The following morning, I was up long before it was light. The bread-and-chutney Winterfest session had been every bit as successful as those which went before it, but I couldn’t say, in all honesty, that I had felt particularly present during any of it.
Finn’s brief visit, along with his suggestion that we could spend my days off together, had pretty much banished my post-fizz sickly feeling, and I was very much looking forward to the start of my week.
‘Come on,’ I said to a surprised but delighted Nell, as I rattled her lead that Monday morning. ‘Let’s get an early walk in, shall we?’
The stars were still shining and I was pleased I’d layered up because it was more than a little crisp when I stepped outside. Nell, resplendent in her tweed and moleskin fleece-lined coat, trotted ahead, as keen to start the day as I was.
‘Couldn’t you sleep either?’
My hand shot up to my chest and even Nell, usually so aware of everything around her, was caught off guard, but then she realised who the voice belonged to and her tail thumped against my leg.
‘Crikey, Finn,’ I gasped. ‘You made me jump.’
‘Sorry,’ he said, quieter than before, so as not to disturb the neighbours.
Aside from those in Lisa and Heather’s houses, there were no other lights on in the square and I reckoned they were only lit up because kids tended to be early risers, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
‘So where are you going so early in the day?’ Finn asked, falling into step as Nell tugged on the lead in her eagerness to be off.
‘I thought I’d get Nell walked early as you and I are going out. We are still going, aren’t we?’
‘Definitely,’ he said, taking my free hand, giving it a squeeze and then not letting go. ‘I could hardly sleep for thinking about it.’
‘Excellent,’ I said, as my heart kicked hard in my chest, both the result of us holding hands and Finn being as excited about our festive trip as I was. ‘So where are you headed?’
‘I’m going to Blossom’s.’
‘Blossom’s?’ I echoed. ‘At this time?’
‘Yes, she does the most amazing filled breakfast rolls, but you have to be up really early to get them. I was planning to get us some and surprise you with them.’
‘I rather wished I’d stayed at home now,’ I told him. ‘Breakfast almost in bed would have been most welcome.’
Finn chuckled.
‘So, what does Blossom fill these rare rolls with?’
‘Pretty much everything from the traditional full English range,’ he explained, making my tummy rumble. ‘My favourite is the classic eggs and bacon. It might sound basic, but it’s packed full and keeps me going till long after lunchtime.’
‘In that case,’ I said, quickening my pace, ‘shall we step it up a bit? I’d hate to miss out.’
‘Definitely,’ Finn agreed.
‘I’ll have the same as you, if that’s all right,’ I requested. ‘Why don’t you go and get them while I whizz Nell around the block and I’ll meet you back at the house?’
‘Sounds good to me,’ he said, lingering to give me a soft, sweet kiss before letting me go. ‘I’ll see you in a bit.’
‘Oh my God,’ I groaned, ‘you weren’t wrong, were you?’
Blossom’s breakfast rolls were every bit as delicious, full and tasty as Finn had described and I had been hard-pushed to finish mine. Even Nell was in seventh heaven because he’d got her some cooked sausages to snack on.
‘They’re good, right?’ Finn smiled, wiping his mouth with a sheet of kitchen roll.
‘So good,’ I groaned again.
‘And just what we need to keep us on our feet, because I have a packed itinerary for today.’
We both stood up to get ready to go.
‘I can’t wait,’ I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing him again. Blossom’s roll might have sated my hunger, but I still had plenty of appetite for Finn. ‘By the way, how did lunch with the family go yesterday?’
‘Do you know,’ he said, his voice full of wonder, ‘it was actually all right. Dad kept the digs dialled down and he couldn’t believe it when Zak whipped his phone out to show him what I’d been working on. Mind you, I was pretty shocked by that too. I had no idea he’d taken such an interest.’
It was a total turnaround, but a most welcome one.
‘And what about you?’ Finn asked. ‘You were going to tell me what you said to your mum.’
‘Oh, I’ll tell you later,’ I swallowed, quickly diverting the focus of our conversation from family to friends. ‘But Peter rang too and his call was much more exciting.’
‘Oh.’
‘He rang to tell me he’s engaged.’
‘Well, that’s lovely news.’
‘It is,’ I agreed, ‘and he wanted to see if I still had the hots for you, of course.’
‘And what did you tell him?’ he grinned, kissing me softly. ‘Did you tell him that you had to carry a fire extinguisher with you everywhere now?’
‘Something like that,’ I chuckled, between kisses.
‘And did you tell your mum about me, too?’
‘You might have got a mention.’
I still didn’t go into details, but then, given the way our kiss quickly deepened and my body melded itself to his, I couldn’t have focused on details even if I’d wanted to.
It was only just after nine, but the city seemed to be waking up earlier and earlier in the run-up to Christmas. With just a couple of weeks to go until the schools broke up, harassed-looking parents were striding out with lengthy lists, all wearing stern expressions and carrying multiple reusable shopping bags.
They weren’t exactly exuding festive joy, but fortunately for us, Finn and I had the luxury of unlimited hours and could take things at a more leisurely pace when it came to enjoying the sights, sounds and scents of the season, of which there were many.
‘Let’s start at the market,’ he suggested. ‘The Christmas one,’ he hastily added, ‘not the permanent one.’
‘I don’t mind either now I’m coping with my claustrophobia,’ I told him, keeping tight hold of his hand as we wove our way through the rapidly growing crowds. ‘And it doesn’t feel quite so tight for space there during the day.’
Both the area in the front of the Forum and outside the shopping mall were packed with little wooden stalls selling festive treats. My favourites were the wreath and garland stall (the orange and pine scent of which you could catch from metres away), the one selling quirky and kitsch festive decorations, and the German Schokokuss, or chocolate kisses, stand. Neither Finn nor I could resist those and we both purchased a few, even though we were still full of Blossom’s breakfast.
‘Have you decided when you’re going to put your decorations up yet?’ I asked Finn, as we made our way along the wonderful cobbled Lanes, which housed a variety of unique artisan shops and boutiques.
‘I’m not sure I’ll bother, to be honest,’ he told me. ‘As you know, the studio flat isn’t exactly all that roomy.’
‘But you have to have something,’ I insisted.
‘Even if it’s just a bunch of mistletoe?’
‘Absolutely,’ I said. ‘Any excuse for a Christmas kiss, right?’
‘I don’t need mistletoe for that,’ he said, pulling me to one side and proving the point.
‘Apparently not,’ I blushed.
‘What about you?’ he asked, taking my hand again.
‘What about me, what?’
‘We were talking about decorations.’
‘Oh yes,’ I said, ‘well, I’ve got a few bits and pieces, so I’ll probably get a tiny tree, or even a few branches of something from the garden to display them on. And lights, I definitely need twinkling lights.’
I was rather looking forward to decorating the house and wondered what Harold used to put up. I’d have to ask him next time I saw him.
‘Where are we?’ I asked, looking about me.
After the lingering kiss and criss-crossing lanes, I was completely disorientated.
‘Why are we heading towards a church?’ I frowned as Finn led us down an even narrower path. ‘I thought you weren’t the religious type, or are there more green men in here, like the ones you’ve spotted in the cathedral?’
‘It’s not that sort of church,’ he told me. ‘Not anymore, anyway.’
And he was right. St Gregory’s was now an antique and vintage emporium selling everything from furniture to fancy ornaments, vinyl to vases. I could have spent the entire day exploring the stands and stalls. Some parts were a trip down memory lane, packed full of ‘we used to have one of these when I was little,’ moments and others were full of far more unique treasures. There was one thing in particular which caught my eye.
‘What have you found?’ Finn asked, as he looked over my shoulder.
‘Just a brooch,’ I said, lightly running my fingers over the exquisite detail.
‘Wow,’ said Finn, ‘that’s beautiful.’
‘It’s art nouveau, according to the label.’
It was a beautifully handcrafted bunch of snowdrops made in silver. It was in pristine condition and the perfect reproduction of my all-time favourite winter flower. If I’d had cash to spare, I would have definitely been wrapping it up and putting it under my tree.
‘Snowdrops are my favourite,’ I smiled, ‘all that delicate and fragile beauty springing up during the worst the winter storms can throw at us. I don’t think there’s a more hopeful little flower in the whole of the world.’
I know everyone had their own ideas about that. Eloise favoured the yellow primroses which grew in abundance and lined the ditches along the edges of the fields around Broad-Meadows, but it was the snowdrop which struck a chord in me.
‘Come on,’ I said, as the grandfather clock next to the tills began to chime and alerted me to how long we’d spent browsing, ‘we’ve still got the cathedral to explore before the end of the day.’
‘I’ll meet you outside,’ said Finn. ‘I just want to ask the guy how much he wants for that suit of armour.’
I had thought he’d been joking when he fell into raptures over that, but as he called to the stallholder and walked back over to it, I realised I was wrong.
‘Why don’t you grab that table,’ I suggested to Finn when we arrived at the cathedral refectory after our walk through the city, ‘and I’ll get the tea.’
Our breakfast had, as predicted, sustained us for a good long while and the lunch rush had long since gone so we could take our time over our still-warm scones, thick cream and locally made strawberry jam.
‘I hope this counts as one of my five,’ I laughed, layering the jam on. ‘We’ve hardly had the healthiest of days, have we?’
As well as the bacon and egg breakfast, we’d also shared the Schokokuss on our walk down to Tombland.
‘In terms of calorie intake, perhaps not,’ said Finn, ‘although we’ve walked a fair few miles, and mentally it’s been a real boost.’
‘You’re right,’ I said, smiling across as him as I licked the luscious jam and cream combo from my lips.
Even though I loved life in the square and my job in the garden, it was a treat to go somewhere else and do something a bit different, and in such great company. Every second I spent with Finn, the harder I found myself falling for him.
I risked another glance as he poured us both a cup of tea, too engrossed to notice my scrutiny. His hair was tied tight back from his face which showed off his jawline and made him look even more warrior-like than usual. I let out a long breath as I realised that I’d never been in love before. I couldn’t have been because nothing I’d ever experienced had felt like this. I adored everything about the man sitting opposite me and that covered so much more than just the way he looked. I loved his bravery and his ambition and…
He looked up and caught me staring.
‘What?’ he asked, making my cheeks burn as brightly as if I’d been caught saying the words out loud. ‘Did you want the tea poured before the milk? I can never remember which way you’re supposed to do it.’
‘No,’ I said, my voice catching as I quickly looked away, ‘milk in first is fine.’
We walked the length and breadth of the mighty cathedral and Finn pointed out his beloved green men before buying postcards of them from the well-stocked shop.
‘Do you want to come to mine for supper?’ I asked, as we hopped on a bus which would take us most of the way back to the square.
It was already getting dark and, weighed down with our various purchases, we didn’t much feel like making the trek back on foot.
‘I would,’ he smiled.
‘Fantastic.’
‘But I’m not going to.’
‘Why not?’
While we had finished drinking our tea, I had been devising great plans to make the end of the day as memorable as the rest of it had been.
‘Because I want you to have an early night,’ he told me.
‘I was planning to,’ I huskily replied.
What was he doing to me? I’d never sounded so wanton.
‘Not that sort of early night,’ he grinned, ‘as much as I would love that.’
‘Then why don’t we?’
‘Because,’ he said, leaning around me to ring the bell for our stop, ‘I’ve got another busy day planned for tomorrow and both you and Nell will need to be ready early.’
‘Nell?’
‘Yes,’ he said, standing up and taking more than his share of the bags, ‘I feel bad that she’s been home alone, so tomorrow we’re taking her with us and she’s going to have a whale of a time.’
Kind, considerate, caring and with an eye to the welfare of my beloved Nell, Finn really was the stuff of dreams.
He was true to his word, and early the next morning he arrived to take me and Nell, complete with an overflowing picnic basket, packed full of treats and cooked sausages, off on our next adventure.
‘I’m sorry we’ve got to take your van,’ he said, once we’d eaten more rolls from Blossom’s and everything was packed.
‘That’s all right,’ I told him, tossing him the keys, ‘as long as you’re happy behind the wheel.’
‘More than happy,’ he said, jumping into the driving seat.
I knew he hated not having his own vehicle, so the evening before, in lieu of the early night, I’d added him as a named driver to my insurance so he was covered to chauffeur me about. I was looking forward to taking in the scenery, assuming there was going to be some. I still had no idea where we were headed.
‘So,’ he said, as he pulled to the side of the road and pointed at the view about an hour later, ‘what do you think? Any good?’
‘Very good,’ I nodded, clapping my hands together.
‘I know it won’t be warm, but there’s a great pub we can thaw out in. It’s dog friendly and they do a really decent lunch.’
‘Let’s go for it,’ I grinned. ‘It’s been ages since I’ve been to the seaside.’
‘Wynmouth has a stunning beach,’ Finn told me, ‘and I’ve checked the tide times so we should be able to explore the rock pools if you’ve packed enough clothes to keep out the wind.’
It was a bit on the breezy side, but Nell had a great time tearing up and down the beach and the rockpools were surprisingly busy. Not in terms of visitor numbers – we had the whole stretch of sand to ourselves – but the pools were full of activity, the occupants seemingly unaware of the bitter temperature above their watery world.
‘Have you had enough?’ Finn asked Nell, once she had finally run out of steam and flopped down, panting at our feet.
‘I don’t know about her,’ I said, rubbing my hands together, ‘but I’m starting to feel it.’
Looking at the colour of Finn’s nose, I guessed he was chilly too.
‘Right,’ he said, ‘let’s head to the pub. This sea air has given me an appetite.’
I was in complete agreement and more than happy to while away the afternoon in The Smuggler’s, the only pub in the village and which had a roaring fire, a surprisingly exotic menu (Finn and I both had steaming bowls of curried crab) and a landlord with the most beguiling green eyes.
All too soon, and because Wednesday was a workday for both of us, we climbed back into the van with a very sleepy Nell and headed back to Norwich.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked Finn, who had been quiet on the drive home.
‘Yes,’ he said, throwing me a smile. ‘I’m fine.’
I really hated that word, because it always meant anything other than fine, but I didn’t push him further. Like me, he was most likely sad that our two days together had come to an end. At least, I hoped that was what had caused the dip in his mood.
Back in the square, he followed me into the house. By the time we’d unpacked the picnic basket, he was sporting the oddest expression and I realised there was something on his mind other than going back to work.
‘What?’ I said, as he closed the gap between us and my back was pressed against the wall. ‘Whatever is it?’
‘I know I shouldn’t be saying this,’ he swallowed, as he pulled off the woolly hat I was still wearing and released my curls.
‘Saying what?’ I breathed, drinking the scent of him deep into my lungs.
He was a heady cocktail of fresh sea air and aftershave. It sent my heart rate soaring and I could imagine my pupils dilating in response. His were wide and dark and I had no doubt that mine matched them. Surely whatever was on his mind couldn’t be bad, if he was looking at me like that?
‘We’ve only known each other for a few days,’ he said huskily.
‘It’s nearer six weeks actually,’ I whispered, thinking of the first time our paths had crossed. ‘I’ve been here since Hallowe’en and, in spite of all the ups and downs and misunderstandings, we’ve been in each other’s lives since then.’
‘That’s true,’ he said, leaning in so our bodies came together as he placed his hands on the wall either side of my head.
I gasped at the contact, feeling my body respond. We were the perfect fit.
‘And as it’s been that long,’ he sighed, resting his forehead against mine, ‘then it can’t be too soon to say I love you, Freya, can it?’
I felt my world shift on its axis.
‘No,’ I whispered, ‘it’s not too soon, because I—’
He didn’t give me the chance to say it back because he was kissing my lips and his hands were in my hair.
‘Don’t say it,’ he whispered urgently, ‘I don’t want you to say it just because I have.’
I was going to tell him that I was saying it because I meant it, not because he had gone first, but his hand slid under my shirt and his fingers began caressing my bare skin, making the words die in my throat.
‘Oh Finn,’ I gasped, as the seductive movement intensified.
After that I was speechless and remained so for the rest of the night.