‘This is cosy,’ he said brightly, looking out at the long wilderness that benefited from the morning sun far more than any light from the west. He picked up the glasses for a moment, looked through, focusing first and then glancing about the long grass and finally towards the sky where a family of ducks were swiftly making their way back to their nest away from the cool waters of the river, which ran along by Corrigan Mills.
‘It’s probably the place I spend the most time. The rest of the house has grown far too big for me as the years have gone on… but I suppose, I’ll miss it once I sell it on…’ she said softly with a conviction that surprised her. She had wondered if she’d really miss much about it apart from that one corner and her little job in the surgery if she had to let that go too.
‘You’re selling up?’ he asked turning towards her. He dropped the binoculars, suddenly interested.
‘I haven’t done anything about it yet, not really, because it’s a big step and there’s quite a bit to be sorted out, what with the surgery and everything, but yes, I’d like something a little more modest.’
‘This is rather grand.’ He smiled and made a funny face and they both laughed. ‘But it suits you. I can’t imagine you living anywhere else.’
‘It was my husband’s family home; they rather had notions…At this stage, I’d just like somewhere cosy that felt right. A small garden would be nice too, but then, I have the full beach to call my own for most of the year, so…’ She waved a hand. She’d love to move in next door to Jo’s cottage, but of course, houses on the seafront didn’t come up very often.
‘This is a beautiful house, so much potential. I’m sure there will be lots of interest.’
‘Oh, I don’t know, potential is a very dangerous word these days. There’s a lot to be done with it, really, if you wanted to bring it up to its former glory. I suspect if I put it on the market it’s likely to be flattened, perhaps turned into a second supermarket with a car park across the back garden.’ Elizabeth tried not to think of that too much. The notion of the families of birds she’d watched for years being turned out to find a new home was enough to instil the kind of doubt she couldn’t afford now. ‘Anyway, I haven’t even put it up for sale yet…’ She smiled.
‘Well, you know, if you did think you wanted to sell, I’m sure there would be lots of interest…’ Dan inclined his head slightly. ‘It would be perfect for a big family with roots here. If it was a few years down the line, I might even have a stab at it myself.’ He laughed softly at that.
‘Really? You’d consider moving here permanently?’ Elizabeth looked around her kitchen. She couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to settle here at such a young age and alone. ‘Surely, you must be getting bored by now. A single man – London must be calling out to you.’
‘No, I’ve had my fill of bright lights for now. I’ll stay here until I have my book finished and then who knows.’
‘You’re lucky to have secured the cottage. You couldn’t help but be inspired there.’
‘Yes, but it’s just rented and…’ he looked out at the garden again ‘…there’s no real future there, much and all as I love it. I mean, the views are spectacular,’ he said softly.
‘They are pretty nice here too. From my bedroom window, I’m looking right across at the lighthouse. At night, if I leave my curtains open, you can catch the faint shadows of it against the bedroom walls.’
‘That must be lovely,’ he said and if he wanted to take a look, he was much too well-mannered to suggest it.
‘It’s soothing really, I mean, in the storms you can hear the crashing of the sea and all year round you have the bells from the church. It’s perfect really.’ She laughed a little. It was a tinkling sound to her ears, the kind of laugh that she remembered as hers from many years earlier. Then she cleared her throat slightly. ‘Of course, if you were really serious about taking it on, there are a few things that are not quite so perfect.’
‘Oh?’
‘Well, yes, there’s the roof for starters – I imagine it’s going to need a whole new roof. The rafters are on the point of collapsing and I’ve lost slates over the years, so there’s probably a bit of damp up there too.’
‘That’s to be expected. I mean, the house must be up on two hundred years old.’