‘I’m waiting for my brother. The police said the people here were away so… I hope your husband is all right.’
‘They’ve transferred him to Southampton. I’m waiting for transport to take me there. An hour, they said.’ She noticed the man’s left eyebrow was red and swollen, forcing his eye to be half-closed. Another wave of nausea rippled through her. ‘Were you hurt?’
‘Went over the handlebars.’ A half-smile. ‘Bit of a crash landing. Punched myself in the eye.’
‘Oh, did the paramedics see to you?’
‘I told them I was OK.’
Sophie wrung her hands a little, uncertain how to end the conversation, uncertain as to whether she ought to end the conversation. Whether she wanted to end it. If it ended, she would have to go back inside and be alone. Close the door against the sand in the gutter. And wait. ‘Will your brother be long?’ she said.
‘He has to pick his sons up from Summer Club. He said he’d be here by five.’
‘That’s ages. Do you want to come inside while I wait? I don’t suppose anyone will steal your bike if you leave it there.’
He looked uncertain.
‘I could make a quick cup of tea.’
‘That would be great. If it’s not too much bother.’
‘It’s no bother. And I could do with the company.’
* * *
Sophie tried not to limp as she led the man through her hallway. She wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, asking a stranger into her house. Particularly a tall, broken stranger carrying a bent bicycle wheel, and wearing bicycle clips. But anything was better than being alone. And besides, she’d left the front door wide open. So, she could see her transport arrive… and possibly so that she could grab Laura and make a dash – a limp – for it.
‘The name’s Sam,’ he said. ‘Sam Barnes. Did you hurt your foot?’
‘I twisted it. Before the accident. I don’t think it’s anything serious. I’m Sophie.’
He followed her into the kitchen, dithered for a moment then propped his wheel against the back door and removed his helmet. ‘Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make the tea.’
He stepped past her and picked up the kettle and, as he did so, Sophie caught a hint of his aftershave. Fresh and a little spicy. Jonah never used aftershave. Just an electric razor, bland soap and unscented deodorant. And toothpaste that smelled of nothing. She sat down and watched Sam Barnes filling her kettle. ‘I’d better fetch the baby. Laura. I need to get her ready to go to the hospital. I don’t know how long I’ll be there.’
‘Ages, probably.’ He glanced back along the hallway. ‘Where is she?’
‘She’s in the lounge. In her playpen.’
‘Are you OK carrying her? With your ankle like that? Do you want me to fetch her? I’m not too mucky. And I’ve had loads of practice.’
‘Do you have children?’
‘Just my brother’s two. I’ll go get her, shall I? Then I’ll have a look in your freezer. See if I can find a quick fix for your ankle. Before your lift arrives.’ He loped off and returned moments later, carrying Laura and a large, floppy blue bear. ‘She was just dozing off. The bear wanted to come too.’
‘She doesn’t usually like strangers.’
‘Sensible girl.’
* * *
Laura seemed quite happy to be fixed into her highchair by this tall man. She clutched her bear and watched Sam Barnes make tea, hand her mother a mug, then root around in the freezer. Sophie also watched him. She noticed he was in the habit of running his fingers backwards through his blond hair in order to push it away from his eyes. He clearly needed a haircut and possibly a stylist. Jonah had always disapproved of poor grooming.
‘OK!’ he announced. ‘Would you prefer petit pois or Brussels sprouts? For your ankle. It’ll reduce the swelling. Have you got a clean tea towel?’
‘In the bottom drawer. Petit pois, please.’
‘In that case, do you mind if I take advantage of your Brussels sprouts?’
Sophie laughed, in a way she’d thought she never would again. She watched him wrap the packet of peas and hand it over. She leant forward and touched it against her ankle and shuddered at the sudden cold. She watched him fold the sprouts into another tea towel and hold it against his temple, lowering himself into a chair and sighing with relief. And there they sat, opposite one another across the kitchen table, sipping tea and indulging Laura, with their various swellings being reduced by a vegetable medley. And time passed. And during that passing time Sophie experienced whole periods of not hearing the sound of fracturing bone repeating itself. She asked him about his brother’s children.
‘Jesse’s wife died five years ago. The kids were really small. I’d just come back from Hong Kong and I didn’t have a job so I put off finding one and looked after my nephews.’
‘Have you got a job now? I mean, are you still…?’
‘The boys are both at school now. So, I’ve gone back to teaching. North Surrey Uni. English. That’s what I was doing in Hong Kong. I’m part-time so I can fit in with the boys’ school times. And clubs. Obviously, today has had to be the exception.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ Consequences. ‘I did Biological Sciences at uni. But I never thought of teaching. Before Laura was born, I was working in Communications at Portway Biotech. I’m supposed to be going back in September. Jonah’s a computer engineer. He has his own company.’
‘Blimey. That sounds impressive. Did you say “Jonah”?’
‘Yes, like the man who lived in a whale.’
He picked Blue Bear off the floor and handed it to Laura. ‘I always wanted to teach. And you know what they say: Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Fortunately, I couldn’t do anything else. So, my choice of career was literally a no-brainer.’ He checked his watch. ‘When did they say your lift would be here?’
‘An hour. I’d better be getting ready. My ankle feels much better now.’ She lifted her ice-pack and got to her feet. ‘How’s your eye?’
‘OK, but I’ll probably have a hell of a shiner by the morning.’
‘Hell of a shiner? My granddad used to say that.’
He smiled. ‘I’m a bit of a crime fiction buff. Especially the post-war stuff. People were always waking up with a hell of a shinerin those days. Although please don’t tell the Head of English that I’m a secret wannabe detective. Especially a nineteen-fifties detective. I’m not supposed to stoop lower than the Bard.’
‘Don’t worry, Sam. Your secret’s safe with me. Would you keep an eye on Laura while I collect her things? She seems to have taken a liking to you.’
Sam Barnes watched Laura while Sophie fussed around getting ready. Then he plucked up his bicycle wheel and hovered awkwardly beside the sink. ‘I hope it all goes OK. I think there’s a car pulling up outside. I’d better get back to my bike. Jesse won’t be long now.’
Sophie’s stomach churned as she collapsed back into the day’s trauma. She wanted to say to Sam Barnes why didn’t he wait inside and just pull the door closed behind him when he left. But that would have been ridiculous. Trusting her house to a stranger. Perhaps he would accidentally leave the door open and when she got back she’d worry there was someone inside the house, hiding upstairs.