Page 18 of The Twilight Garden

Several hours had passed by the time she awoke, startling herself with a huge snort, which was something she often did when she’d been napping. Fortunately there was no sign of Leo. It was embarrassing enough when she was on her own.

She blinked, rubbing at her eyes and neck, gingerly stretching out the latter to see if it hurt. There was a deep ache, which experience told her would take some time to leave, but no more than that. The pain in her jaw seemed to have subsided as well, so she wriggled forward to manoeuvre herself upright. Lowering her leg to the floor, still wrapped in a now very soggy ice pack, she inched to the edge of the seat and began to transfer her weight. She stopped almost immediately as pain flared in her ankle. Damn and blast it – why did this have to happen to her now?

Leaning further forward, she claimed a flapjack from the plate which Willow had left earlier, seeking a sugary hit. She sank her teeth into the soft gooeyness. It was rich and sweet and she sat back again in the chair, savouring the flavours filling her mouth. There were dates and something else, some kind of nut… pecan perhaps. She took another bite and closed her eyes, wondering what to do.

Her reverie was interrupted by her phone pinging a message. It was Cat.

So…?? Come on, tell me what it’s like, I want to know all the details. Message me! XXX

Gemma thought for a moment and then fired off a quick reply.

I have so much to tell you, but there’s no bloody WiFi here, sorry! I’m going through my data like crazy. Apparently there’s a place in the village where they’ll let me use their network though, so I’ll message you properly in a day or two. For now, let’s just say there’s good and bad. And then there’s downright disastrous…

Gemma reread her message and then deleted the last sentence. She couldn’t write something like that and then leave Cat hanging for a couple of days until she could explain. She began to type again.

But I guess there’s good and bad in everything, right? Anyway, I’ll be in touch very soon, much love xxx

She pressed send, holding the phone against her chest for a moment. What on earth was she going to do? She couldn’t sit in a chair all day. She was marshalling the courage to hop to the kitchen when the living room door opened.

‘Ah, good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?’

Leo was standing in the doorway, and he was not alone. She could hear the dog making breathy whining noises.

‘Stay…’ Leo warned, although he was wearing a smile. ‘He’s desperate to say hello, but I’ve told him he must be gentle.’

‘Is he even capable of such a thing? I am feeling a bit better, but I shan’t be if he jumps all over me.’

Leo stopped just short of rolling his eyes. ‘Which is why I’ve told him he must be gentle. Give him a chance, look – he’s practically beside himself with excitement. He likes people, that’s all.’

It was true, the dog was all aquiver.

Gemma had thought she couldn’t care less what Leo thought of her, but she was disgusted to find that she did. He’d think her callous if she refused the dog’s attention, and even though there wasn’t an unfeeling bone in her body, she’d never been a big fan of dogs. They could be dirty and smelly, and this one was huge…

Gemma lowered a cautious hand towards the dog and, seeing her signal, Mulligan slunk into the room, where he took up position next to her, body wiggling with excitement as he pressed his broad back up against her legs. He held his enormous head away from her, refusing to make eye contact, as if somehow that would constitute more than was permitted. It was quite comical, really. She ran a hand down his fur.

‘There, I’ve said hello.’

‘Good boy,’ said Leo, dropping to his haunches in front of the dog before burying his face in its neck. Gemma wrinkled her nose. He rose, patting the dog on the head. ‘See, he does do what he’s told. There you are, boy, off you go now.’

Obediently, Mulligan trotted from the room.

Evidently, Gemma was supposed to be impressed, but dogs were supposed to be trained, so she said nothing, spotting a crumb of flapjack in her lap and popping it into her mouth instead. Then she paused, checking herself – it wasn’t like her to be mealy-mouthed, and Leo had thought to keep the dog calm. It was thoughtful, and were it anyone else she would be thanking them.

‘I’m just nervous, you know… My ankle’s still really sore.’

Leo nodded. ‘I thought it might be. Perhaps we ought to get it checked out, make sure no bones are broken.’

Gemma shook her head. ‘I’ve caused enough trouble. And I’m sure it’s just a sprain. It’ll be fine.’

Leo frowned. ‘It’s going to be painful for a few days yet, that’s for sure. So, meanwhile…’ He dipped back out the door, reappearing almost immediately. ‘I’ve brought you this. I thought it might help you to get around.’ He was holding a walking stick. ‘I think it should be about the right size. I made it for a friend of mine a couple of years back and she was about your height.’ He cleared his throat. ‘She broke her leg skiing.’

A friend of mine… or something more? Gemma studied his face but his expression hadn’t altered, and besides, it didn’t matter either way.

‘Willow left some soup for you,’ he added. ‘Would you like some? We’ve all had our lunch.’ He handed her the stick, helping her to her feet.

It was the middle of the afternoon, no wonder. ‘Please,’ she said, feeling next to useless as she hobbled into the kitchen. Doubtful though it was, she was about to protest that she could get it for herself, when Willow appeared in the doorway, holding a bunch of long, thick stems blushed with pink.

‘Look what I’ve found,’ she said. ‘The first of our rhubarb. Anyone else thinking crumble for pudding would be a good idea?’