The Things I Know(41)

‘You’re awake.’ She beamed at him.

‘I am,’ he said, nodding, and the sight of him was enough to fire a bolt of longing right through her. ‘I was just thinking about you.’ He patted the duvet.

‘And I was just thinking about you.’ She walked forward and perched on the edge of the bed, planting a chaste kiss on his face. ‘My mum would kill me if she knew I was in here with you.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell her,’ he whispered.

She laughed, and he took her hand. ‘It’s a wonder to me that I can make you laugh like that. It feels like a superpower.’

Hitch kissed their joined hands. ‘You go home today.’ She addressed the elephant in the room.

‘I do.’

‘How do you feel about that?’ she asked softly, watching as his face seemed to lose a little colour as he looked towards the window, where sunbeams filtered through the branches of the trees.

‘I feel like someone is about to take a large stone and smash my happiness beneath it.’

‘You have a lovely way of saying things, Grayson.’

‘I don’t normally.’

‘And that’s how I feel too. I don’t know what to say and I don’t know what to do.’

‘I’m trying not to think about it,’ he confided.

‘Do you want some breakfast?’

He ran his finger over her face, and with the thought that he would not be within reach tomorrow, it was as if he had cut her.

‘I don’t want any breakfast.’ He spoke from a throat croaky with barely contained emotion.

‘Do you want to come and see my chickens with me?’

He nodded. ‘I’d like that very much.’

‘I’ll meet you outside.’ She kissed him and slipped from the bed, lingering in the doorway to catch one more glimpse of him while she could.



‘Are you ready for your formal introduction?’ Hitch called out from the paddock as he strode across the yard, just as he had only a couple of days ago, with his bag in his hand and his brown envelope within reach.

‘I guess.’ Grayson wiped the sweat from his palms on his trousers.

‘Well, come on then!’ She beckoned him forward before bending over to chuckle at him.

‘What are you laughing at?’

‘You! The way you’re creeping forward, scared of approaching Daphne. She’s such a sweet bird – she won’t hurt you!’

He looked warily at the fat hen. ‘It’s not that I’m afraid of her, more afraid of doing the wrong thing. And not just doing the wrong thing, but the wrong thing in front of you.’

‘She’s tough. She won’t be scared. Just bend down and say hello,’ she said, coaxing from the sidelines, watching as Grayson straightened his shoulders and spoke clearly.

‘Good morning, Daphne. Hello.’ Hitch roared with laughter and he spun around. ‘Why is that funny?’ he asked, with his arms spread.

‘Because!’ she managed. ‘You sound so formal – she’s a chicken, not the Lord Mayor! Although she’s very grand, I’ll give you that.’

‘It’s harder for me with you watching!’

She decided to intervene. Picking Daphne up, she cradled her to her chest.

‘You’re my beautiful girl, yes, you are. This is Mr Potts and he’s come to say hello to you. And I know what you mean about being watched.’ A wide smile split her face. ‘When I was about nine, up in the top field, I was desperate to drive a tractor—’

‘At nine?’ he interrupted. ‘That sounds a little young. I think at nine I was all gangly legs and reading chess books by torchlight under the duvet.’

‘This is a working farm, Grayson! Nine is nothing to be driving a tractor. If anything, I was coming a little late to the party. Anyway . . .’ She drew breath. That wasn’t really the point of her story. ‘I couldn’t get the hang of it. It was hard, with my leg not doing what I wanted it to. And what I really wanted was to be left alone to figure it out, but my dad and brother insisted on calling instructions from the edge of the field. It was only when they fell silent and I forgot they were there that I cracked it, and my dad sounded so proud, yelling, “You’ve got this, Hitch! Look at you! You’re driving all by yourself!” Oh my God, it felt wonderful. I felt so powerful, like I could put my foot down and keep going, smashing through fences, fields and across rivers, just keep on going, in charge of my own destiny, free to go wherever the fancy took me. I’ve never forgotten it – it was the most free I’ve ever felt. I don’t know why I should think of it now. But it felt good to be in control.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that.’ Grayson blinked at Daphne, who now made a clucking noise. Hitch placed her gently back in the run.

‘Here.’ She pulled grain from her pocket and tipped the tiny granules into his palm. ‘Feed her this.’

Grayson bent down and held out his flattened hand.

‘Look, Daphne, look what Grayson’s got for you!’ she coaxed.

‘Morning, Daphne,’ he said with a smile, stretching out his arm. To his obvious surprise and delight, Daphne took a hesitant step in his direction, looking left and right, as if scoping out the scene, checking out this stranger who sat patiently with the gift of grain. Eventually, she came close enough to peck from his hand.