The Book-Lovers' Retreat: the perfect summer getaway by Heidi Swain

Author:Heidi Swain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2023-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Alex had already set off for his day’s work in Manchester by the time I was gushing to Rachel about our night-time trip to the lake. I knew he had taken the recording of our ghyll scrambling experience to show his parents and wondered what they would make of it.

‘There’s still plenty of time for you to see the meteor shower for yourself.’ I beamed at my friend, having described practically every piece of cosmic dust and debris which had blazed a sparkling streak across the sky. ‘And you absolutely must. It’s utterly mesmerising.’

I stopped to flick the kettle on and draw breath and realised she hadn’t said a word or made a sound since I had started the retelling of mine and Alex’s ultimate night out, however, when I turned to look at her after arranging mugs for our morning coffee, I found her gaze fixed firmly on my face.

‘I’m sorry,’ I grimaced. ‘I forgot about your headache. How is it this morning? I shouldn’t have got so carried away. You know I always get shouty when I’m excited about something.’

Rachel shook her head and smiled.

‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘I woke briefly in the early hours and it was already feeling much better by then.’

‘What is it then?’ I asked, spooning coffee and splashing milk. ‘Why are you so quiet this morning? You’re freaking me out. Is it just because I haven’t let you get a word in edgeways?’

‘It is,’ she laughed. ‘I’m enjoying hearing you talk about last night and I’m so happy for you!’

‘What do you mean, you’re happy for me?’ I queried, sliding one of the mugs over to her and reaching into the bread bin.

‘You know exactly what I mean,’ she said, with a wicked grin.

‘No, I really don’t,’ I maintained, as I dropped bread into the toaster.

I did though and I wished I’d never got so carried away describing the effort that Alex had gone to, to make the evening such a success and the boat so comfortable. I had told Rachel it was Gracie’s genius idea to stargaze laying down, but the soppy expression on my friend’s face told me that she believed that every bit of it was all Alex.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything so romantic,’ she said dreamily. ‘Apart from when Jeremy turned up at work last December and whisked me off on that trip to the Christmas market in Nuremberg. Do you remember?’

How could I forget? It would have been a truly romantic getaway had it not coincidentally started on the very evening that Rachel and her colleagues had finished term and were planning to let their hair down and have a wild night out in the city.

Knowing the crowd she worked with, it wouldn’t really have been anywhere near wild, but Jeremy had put paid to Rachel participating in it by turning up at the school gate and presenting her with a luxury trip to Europe the moment the bell rang at three fifteen.

I also

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