What Happens at the Beach... (32 page)

It was after seven by the time she had collected and packed all her things in the flat and transported them to Amy's house. Luckily, Amy made loads of money working for an internet company, and two years previously she had bought a three-bedroom house with an annexe in the garden. Natalie was able to pile all her stuff in there for now. David helped her with the last boxes and then stood awkwardly by the garden gate, unsure what to do. Natalie, too, began to feel the awkwardness of the situation but then was saved, quite literally, by the bell. David's phone started ringing and he answered it. He half turned away from her and lowered his voice when he spoke, but she heard his side of the conversation quite clearly.

‘Hello, Mum.'

‘Yes, I'm here in Cambridge with Natalie.'

‘I know, Mum, but you don't need to worry. We've just broken up.'

‘No, actually, she broke up with me.'

‘There's no need to say that sort of thing, Mother.'

‘Well, that's not the way I feel about it.'

‘Mum, listen…'

‘Mum, please…'

‘All right, but it won't make any difference.'

‘I'll do no such thing. Goodbye Mum.'

He swiped the phone to end the call and looked across at Natalie. ‘My mother.'

‘I guessed.' Although under no illusions as to what his mother might have said, Natalie felt secretly pleased that she didn't even feel anger towards the woman any more. That chapter of her life was over and that was that. She turned to Amy who had been standing by, listening in embarrassed silence. ‘Thanks for letting me stash my stuff here, Amy. I reckon the very least I can do is buy you a drink. Shall we go down to the Duke of York?'

‘Sounds like a good plan,' Amy answered automatically, still digesting what she had heard.

Natalie turned back towards David and held out her hand.

‘Goodbye, David. It's a pity it's ended this way, but much better to find out now that ten years down the line.'

He reached out and shook her hand formally. ‘Goodbye, Natalie. Goodbye, Amy.' And he was gone.

Chapter 19

Natalie's flight back to Toulouse left at ten o'clock on Thursday morning and she almost didn't make it. She and Amy, after a trip to the local pub for pie and chips and a few pints of lager, had sat up talking until three in the morning and Natalie overslept her alarm. As they talked, Amy's awestruck expression had lingered as she listened to Natalie recount the vagaries of her summer in France. She was amused by Philippe, saddened at Colette's death, fascinated by the handsome Canadian, disappointed by David, captivated by Mark and enamoured of his four-legged friend. When Natalie had at last finished, Amy had subjected her to a long stare before asking the six-million-dollar question.

‘So, which job do you take? Carcassonne? That would keep you near the lovely Mark. Montreal? That would throw you into the arms of the handsome Professor Andy. Or Cambridge? That would at least mean I get to keep my best friend near to hand. And if you like you could come and live here until you find yourself a place.'

Natalie had thanked her warmly for the offer, but had found herself unable to give a definite answer. There were so many imponderables, so many pros and cons to weigh up. Most of all, of course, there was Mark.

All the way over to Toulouse in the plane, she continued to debate the different jobs and what they might mean to her.

Montreal, ignoring the handsome professor – which was easier said than done – would mean lots more money. And, seeing as she was currently as near to flat broke as she could be, that was a serious factor to be considered. On the other hand, it would mean total upheaval and separation from all her friends and, in particular, Mark.

Carcassonne promised to be an exciting and stress-free working environment with the opportunity to travel to conferences all over Europe and the world. It would also mean she could stay in the south of France, which would give her sunshine, great food and, of course, the proximity of Mark.

Cambridge would be the sensible option from a career point of view. Although the salary didn't match what she could earn in Canada, and it would take her away from her beloved France, a teaching position at a prestigious Cambridge college would look very, very good on her CV. It would mean she could stay in contact with old friends like Amy, but it would separate her from Mark.

As she sipped a cup of watery airline coffee, she reflected that every one of these three options ended up with the name Mark. Somehow, although she felt pretty sure she knew what his answer was going to be, she knew she had to see him, to decide once and for all how she felt about him and, maybe more importantly, what he thought about her. Her career choice, as her grandmother had said, was of primary importance to her now, but she knew she had to speak to Mark one more time before making the final decision.

The aircraft landed at Toulouse airport just before one o'clock and she saw from the timetable on the wall beyond passport control that there was a bus to Toulouse station leaving in little over five minutes' time. She decided to make a dash for it, but as it turned out, there was no need. As she emerged through the automatic doors onto the main concourse, the first person she saw in the waiting crowd was a tall man standing right opposite the doors holding a sign. The sign read,
Taxi pour Docteur Dryden
. When he saw her, his face split into a broad smile. Natalie smiled back.

‘Mark, what are you doing here?' She went across to him, really pleased to see him. His smile broadened.

‘Barney and I thought you might appreciate a lift home. After all, you've had a busy few days.' He reached over and removed the bag from her hand, waving away her protests. ‘So, did you get the job?'

Natalie nodded her head. ‘Yup. I'm a Cambridge don if that's what I want.'

‘Brilliant! What did I tell you? So, have you said yes, or are you still considering the other jobs?' He led her off towards the exit.

Natalie checked her watch as she walked beside him. ‘I've got another five hours to make up my mind. I promised a reply to St Margaret's by five o'clock UK time. That means six o'clock over here in France.'

‘So you're going to have to do some serious thinking this afternoon. But this means you're in a great position now. Three jobs in three different countries. Wow, that's pretty exciting.'

‘Yes, but it's also a bit scary. What if I make the wrong decision?'

He shot her a sideways glance. ‘You'll make the right decision, I know.'

They walked out of the terminal building into the full heat of the scorching midday sun. Natalie took a deep breath, loving the warmth on her skin almost as much as the presence of the man beside her. She looked across at him and knew there was so much she wanted to say and so much she wanted to hear from him. She started by giving him her other news. ‘I broke up with David.'

He didn't look at her. He just kept walking and for a few moments she wondered if he hadn't heard what she had said. But he had.

‘You did? How did he take it?'

‘I think he was genuinely upset.'

‘I'm not surprised. I'd have been gutted.' He didn't say anything else and she had the five minutes it took them to get to the car to mull over what he might have meant by that comment.

When they got to the car, it was bouncing on its suspension. Mark had to open the boot and let an ebullient Barney out to greet Natalie. The dog was so pleased to see her, his whole body was wagging along with his tail, and he bounced about like a little puppy, making delighted yelping noises. For Natalie's part, she was equally pleased to see him and she dropped to her knees to give him a big hug. Finally, he was ushered back into the car and they set off on the road home. Or so Natalie thought. In fact, when they got to Carcassonne, Mark turned off the motorway. Natalie glanced across at him.

‘Something you've got to do?'

‘Yes, and, if you've got time, I think Barney deserves a walk.'

Mark skirted round Carcassonne and was soon driving into the hills. It didn't take long before Natalie realised where he was heading. As they passed Minerve and started to climb the steep hillside beyond, her heart began to beat faster. When he reached the old farmhouse restaurant, he pulled up in the shade of the trees, sending a few disgruntled chickens and ducks off clucking and quacking as he did so. They got out of the car and Barney leapt out to join them. Mark looked down and wagged an admonitory finger at him. ‘No chasing the birds. Okay?'

They walked up through the trees until they came to the track through the
garrigue
once again. Now, in the bright sunlight, the views down the valley to their right were spectacular. The deep gorge to their left, however, was completely screened from them by bushes. It was only when they reached the end of the track, where it widened out into the viewing area, that the magnitude of the gorge became visible.

‘Barney, stay!' Mark was taking no chances. The precipice before them fell vertically for hundreds and hundreds of feet into the shadows far below. Instinctively Natalie took a step back and caught hold of Mark's arm for support. He transferred his arm to her shoulders, holding her tightly. It felt good to have him at her side, very good indeed.

After a few moments, she felt Mark's free hand run across her cheek, raising her face towards him. She looked up into the sun and screwed her eyes shut. It didn't matter. She heard his voice, low and tender.

‘This is where we got to the other night. I wanted to bring you back here because there's something I'd like to say, but first there's something I'd like to do.' She felt him lean towards her and then the soft touch of his lips against hers. It was a very gentle kiss, but that didn't detract in any way from the effect it had upon her. In fact, if anything, it only enhanced the sensation of warmth, protection and familiarity that she was feeling. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her whole body against his. Finally, she heard his voice, soft and low, right by her ear.

‘It's no good, Natalie.' There was a pause and she was just beginning to wonder what this might presage when he carried on. ‘It's no good. I've been struggling for weeks now, ever since I first saw you on the beach. Every morning, waiting for you to come up to the chateau to work, I've been repeating a mantra to myself about not, under any circumstances, getting involved with you or letting myself develop feelings for you.' There was another long pause, but she didn't mind. She felt reassured, relaxed and very, very happy now. Haltingly, he did his best to explain what had been going through his head. ‘You've just been through the break-up of your engagement so you know how awful that can be. Believe me when I tell you that divorce is even worse. Last year for me was the worst of my life; the arguments, the fighting, the bitterness and then the bloody lawyers. I've been hiding out down here at Port Renard, trying to get my confidence in human nature back and it hasn't been easy. Not easy at all.' She felt his arms hug her more tightly.

‘I may look like a big strong boy, Natalie, but inside I've been bleeding. I married Beatrice for love. I really believed that, or at least I managed to convince myself that that was the truth. When it all fell apart, I took an emotional punch that's left me seriously bruised.' She reached up and kissed him on the neck. He barely noticed. ‘It's been really, really rough.' She heard him take a big breath and let it whistle out again. ‘And then you came along to save me, Natalie. I waited, I struggled, I knew I couldn't do anything until you had sorted out your fiancé. Having just come out of one break-up I knew I didn't want to be involved in causing another one. You had to figure that out for yourself.' He took another big breath. ‘But now that's over and I can breathe again.'

He lowered his head and kissed her once more, this time with real passion, and she responded. She had no idea how long they stood there, entwined in each other's arms, but if it hadn't been for Barney, it might well have gone on for ever. She heard a little yelp and then felt the big furry paws stretch up her thigh as he stood up on his hind legs alongside them. The cold wet nose reached for her and his master, and both of them looked down in response.

‘You feeling left out, Barney?' Natalie released one of her hands from Mark's waist and scratched the dog's head, the side of her face still pressed against Mark's chest. She carried on looking down at the dog, although her words were addressed to Mark. ‘If it helps, Mark, I've had pretty much the same struggle. After the break-up with David, I came down here for a break, and the chance to concentrate on getting my career under way, finding a solid, well-paid job so I can support myself unaided. Every time I saw you, from that very first moment when you bumped into me in the sea, I've been reciting my own mantra, while, all the time, deep down in my bones, I've known that it was you, only you, that mattered.' She looked back up at him, the swirling clouds of uncertainty in her brain dissolving and clearing. ‘It's you.'

And she knew it was. They shared so much. Both had been badly burned by a break-up, both had a deep and lasting love of this wonderful part of the world and its history, both had been seeking support as they sought to rebuild their lives. Now that she had found him and had finally heard the words she had been waiting for him to utter, she realised that this time it was different. This time she wasn't just coming to him for support, but to give him support. He needed her every bit as much as she needed him. This was now the relationship she had dreamt of for so long. This was a relationship of equals. She kissed him again, loving the feel of his hands on her body, his lips against hers. Finally, she drew back and made a suggestion.

‘There are two things I'd really like to do when we get back home. And the first of them is a swim.'

They got back to Port Renard by mid-afternoon and only stopped briefly to pick up their swimming things before heading down to the beach, this time hand in hand. In front of them the happy dog led the way, his tail wagging in anticipation of putting his paws in the water, even if he still refused to go in any further. Not so for Mark and Natalie. Dropping their towels in a heap alongside Barney, they waded out into the blissfully cooling water and began to swim out side by side. When they reached the first of the buoys, they halted. He grabbed hold of the buoy with one hand while she grabbed hold of him with both of hers. They kissed, they floated, they kissed some more. The gentle rocking of the wavelets pushed them against each other with a soft sensuality that only served to build the desire that was growing inside them both.