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‘Why not? Of course you want to be with people your own age.’
Thea gave Gracie a hug. ‘I’m so lucky to have you as a friend, and a neighbour.’
Gracie drew back. ‘And I, you. I feel so lucky to be renting the flat upstairs. I know my daughter has a spare room, but I wanted my own place. The trouble is until the divorce was finalised I couldn’t sell the family home, then it was a case of starting to look for something else to buy, but where would I live in the meantime? It was serendipity that your mum decided on an extended stay at that yoga retreat.’
Thea nodded and smiled. It had coincided with Gracie looking for a rental. But the rental market was buoyant and so competitive that prices were rocketing in London. Although Gracie had the money from her share of the house, it would cost thousands to rent while she looked for somewhere permanent. Thea knew Gracie wasn’t sure she would even buy in London. She was starting to think of the future, not long down the road, when she wasn’t in work, and was wondering where she’d like to spend her retirement.
Gracie said, ‘I still feel as though I’m not paying enough rent. I don’t like charity.’
Thea rolled her eyes. ‘We’ve had this conversation before. It isn’t charity. My mum didn’t want to rent her flat out, I told you that. She was worried she might get a bad tenant who stopped paying their rent; we’ve all heard about that sort of thing, where it then takes months to get them out. But of course renting it out to a friend avoids all that.’
‘But it feels like a peppercorn rent.’
‘I know. But she knows you are looking after her flat while she’s not there, and she actually feels bad about taking any money from you. I knew you wouldn’t move into her flat unless you were paying rent, and I persuaded her that the extra income would top up her teaching pension.’
Gracie nodded. ‘I imagine the yoga retreat isn’t cheap.’
‘No, not at all. She’s not exactly roughing it out there.’ Thea had received an email from her mum asking her to come for a week’s holiday at the retreat, but when Thea had checked out the cost of the hotel, she had realised that she couldn’t afford to spend all that money on just one week’s holiday. She imagined her mum wasn’t paying a weekly rate, but had paid for a package which included the extended stay, and the yoga classes – that must have made it cheaper overall. Although she was desperate to see her mum, she had declined the invitation.
‘Have you spoken with your mum lately?’
Thea shook her head. ‘As you know, Mum’s kind of off-grid. I mean, the hotel is all mod-cons, apart from where it is, up a mountain in Nepal with, like, a crap mobile phone signal, or none at all.’ Thea grimaced. ‘Although they have the internet, they don’t encourage guests going online. In fact, by the sound of things, they discourage it. I suppose that’s the point – getting away from the outside world and just immersing yourself in your surroundings – and yoga, of course – with no distractions. I guess that’s why they call it aretreat.’
‘Now, there’s a thought when I retire. Perhaps I’ll take up yoga.’
‘You know that Mum will be the first to persuade you to go for it. Last time I heard from her, it sounded as though she’d decided to extend her stay and train to be a yoga teacher.’
‘What a nice idea. You know, even when I retire, I can’t imagine doing nothing. I’ll have to have things to occupy me and keep me stimulated.’
Thea smiled. She imagined that was why Gracie and her mum were such good friends. They’d met through Edward when Gracie had started work as an archivist.
‘She must have snuck online, because she did send me a lovely email with some photos. It looks as though she’s having an amazing time.’
Thea had received similar emails. Thinking of her mum being thousands of miles away, Thea sighed. She didn’t have a problem with it in itself; she just wished her mum wasn’t staying somewhere so remote. ‘The trouble is that if I just want to speak to my mum, I can’t. I send emails, but she has to go to the nearest town for mobile reception, to get my voice messages. And because they discourage using the internet at the retreat, she isn’t always online, and doesn’t read my emails straightaway. If she wants to spend time sending lengthy catch-up emails, she has to visit a local internet café.’
Gracie nodded. ‘I know.’
‘Thea?’
They both turned to see Miles approaching the door. ‘Oh – you’re still out here?’
‘Yes, I was just saying goodbye to Gracie.’
‘Well, you’re taking an age about it.’
Thea turned to Gracie and caught her eyeing Miles. She knew that look. It made her wonder if that comment Gracie had made about not liking him was in fact the truth, but she’d pretended she was joking to save Thea’s feelings.
Gracie said, ‘Well, have a nice evening.’
‘What’s left of it,’ mumbled Miles.
Gracie raised her eyebrows at him before heading for the stairs.
Thea watched her walk up the stairs. She heaved a sigh and turned towards the door.
Chapter 4
‘What was that?’ Thea asked, rounding on Miles as soon as she walked back into her apartment. He was sitting on the sofa, feet up on her coffee table.
