‘Don’t you know many English slang words?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘Mom didn’t really say many of them. I mean, I used different terms for things like footpath over sidewalk and rubbish over trash because that’s what I was taught, but not the slang words.’
‘Then it will be a pleasure to teach you,’ he said as he found a parking spot near the church and backed into it easily.
They stepped out of the car and Simon saw Amanda immediately move to the community noticeboard.
‘Looking for piano lessons or a dog walker?’ he joked, as he came to her side.
‘Look,’ she said, and she put her finger on the glass over one particular notice.
‘The Foxfield gardening club,’ he read. ‘Meets every second Thursday at St Cuthbert’s Church Hall. All welcome.’
‘We should go and ask them for gardening advice,’ she said, turning to him.
Simon made a face.
‘What? Why the face?’ she asked.
‘It’s the only face I have.’ He chuckled to himself. He was surprised at his good mood. He had woken to another text from Charlie asking to talk and it had left him in a sour mood. When Amanda had asked him to help her drive the car, he was reluctant to agree as he wasn’t fit to spend time with anyone, but Amanda was easy company really. She didn’t pry, she laughed at his jokes and she was interesting.
‘No, really, we don’t know anything and we need help in the garden,’ she said. She blew a curl out of her face. ‘We could offer it to them to be a project or something.’
Simon looked at the notice and then at Amanda. ‘And you think they would want to help us for free?’
Amanda shrugged. ‘It’s worth asking, isn’t it? I mean, what have we got to lose?’
Simon couldn’t argue with that and, besides, he had already lost everything and had nothing else left to weep over.
‘Okay, you’re the lady of the manor now.’
Amanda laughed and pushed him lightly. ‘Don’t say that. I hate it. It feels weird, as though I’m trying to be better than I am. I’m just lucky, that’s all. Lucky my mom bought a ticket and lucky to have you to be my friend and help me.’
And she smiled a bright, true smile, one that Simon hadn’t seen in a woman for so long. It made him wonder if Anika had ever really smiled at him with her whole heart – or was it always for Charlie from the start?
*
Diana – 1960s
Douglas was waiting for Diana when she came out of Moongate Manor, but he had a serious look on his face when she ran up to him and kissed his cheek.
‘Hello,’ she said, and pressed her body into his.
They had made love three times now and Diana wanted him again and again. All she could think about was Douglas naked and inside her. And as she’d told Helen, she thought she was getting better at sex with each time.
Helen had laughed and given her another condom but Diana had told her that Douglas knew how to pull out so she wouldn’t become pregnant. Helen had laughed at her again and said that was a fool’s way but Diana ignored her.
‘Where are we going? Somewhere private?’ she asked.
‘Would your parents believe if you said you were staying at Helen’s overnight?’ he murmured in her ear.
‘Probably not Helen, but maybe another school friend. I will ring them late and say the car broke down so I’m staying over. I’ll be vague and deal with the drama tomorrow. Why?’ She was intrigued.
‘I have booked a hotel, in Middlesbrough. You will have to be Mrs Douglas McKay though,’ he said and she pressed her mouth to his.
‘I can’t wait to be Mrs Douglas Mackay,’ she said as she climbed onto the back of the bike and they took off.
A whole night in a hotel. Her mother would die but Diana didn’t care anymore. This was her future now. Soon she would be Mrs Mackay in reality and there was nothing her parents could do about it.
