A Summer Reunion by Fanny Blake

Author:Fanny Blake [Blake, Fanny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2019-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

At Deià, they parked on the side of the main road. Dodging the through traffic and the dozens of tourists wandering the pavements, they crossed the road and were soon walking up a hill through a much quieter part of the old town. On the walls of houses were occasional ceramic wall tiles depicting the stations of the cross. As they climbed, sweat trickled down her temple. They stopped for water at a drinking fountain where Dan splashed some over the back of his neck and put his icy hands on hers, so she yelped. Just when she thought she couldn’t go any further, they reached a church.

She was standing looking out past two large cannons to the village falling away below them and the view that extended towards the limestone crags beyond, when he took her hand. ‘This way.’

She was so startled that she let him tug her in the direction of the church door. Once there, he let her go. She entered the dim interior and planted herself on a pew, pretending nothing unusual had happened. Just the touch of a hand. What was the matter with her? Did he feel the same flash of something between them that she had? She hadn’t felt anything for a new man for years. She had written herself off as undesirable, too old, and anyway, she hadn’t wanted to open herself to anyone new. The only men she came across were married to her friends – no-go areas even if she had any inclination. But this … this felt dangerous and unexpected and … wrong. She cleared her throat and concentrated on the music being piped quietly through the church – Allegri’s Misereri. The notes calmed her as she considered the baroque altarpiece, the elaborate tiling and a figure of Christ with what looked like a red tablecloth girding his loins.

Dan was standing in the doorway, waiting for her. Composing herself, she joined him and they stepped outside into the heat of the day again. Around the side of the church, he showed her through two tall grey gates in a wall. Inside, a modest cemetery contained gravestones both vertical and flush with the ground, shaded by yews, olive trees and shrubs. Some of them simply had names and dates scratched in cement, others were more elaborate and finished off with photos of the dead.

Dan sat on a low wall where several English expats were memorialised while Kate explored. They climbed down the vertiginous steps to the terrace below and walked along to the steps back up. When they reached the opposite side of the cemetery, they sat on another wall, looking across the village and surrounding mountains, enjoying the peace.

‘Not a bad place to end up,’ he said.

‘I hope you’re not thinking of ending up here soon,’ she said.

‘I’ve a few things left to do yet.’ His hand rested on the wall just inches from her hip.

When the gate opened to admit a group of chatting tourists, they got up to leave.

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