With the exception
of her time at University India Harris had lived all of her twenty six years on
Teardrop Lake.
India was a tall tomboy of a girl with short
dark hair who generally wore baggy shorts and equally baggy t-shirts and rather
unfeminine footwear on her feet.
She lived in Shoe
Buckle House, on the northwest corner of the lake with her parents and her
younger sister Dakota, and it wouldn’t have surprised her in the least if she
found out she would live there until the end of her days.
Though the
prospect wouldn’t have alarmed her in any way as she loved the lake and loved
living there.
After she
graduated from Abbottsford University with a 2-1 in English Literature she was
delighted, but the delight very quickly gave way to indecision.
She had a degree didn’t
have a clue what to do next.
In the end she
decided to take a year out to figure out her next move towards her future,
after the year was up India still had no notion what to do next.
Which was about
the time her parents had started to give her a hard time, so she got a part
time job at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel which was where she first met her best
friend Penny Davies.
Just next door Paul
Spreadborough was convalescing at Chapel House, his sister Ellen Huston’s home,
although in truth he spent most of his time down at the boathouse, which his
brother in law James had converted into a Gym.
He was transferred
to Teardrop Lake from the Army hospital at the end of April.
The reason for his
convalescence was necessitated by a horrific accident while he was serving with
the Downshire Light Infantry.
It was ironic
really as he had only just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan
completely unscathed only to be severely injured in a freak helicopter crash
during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain, when Captain Spreadborough
suffered leg, hip and pelvic fractures.
But much to his
credit he had fought and battled his way back towards fitness, but it would all
be for nothing if he failed his medical in a few months’ time.
Failure would
mean, best case he’d be off active duty and worst case discharged
altogether.
Paul was a driven
man and Ellen was concerned it might break him if he failed.
The army was his
life and if he was discharged he would be devastated.
It was a filthy wet morning on the first weekend
in June and India was on her bike on the southern perimeter road, and as usual was
racing along at breakneck speed.
She was on her way to see her best friend
Penny who lived with her Aunts at the eastern end of the lake.
The southerly
route was longer for her but was the much easier ride in terms of an absence of
hills and it was definitely the less sweaty route.
She and Penny
worked at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel five mornings a week and at the Shallowfield
Garden Centre on three afternoons and as they were single and of similar ages
they spent a lot of their free time together as well.
Sometimes they
would hike the woods, on others they would go out on the lake or just sit and
talk.
That particular
day Penny gave India the dirt on the new tenant at Lake View Cottage.
India thought by
the way Penny talked about him that she fancied him.
On the way home
she went on the northerly route.
India always took the northern perimeter road on the journey home.
It was a hard slog
up the hill but it was worth it for the exhilaration of the long descent.
That particular
afternoon as she was powering down the hill she noticed another cyclist ahead
of her.
She hadn’t seen
the rider on the steep ride up and whoever it was they were descending slower
than she was and then the rider disappeared.
India pulled up
sharply at the point she last saw the phantom rider and found him lying beneath
his bike in the undergrowth.
She recognized him
as her next door
neighbour Ellen Huston’s
Brother Paul.
She didn’t know
all the details only that he was staying with her while recuperating from a
serious injury.
She knew it was
him even though she had only seen him from a distance, she thought he was even
better looking close up.
“Are you ok?” she
asked
“Yes” he said
weekly
“Are you hurt?”
India asked
“Only my pride” he
replied
India lay her bike
on the ground and then lifted his bike off of him and leant it against a tree.
Then she helped
him to his feet.
“What happened?”
India asked “You were there one minute and gone the next”
“I think I just
over did it” he said with a wince
India didn’t
really understand his answer so she asked
“Did you bang your
head?”
“No I’m fine” he
said but he was clearly unsteady on his feet
Just then a car
came over the brow of the hill and as luck would have it, it was Claire Andrews
the resident GP and more precisely his GP.
She stopped the
car and quickly got out.
“What happened?”
she asked
“He said he
overdid it” India said
“Too much too
soon, I agree” Doctor Andrews said
“Can you help me
get him into the car India?” asked the doctor
She agreed and
manhandled him into the passenger seat
“What about my
bike?” he said feebly
“I can take it
down to the Huston’s” India offered
“Thanks” he said
and sank back into the seat
“Thanks India” The
Doctor said and drove away.
Pushing the two
bikes, she got down the hill much slower than she normally would.
India normally
flew down the hill like a thing possessed, in fact she’s almost come a cropper
there herself on more than one occasion.
When she reached
the Huston’s House
She overheard that
Doctor Andrews was grounding him.
“You mustn’t let
him go out on his own again” Doctor Andrews said “At least for a while”
“He’s very
stubborn” Ellen said
India carried on
pushing the bikes up the drive and met the Doctor and Ellen coming down it.
“India thank you
so much” Ellen said
“He was so lucky
you were riding by when you did”
“Yes you did
great” Claire agreed
“It really was
just luck” She said
“Well thank you”
Ellen said and kissed her cheek
“He won’t be doing
that again”
India smiled and
turned around and headed down the drive but then she stopped suddenly and said
over her shoulder.
“I don’t mind
riding with him when he’s stronger”
“Well” Ellen said doubtfully
“I could keep him
in check that way” India said
“I think that’s a
great idea” Doctor Andrews said
As she walked home
India was rather chuffed with herself that she had suggested something that the
Doctor had thought was a good idea.
It was nice that a
profession had some faith in her, it bolstered her confidence no end even if as
she suspected nothing would come of it.
The following
Saturday was India’s twenty seventh birthday and as usual on very important occasions
she was always in the company of Penny Davies.
For her birthday
they went into Abbottsford, to the Phoenix Centre to spend the day doing girlie
things and to have lunch and of course spend her birthday money.
She wasn’t an
adventurous shopper she wasn’t extravagant.
Nor was she a
collector or a hobbyist so her money went on the usual sort of things, baggy
shorts and baggy T-shirts and a little perfume.
What she really
enjoyed about outings was the company of her best friend.
In the evening she
went out with her family for dinner, to the Brown Windsor Restaurant in
Shallowfield, which wasn’t quite as much fun as spending the day with Penny as
she had to dress up, which was not something that came natural to her.
Early the next day
Ellen phoned the Harris’s to speak to India.
“Hi India”
“Hey Ellen, how’s Paul?”
“Actually he’s feeling
a little stronger” Ellen said
“Great”
“Which is actually
why I called” Ellen added
“Do you want me go
for a ride with him?” India asked
“Would you?”
“Of course”
“But I would just
ask one thing” Ellen said
India guessed what
it was and said
“Be strict with
him”
“Absolutely”
“No problem”
“It’s going to be
a hot today” India said “So if he’s ready we can go in half an hour or so”
“Oh he’s ready”
Ellen said “he’s chomping at the bit”
“Ok I’ll be round
in five minutes”
That day was the
first of many times they rode together but it began with a lecture.
When she got to
the Huston’s Paul was already on the drive
With Ellen
“At last” he said
grumpily “my escort has arrived”
“I’m not your
escort soldier boy” she retorted “I’m your babysitter”
Paul just grunted
“Just because
you’re an army captain and I’m a civilian girl” she said with authority as she
mounted her bike
“Don’t think I’m
going to stand for any nonsense”
Paul said nothing
“I set the pace
and when I say stop, we stop” she barked “Are we clear captain?”
“Yes sergeant” he
replied sourly and they peddled slowly off.
“Good girl” Ellen
said as she watched the ride off the drive
Despite his
bravado and eagerness to get started and India setting him a relatively
pedestrian pace they only achieved just short of three miles and had a slow
walk back.
India planned after
that first day that they would go out a couple of times a week even if they would
invariably have to walk the bikes half the way home.
She was sure that
with patience, not something he had in abundance, they would get just a little
farther on each outing and with each subsequent ride India would be able to be
less and less of a babysitter keeping him out of trouble and more and more of
an escort giving advice and guidance.
Gradually they
would be able to build up to riding every other day providing of course she
could curb his tendency to push himself too far.
When she had
safely delivered her wounded soldier back to his sister she went home for a
well-earned shower and a bite of lunch.
She was spending that
afternoon with Penny and her artist so after lunch she went down to the jetty to
wait for them.
“There’s Indie” she heard Penny say
Indie was wearing her customary baggy shorts
and equally baggy T-shirt and unfeminine footwear.
“Hi Indie” Penny called
“Hey Pen” she called back
Penny came alongside the jetty and quickly
tied up.
Once on the jetty Penny introduced him
“This is Danny”
“Hello Danny” India said
“Hi India and Happy birthday for yesterday”
“Thanks” she replied
“Where to first?” India asked
“The Chapel” Penny replied putting on her
backpack, India was already wearing hers.
Danny had his by his feet with his camera and
some basic artist materials in and quickly put it on and broke into a trot to
catch up with the girls.
The Chapel was Olwen’s Chapel and the Olwen
in question was an Anglo Saxon Lady who was one of the early converts to
Christianity but her pagan husband’s tribe would not accept the new faith and
she was forced to worship secretly in the forest.
Her chapel was in actually just an assortment
of stones on the forest floor arranged around a granite altar stone in a
woodland clearing.
It had been rediscovered early in Queen
Victoria reign and had been lovingly maintained ever since by a local society.
They yomped up the hill and the moment they
entered the forest they instantly felt the coolness of the shade.
But even with the drop in temperature it was
still quite hard going climbing up the hill.
However when they arrived Danny had to agree
with Penny’s earlier assessment, it was indeed atmospheric.
They spent a very pleasant hour there and he
sketched the two girls, as they sat on the altar stone.
From there they headed towards Shoe Buckle
Falls so named, so legend had it, after a 17th century fugitive who
was pursued into the forest by Parliamentarian soldiers, but disappeared in the
vicinity of the falls and all they ever found of him was his shoe buckle.
The falls were not grand or spectacular but
they were nice enough.
The water tumbled and spilled over the rocks
gathering briefly in deep pools and then tumbling down again to the next pool.
It was dark beneath the ancient trees and
refreshingly cool as the misty spray settled on them.
The rocks and trees closest to the falls were
covered in bright green lichens.
Danny sketched the two girls again this time
as they soaked their feet in one of the deep pools.
It was early evening by the time they
followed the path of the falls back down towards the perimeter road.
All afternoon the girls had regaled Danny with
the stories and legends of the area and when they reached the now disused 16th
century stone bridge he quite naturally asked
“Does this have a name?”
The girls
looked at each other and then Penny replied
“Yes, it’s
called a bridge”
And she and India went into hysterics, and
Danny couldn’t help but laugh himself, they were still laughing when they
reached the road and then Penny stumbled on a pothole and that set them all off
again.
After saying good bye to Pen and Danny, India
stood on the Jetty and waved to them, but they didn’t notice so she just smiled
to herself.
Penny had said to
her that she was just showing Danny around because he was a stranger and she
felt sorry for him but she could see by the way he looked at her as he sketched
her that he was smitten and Penny clearly liked him too.
Still smiling to
herself she went indoors for dinner.
A couple of days
later she was out with Paul again on the bikes.
And as she
suspected the ride ended with them walking the bikes home.
This happened a
lot when they rode out together much to Paul’s annoyance.
“You’re not very
patient are you?” she said
“It’s not a
question of impatience” he insisted
“I have a medical
in November and I have to be fit for that, so I’m not impatient, I just have a
target, and it’s looming large”
“Which you are
never going to achieve if you push yourself so hard you can’t do anything” India
pointed out
“So everyone keeps
telling me” he said
“Well then” she retorted
The completed the
remainder of the walk back in contemplative silence.
“Thanks Indie” he
said as they reached the Huston’s drive way
“Same time
tomorrow?”
“The day after
tomorrow” Indie corrected him
“Ok the day after tomorrow”
he agreed
They kept up the
twice weekly rides for a couple of weeks in July, then they increased it to
three and almost immediately to every other day.
India welcomed the
extra rides as Penny had gone away to Canada for three weeks so she needed
something extra to fill the time.
She was at a bit of a loose end while her
best friend was away, At one point India did think about going over to see
Danny the artist but she didn’t want to step on Pens toes because she knew she
liked him and he definitely liked her.
She couldn’t understand what was holding them
back.
Riding every other
day really built up his stamina so that after exactly one month from the day of
their first ride together he completed his first circuit of the perimeter road.
“Wow” he panted as
he brought the bike to a halt
“Well done Paul”
Indie said
“I didn’t think I
was ever going to do it” he confessed
“Let’s do it
again”
“Absolutely not”
Indie said “just enjoy the moment”
“But...”
“But nothing” she
reiterated
“Ok” he said
resignedly “you’re very bossy”
It was two days
after he had completed that momentous first complete circuit of the perimeter
road that Indie called at the Huston’s house looking for Paul.
But when she
arrived he wasn’t ready and waiting on the drive as usual so she had to go and look
for him.
She eventually
tracked him down and found him sitting on the jetty in front of the boat house
“Come on then let’s
be having you” she said
“I’m not riding
today” he said sulkily
“Why not?” Indie
said “What’s the matter? Are you a tired little soldier?”
She laughed very
loudly at her joke but she soon realized he wasn’t laughing.
“I have a slight
muscle strain in my hip and Doc Andrews has banned me from any high impact exercise”
he explained unhappily.
“I’m getting so
close to fitness and then I get this”
“It’s just a minor
setback” India said encouragingly
“It’s not fare” he
said “I’ve done as I’ve been told, and I’ve been patient”
“Well there is a simple
solution” India said
“What solution?”
he asked
“It’s staring you
right in the face” She said
“What?” he said
standing up “Tell me”
“Swimming” she
said
“What?” he
repeated
“You can swim” she
said and pushed him off the jetty.
India roared with laughter
as he splashed and floundered in the lake in fact she was laughing so hard she
didn’t notice him leap from the water.
And it was Paul
who was laughing after he pulled her by the t-shirt to join him in the lake.
After that Paul
and India swam every day for the next week until Dr Andrews passed him fit to
resume heavy exercise.
India had been on
an errand to the surgery to pick up a repeat prescription for her mums migraine
tablets when Dr Andrews tapped her on the shoulder and made India jump.
“Hello India” she
said
“Oh hi doc” India
replied
“Well done for
what you’re doing with Paul” she said “he’s coming on in leaps and bounds”
“That’s ok” India
replied a little embarrassed
“And getting him
to swim was pure genius” she continued
“I wish I’d
thought of that”
Then she went back
into her room.
On her way home
she thought about what the doctor had said and why she was embarrassed about
it, and it suddenly dawned on her how much she fancied Paul.
She was thinking
about that and what she should do about it,
“I’ll ask Penny”
she thought to herself.
Which was when she bumped into Danny as he returned from Shallowfield with some supplies.
He was also walking along the Lane that passed
the Hotel and was gazing into the River Brooke which ran parallel to the lane and flowed from the head of the lake and on through Shallowfield.
“Are you looking forward to this afternoon?”
Indie asked
“This afternoon?” he responded
India would have been at something of a loose
end while Pen was away and would have been counting the days but for the fact
she was otherwise engaged helping a convalescing soldier, she had assumed quite
rightly that Danny would not have been so distracted, he would surely have been
counting the days.
She knew Penny liked him and she was pretty
sure he liked her back.
“Penny’s coming
home today” she said
“No, she’s not
back until the 19th”
Danny said
“It is the 19th”
India pointed out
“What? Oh God
how did that happen” Danny exclaimed
“I have to go”
“It’s ok,
you’ve got hours yet” Indie said and laughed
“She’s going to
ring me when she lands”
“Oh ok” Danny
said more calmly
“I can ring you
when I hear if you like” Indie suggested
“Yes that would
be great” he said “Thanks Indie”
It wasn’t until after lunch that Penny phone
Indie and it was a very quick call just to say that the flight had been delayed
but they were now boarding and she wouldn’t be home until the early hours and
then she was gone.
India really wanted to tell her about Paul
but that would have to wait now.
She picked up her phone again and called
Danny to give him the information.
India didn’t
expect to see her friend the next day, she knew Penny would be with Danny.
India just hoped
that the three weeks apart would have focused their minds and that by the end
of the day they would be a couple.
The next day Pen
called India bright and early and said she had good news.
Penny then
abandoned her new boyfriend for the day and went in search of her best friend so
they could share each other’s news.
They met up at
Olwen’s Chapel, Penny chose it because she said it was there that she realized
she loved him.
When India
appeared from the trees Pen was already there and had been waiting for about
ten minutes.
Penny got to her
feet and ran to meet India
“It happened
Indie, it happened” she said
And the she gave
her friend a blow by blow account of the previous day.
When she had
finished enthusing about Danny she said
“We just need to
find someone for you now”
“Well it’s funny
you should say that” Indie said and then it was her turn to fill in the blanks
of the previous three weeks which she did at great pace without pausing for
breath and at the end said desperately
“I don’t know what
to do next”
Penny did and one
Sunday she arranged an outing to the French market
in Abbottsford on a very special shopping trip.
Danny drove them
there in his car after church.
He wasn’t privy to
where they went or what they bought and he had to amuse himself in the Phoenix
Shopping Centre until he was summoned, and as t Technophobe Danny didn’t have a
mobile of his own Penny gave him hers.
His reward when he
met up with the high-spirited pair loaded down with shopping bags was to carry
the bags and buy them dinner.
She didn’t see
much of Penny after that as she and Danny made the most of the time he had left
on the Lake before he returned home to pack for his trip to Australia.
Which was fine for India as she had a
deadline of her own.
A long with all the residents on the Lake she
was invited to the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel, where the proprietor’s Rob and Sheryl Brown were holding their
wedding anniversary party.
And included in “all the residents” was one Captain
Paul Spreadborough.
India had got up
early and made sure she got in the bathroom before her sister Dakota.
She was 9 years
younger than Indie and her mother Jemima
called her their little miracle, India called her a mistake.
Dakota and Indie,
to look at were like two peas in a pod, but in every other way possible they
were complete opposites.
India was an
outdoorsy tomboy type whereas Dakota was a girlie girl, all pink, pretty and
powdered.
She was also
ultra-confident and ultra-popular with the boys which she kept dancing on
strings.
India spent an
extraordinarily long time in the bathroom partly because she was being extra
thorough and partly because it was annoying the hell out of Dakota.
“I’m sorry Dak, did
I keep you waiting” she said when she finally let her sister in.
“You’re such a
retard Indie” she retorted
It was two hours
later when she walked downstairs and into the kitchen.
Her father Chris was
the first one to spot her and stared at her open mouthed, when he eventually
spoke he said.
“Who
are you and what have you done with my daughter?”
Then
Jemima turned around and tears welled up in her eyes.
“You
look beautiful darling” she said and kissed her daughter.
The
reason for the extreme reaction was because India Harris was wearing girl
clothes the whole outfit purchased at the French Market in Abbottsford
A
pristine white blouse trimmed with lace and a flouncy swishy skirt of many
shades of purple and on her feet neat very feminine footwear.
Just
then Dakota joined them in the kitchen and for once was speechless.
“I
have to go” Indie said after looking at the clock
“He won’t
be able to resist you darling” Her mum said and kissed her
“Who won’t?”
said dad
“I’m
coming too” said Dakota
“Going
where?” dad asked
“No
Dakota you’re staying right here” mum said firmly causing Dakota to storm out
of the room
“Now
off you go and we’ll see you there” mum added
“Is
anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” Dad said but no one listened
India
kissed her mum and left the house
When
she reached the Huston’s house she could hear chattering from the patio so she
walked around
She
found Ellen seated at the table talking to the doctor, Claire Andrews.
“Hello
India” Ellen said
“Wow”
said Claire “you look lovely”
“Hi”
Indie replied “I was looking for Paul”
“He’s
around somewhere” Ellen said “Sit down and I’ll get you a drink”
“So where
did the tomboy go?” Claire asked
“Well
I thought I’d make an effort for the Browns” India replied
Ellen and Claire
exchanged a look as she put a coffee mug on the table in front of her.
As they sat at the
table India was like a cat on a hot tin roof fidgeting and looking around and
about her.
Craning her neck Every time she heard a noise or a
voice.
Ellen nudged Claire
“Should we put her out of her misery?”
Claire nodded
“He’s down at the boat house why don’t you take him
down a coffee?” Ellen suggested
“Ok” she responded
“Paul is not going to know what’s hit him” Ellen
said when she was out of earshot
“I know” Agreed Claire “India Harris is wearing girl clothes”
When
she got down to the boathouse she found Paul stood on the jetty looking out
across the water and it took her breath away, he was such a good looking man.
He was tall and
dark, well-tanned and lantern jawed.
And she suddenly
felt foolish, how could someone like him be interested in her and she turned to
walk away.
“Don’t go” he
called
“I shouldn’t have
come” she said
“Of course you
should” Paul said walking towards her
“No I’m just
making a fool of myself” India said and turned to go again
“But I’ve been
waiting for you” Paul said
“What?” she asked
“I’ve been waiting
for you” he repeated only an arm’s length from her now
“Why?” she asked
“Because you’re
the one” Paul said took hold of her
“I am?” she asked
“Yes, and I’ve
been dreaming of the moment I could do this” he said and kissed her gently
They were the last
to arrive at the party at the Shallowfield Lodge and when they walked in
holding hands every head turned to watch them, and the general consensus of
opinion was that it was about time.
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