Jonathan got back to Orchard Cottage and thought about getting changed, but the house was cold and Matthew’s jumper was warm. Wandering into the kitchen, he took a mug from the tree on the side and filled the kettle to make coffee. As the water began to boil, Jonathan started to wonder what would happen to Orchard Cottage. He supposed the solicitors would be sorting all that out fairly soon, but he did think that perhaps it was time for him, finally, to find a place of his own.
He was also irritated that he’d failed to deal with Paul Stone, despite the upheaval of Jack’s death. Even if Caroline hadn’t contacted him about Jack, he owed it to her to try to sort things out. But how? He could easily rearrange the appointment, but Stone was clearly not an idiot and might just see him as a time waster after he cancelled the first time. What could he do? He shook his head in frustration; he must have killed more brain cells than he’d thought with all that calvados.
Just as he was crossing the hallway to the living room there was a tap on the front door. For a moment he ignored it; he didn’t feel like talking to anyone. But then a flash of red through the small frosted glass panel in the door against the backdrop of the autumn sky caught his attention. He froze. He must be imagining things, surely? Some fallen leaf from the beech trees in his father’s garden had caught against the glass in the rain. It couldn’t be her. Could it?
The knock came again and that settled it. Beech leaves most certainly didn’t do that. Hastening to the door, stumbling on the carpet runner in his rush, he tugged it open and there, standing on the doorstep of the cottage looking more uncertain than he’d ever seen her, was Caroline.
‘I came as soon as I heard,’ Caroline said softly. ‘Jonathan, I’m so, so sorry.’
Jonathan didn’t say anything. He pulled her through the front door, feeling her sag against him as he kicked the door shut behind them, and then took her in his arms. Trembling almost to hyperventilation, he held onto her tightly, feeling as though he might shatter into a million pieces if he let her go, even for one second.
‘Thank God you’re back,’ he murmured when he finally released her. ‘I was so angry with you for not getting in touch, but now you’re here I’m just relieved.’
‘I didn’t know,’ Caroline’s voice shook. ‘The reception in my flat is crap, and then I dropped my phone in a pot of paint so I decided to wait until I got back here before ordering a new one. The call box on the High Street was vandalised and you’ve no idea how difficult it is to find a working phone box in the twenty-first century. Every bloody man and their wife has a mobile these days. And I couldn’t even buy a cheap pay as you go one, as I don’t have a clue what everyone’s numbers actually are. Although,’ she slapped her forehead, ‘I suppose I could just have rung The Cider Kitchen again. I was so screwed up over Paul Stone that I wasn’t thinking straight and the thought of not being contactable, especially by him, was really quite good. Until I heard the news about your dad on the local radio when I was driving home this morning, I didn’t have a clue he’d died.’ She looked up at Jonathan, her eyes full of apprehension. ‘If I’d known sooner, I’d have been home like a shot,’ she said softly. ‘Believe me, Jonathan, I don’t want you to think I didn’t care.’
‘I’m just glad you’re here now,’ Jonathan said as they broke apart.
‘How did it… I mean, how did he…’
‘His heart gave out,’ Jonathan said. ‘It wasn’t surprising; he’d been having trouble for years. He looked like he was asleep when I found him.’
‘How awful for you,’ Caroline said softly. ‘I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.’ She reached up a hand to Jonathan’s face. ‘And I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.’
‘You’re here now,’ Jonathan replied. ‘That’s the important thing.’ A shadow crossed his face, not unnoticed by Caroline.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘There’s something you should know.’
Caroline immediately looked wary. ‘What?’
Jonathan ran a hand down Caroline’s arm and took her hand in his. ‘I haven’t exactly managed to sort out Paul Stone. What with Dad and everything, my grand plan to scare him off had to be put on hold.’ Seeing her concern, he continued quickly. ‘But don’t panic. I’ve got a better plan.’ And, at that moment, he knew exactly what he needed to do. If Caroline would go for it, that was. ‘Look. Come and have a coffee, and I’ll run my idea past you.’
Caroline nodded. ‘All right. But if I don’t like it, it doesn’t happen.’ She started to wander towards the kitchen.
‘Oh, I think you’ll like it,’ Jonathan said. He could feel his strength returning now that Caroline had come back, and was almost feeling like his old self again. Jonathan the wheeler dealer had reasserted himself, and if this worked, it would mean Paul Stone was out of the picture permanently. ‘Do you think you’d be able to call him and arrange a meeting?’
‘When I get a new phone,’ Caroline said. ‘They’ve got to send me a new SIM, too, as it was trashed by the paint.’
‘Great. Get onto your phone company today. Then you need to arrange to meet him.’
‘OK,’ Caroline said warily. ‘Where, exactly.’
Jonathan grinned widely, yet again reminding Caroline of the Cheshire Cat. ‘Somewhere very, very specific. Let me tell you what I have in mind…’