The Things I Know(58)
She leaned up and kissed his face and knew the novelty of that one act would never dull for her, the joy would never diminish. ‘What are you going to do? Go back and talk to her now?’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘I need to get to work, plus, she’ll have calmed down by tonight, but I know things need to change.’
‘I feel the same,’ she said, scuffing her toe on the pavement. ‘I know things need to change for me too. I need to step out from under my mum and dad’s wings. I need to find my own way, sleep under my own roof and have my own cake tins, start living . . .’
He squeezed her hand. ‘It’s scary, but exciting too, isn’t it?’
‘It is. I’ll walk you to the bus stop, Grayson, and then make my way to Paddington to get the train back home to Bristol, but we can make a plan of how and when we’ll see each other again, if you like . . .’ She let this trail.
‘I do like. Of course I like!’ This time it was his turn to bend down and kiss her. ‘I shall come and stay and you can come and . . .’ He floundered.
‘I can come to London and meet you somewhere that isn’t your flat!’ She laughed.
‘Yes, something like that. We’ll make it happen, Thomasina.’
‘Yes, we will,’ she agreed, with something like fireworks exploding in her gut.
‘I can’t believe Emery did that to Daphne.’
‘I believe it. Nothing surprises me about him. He’s so nasty,’ she whispered.
‘He didn’t seem that nasty to me. But you’ve known him longer,’ he conceded.
‘Trust me, he’s a shit.’
‘And we don’t like shits.’
‘We don’t. Not in the lift, not from a dog, and not the human variety like Emery.’
They laughed. It felt nice to have an in-joke.
‘Will you be okay?’ He held her hand.
‘I’ll be fine. Can I call you?’
‘Yes, call me. Call me any evening – in fact, call me any time if ever you need anything, anything at all, and I’ll try and help, or at least listen. I want you to know that I will always, always, try to make your life the best it can be. If I can do anything to help you, then I will, because that’s what you deserve, Thomasina. You are amazing, that much I know. And I can’t wait for the day that you own your own cake tins, if that’s important to you!’
She beamed at him. ‘That means the world to me, Grayson.’
He reluctantly let go of her hand and climbed on to the waiting bus. Thomasina watched him settle into his seat and, in that moment, as the bus pulled away, he blew her a kiss and she felt like the most beautiful girl in the world.
I know for the first time that I don’t feel afraid for my future.
I know that I want to rescue Grayson and I know that he will rescue me.
I know what being in love feels like!
I know that I’ve found someone who is kind and good.
I know I don’t want to live in London. A day trip to Covent Garden is all right, but to live here among the tower blocks and be too afraid to dance in case Mr Waleed shouts at you by the bins? No, thank you.
ELEVEN
With a mixture of relief and disappointment, Thomasina walked into the kitchen of the farmhouse. Buddy leapt up from his basket like a pup and pawed at her thigh, panting, his tail wagging and an expression that was as close to a smile as he could manage. She bent low and kissed his muzzle, running her hands over his handsome face and whispering her affectionate greeting. Her parents’ reaction to her homecoming after two days of absence was a little more muted. It wasn’t that she wanted an altercation, having stormed out, and she certainly wasn’t in the mood for celebratory fireworks on her return, but their quiet acceptance of her dramatic flounce, almost an indifference, made her feel, at best, a little foolish. Her dad looked up from reading the Gazette and winked, returning to the article that was, apparently, gripping him. Her mum paused from stirring the soup in the pot on the range and looked at her briefly.
‘There’s a cup of tea in the pot, Thomasina. Welcome home, darlin’.’
She liked the way her mum used her name, as requested, and used it with ease. It meant a lot.
‘Thank you. Did you miss me?’
‘Well, it was quiet!’ her dad quipped.
‘How are my girls doing?’ she asked, grabbing a mug from the drainer and collecting the teapot from the trivet.
‘They’re all good. A little unsettled at night, no doubt missing their friend.’
‘Daphne.’ Thomasina looked briefly at her mum, who rolled her eyes, but with a crinkle of understanding around her crow’s feet. ‘Daphne . . .’ she muttered under her breath.
‘I was proper worried until you texted,’ her dad said with a sigh. ‘I went running up the paddock to find you and you’d disappeared! Fancy walking to the pub. I’d have run you in – it’s no good for your foot, all that walking.’
‘I wanted to walk, Pops. Help clear my head.’
‘I can understand that.’ He smiled. ‘So you stayed at the pub for a couple of nights?’ He finally closed the paper. ‘Did you hear anything on the grapevine about the offer for the farm? I expect it’s what people are talking about – can’t keep nothing secret around here.’