Nina didn’t really want to interact with this woman in the strange, obnoxiously bright, trying-to-be-expensive-but-failing-miserably, animal-print top. 'Yep, good, thanks.'
'What are you up to? You’re moving out, are you?' Lindsay asked.
Nina felt a shudder inside. This Lindsay appeared hyper-observant somehow, as if she was frantically analysing every little bit of what Nina said and did. 'I am, yes.'
Lindsay turned and looked up at the 'To Let' sign poked into the tiny front garden. 'The estate agent told me it was going to be up for rent. I’d really like to live this way.'
'It’s a lovely place to live. You said you knew Nancy, didn’t you?'
'Yes, yes, I do. Well, I used to know her.’
'That’s nice.' Nina wondered why Nancy hadn’t mentioned this friend of hers but didn’t really think much about it. There was definitely something odd about this woman, but she wasn’t sure what. She seemed to be around all the time, too. Almost as if she’d engineered it. Nina put the thought out of her head.Ridiculous.
Lindsay really wanted to chat and pressed on. 'So, how have you been getting on with packing up and moving? It’s always such hard work, I think.'
'Yes, fine, thanks. It’s a bit tough doing it all on your own.'
'On your own? Robby's not helping you then?'
Nina frowned and wondered how this woman knew about Robby, but she didn’t say anything. Nancy must have mentioned it. Everyone knew everyone’s business in Lovely Bay. 'I’m okay. I’ve been on my own for a long time; it’s fine.'
'Right, you’ve been on your own, have you?’
‘Yes, I have.’
Lindsay was clearly trying to keep the conversation going for as long as she could. ‘So what have you got on for the rest of the week?’
Nina felt as if the question was totally inappropriate. She shrugged. 'Oh, you know, this and that. What about you?' She found herself asking, even though she didn’t want to know the answer.
'Nothing much, you know how it is,' Lindsay said with a smile, pushing her limp, thin brown hair out of her eyes. 'I might pop down to the pub. I’m on my own at the moment too so, you know, it’s a bit sad really. It gets quite lonely, but it is what it is. It’s hard when you don’t have any…'
Nina nodded. She definitely knew what that was like, but she could tell Lindsay was playing the sympathy card. She so wasn’t interested in sympathy cards. She’d had enough of her own to last her a lifetime. Lindsay really gave her the creeps. Nina didn’t engage in the loneliness topic. 'Yes, right, well, okay, look, I must get on. I’ve got a lot to do still.'
Lindsay wasn’t going to give up lightly and continued. She took a step forward and rested her hand on the fence, and with the other hand fiddled with the high neck of the cheap ugly top. 'So how have you found this place? What about the heating and stuff like that? Has it been good?'
Nina didn’t want to continue the conversation but nodded anyway. 'Yes, yes, fine. Everything has been great. It’s a really nice spot, so handy for the shops and a nice view here behind the green.'
'So handy for the shops,' Lindsay echoed. 'Sounds perfect. Must be nice, being so close to everything and yet living in a cottage with a green in front of it.'
Nina shifted uncomfortably, keen to end the conversation. 'Yeah, it’s ideal, really. Anyway, I better crack on. Lots to do andall that. You know what it’s like when you’re getting ready to move.'
Lindsay, seemingly oblivious to Nina's attempts to close down the conversation, lingered a minute longer. 'Of course, don't let me keep you. I'll let you know how I get on with the viewing when it happens.’
Nina’s smile was polite but not really that sincere. 'Well, good luck with the viewing then. See you around.'
Turning on her heel, Nina headed back into the cottage. She could feel Lindsay's gaze on her back as she went in. The strange encounter had left a sour taste in her mouth, but she wasn’t sure why. There was something unsettling about Lindsay's keenness, her probing questions felt too pointed and way too intrusive for casual conversation. Nina made a mental note to mention Lindsay to Robby when he got back.
Once inside, Nina stood for a moment as her brain percolated through the conversation. She brushed it off and decided it was nothing. Just someone who was a bit lonely and wanted to make small talk. Nothing wrong with that.
18
‘Right, you’re sure you’ll be okay with that?’ Robby asked with a serious look on his face.
Nina raised her eyebrows. ‘I think I can manage.’
‘You’re not convincing me,’ Robby said as he nudged the edge of a cordless spray painter with his foot.
‘DIY has never been one of my natural skills.’ Nina waved the paint sprayer instruction sheet around. ‘This has been an interesting learning curve. In fact, there have been loads of things I’ve had to learn since moving here, power tools being one of them and a lot of them are rubbish.’
