“I found it yesterday. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I met the vigneron and his dog, and he directed me there. Said it was his and his wife’s favourite spot.” Davina’s smile lit up her face.
“Tom finally told a guest about the garden then!” The lady serving our drinks slid our empty glasses behind the bar. “It’s such a wonderful spot.”
“I couldn’t get over how wonderful it smelt when I was there this morning.” My memories had carried the scent with me.
“Our daughter’s been blind since birth and is getting married in a fortnight. The ceremony is going to be up there, and I wanted something special for her.”
“That’s such a lovely gesture. Tom, is it, your husband? He said it had been a favourite spot for both of you for thirty years.” Davina was clearly not faking interest with this woman.
“I suspect it’s where our three children were conceived, but you didn’t hear that from me! Now, more drinks? How about I put together a picnic basket for you two? We’ve got so much food from the wedding, and you, my dear, look siready to party.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” I smiled, and hoped Davina was finally seeing that I had no intentions of following in her family’s callous treatment of her. “What do you say, Davs? Picnic with me?”
“Sorry, you two. Had to speak to Monnie and Harry over there. Tiresome people. Anyway, I was invited to a party in the city tonight which I turned down, but if I leave now, I can still make it. You two look like you can have fun without me.” Aunt B was a burst of energy as she flitted back to us, kissing Davina on the cheek.
“It’s all good, Aunt B. Perhaps we could do lunch if you’re in town this week?”
“I’ll check my roster and flick you a text, darling. Are you two staying here, or heading back to town tonight too?”
“Well, Aunt B, I think they’re preparing a picnic for the two of us to enjoy in the gardens.”
I couldn’t miss the glint in Aunt B’s eye as she said her farewells and hugged her niece, along with the wink she left me as she told me to take care of Davina. I had little doubt Davina needed to be cared for, but she did need someone to show her how special she was, and I hoped that that evening, that person could be me.
~*~*~*~*~
Davina
Aunt B had a way of making everything look so much better than it really is. I’ve often told Sabs and Marns that I want to be Aunt B when I grow up, but that had been reinforced this afternoon.
I wonder how embarrassed I should be for my family, Aunt B excluded, of course, and come up with the fact that I’m not like them at all. I’ve chosen to build my life away from them. My therapist and I have talked a lot about me actually cutting them off. After this stunt, I thought I might just do that.
It’s so clear that I mean little to any of them. Although I am still wary of Scott’s motives, I’d begun to let my guard down a little.
“I’m going to get changed. There’s no way these shoes will make it up the escarpment.” We had to walk past our cottages after being given the large picnic basket, a blanket and a lantern.
“Can you just change your shoes? I mean, I never want to tell anyone what to wear, but that dress suits you and I was going to grab my camera and perhaps steal a few shots.”
I couldn’t remember ever being so indecisive before in my life. I knew the dress looked great and it would be a shame not to wear it. I mean, I knew there would be few other opportunities after today. But on the other hand, my shoulder was exposed, and I was still getting used to the feeling of the extra skin on display. I mean, I know it’s just a shoulder, but this was still a new experience.
Slipping out of the gold sandals, my feet were already relieved. I tied the laces on my runners and grabbed a denim jacket, in case it got cooler later on.
“You changed?” I came outside my cottage to see Scott standing in a jacket and tie, although still wearing the jeans that hugged his thighs so well.
“I figured I should at least make an effort.” Scott smiled.
It suddenly dawned on me. I think Scott was treating this as a date. I hoped that by asking Scott what he’d been up to since he left school would give him time to just talk, but he always managed to draw me into the conversation.
“I mean, I loved living in London, but it was always raining, or so it seemed. Have you travelled much?”
“Not really. So how long were you there for?”
“Eighteen months in the end. So, if you haven’t travelled, what have you been doing with yourself?”
This interest in me shocked me. Surely this wasn’t the same Scott who hung around my brother and teased me when I was growing up. “I run a shop with a friend.”
“That sounds interesting. What do you sell?” Scott had the picnic basket hooked on one arm, whilst the other carried the blanket and lantern.
“Just clothes. It’s not much, not like being an architect.”
“But you’re a businesswoman. Tell me more about your boutique.”
Boutique? Sabs always referred to Curvilicious as a boutique, but to me, it was simply a shop. I talked about meeting Sabine and Marnie and how we had grown from a solely online presence to a bricks-and-mortar shop. I started the rant that Sabs and Marns knew well about sustainability and how fast fashion was a blight on society.
“It’s always fascinating learning about sustainability in other areas. My latest project is looking at new social housing and how to make it more affordable for the consumer. I mean, it’s so much more than solar panels and rainwater tanks. It starts with materials that will last over time.”
Our conversation morphed and Scott listened with intent when I talked about how natural fibres were not always preferable to manufactured fibres because, for instance, the water requirements to grow cotton.
Finding ourselves in the rose garden, Scott laid out the blanket on the lush patch of grass. We sat and nibbled on the beautiful spread that had been packed for us. At one stage, Scott produced his camera and started clicking away. Most of the time, it pointed away from me, capturing different aspects of the garden, but every so often, I’d notice it trained on me.
I’d never been one to have my photo taken. It probably stemmed back to horrid school photos where I always stood out with the short hair that my mother insisted I sport, to me being the largest in our class. My brother went to an all-boys school, but I simply went to the local high school. I’ve no doubt wherever I attended school, I would have been teased, and I’m not sure it would have been worse where I was or not.
The sun had begun its descent into the horizon, painting hues of purples and pinks across the sky. The mild spring afternoon had given way for a cooler evening. We’d been up here for hours, and yet time had barely appeared to move.
“Wow, that’s so beautiful.” Scott had snapped a photo of me putting on my jacket against the backdrop of the sunset and gazed at the image.
He held out his camera, and on the small screen I had to agree with him. He’d managed to catch me smiling, my hair floating behind me as I was framed with roses in the foreground and the sunset behind me.