Love (16 page)

Somewhat mollified, Karen agreed to spend the morning drawing in front of the fire. Adam had banned her from the draughty studio for the time being. He was so bossy, she thought. As bad as her
mum and sister combined. She couldn’t understand what she had thought was so attractive about such an arrogant man.

After her walk, Amanda was happy enough to sit for Karen who wanted some water colour studies of her sister for her family portrait. They sat in companionable silence for most of the afternoon with the radio playing softly in the background. Karen was relieved that her sister had chosen not to continue her investigation into her feelings
for Adam. She had to sort them out herself before she could share them with anyone else.

Amanda proved to be a better cook than Karen. It appeared that she had been practising her culinary skills on Julian and, having investigated the contents of the freezer, she had whipped up a cottage pie. She even managed a bread and butter pudding. It was obvious that cooking made a pleasant change from work in the City.

Karen was genuinely sorry to see her sister go when Adam came to collect her the next morning. It had almost been like old times at the cottage when they were children. She was touched that Amanda had taken time from her busy schedule to come down and spend time with her.

“See you later,” said Adam. “Don’t come out. I’ll be back for you at about ten.”

Karen couldn’t decide what to wear. Adam hadn’t been very specific about where they were going. Mystery tour indeed! Dressing for a mystery tour was a new experience for her. She eventually opted for a pair of figure-hugging black corduroy trousers and a favourite blue polo neck. She decided not to wear her Celtic necklace after its last ill-fated outing with Nick. She was still a little pale but a brown toned lipstick emphasised her full lips and a touch of mascara made her eyes look huge and rather waif-like. Illness, she decided, had made her look pale and interesting.

Adam was prompt as usual. Good, she thought. She was beginning to feel like she had cabin fever and didn
’t want to spend a minute longer indoors. She looked at Adam thoughtfully. He was casually dressed in a Tattersall check flannel shirt with a soft tweed jacket. He managed to look sophisticated and unbelievably handsome despite his somewhat old-fashioned dress sense.

“
What about Humphrey?” asked Karen. “He thinks he’s coming.”

“
He is. But only as far as my house. Mrs Maybury is going to dog-sit while she cleans. She’s even going to give him a walk on the beach this afternoon before she brings him back here to the cottage and tucks him up in front of the Aga with a good bone.”

“
You do think of everything,” Karen said with mock admiration. “You might have told me where we were going or at least given me a clue. I didn’t know what to wear.”

“
I wasn’t the least bit concerned,” countered Adam. “I have every confidence in your taste. I knew you would look perfect and so you do.”

Karen pulled a face. Compliments always embarrassed her. She was never sure whether they were genuine.

“I mean it,” said Adam guessing her thoughts. “In fact you look particularly beautiful, if a little pale. Shall we get Humphrey and your coat and get this show on the road?”

Humphrey, having been entrusted to Mrs
Maybury’s care, looked forlorn as Adam and Karen drove off without him.

“D
on’t worry,” Adam reassured Karen. “That dog is a great actor. Mrs Maybury is as good a dog-sitter as she is a cleaner and she’s very fond of him.”

Karen settled back on the comfortable leather seat. Adam was an excellent driver, unlike
the reckless Nick. It felt so good to be out of the house and speeding along the open road after so much confinement. It also felt good to be with Adam. They were heading towards St Ives judging by the road signs they passed. Karen knew they couldn’t be going to the Tate because that was closed on Mondays. It had been ages since she had been to St Ives with its winding cobbled streets and little houses jumbled together on the edge of the water. It was no wonder so many artists had painted it and chosen to live there.

“S
o, what are we going to do in St Ives?” she asked.

“
Well, it’s hard to do a proper mystery tour unless you’re blindfolded but I thought that might be too uncomfortable. We’re going to look at some sculptures. I want you to help me choose one for my garden. Then I thought we’d have some lunch and then the mystery tour continues.”

“
Who is the sculptor? Anyone I’ve heard of?”

“
It’s not just one sculptor,” Adam answered. “It’s an exhibition of works that are specially designed for garden settings. Quite a few sculptors are showing their work.”

The sculptures were on display inside the walled grounds of an old country house on the outskirts of St Ives. The gardens were open to the public in the summer and the faded colours of the borders and the stark outline of the leafless trees made an elegant setting for the stone and granite pieces. Adam bought a catalogue and together they strolled, arm in arm, discussing the merits of each work.

Karen rather liked a granite circle with a hollowed heavy stone base which served as a drinking fountain for
birds, she felt it could be both functional and decorative. Adam had a preference for more figurative works. He spent some time trying to persuade Karen that a large sitting figure would be nice but Karen pointed out that it did not fit into the landscape of his garden nearly so well as the one she liked.

“
It would look amazing,” she said. “Rising from a bed of ivy.”

“
Yes, maybe you’re right,” said Adam. “I don’t want something that leaps out at you. It’s easy to get tired of something which is always demanding your attention.”

“D
oes that apply to people, too?” asked Karen.

“
I suspect it does. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I’m so fond of you. You are rather an elusive person. Like me, you have a passionate interest in something outside of people, a career you love and that makes all the difference. You and I are less likely tire of each other because we always have something new to bring to each other.”

Karen found it interesting that he considered her elusive. He was the most elusive person she had ever met.
“I sometimes wonder if you don’t over-analyse things, Adam. Don’t you ever just follow your feelings and ignore your head?”

“
Of course I do. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t. But it’s comforting when you wake in the dead of night to find that there are good reasons for what you feel by day. In a way I think that that is truly more romantic than just being loved for some physical attribute.” Adam continued, “Now that’s enough analysis for one day. Let me just pay and arrange delivery and we’ll head for St Ives.”

The show continued through the
spring so Adam would not be able to take delivery of his sculpture for some months. He and Karen walked back to the car and as he leaned over to help her with the seatbelt his lips brushed hers. It was all Karen could do not to pull his head to her. She had never felt such a strong physical attraction for somebody. Just being in the same car as him was sheer agony.

Parking was always a problem in St Ives and Adam spent considerable time driving around the narrow streets looking for a space.

“
It’s no good,” he said eventually. “We’ll have to go to one of the big lots and walk back in.”

They turned into the car park and Adam spotted someone reversing out of a space. He drew up and indicated and then turned into the space. Just then there was a horrible thumping sound on the roof of the car. They both turned to see what had happened. An angry red-faced
youth was shouting and swearing and banging the car with his fists. Karen was appalled. She hated this sort of casual aggression. She always left the tube carriage at the next stop if hooligans or drunks got on the train.

Adam opened his window,
“Excuse me, is there a problem?”

The man came up to the window, beside himself with rage,
“You bastard! In your huge fancy car. You’ve taken my space. I was waiting on the other side.” Karen hoped that Adam wasn’t going to get out of the car and have a fight with this awful man. She was relieved when he remained calm and collected.

“
I’m very sorry. I didn’t see you. But of course you must have this space if it’s that important to you.” Adam slid the window up, put the car into reverse and drove into the next row of cars where a space had also come free.

The angry man was dumbfounded. Obviously,
he had been looking forward to a good fight but Adam’s courtesy had completely taken the wind out of his sails.

Karen said,
“I’m glad you didn’t get into a fight with him. I can’t stand that sort of thing. People are so aggressive these days. I’m always seeing horrible violence in London. Cars seem to make them even worse though.”

As they left the car park they ran up against the man who look
ed embarrassed and muttered some sort of apology. Karen felt, with genuine relief, that Adam had handled a difficult situation well. And what was better, she hadn’t had to cope with it herself. It was a pleasant relief to be with someone who could manage anything.

Karen thought that they would be going to some quaint little restaurant complete with check tablecloths and red candles in old wine bottles, so she was really surprised when Adam guided her through the door of a very ordinary looking fish and chip shop. There were scrubbed pine tables and chairs, no tablecloths and not a candle in sight.

She must have looked surprised.
Adam smiled. “You weren’t expecting this!” he said. “Now sit down at a table and save me a seat. This place will be standing room only soon. Cod or Haddock?”

“
Haddock, please,” said Karen.

Adam soon returned with two parcels of steaming hot chips and
freshly battered fish. The fish was incredibly good. It tasted as though it had been caught that morning and the chips were just the way Karen liked them - crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

“
Yummy!” said Karen spearing a piece of fish with her plastic fork. “This is amazing.”

Adam looked
pleased, “You thought I was taking you somewhere rubbish, didn’t you? Oh ye of little faith. Little did you know that these humble surroundings house the finest fish and chip emporium in Cornwall.”

Karen laughed.
“Why has no one ever mentioned it before? I haven’t been down here much recently, but you would have thought someone would have let slip about this place. Actually, I didn’t really want to come down this time, with my show coming up. I had my arm twisted by the family, as the only one not in gainful employment, they felt I was the obvious candidate. They don’t take painting seriously. I think they’re just waiting for me to go into teaching, or some other proper job.”

“
I had the same problem,” said Adam. ‘my parents couldn’t believe that either travel or writing would earn me enough money to support myself, let alone the grandchildren they keep nagging me about. It wasn’t until I sold the second book that they took it seriously, the first one they put down as a flash in the pan. Now, to listen to them speak, you would think that it had all been their idea in the first place.”

”Th
is trip has been something of a voyage of discovery for me. I’m getting to like it all over again. So, what’s next?”

They made
their way out of the now-crowded cafe. Adam had been right, people were standing at the table-bar in the window and the queue went right to the door. They strolled, hand in hand, along the narrow shopping street. Karen looked hopefully in the shops. She wanted to buy Adam some keepsake of their day out. She had a great longing to give him something to remember her by. She supposed it must be love. There were souvenir shops, fudge shops, surf shops, and numerous small antique shops. Karen could not see anything suitable. Adam was, after all, a man who had virtually everything.

Then she saw it! Just the right thing. At the back of the junk shop window, rather dusty and covered with the odd cobweb, a little framed water colour of Trelawney Cove. It could have been painted from Adam’s house. The colours were soft with age and the simple frame looked good quality.

“
I’ll meet you in the fudge shop next door,” she said to Adam. “I just want to get something.”

“
What?” asked Adam.

“
I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise.”

Adam smiled.
“What? Come on tell me!”

“
No!” said Karen firmly. “Go away! If you can have a mystery tour, I can give you a surprise. So, go, go, go on!”

Adam bent down and kissed her.
“Okay, boss. You win. I’m going,” he said as Karen gave him a shove towards the sweet shop.

Karen pushed open the door of the junk shop. It was so stiff that she thought for a second that the shop might be closed. As the door creaked open she figured it was probably just lack of use. The shop smelled musty and of old pipe smoke.
There was an elderly man sucking a pipe behind a desk at the side of the shop. He ignored Karen. She waited a moment but he went on reading his paper. No wonder his door wasn’t used much!