Fifty-year-old
Alicia Binks was staying in Shallowfield with her cousin Ruth Winter for
Christmas and when she had taken a walk around Teardrop Lake on Christmas Eve
with her Jack Russell, Nipper.
Teardrop
Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve
parcels each with one significant dwelling although there were a number of
cottages dotted around the woodland, it was both idyllic and peaceful, there
was little, or no activity on the water just a couple of dinghies.
As she and
Nipper enjoyed their surroundings she was stunned to bump into her old flame,
Isaac Mina, who was also walking a Jack Russell, who she discovered went by the
name of Stig.
They were
both so taken aback by the chance encounter that they parted with things unsaid
and unasked questions unanswered.
It was a week
after their first meeting, on a crisp and frosty New Year’s Eve morning, when
they met again.
The sky was
a brilliant blue and the leaves crunched underfoot, and the air was the
freshest Alicia had ever known.
It was the
dogs who spotted each other first, Alicia and Nipper had just passed East Cliff
Lodge and were on the road about to head down the hill, with Isaac and Stig
coming in the other direction, the latter considerably faster than the former.
“Good
morning” Alicia called brightly, as she had been walking in the area every day
since Christmas Eve, hoping to run into him again.
“Morning”
Isaac said breathlessly “That dog will be the death of me”
“He’s
hardly panting at all” She pointed out and laughed
He would
have laughed as well if he’d had the breath for it. he just about had enough
breath to say.
“Well, he’s
a lot younger than me”
When Isaac
had completely got his wind back, he asked
“So where
are you off to?”
“Nowhere
special” She replied
“We’re off
to Lovers Leap” he said
“Lovers
Leap?” She repeated “I didn’t know there was one”
“Yes, it’s
a rocky outcrop above the cliffs, on a day like today the view will be
spectacular” Isaac enthused
“Would you
mind if we tagged along?” Alicia asked hopefully
“Not at
all, I would appreciate the company” He replied and smiled
The cliffs
that Isaac mentioned were an extension of those that formed part of the
northern side of Teardrop Lake and formed the natural border between the
Teardrop estate and the Dancingdean Forest proper.
Lovers Leap
was so called because it was where desperate and broken-hearted lovers would
leap to their deaths, although there was no actual evidence that anyone had,
but it made a good story.
It wasn’t a
long walk from where they met but it wasn’t an easy one either.
The dogs reached
the top first and then Isaac and some distance behind was Alicia, who was
extremely out of breath.
“I thought
you had decided not to come” he said jovially
“You must
have the constitution of a mounting goat” she retorted
“The legs
certainly” he agreed and laughed
By the time
they reached Lovers Leap, Alicia was panting worse than the dogs and as she
walked onto the rocky shelf that was “Lovers Leap” and took in the vista, it
took away what little breath she had remaining.
“Wow” she
said as she looked out across the russet hues of the deciduous Dancingdean
Forest stretching into the distance and they sat down on the rocky shelf.
“This is my
favourite place” Isaac said
“I can see
why” Alicia said
“It’s
different every time I come here, but it’s always special” he said
The walk
back down wasn’t much easier on the legs than the one up was, but they both
thought it was worth it, because by the time they reached the road Alicia and
Isaac had a dinner date for later than night.
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