Page 31 of Match Point in Crumbleton
And yet… maybe she was just imagining it.
Surely not, though?
But maybe.
GAH!
‘You okay?’ chuckled Andy, staring at her.
‘Yeah,’ she blurted. ‘I mean… yes, why?’
‘Because you’ve gone all frowny,’ he said. ‘Need a break?’
‘You wish!’ she said.
No, she didn’t need a break… she just needed to get the memory of him topless in the Dolphin and Anchor’s garden out of her head. The image was seared into her brain. Not that she was complaining. It just made her a tad… distracted.
As much as she wanted to, Cath definitely wouldn’t be rushing over there and snogging his face off. For one thing, if she started, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop, and for another…
‘Hello dearies!’
And for another, there’s an elderly lady watching us!
‘Hi!’ said Cath, plastering a smile onto her face as she turned and hurried towards the new arrival—mainly to stop her from picking her way through the disaster zone. Cath’s smile broadened when she spotted what their visitor was carrying.
‘I heard you’re planning on bringing the Cheswell Cup back to Crumbleton? Said the woman, nodding at her armful of vintage tennis rackets. Some of them were still wearing their wooden cases. ‘I had this little lot lying around the house, so I thought I’d pop them up to you in case they might come in handy. I won’t need them back… I don’t have any use for them anymore.’
‘Here, let me take those from you,’ said Andy, stepping forward to relieve the woman of her awkward burden.
‘What a brilliant donation,’ said Cath, doing her best to count the rackets as Andy took them. Their little stash had just doubled in number! ‘Can I take your name? I want to make sure everyone who contributes gets a mention in the program—and maybe the newspaper too, if Caroline has got space.’
‘Well, wouldn’t that be lovely?’ said their visitor. ‘My name’s Evelyn Barker. Good luck with it all, dearie!’
‘Wait!’ said Cath as Evelyn turned to leave.
The old woman turned to face her again, looking surprised.
‘Sorry!’ said Cath quickly. ‘I just wanted to ask… you’re E Barker? The E Barker… who won the cup back in 1988?’
‘That’s me,’ said Evelyn.
‘Can you tell us anything about the game?’ said Cath. ‘I mean, I really want to make this year’s tournament as authentic as possible, and to share as much of its history as I can, too.’
‘I would be delighted to,’ said Evelyn. ‘I’ve not had the chance to talk about it all for a good long while… but I’m afraid I’ll need to sit down. I’m not as young as I used to be, and the old pins are worn out from climbing the hill carrying that lot!’
‘I’ve got an idea,’ said Andy, setting the rackets down carefully. ‘How about I treat us all to a cuppa and a cake down at the café?’
‘Oh, I don’t want to be a bother,’ said Evelyn, trying and failing to keep a delighted smile off her face.
‘You’re a very long way from being a bother,’ said Cath, shaking her head. ‘And we were just about to take a break anyway.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Evelyn.
‘Positive,’ said Andy.
‘I might hold you up a bit on the way down the hill,’ said Evelyn.
‘We’re in no rush,’ said Andy, ‘and you can take my arm if you’d like?’
