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Chapter 8
Ethan was due within the next half an hour. Holly pulled on jeans, a white camisole and a peach canvas jacket that Jaz had picked out; telling her it set off the blue in her eyes. Holly with her artist’s head on guessed it was true, juxtaposing colours did work well together. Picking up her mobile from the dining table, her mind flashed back to her visit to Booth Farm the previous day. It had been nagging at her in the background, throughout the morning. She considered texting Mitch. But did not know what to say. ‘Sorry I thought your wife was still alive,’ did not seem appropriate. It was him, after all, who had mentioned Vanessa and not clarified the position. She felt torn between being respectful of his clear wish to remain silent and her inner need to give her condolences. She heard her mother’s voice in her head full of wisdom.If you can’t think of the right thing to say, don’t say anything at all.
There was a rap at the door.Ethan’s early?Holly thought as she opened it, but found Mitch at the foot of the metal steps with Trixy on a lead. The little dog yapped, choking on her collar to get to Holly.
‘Hi! Come in,’ she said, overwhelmed with a rush of warmth, feeling the need to say something.
‘She’s got mucky feet,’ Mitch said pointing at Trixy. ‘And I’m well aware that I’m continuing to break the no-dogs rule.’
Holly laughed. ‘That rule has been relaxed. Anyway, she’s not a big dog, much smaller than Charlie the goat. He’d never be afraid of her. Carry her in. I’ll get a towel.’
Holly wondered whether Mitch was aware that she had seen Sidney.
‘I don’t recognise the place,’ he said looking around the room with a wide grin on his face.
Holly smiled as she entered the small second bedroom and called out. ‘I thought I’d brighten it up a bit.’ She frowned at her fluffy fresh towels stacked in a small pile on the single bed, she realised having everything new was nice but sometimes you needed old things set by for times like this. At least the towels were cheap.
As she returned to the lounge area she found Mitch wiping Trixy's feet with a disposable cloth. ‘You had a couple of these on the side. I hope you don’t mind?’
‘No, that’s fine.’
‘They’re only small feet. All done. They can dry on my lap.’
Trixy wagged her tail and barked at Holly.
Holly placed the towel on the side. ‘I’ll come and sit next to you.’
‘Probably best,’ Mitch said with a smile as he surveyed the modest space. ‘You’ve a great touch. I can’t believe this is still the same old caravan.’
Holly felt herself flush. ‘I thought you’d think this was too bright?’
‘I love it. Maybe I should get you to decorate the farmhouse. If I stay, that is.’
Holly’s arm brushed against Mitch’s and she felt tingles covering her skin.Trixy clambered onto her lap, her paws now dry. She made herself comfortable then sat down putting her head on her paws and shut her eyes.
‘I seem to be very popular with Trixy.’
‘Well animals can tell, can’t they? If someone’s nice.’
A silence fell. Holly’s arm pressed against Mitch’s but she could not move because Trixy was now snoring and she didn’t want to wake her.Shall I mention Vanessa?she thought, feeling the heat rising from her chest. The topic loomed in the air but she did not want to be the one to bring it up.
‘Tea? Coffee?’ she said, desperate to break the silence.
Mitch smiled. ‘I’ll have tea. But I’ll make it.’ As he rose, his head nearly reached the ceiling of the caravan. He had his back to her. ‘I’m sorry, by the way. For not explaining about Vanessa. I said she’d chosen Trixy, I should have said that Trixy was my late wife’s dog.’ He turned back to her, still holding the kettle under the tap. ‘I didn’t want to mention it when I took you to the farm that night. You were resisting my offer of help and I thought if you realised …’
Holly bit her lip and looked down at Trixy.He’s got a point,she thought. She may have refused his help.
‘Then the next time I saw you I was about to explain when your husband showed up.’
Holly raised her head. ‘Ex-husband,’she said realising it came out too loud – and too quick.
Mitch turned back to the kettle as water splashed all over him. ‘Oh, no. Sorry.’
‘It’s just a bit of water.’ Holly sucked in her lips to stop herself laughing. She did not know if he was about to open up about his marriage or whether he had finished.‘It must have been awful for you, it’s hard when we lose people we love. I get upset over my parents. It still feels raw and that was two years ago now.’
Mitch clicked the kettle on and turned around. ‘It’s been a tough year or so. There was an inquiry. The police were involved – the local rag had me down as a killer.’
‘Oh, my goodness. How awful.’
