at Mark’s house and when I moved here Mark mentioned that you own The Tea Cosy, so I did have an unfair advantage in recognising you. May I ask one thing that has been intriguing me for weeks though?”
“Yes, although I’m not sure I want to answer any questions, after our previous meetings,” I stammer, anxious about what he may ask, given the situations in which he’s seen me.
“Well ... whatever possessed you to ballet dance in the woods–naked? I mean each to their own, and I’m very open-minded towards naturalists, if that’s your thing, but is there another reason? At first, I thought I’d disturbed two lovers, but when I realised you were happily dancing on your own, I have wondered about you,” he says. At this point I am wracking my brains with some possible reason for my actions and cringe even more thinking about my dancing – did my boobs wobble ferociously? I decide that after all my encounters with James, I might as well be honest because I can’t possibly become any more embarrassed in front of this man. After explaining my list to him and why I’m doing it, I’m surprised that he genuinely seems impressed. “Well good for you Lizzie. I admire you for facing your fears and trying new things. Am I allowed to ask what else you have on this list of yours?”
“Even though you know me more intimately than most as a result of my list, I am not telling you all of the items; however, reading this book is on my list and so is doing an adventurous activity. After tomorrow I can tick that off – I hope. What is gorge crossing by the way?” I ask curiously.
“Well there’s a very steep gorge about a mile over the hill and we have rigged up ropes going from one side to the other. You will wear a harness attached to the ropes and basically jump of the cliff, dangle in the air and pull yourself over to the other side – it’s good fun!” He must see the look of horror on my face. “What’s the matter Lizzie? You’ve gone slightly pale.”
My heart rate increases at the thought of the height and I feel slightly hot. “I have a fear of heights. This is my worst nightmare. I’m not sure if I can do it,” I reply. He gently touches my cheek and gazes intensely into my eyes, causing my heart rate to now switch from fast to over drive.
“Just come up and see what it’s like. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but if it would make you feel better, we can do it together at the same time. You can be attached to me and I’ll make sure you’re safe Lizzie. Have a think about it; you don’t have to decide anything until tomorrow.” He smiles briefly before giving me a quick pat on the arm and turning more brisk. “Anyway I’ll leave you with your book. I need to sort out the orienteering groups for later.” With that he turns and heads back towards the centre. Whilst I sit and contemplate whether I can face one of my biggest fears, I also acknowledge the feeling warmth that has spread throughout my body–a result of the effect a certain man, seems to have on me.
Later on, we all meet in the dining room to be greeted by the smell of yet another of Peter’s mouth-watering concoctions. Ruth is beside herself with joy and admiration for this man. Pete has a bubbling pot of chilli on the stove and a huge tray of lasagne for us to choose from. We all select our choice before sitting down to join others already eating on the benches. Why does fresh air build up such an appetite? Ravenous and enjoying eating the food, everybody is in good spirits creating a cheerful atmosphere that has descended upon the centre. I now understand why they start with the hike, as this mixes people up so that they chat and feel at ease with each other, especially since future activities may involve team support.
Pete has told us that the orienteering will take (depending upon how lost we get) between 30 minutes to an hour. He informs us that we will be in the field next to the centre, so there is no chance of us going far or getting completely lost; however, the challenge is to find the points and navigate the large field in the pitch black. The only light available is from the one above the centre door. The winning team will be the one that has the fastest time with all the correct stamps on their orienteering grid. Following this activity, we are welcome to use the centre lounge, games room, dining room at our own leisure or pop to the local pub, which is a five-minute walk away.
I am s
ecretly ecstatic about the evening activity and let me tell you why. This information I am about to divulge is not in a conceited or over-confident way, but I am simply being honest. I am absolutely exceptional at map-reading. This skill is something I have inherited from my dad.
Over the years, during many family holidays, Dad has frequently been asked for directions from tourists who assume he is a local (it’s the way he dresses) and to our amazement, he always knows the way. We were always surprised that he’d know, but as I got older, I used to watch him study maps of the area that we were staying in. His most recent car, has a built-in sat nav’, however, dad refuses to use it, preferring his trusty map. I think he secretly collects maps, because he seems to have a map covering every area of Great Britain. Anyway, much to my amazement over the years, I have realised that I also have this skill and fascination for maps. In fact, if I’m honest, you could say that I also have a small map collection – is 18 a collection? Yes probably. Although I am desperately trying not to let the collection increase, with each year, I find myself drawn to maps in shops, which I can’t help but buy. You are honoured, because not many people know about this or the fact that I can easily spend an evening pouring over my maps, appreciating local topography with a chocolate digestive. Some evenings, the TV is just not good enough!
Before the orienteering starts, we are split into groups of four and set off from the centre with two minute intervals between each group. I am in a group with Tabitha and two of Mark’s work colleagues, called John and Owen. My aim is to get control of the map, then hand Tabitha the clipping grid to keep her busy. John and Owen seem quite happy with this for the moment, having already consumed several beers. Looking at the map, I quickly establish that what appears to be the fastest route is not the best one. This is because there is a stream running through the field, which looks as though it can only be crossed on one side. My insight totally alters the direction in which we should go. “Okay, we need to head along this wall,” I say as I point the direction out to the others.
“Are you sure?” asks Tabitha. “The others all went off in the opposite direction to the wall Lizzie.”
“Trust me on this one, Tabitha – I promise we’ll be back with a fast time. You just keep clipping that grid” I reply somewhat forcefully, so Tabitha accepts this and we move on quickly.
As we approach the half way mark, we pass loads of teams coming in the opposite direction, all with jokey comments about our going in the wrong direction. Tabitha questions my map skills again, whilst John and Owen don’t seem to care. As we approach the next point, it becomes clear to Tabitha why I chose this route, because the other teams cannot access a particular point due to the stream, so then have to head all the way back that they came to get round to the point. Of course, we’ve already clipped this point that the other teams are trying to access. This gives us an advantage, so now we must be in the lead. “Well done Lizzie, I can see having you in our team is of benefit,” says Owen. Tabitha remains silent as she slowly realises we are winning.
On clipping our final point, we are aware of Mark’s (we know this by his voice) team being not too far behind us, so we run like a hurricane, darting this way and that way, in order to find the best possible path through the field. Even Tabitha’s cool demeanour is melting away as excitement builds with the possibility of us being first. We even have a bonding moment when we helped each other over a style. I finally start to see who the real Tabitha is and I much prefer this one to the facade she usually hides behind. I don’t understand why she uses this disguise, when her own self is much more fun.
“Quick Lizzie–run!” Tabitha shrieks with the delight of a child on Christmas morning. This is so refreshing, that I decide to try to pull the fun out of Tabitha this weekend. When she’s like this, I could honestly be her friend. Finally reaching the centre door, we are greeted by James’ cheer and announcement that we are in fact the winning group. He hugs Tabitha and me and pats John and Owen on the back. “Well done, that’s a brilliant time. In fact I have to admit that it’s three seconds faster that the time Peter and I got when we tested the course out before you came, so that’s some great map reading!” James says enthusiastically.
“Well we can all thank Lizzie for her map-reading skills. I have to say, I did doubt you at first, but you were fabulous out there, and of course, we’ve beaten Mark’s team. He will never live this down during the next Sunday lunch at your parents’ house,” gushes Tabitha. I am amazed, but secretly pleased that she has said this, especially in front of James.
“Here are his team now and that’s a huge 45 seconds lead on them – you’ve destroyed them!” laughs James.
“Gosh you’ve taken a long time Mark, we’ve been here ages,” Tabitha giggles like a school girl -she’s in her element.
“Well you had the unfair advantage of my dad’s map-reading genes being passed on to Lizzie in abundance, much more than I inherited anyway. As much as it pains me to say it–well done!” answers Mark.
“How did you know I was good with maps?” I ask him curious that he remembers this.
“Lizzie you always have been. I’m your brother, so I just know you are, and I was very much hoping you’d be in my team tonight,” he answered with a warm smile and also a friendly punch.
“Thanks for that,” I reply with a beam on my face. Maybe I am too harsh on Mark or perhaps I see don’t see enough of him these days to see his true nature. As much as he mocks me, he has always supported me and aren’t brothers meant to mock their little sisters?
During the next twenty minutes, the rest of the groups trickle in full off sparkle, all laughing, and in various states of cleanliness or should I say dirtiness. Kate and Ruth arrive back, literally dripping, but in hysterics. Apparently Kate fell in the stream and Ruth tried to get her out and ended up in the stream with her. Just the squelching sounds of their water-logged boots each time they take a step sends everybody into fits of laughter.
After well-needed hot showers, we all meet down in the lounge area for a hot chocolate, complements of Pete again. Mark is handing out bottles of wine and cans of beer to everybody. “Lizzie, what would you like?” he asks as I enter the room with Ruth and Kate.
“Are you sure Mark? I’d love a bottle of red if you’ve got one. How much do we owe you?”
“Of course, help yourself, there’s plenty to go around and this is my treat,” he replies without any fuss. Again I am left to evaluate my thoughts on my brother. I think back to family holidays and times we spent together before he went off to university and never returned. Remembering a time on a family holiday when I lost my pocket money and he gave me half of his, I realise that Mark was always generous. I recognise that, although we have different lifestyles and he can come across as pompous at times, in actual fact, he is a decent and fun person. Perhaps I have mistaken his confidence for arrogance, due to my own lack of confidence. Could it be that my list is increasing my confidence enough to view Mark through different eyes?
The evening starts with a boisterous and witty atmosphere and continues this way. I am having a tremendous time giggling with everybody now that we have achieved camaraderie amongst the group. A gentle hum of conversation and laughter resonates around the longue area.
As Tabitha drinks more wine, she remains care-free and I warm to her personality, even scoffing at some of her more snobby remarks, but she is willing to laugh at herself. I also discover she is quick witted and responds to teasing with some hilarious one liners. Kate seems to like her too, so my improved view of her is not just due to my own wine consumption. During the evening, I notice Ruth and Pete chatting across the room, slightly apart from the rest of the group and what’s more apparent is that they are mirroring each other’s body language. I nudge Kate and point to them; she rolls her eyes in mock surprise.
After three glasses of red wine, I decide to dilute it with a glass of water from the kitchen or I will pay for it in the m
orning – and not with money. On entering, I notice James inside making huge quantities of toast. “They’re not all for me; I want you all fresh tomorrow. Help yourself,” he says in response to my alarmed look at the enormous quantity of toast I thought he’d made for himself.
“Thank you, this is just what I need and a glass of water,” I answer as I fill up a glass. “The centre is great James–we’re all having a great time.”
“Thanks for coming. Having you all stay has been just what the centre needed before opening. There are a few things that I need to address, but on the whole I feel much more confident about the first group arriving soon. How do you feel about tomorrow Lizzie? Have you thought any more about it?” he asks.
“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it yet, because I’ve been enjoying myself so much. I really want to do it, but I am scared, so I’ll just take a look tomorrow and decide then.” I look up at him and find his intense, dark eyes searching my expression, and for a moment neither of us says anything until a loud cheer from the lounge brings us out of the trance. I suddenly feel aware of the tension between us and feel my face do its usual trick of flushing, but for once, I find some words. “I’ll take this in for you, shall I?” I ask pointing to the heaped plate of toast.
“Oh yes, thanks, that would be great,” James replies hurriedly and turns to add more bread to the super, industrial-sized toaster.
After handing out toast, I excuse myself saying I’m too tired to stay up longer, but in reality I need to head off to my room to think about what just happened in the kitchen. I am sure I did not imagine the thirst in James’ eyes, but then I’ve had some rather large glasses of wine and am not in a position to be sure of anything. Did I imagine the electric current between us when our fingers touched?
Lizzie's List Page 5