Footsteps In Ashbridge Episode 06
At 10.30 on Sunday morning Sarah stood at the gate of Lou’s house on Old Grange Road.
She looked at it with interest.
Whereas her own home was in a terrace, Lou’s stood on its own, a pretty two-storey cottage.
Sarah was no gardener, but she appreciated the pretty colours in the flower-beds and the path laid out in a herringbone pattern.
She must have been spotted because Lou had the door open before Sarah reached it.
“Come in,” she said with a friendly smile.
Lou led the way into the sitting-room.
A man sat reading in a chair with a footrest.
“You must be Miss Dixon,” he said, standing up.
“This is my husband, Harry,” Lou said.
“And I’m Sarah.” She held out her hand for him to shake. “It’s only Miss Dixon if you’re a pupil!”
“Dixon’s quite a common name around here.” Harry held out his book. “This is a local history, written way back at the beginning of the twentieth century.
“But I’m learning a lot from it – and I’ve lived here all my life.”
“My dad thinks he had ancestors from here. He’s going to do a bit of research,” Lou explained.
Sarah sat down in the armchair indicated by Lou.
“I thought it must be a local name because of Betty Dixon Road.”
“There’s quite a lot about her in here,” Harry said, tapping the book. “I’d lend it to you, but it’s from the archive in the library. You could . . .”
There must have been some silent signal between Lou and her husband because Harry stopped speaking and grinned.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to gossip and get the coffee.”
“How are you settling in?” Lou asked.
“I’d swear there are more boxes than got packed at the other end.” Sarah laughed. “They’re never-ending. But I’m quite proud of myself.
“I built a flat-packed wardrobe for the first time – usually my dad’s on hand to help with things like that.”
Lou sat down opposite her.
“Did he live near you in – where was it, Milton Keynes?”
Sarah nodded.
“About fifteen minutes’ drive. He and my mum divorced when I was small, but we’ve always been close. He’s a great dad.”
“He must miss you,” Lou remarked.
“He’s recently met a nice woman who joined his bowling club. I hope it’ll work out for them,” Sarah replied.
“That’s not why I left,” she added hastily. “I’ve always wanted to live somewhere smaller, with countryside nearby.”
Although that wasn’t the whole story – maybe when she knew Lou better she’d tell her the rest.
“Well, there’s plenty of that here.” Lou smiled. “Ah, here’s my butler!”
Harry pushed the door open with his foot and came in bearing a tray.
As well as a cafetière and two mugs and plates, there was a home-made coffee and walnut cake.
Harry gave a mock bow.
“Ladies.” He put the tray on the low table between the armchairs and left.
Lou cut two differently sized slices of cake.
“Harry took up baking a few months ago. I must have put on a stone since then.”
She handed Sarah the plate with the bigger piece.
“What does Harry do when he’s not baking scrumptious cakes?” Sarah asked, savouring a delicious mouthful.
“Um, cooking elaborate dinners for us, reading, spending hours in the library archives.
“Not working. He’s having a mid-life crisis, I think.” Lou clapped her hand to her mouth. “Forget I said that.”
Sarah swallowed more quickly than was comfortable.
“I’ve forgotten. Sorry to be nosey.”
“It’s a perfectly normal question,” Lou reasoned. “Not nosey at all. He was made redundant back in May.”
She bent over and took her time pressing the plunger on the cafetière.
Sarah distracted herself by looking round the room.
There were lots of books – it reminded her of her visit to Ashbridge Library yesterday.
After her screen was mended by a very efficient teenager, and the phone scrutinised by one of her older colleagues, she went to the library to assure the man – had he said his name was Duncan? – that there was no serious damage.
The inside of the large Victorian building was a surprise.
Walls had been removed to make an open-plan, brightly lit space.
As she advanced in she could see Duncan.
His son – Duncan had called him Jamie, she remembered now – pulled on his arm, trying to get his attention.
Beside him a colourfully dressed young woman was talking animatedly.
She hesitated. He seemed to have his hands full.
He caught her eye and raised his eyebrows comically, but seemed unable or unwilling to break off the conversation.
She gave him a thumbs-up before leaving, trusting that he understood.
She’d visit the library at the weekend to sign up for borrowing books and hopefully see him then.
She turned her attention back to Lou, who was handing her a mug.
“I better warn you,” Lou began, smiling again, “if it gets out about your DIY skills you’ll find yourself building the set for the nativity play.”
Sarah laughed, relieved at the change of subject.
“I’ll look forward to that.”
To be continued…