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‘Do you know when it was built?’ he said, leaning forward.
‘I do actually,’ she said excitedly. ‘Most of it was built in the mid seventeenth century - the main parts I mean, all the half-timbre construction - then the stable was added about sixty years later and converted by the previous owners into a conservatory. The fireplace actually predates the cottage, that was built in the early sixteenth century and the cottage was later constructed around it.’
‘So was it part of another building?’
‘I think so, yes.’
‘That’s fascinating, I wonder what it was used for?’
‘Tom’s a history buff too,’ said Anna, smiling as she squeezed his arm.
‘It’s Elsie’s hobby, I think it’s largely the reason she fell in love with this place.’
‘It’s grounding,’ she said. ‘It gives me a sense of connection. I feel like I’m a part of its history, and a curator of its past.’
‘A welcome presence, within a conscious space.’
‘Yes,’ she said smiling, surprised that Tom had understood so readily.
The table fell silent as the two of them looked at one another. After a moment Anna picked up her fork, knocking it against the side of her plate and making a loud ding noise which startled her, making her drop it.
The four of them laughed, a relief from the momentary awkwardness.
‘I was thinking,’ said Elsie, hesitantly as she pulled her knees together under the table. ‘That whilst we eat, we could break the ice, and play… Never Have I Ever...’
‘Oh my goodness,’ laughed Anna. ‘I’ve never actually played that.’
‘Really?’ said Elsie softly. ‘I lost count of how many times we played it at Uni.’
‘You and I went to very different Uni’s,’ said Anna as she picked up her knife and fork again. ‘Mine now seems rather boring.’
‘Do you want to play?’
‘Do I want to feel eighteen again?’ she grinned. ‘That was a rhetorical question. The answer is fuck yes.’
‘Brilliant!’ said Elsie, clapping her hands. ‘Ok, so we each take turns and we start by saying, never have I ever…’
‘Hence the name,’ said the now giddily bouncing Anna.
‘Followed by something outrageously rude that we have or haven’t done,’ continued Elsie, grinning at her husband and Tom as she shrugged. ‘So for example. Never have I ever, kissed a celebrity.’
Anna reached for her drink and then froze, looking up. ‘Wait, are we playing already?’
‘No,’ laughed Elsie as Tom frowned at his wife in surprise. ‘But we’re coming back to that.’
Anna put her drink back down, her eyes wide as she glanced sideways at her husband and giggled.
‘So we go around clockwise - I’ll start - and if you have done the thing, then you drink. If you haven’t, then you get to interrogate everyone that’s done the thing. Got it?’
‘I’m so excited,’ laughed Anna. ‘Not too rude though, right?’
Elsie winked and grinned. ‘Never have I ever... Seen a ghost.’
Anna gasped and immediately drank a glug of her wine as her husband started shaking his head and leaning back in his seat. Elsie glanced across at him and smiled.
‘I have!’ she giggled. ‘No, really I have.’
‘Hang on,’ laughed Elsie as she leapt up and ran to the dimmer switch, turning the lights down low. ‘Now you can tell us.’
