‘Of course,’ said Amanda. ‘I can’t wait to show you but I need to head to a bigger town or village or whatever you call them so I can get some more tracing paper and things. Is there a bus?’
Diana smiled. ‘I can do better for you than a bus,’ she said. ‘Follow me.’
They walked slowly along the driveway, Amanda making sure she was keeping pace with Diana who, at times, winced with pain.
‘Are you okay?’ Amanda asked finally as they moved around the side of the house and along a path.
‘I am fine but my knees are not – many years on them in the garden takes its toll.’
‘You could have a replacement,’ said Amanda. ‘They’re made of titanium and chrome now.’
Diana snorted as they walked over a cobblestoned courtyard and through a gate.
‘Have you been out here yet?’ asked Diana.
‘I haven’t,’ admitted Amanda. ‘I’m still trying to remember where my bedroom is in the house. It’s bigger inside than I expected.’
‘These were the stables,’ said Diana, pointing with her stick. ‘I wasn’t much of a horse person – I preferred dogs.’
They walked through the stable, Amanda treading carefully on the warm cobblestones, and came to a set of large stable doors.
‘Can you open these?’ Diana gestured at them.
Amanda lifted the latch, which moved easily, as though regularly oiled, and the doors pushed back and there, in the cool air of the stables, was a small car.
‘This was my first and only car,’ said Diana. ‘It is yours now.’
‘Mine? I can’t take a car,’ Amanda said.
‘You took the house; what does it matter if you take the car as well?’ Diana said impatiently. ‘I don’t drive anymore but it’s been serviced and cared for since I’ve had it.’
Amanda couldn’t argue with that and she walked to the car. ‘When did you get it?’ she asked.
‘When I was eighteen. I paid for it myself,’ she said proudly. ‘I had to sell some jewellery and a watch because my parents wouldn’t let me get a job, but driving this, alone, was the best feeling in the world.’
Amanda opened the car door and sat inside and looked around. Diana was correct in her statement that it was in top condition. The car had clearly been looked after with everything clean and shiny, albeit old.
That’s what Amanda didn’t understand about Moongate. The house was in good condition, the car was fine, everything had been cared for… except the garden, which Diana had obviously adored.
Amanda got out of the car. ‘What a gorgeous car. Now I can drive you wherever you want to go,’ she said to Diana.
But Diana shook her head. ‘I don’t really see anyone. I don’t have friends.’
‘You don’t have friends?’
Dina shook her head as though she was shooing away flies.
‘No, no time for them when I was in the garden.’
Amanda was silent, thinking about Lainie and how much she loved her best friend.
‘I had a friend – Helen. She was the gardener’s daughter, but then life happened and took us on different paths,’ Diana said and Amanda saw her shoulders soften, almost droop – she wasn’t sure why but she knew the older woman felt sad.
‘That’s not true about not having friends,’ said Amanda brightly.
Diana looked up at her.
‘We’re friends, and Simon and I became friends the other day, so the three of us are friends now.’
