A Summer to Remember (26 page)

It was then that her phone beeped. It was Justin again.

Have to return to London. See you at the weekend? Love to Ziggy. J x

She looked along the path, the knowledge that Justin and Bess wouldn’t be appearing around the corner at any second saddening her.

‘Come on, Ziggy,’ she said, and the two of them walked towards the misty-blue banks of the river.

It was dusk by the time Dominic had finished. It had been the strangest few hours of his life, with thoughts and memories flying through his brain and getting in the way of his work. Like the time he and Faye had visited London and had wandered around The National Gallery together, marvelling at the masterpieces by Monet, Tuner and Van Gogh.

‘You’re going to be a great painter one day,’ Faye had told him, squeezing his hand as they had gazed into the joyous faces of Gainsborough’s daughters.

‘And you’ll be my famous model,’ he’d told her and she’d laughed.

‘I’ll hold you to that,’ she’d said, and here she was now in his room, sitting for him as if the years in between had melted away and they’d never been apart. As if he’d never ended things so abruptly.

Finally, Dominic decided enough was enough and put his brushes down.

‘Can I see it?’ Faye asked, stretching her arms high above her head as she moved towards the easel.

‘Do you mind if you don’t? It’s early stages at the moment. It’ll only disappoint.’

‘I’m sure it won’t,’ she said.

‘Please,’ he said, their eyes meeting. Dominic could feel a blush heating his face at her close scrutiny.

‘Okay,’ Faye said with a little smile.

They left the studio and went downstairs towards the door. He wasn’t going to offer a drink. They’d taken a five-minute break during the painting session and Dominic had felt uncomfortable – an awkward apology hovering on his lips for his behaviour in the past, but he just couldn’t heave the words out and so he’d fiddled about with his brushes, knocking into his easel at one point and then spilling tea down his trouser leg. He’d been relieved to get back to work.

‘Where’s your car?’ he asked.

‘At the mill.’

He nodded. ‘Do you want me to walk you back?’

‘It’s okay. I’ll be fine,’ she said, her eyes meeting his again. He looked away quickly. He couldn’t bear the intensity of her gaze.

‘So—’ she began.

‘I’ll call you,’ he said and she nodded. He watched as Faye walked down the little path, her feet kicking through the daisies, until she was out of sight.

Shutting the door, Dominic breathed a sigh of relief and went back up to the studio to view the evening’s work. There she was, with that sweet, gentle face, her eyes edged with anxiety and the lips seemingly poised to say something. They’d both been on the verge of saying something all evening, hadn’t they? And yet both had remained silent, getting on with the job in hand.

As he tidied his paint things away, washing his brushes with the green soap that smelled wonderfully of peppermint, his mind jumped back into the past, when he’d first tried to paint Faye.

‘You’ve made me look like an ogre!’ she’d screamed, slapping his arm playfully.

‘You’re a fidget!’ he’d told her. ‘You can’t sit still for a minute.’

‘But I don’t look like
that
even when I’m fidgeting!’

They’d laughed and kissed and laughed some more. That had pretty much been the pattern of their relationship. So much laughter. He hadn’t realised until now how much he’d missed that. But Nina had still overstepped the mark with her little matchmaking scheme and he was going to confront her about it. She had no business to meddle in his affairs, no matter how good her intentions were.

When he turned up at the mill the next day, charging into his father’s study, Nina was standing on tiptoes, trying to reach a file on the top shelf of the bookcase.

‘Dommie!’ she exclaimed. ‘Whatever’s the matter?’

‘Nina,’ he began, ‘last night—’

‘Yes, how did the portrait go?’ she asked.

He stared at her for a moment as if she was quite mad. ‘I thought I was going to be painting
you
!’

‘Me?’ Nina said, returning to her computer with the retrieved file. ‘Whatever would I want my portrait painted for?’

‘You said—’

‘What?’

‘I thought you said you wanted a portrait painting.’

‘I did. But not mine. I meant I wanted you to paint Faye.’

‘Nina?’ he said, his dark eyes narrowed in consternation. ‘Why would you do that to me?’

‘Is it going well?’

‘That’s not really the point, is it?’ Dominic said.

‘Isn’t it?’

‘No, it isn’t! You set me up, didn’t you?’ Dominic said. ‘Nina! Please look at me when I’m talking to you.’

Nina forsook the keyboard, turning around in surprise at the tone of his voice and he saw a faint blush creep over her cheeks.

‘Why did you do that?’ he asked her, his voice quieter now.

Nina bit her lip. ‘I thought you’d want to paint Faye, that’s all.’

‘That’s rubbish and you know it. You’re trying to push us back together again, aren’t you? Just like Mum’s been trying to do. Have you and Faye been talking about it – plotting behind my back?’

‘No!’ Nina cried. ‘Nothing like that.’

‘Really? Why don’t I believe you?’

‘Well, it doesn’t matter what you believe, really,’ Nina said, ‘because it’s not true.’

Dominic stood silent and brooding for a moment whilst Nina’s fingers began tap-tapping at her keyboard again.

‘Nina,’ he began.

‘Yes,’ she said, only giving him half her attention.

‘I think you should know something.’

‘Yes?’

‘It would help if you looked at me when I’m talking.’

Once again, Nina turned around. ‘What is it?’

Dominic took a deep breath. ‘Look – it’s not Faye I’m interested in. It’s you!’

Nina shook her head. ‘Don’t say that.’

‘Why not? It’s about time I said it,’ Dominic said. ‘Every time I’ve been going to say it, I’ve been interrupted by Alex or Faye—’

‘Listen!’ Nina said. ‘You really mustn’t say things like that.’

‘Why not when I feel them?’ Dominic answered hopelessly.

‘Because I don’t feel that way about you,’ she said and there was a dreadful pause between them.

‘You don’t?’ Dominic said.

‘I don’t think I ever could,’ Nina added.

‘Is it because of the whole babysitting thing?’ he asked after a moment.

Nina nodded, her hazel eyes filled with remorse. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, feeling a horrible sense of déjà vu after her conversation with Alex just the day before.

Dominic walked across the room and flopped down in his father’s office chair. ‘Just bad timing, then?’ he said, berating the fact that the universe had played a spectacularly bad joke on him. ‘That seems so unfair.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Nina repeated.

‘But what if we’d just met. I mean –
now
. What if—’

‘I guess we’ll never know,’ Nina said gently.

Dominic looked at her from across the room. Her face was soft and filled with compassion. ‘You’re just saying that out of kindness, aren’t you?’

‘Oh, Dommie—’

‘It’s Dominic, Nina.’

There was another pause as they both let things settle between them for a moment.

‘I’m really sorry – Dominic. I think you’re a terrific person – I really do. You’re bright and talented and sweet and kind—’

‘All the qualities people highlight when they’re not interested in you romantically.’ He gave the tiniest of smiles. ‘And it’s not because of Alex, is it?’ he added.

‘No!’ Nina said, shaking her head.

‘You’re not – you know – in love with him?’

‘Whatever gave you that idea?’ she said, her eyes wide.

‘Well, you seem to be spending a lot of time with him.’

‘That was a mistake,’ Nina said. ‘I shouldn’t have gone to the beach with him. I just thought it would be fun – that’s all.’

Dominic nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

‘Dominic,’ she began again, ‘You will finish Faye’s portrait, won’t you?’

He stood up and was silent for a moment. ‘Well, I can’t not finish the portrait, can I? It’s impossible. It wouldn’t be right. I always have to finish a painting, even if I’m not enjoying it or even when I know it’s not working.’

‘But this one’s working, isn’t it?’ Nina asked.

He nodded again. ‘It’s actually very good.’

Nina smiled. ‘You’re happy with it?’

Dominic looked across the room at Nina. ‘I don’t mean I’m happy with the situation,’ he said, ‘but the painting’s not bad.’

‘Good,’ Nina said. ‘I knew this would all work out.’

Dominic sighed and shook his head. ‘Sometimes, you sound scarily like Mum!’

Chapter Twenty-Three

‘You are a
very
bad friend!’ Janey chided as Nina entered her living room and flopped down onto a mass of very pink cushions. ‘What have you been doing all these weeks? And don’t say you’ve texted me, because that doesn’t count!’

Nina took the cup of tea she was handed and smiled apologetically at her friend. ‘I’m so sorry, Janey. I meant to call you so many times. I just don’t know where the time’s gone.’

‘That’s a sorry excuse,’ Janey said, tutting and sitting down next to her before taking a sip of tea. ‘I’ve been worried sick.’

‘No you haven’t!’ Nina cried. ‘You’ve been off gallivanting around the Italian coast.’

‘That’s important research for our new Mediterranean brochure,’ she said seriously.

‘You mean you didn’t enjoy yourself?’

‘Oh, it was wonderful! And I met the most amazing guy called Renato! He’s only twenty-six, but he owns his own company and has this incredible villa on the Amalfi coast.’

‘I thought holiday romances were frowned upon at Gulliver’s Travels,’ Nina said.

‘Well, they are for the other members of staff, but I’m a company director now. Dad’s promoted me!’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful,’ Nina said. ‘Congratulations, Janey.’

‘So, I can have as many holiday romances as I like now.’

Nina grinned. ‘And I’m sure you will.’

‘So, tell me what’s been happening with you at the mill!’ Janey said, elbowing her friend in impatience.

All of a sudden, the light went out of Nina’s eyes and her face crumpled into a frown. ‘Oh Janey, I was so looking forward to being back there. It’s the most perfect place. Olivia’s made me so welcome and Dudley’s been brilliant to work with – despite the warnings about his temper.’

‘But? I can definitely hear a
but
coming.’

Nina nodded. ‘I’m afraid I seem to have caused nothing but trouble since I arrived,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I’ve upset Alex by telling him there’s no chance of a relationship ever developing between us. And Dominic’s furious with me for setting him up with Faye. And to top it all, I’ve no idea what’s going on with Justin.’

Janey looked perplexed. ‘Do you want to start again, because I’ve absolutely no idea who half of these people are!’

Nina filled her in on what had been going on over the past few weeks and, when she came to the end of her tale, Janey stared at her in wide-eyed wonder.

‘So, let me see if I’ve got this straight. Dominic’s got a huge crush on you, but Faye has a huge crush on him and you think they should be back together. You’ve kissed Alex and he’s in love with you, too, but you reckon you don’t fancy him – but you might fancy a bloke called Justin whose dog you keep texting me pictures of, but you don’t know anything about him, and you’re not even sure if you’ll ever see him again.’

‘That’s about the size of it,’ Nina said hopelessly.

‘Gosh, I think we’re going to need more than a cup of tea to get you through this mess.’

After eating their way through a defrosted lasagne and at least three glasses of wine each, the conversation turned back to men.

‘You like this Justin, don’t you?’ Janey said.

‘I really don’t know that much about him,’ Nina confessed.

‘Except that he’s handsome and charming and kind to waifs and strays,’ Janey said with a grin.

Nina nodded. ‘Oh yes, he’s all those things, and I keep telling myself that no man who is so brilliant with animals could be a bad person. You should see him with Bess and Ziggy. It’s really amazing. He’s so patient and kind and he always knows exactly how to handle them.’

‘So, what’s the problem?’

Nina poured herself some more wine and took a thoughtful sip. ‘I just can’t help thinking that he’s hiding something.’

‘Like what? A girlfriend? A wife?’

‘I really don’t know.’

Janey chewed her lip. ‘Renato’s married,’ she said.

‘Your Italian?’

She nodded. ‘But he’s split up from her and she’s living in New York.’

‘Says Renato,’ Nina said.

‘What do you mean?’ Janey said, her eyes narrowing.

‘Are you sure he’s telling you the truth?’ Nina said.

‘Of
course
he’s telling me the truth!’ Janey said defiantly. ‘Anyway, I don’t suppose it matters as I doubt I’ll see him again.’

Nina rolled her eyes. It was ever thus with her friend – a new country and a new man. That was how she lived. ‘One of the perks of the job,’ she used to say.

‘But I get the feeling you’d like to see this Justin again. Am I right?’ They left the table together, taking their glasses and the second bottle of wine across to the sofa.

‘But the way he ran off after we last met,’ Nina said. ‘It was so odd – as if he really didn’t want to see Dudley. What was all that about?’

Janey shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Maybe he had a run-in with Dudley when he was a kid. You said he knew the Milton boys. Perhaps he was friends with them and got into trouble with their dad.’

‘But he’s a grown man now. Surely he wouldn’t still be scared of Dudley,’ Nina said.

‘But you said he
was
pretty scary,’ Janey pointed out.

‘Well, to begin with,’ Nina said. ‘I suppose he was.’

‘There you go, then. It’s probably something simple like that. We all have some scary adult we remember from our childhood, don’t we? I’d rather not meet that science teacher, Mr Gipps, again. Not after what I did to his Bunsen burner!’