That Long Lost Summer

by Minna Howard

  ‘I know they would not only love them, but buy them too.’ Flora put her hand on Eadie’s shoulder. ’I don’t think you realise what a talent you’ve got, Eadie; they are very well painted and they’d make people laugh… in a nice way, feel happy, lift our spirits. We all want to feel like that.’

  Susie came out of the villa to join them, and Eadie, slightly bemused now, told her what Flora had said.

  ‘Haven’t I always said that you’ve a great talent? I’d forgotten Flora is in the art world. Take her advice, you won’t go wrong.’

  The others were now coming back into the garden, full of their plans for the day. The news soon went round about Eadie’s pictures.

  ‘They are just wonderful,’ Flora said, ‘and I’d love them to come to the gallery I work for, but it is entirely Eadie’s choice.’

  ‘Sounds amazing,’ Didi said. ‘Oh, please can we see them?’ She smiled encouragingly at Eadie, who appeared rather flustered. ‘When you’re ready to show us of course,’ she added kindly.

  ‘If you really want to see them,’ Eadie said, leading the way back over the lawn to the campervan. ‘I love doing it, but I’ve never thought anyone would be particularly interested in them, well, not in the way that Flora is.’

  ‘Do come with us, Eadie, and talk us through them,’ Didi said, perhaps expecting a lot of black spaces and abstract shapes, their meaning known only to the artist.

  ‘They don’t need any explanation,’ Flora said. ‘They are just sheer joy.’

  ‘That’s a welcome change,’ Martha said, and then gasped with excitement. ’What fun they are.’

  There was a small queue waiting outside on the lawn.

  ‘How lucky that Flora works for a gallery and how wonderful to send your work there, Eadie,’ Martha said. ‘You must let us know when it’s the opening night and we’ll all come up and support you, buy some too. They do make me laugh, look at that woman cramming her mouth with cakes.’

  Xavier and Laurie now took their turn in the van; Laurie shrieked with laughter at all the funny scenes.

  ‘Oh, Eadie, what talent, I didn’t know you painted like this.’ Xavier turned to her, smiling. ‘What a change to see pictures with a sense of humour after all those dreary dark and grey things I’ve seen in galleries lately.’ He pointed out a small boy stealing an apple from a fruit stall to Laurie. ‘How wonderful that you can help her, Flora.’ His eyes were tender on her face and she wished he would put his arms around her, hold her close. She tried to step away from him, but there was not enough room in the crowded van. His hand clasped hers for a second and she knew he felt the same.

  ‘Eadie deserves some recognition and her work will bring much happiness to people,’ he said, before going outside with Laurie, who was now noisily reminding him he’d promised to swim with him.

  ‘I think they are amazing. Can’t wait to come to the exhibition,’ Sylvia gushed.

  ‘Maybe her… the owners won’t like them,’ Eadie said, flushed with pleasure at their reaction to her work but afraid they were just being kind.

  The one dampener on the excitement of the morning was that Flora couldn’t get hold of either Tom or Kenley. There was just an answerphone message saying the gallery was closed for refurbishment and they’d be back the first week in October. She knew never to ring them on their mobiles unless there was a dire problem, so she left her message on the answerphone, despite feeling she’d probably be the first person to pick it up on her return.

  She must get copies of the pictures before Eadie and Serge set off again on their travels. She half wondered if she could take some of the actual pictures with her. She could get them back to the UK with one of the specialised carriers they used, but then if her bosses turned out not to like them, it would be disastrous.

  Serge turned to her. ‘Don’t mind me asking, Flora, but are you a professional photographer, to take the pictures?’

  ‘No, I’m not, but today with I Pads and things, you can take good enough pictures to show people until they see the real thing. Or even Susie might take them, her work is wonderful don’t you think?’ Flora thought of the evocative pictures hanging in the villa.

  ‘Oui, Susie has great talent but they are different to Eadie’s work. I will take them,’ he said. ‘Among other things, je suis un professional photographer.’

  ‘Oh yes, Serge can turn his hand to anything,’ Eadie said proudly, patting his arm.

  ‘That’s great. If you could take them before you leave, I’ll send them on,’ Flora said, thinking Eadie would probably be happier with that. ‘You could download them on to my laptop so I can send them.’

  ‘I will get started now.’

  For the next couple of days, Serge photographed the pictures, laying them on a tarpaulin on the grass like a colourful carpet. Flora soon learnt that he liked to work at his own pace and undisturbed, so she left him to it. She would choose the photographs she thought Tom and Kenley would like best and only show them the others if they asked.

  Although Serge and Eadie had said most vehemently that they were moving on in a couple of days, the photographing now held them up. Feeling Susie and Matt might be a bit annoyed at this, Flora brought it up with Susie when they were alone together in the garden.

  ‘Don’t stress, if it wasn’t that, something else would turn up to scotch their plans. Anyway they are really no trouble,’ Susie said. ‘Besides, I’m very fond of them. I don’t see them often, and Matt is very long-suffering.’ She smiled, then said more seriously, ‘But Flora, do you really think her pictures are good enough to put on display in London? I mean,’ she regarded her intently, ‘I love them, but I’ve no idea if anyone else will.’

  ‘Yes, I do. I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t,’ Flora said seriously. ‘After all, not that it always matters, but she has obviously had some training and I think her work will appeal to lots of people. I just wish I could get hold of my bosses but they like to disappear sometimes.’

  ‘It would be wonderful if it came off. We’ll all come to the opening night,’ Susie said. ‘I suppose it wouldn’t be for ages, though.’

  ‘Could be this coming year as we have this new gallery, but we’ll see, I’ll take care of her, I promise you that.’

  ‘I know you will, so…’ Susie beamed. ‘Oh, it’s so exciting for her.’

  As the days progressed, Flora saw that a warm bond had developed between Alegria and Laurie. At first she suspected it might be because Alegria had set her sights on Xavier. Even though he was much older than her he possessed a vitality that made him seem ageless. But as time went on, she thought Alegria and Laurie were really two of a kind – children from broken families.

  Xavier did not seem to pay Alegria any special attention. He treated her kindly, but in no way flirtatiously, his whole focus was on his son, who was missing his mother, especially at night. Laurie stayed up for supper so it was quite late when Xavier got him to bed and for the first night or so he stayed in the room with him until he fell asleep.

  Almost two days had passed since Hugo had gone off on his jaunt and Flora had not heard a word from him. Of course she could have sent him a jolly message but she did not. Nor did she sleep well. It felt as though he had abandoned her.

  22

  After tossing and turning for a third night without a single peep from her husband, Flora decided to get up and go for a walk before breakfast.

  It was nearly seven and the pearly morning light was soft and clean. In the front garden she saw Serge and Eadie’s tent with their two small flags, the Union flag and the French Tricolour, hanging limply side by side, waiting for the wind to lift them.

  There was a movement on the other side of the garden and she saw Xavier close to the gate. She walked towards him, not calling out in case she disturbed Eadie and Serge. He turned and smiled at her.

  ‘You couldn’t sleep either?’ he said.

  ‘No, and it’s such a lovely morning, cool and so quiet.’

  ‘I know, couldn’t resist enjo
ying it before the commotion of the day. I’m going for a walk. Want to join me?’

  ‘Why not?’ She smiled at him. What was wrong with a walk? ‘And Laurie?’ She glanced out of the gate to the lane but there was no sign of him. ‘Is he still in bed and won’t he miss you?’

  ‘No, he seems to have settled now. It was quite traumatic for him, having his mother rush off like that, and he having to travel here on his own. He’ll run in to Alegria if he wakes up and I’m not back,’ he said. ‘They’ve quite taken to each other, though I think she finds it hard to be woken by him as early as he did yesterday.’

  ‘So you just leave him alone in your room?’

  ‘Yes. I told him I might get up early. I said he could come with me but he wasn’t interested. He’d rather be with Alegria.’ He smiled. ‘She may be all grown up now, but she’s more on his wave length than I am.’

  ‘I suppose so. She’s the same age as one of my daughters, though she’s much more sophisticated than they are and well on her way to a career.’

  ‘She’s had such a lousy childhood; she was either going to sink or swim and thank God she’s swimming, fast and in the right direction. I put all that down to Susie and Matt’s influence,’ Xavier said. ‘Anyway, your daughters are at university in the US, which shows confidence, something they all need.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I really admire them but I miss them so much, and I know it’s selfish, but I wish they’d stayed nearby, gone to a British university.’

  He took her hand and swung it gently between them. ‘All life is lived in stages and now you and Hugo are free to have adventures of your own.’ He scrutinised her face but she stayed silent, studying the ground where the straw like grass clung to the dried mud of the path.

  They walked on slowly together, fingers just touching. He was wearing jeans and a pale grey T-shirt, while she was in white tracksuit bottoms and a turquoise top. ‘So you just go to the village?’ she said.

  ‘Yes, usually, sometimes have a coffee to wake me up. But there’s a small beach somewhere near there that I’ve been told of. It’s sort of hidden and I thought I’d look for it.’ He smiled, his eyes on her mouth and she looked away hurriedly, feeling an embarrassing surge of desire.

  ‘We could go and investigate if it’s not too far. Have you asked Matt and Susie about it?’

  ‘Yes, but they said it’s quite a business to get to, especially if you wanted to carry stuff down for a picnic. You have to go down an overgrown bank to reach it. I think some of the locals use it in the summer because it’s usually deserted. I’d like to see it anyway, even have a swim.’ He grinned at her.

  ‘Last time we swam together, just us, was in the North Sea, grey and icy cold,’ she said with a laugh, realising that he was about to say the same thing. The years rolled back and she remembered how close they’d been and how young. Xavier had taken her hand again and this time she did not pull away.

  ‘How extraordinary that we’ve met again,’ he said quietly, ‘and by the sea.’

  ‘It is – extraordinary too, that we have mutual friends in Susie and Matt and we never knew. How long have you known them?’

  He shrugged. ‘Four, five years. As you know we work in the same legal firm, though I’ve now moved to their London office because it makes it easier to have Laurie.’

  She wanted to say and did they ever talk of me? But she didn’t. Anyway, why should they? They didn’t know about that summer in Aldeburgh long ago.

  They’d passed through the village now. The verges became more overgrown with trees and bushes. Xavier kept walking, still holding her hand, peering down the slope through the heavy undergrowth. At last he said, ‘There, there is the sea.’ And below she saw a shaft of shining blue, like a jewel among the undergrowth.

  They reached a steep path half hidden by bushes. He dropped her hand. ‘I’ll go first and catch you if you fall.’

  Although the path was tangled with bushes, weeds and wild flowers it was passable, the earth baked and hard beneath their feet. Every so often she felt she might tip over. Then he’d stop and catch her. She had not felt like this for years. It was as if she was eighteen again and her heart light.

  They reached the tiny beach, really no more than a small indent in the coastline. Flora took off her trainers and paddled, the gently lapping water soothing her feet.

  ‘What about a swim?’ Xavier said. ‘The water looks so tempting, quite the opposite to that old grey North Sea.’ His expression dared her.

  ‘I… I haven’t bought my swim suit,’ she said, ‘but paddling’s fine. I’ll bring it next time.’

  ‘Well, I can’t resist and we are quite alone,’ he said, pulling off his shirt, jeans and underpants. Naked, he ran into the sea.

  Flora was stunned and yet, why not? They’d seen each other naked before and skinny dipping was no big deal when there was no one else about. Still, she felt embarrassed. She told herself that Xavier was half French, after all, and naturally had fewer inhibitions. Though she had had none with him all those years ago in Aldeburgh, swimming in the icy sea at night, the water like silver in the moonlight.

  ‘It’s wonderful,’ Xavier called to her. ‘Like champagne. Aren’t you jealous? After all, it’s not as if you haven’t done it before.’

  ‘But that was different and I was much younger,’ she said.

  ‘But still beautiful.’ He dived under the waves and swam away.

  The sun was rising, getting hotter, the air was still and the sea glittered enticingly. It was so tempting, so much more magical that that grey North Sea. She stripped down to her underclothes and, at the last moment, when Xavier was swimming away from her, she whipped off her bra and ran into the sea. Was this infidelity? she asked herself as the water embraced her. It was quite cold at first. There was such a feeling of freedom and she wished she had taken everything off. After all he’d seen her naked before. That night at the mere all those years ago when they’d planned to consummate their love and been disturbed, flooded her memory. She’d been a virgin and he’d wanted to make her first time special. The next day she’d been called home and they’d lost touch until now.

  He came up and swam beside her. ‘This reminds me of when we had our lives before us,’ he said.

  ‘A lot’s happened to us both since then,’ she reminded him, wishing they could turn that relentless clock back and be free again, free to love each other.

  ‘It has, but it’s a miracle we’ve met up again.’

  ‘It is,’ she agreed, swimming away again until he called to her saying it was time to get back.

  ‘I don’t want to leave Laurie too long. Alegria probably wants to sleep, not be bullied into playing with him so early.’

  ‘OK.’ She felt tired now and watched him swim back to the beach, get out and pull on his clothes. He looked so graceful, so lithe, Greek God cliché beautiful. He hadn’t really aged much, she thought, as she neared the shore, feeling shy now at having to get out in front of him with only her lacy pants on.

  He turned away and took no notice of her as she stuffed her bra into her back pocket, before pulling her tracksuit bottoms over her wet pants. She’d shower and change when they got back to the villa.

  ‘Ready?’ The laughter had gone from his face, replaced by an intense thoughtfulness. Suddenly he seemed his age. He stretched out his hand and took hers. Together they made for the steep bank back up to the top and they climbed together in silence, the chattering of birds filling the space between them.

  They reached the top slightly out of breath and he let go of her hand, breaking the silence by saying, ‘That should set us up for the day. We should come here again.’

  ‘Yes, we should. Do Susie and Matt ever swim here?’ She was trying to act normal, as if they were two friends, not lovers, who had had an early morning swim.

  ‘No, I don’t think they can be bothered to scramble about just for a swim. After all they have the pool, or could spend the day at one of those beaches which have all the mod con
s.’

  ‘But that beach is special, so small, secret.’ She smiled at him.

  ‘And perfect for skinny dipping and far warmer than the North Sea,’ he grinned, cheerful again.

  ‘Too right.’ They’d reached the village now and saw Eadie and Serge having coffee and croissants outside the boulangerie. Eadie called for them to join them.

  ‘Ah, you’ve been swimming,’ she said, seeing their damp hair. ‘Is there a beach nearby?’

  ‘Yes, but it’s quite difficult to get to, down a hill with various prickly bushes in the way,’ Xavier said smoothly.

  Flora felt as if she’d been caught out in something slightly shameful. How could she explain it to Hugo? Would he care?

  ‘I can’t be doing with that at my age,’ Eadie said cheerfully, ‘but you’re young.’ She smiled. ‘Take it while you can, my dears.’ She took a sip of coffee. ‘Delicious coffee, won’t you join us?’

  ‘Thanks, but I must get back to Laurie. I’ll buy some baguettes first for breakfast. What about you, Flora? Like a hot coffee?’

  ‘No thanks, I’m wet through. I need to wash the salt out of my hair.’ She stood there rather awkwardly while he went into the boulangerie.

  ‘I love early morning swims, they’re fresher somehow,’ Eadie said, ‘though I’m not going to scramble down a hill to do it.’

  ‘Too much like hard work and then you have to come up again,’ Serge said. ‘By the way, I’ve taken all the photos of the pictures now. I’ll just check to make sure they show them at their best.’

  ‘Thank you, I can take them back in my hand luggage to show my bosses. Be sure to leave me your contact details and I’ll keep you posted,’ she said.

  ‘So how will they get to your gallery… if they want them?’ Eadie asked.

  ‘I’m sure they’ll want them,’ Flora hoped her instinct was right. ‘We’ve got some great carriers who’ll come and fetch them. They will all be packed up well to keep them from damage. If you and Serge are moving on I’m sure Susie won’t mind if they come and pick them up here.’ Flora explained the system.