LITMIR.BIZ

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almost a relief when Scott covered a yawn with his hand and said goodnight.

      She peeked out through the bedroom curtains to see that the rain had cleared, leaving a lovely clear frosty night with a bright new moon and stars. Perfect for stargazing. And, seeing that Scott was asleep...

      Toni tiptoed over to the bedroom door and slowly turned the handle and peeked out through the gap. She couldn’t hear any snoring or tossing but the last thing she wanted to do was wake Scott up. No repeat performances, thank you!

      Slowly and quietly sneaking open the door, she stepped outside on to the landing and then crept down the staircase one stair at a time, cringing every time her slippers made the stair creak.

      She could see lights from the house on the other side of the street but, apart from that, all was still calm and serene.

      Toni drew back the curtains in the living room so that she could see the stars. She snuggled up on the sofa and soaked in the silence as though she were drinking the contents of a deep well of cool refreshing water. True silence like this was so rare in her life that, when it happened, she took the time to appreciate the tranquility, no matter how temporary it might be.

      Especially after the roller coaster ride of the past twenty-four hours.

      It was going to take a while to process everything that Scott had told her. Just when things were going so well and she’d thought this would be an easy commission and she could finally put the brushes and paints away for good.

      Today had been a nightmare of such conflicting emotions. One minute she could have cheerfully taken the fee Scott was offering her...and the next?

      She liked him. Heaven help her, she might even feel sorry for him.

      Scott had taken on an enormous task, alone. The deal they had made could work. She knew that the longer she spent working with Scott the more she would learn about him to help her create a likeness which captured something of the real man.

      But who was the real Scott Elstrom? The frostbitten lumberjack rough and tough guy who had walked into her party? Or the other Scott Elstrom who was working so tirelessly to save his heritage from the jaws of defeat and closure?

      There was one thing she was certain of—everything she turned her hand to seemed to make her life more difficult instead of easier.

      Even her plumber had gone down with the February flu!

      The New Year had seemed so full of possibility—a white clean space just begging to be filled with activity and life and...a loud clattering sound quickly followed by a low mumble rang out from the other side of the patio doors and she practically jumped over the sofa. The sound ricocheted like a bullet around the house in the deep background silence.

      Toni grabbed the sofa cushion and, holding her breath, she slowly slipped off the sofa and listened for any further signs of movement as she carefully edged her way towards the kitchen.

      Perhaps she should wake up Scott?

      No. Bad idea. She was embarrassed enough for one night, thank you.

      There was only one thing for it—she would have to go outside and find out what was going on. And if it was a burglar, she could deal with it.

      Grabbing a large wooden pepper grinder from the table with one hand, Toni carefully turned the creaking handle of the heavy doors that opened on to the patio, anxious not to make too much noise, and stepped out on to the stone patio.

      The wind might have dropped but it was still freezing, with a feeling of ice in the air.

      The only light was from the street lamps and local houses but, as she gingerly strolled towards the side garden in her slippers, even that background light was blocked by the house.

      ‘Too hot? Can’t blame you; it’s much cooler out here.’

      She practically jumped out of her skin.

      There was a movement from a bench at the far end of the patio and, as her eyes became more accustomed to the low light, she saw Scott stretched out with his long legs crossed at the ankles, hands behind his head. He seemed to be fully dressed with only a light fleece jacket and she could only hope that her thin pyjamas and towelling dressing gown were not too transparent.

      ‘Best time of the day. Here. Try this for a viewpoint. And it even has a seat.’

      Scott pointed to the old wooden bench, which Toni had not even noticed on her mad dash that afternoon from the office to the kitchen. It was half hidden in a tiny arc of flowering bushes and potted plants which almost covered the surface of a small paved patio area. Completely secluded and separated from the house by a low hedge, it was a perfect private space.

      ‘Nice spot,’ Toni murmured after a few minutes to break the silence. ‘Come here often?’

      Scott seemed to stretch out longer and laid his head back against the wooden bench so that when he spoke it was as though his words were addressed to the sky.

      ‘The first time I saw this garden I was fifteen years old and my parents had agreed to divorce. My mother had finally had enough of cooking meals that never got eaten because my father slept at the office and simply forgot to tell her. I can’t remember a time when he ever spent more than a couple of days with us in a row. Family holidays were a joke. So out went the old Victorian museum we called home and in came this modern clean house. With heating. And lights and plumbing. It was quite a shock.’

      ‘Tell me about it—’ Toni laughed and stepped closer ‘—I think you just described my house.’

      ‘Some things stayed the same.’ Scott raised one arm and pointed upwards. ‘The constellations didn’t stomp around and cry like Freya did or collapse on the sofa exhausted every night like my poor mother. They stayed in pretty much the same place in one part of London compared to another.’

      ‘Well—’ Toni tried to keep her voice light and her heart from exploding ‘—I wondered where all of those lovely diagrams came from on your maps. Scott the astronomer.’

      He chuckled, his voice low, deep and resonant in the absolute stillness and silence of the night.

      ‘Star signs were traditional on sea charts and it helps having a basic knowledge when you’re out in the wild,’ he replied. ‘How about you? Long history of solar exploration in your family?’

      ‘Oh, just one of my many talents,’ Toni replied and was just about to make some dismissive quip when it struck her that, from the tone of his voice, he sounded different somehow. Relaxed and comfortable. At home. Unencumbered by responsibility.

      So she fought back the urge to be sarcastic and strolled over towards the bench in the dark. Except her toes connected with something solid on the way.

      ‘Ouch,’ she muttered, ‘what have I just banged into?’

      ‘That would be the metal chair,’ he replied with concern in his voice. ‘Any damage done?’

      ‘To my toe or your furniture?’ she whispered, and then flexed her toes. ‘No, I don’t think so; I still have some movement. I can’t speak for the other party.’

      ‘Excellent,’ he replied. ‘Then please feel free to enjoy the free floor show. No charge.’ Then he patted the bench next to him and Toni could have sworn that there was a certain smirk on his lips.

      ‘Perhaps I will,’ Toni said and pushed her hands into the pockets of her dressing gown as she perched on the edge of the bench and looked up into the night sky.

      They both gazed skywards without speaking for a few minutes, their peace disturbed only by the sound of the traffic on the road nearby and the occasional sound of distant laughter.

      She snuggled deeper into her gown. ‘The sky in Alaska must be wonderful on nights like this.’

      ‘Stunning. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? They are the most astonishing effects. Last week I spent most of the night with the aurora as my guide.’

      She

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