Read Online Out of Step by Maggie Makepeace - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maggie Makepeace
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black chimney stack, but it plainly wasn’t lit because no warmth emanated from it.
‘It’s wonderful!’ Nell exclaimed. She had expected it to be more like camping, but Elly pointed out facilities at the mooring she hadn’t had occasion to notice before: an ablutions block with hot water only yards away, bins for rubbish, electricity lines, and water hoses. ‘Does anybody live on these boats all year round?’
‘No,’ Paul said. ‘They’re rented out to holidaymakers, so we’ll probably never see the same people twice. Suits me very well. I have quite enough of the social scene in London.’
Nell wondered if Elly felt the same.
Elly obviously felt cold. ‘Is there any possibility of heat,’ she asked, ‘or are we all supposed to freeze heroically to death?’
‘Give me a chance,’ Paul said. ‘I’m just about to light the damn stove. All right?’
‘How about us two going for a walk while he does that?’ Elly said to Nell.
Nell glanced at Paul. He made a
‘Please
, get her off my back and out of here before she drives me barking mad’ sort of expression with screwed-up nose and pursed mouth. ‘Good idea,’ she said quickly. ‘Upstream or down?’
‘Down towards the sea.’
They set off over the Eely bridge and along the path on the south bank of the river.
‘Right,’ Elly said. ‘Ten walking steps, followed by tenrunning ones, followed by ten walking ones, and so on. That way, we’ll soon get warm. OK?’ She set off without waiting for an answer, dodging the puddles nimbly to preserve the shine on her expensive leather boots.
Nell was relieved to be away from the tension that Paul’s presence always seemed to generate.
‘… Nine, ten!’ Elly chanted, slowing down.
‘It’s a lovely houseboat,’ Nell said, catching her up. ‘Sibyl will adore it too.’
‘Good isn’t it?’ Elly said. ‘I can’t quite work out why Paul’s buying it, but I’m sure there must be an ulterior motive.’
‘You don’t seem to like each other very much at the moment,’ Nell ventured.
‘That must be the understatement of the year!’ Elly shoved her fists deep into her pockets. ‘When the boys are older, I’m definitely going to leave him. I’ve made up my mind.’
‘Oh, Elly!’ Nell was distressed. ‘I’m so sorry …’
‘… Eight, nine, ten!’ Elly counted. ‘Come on, run! One, two, three …’
After half a mile of this, they stopped and walked normally.
‘So, how’s Rob?’ Elly panted.
‘Dunno.’
‘Why? Haven’t you seen him lately?’
‘Not since New Year, no.’ The trees around Bottom Cottage were coming into view. In a few minutes the cottage itself would be visible too. Nell wondered whether Rob would be at the window with his binoculars, and whether they should turn round now before he could see them. She didn’t want him to think she was mooning after him. But Elly kept going, and it was already too late, so she followed.
‘But why ever not?’ Elly asked.
‘Because he hasn’t phoned. Simple.’
‘The bastard!’ Elly said indignantly. ‘After all your hard work too.’
‘I didn’t do it for a quid pro quo.’
‘No, of course not. I didn’t mean that.’
They walked in silence for a while. Then a high-pitched wailing sound reached their ears. It was travelling across the water from the cottage.
‘Listen!’ Elly said, stopping and staring across the river. Nell stopped reluctantly beside her. She hadn’t got her binoculars with her, but she could see three figures in the garden behind the stone wall, one tall and two small. The taller of the two children appeared to be making the noise, and keeping it up apparently effortlessly in spite of the entreaties and promises the man seemed to be making. Then the smaller child joined in.
‘Oh dear,’ Nell said. ‘Poor things. I wonder what’s wrong?’
‘Sounds to me,’ Elly said, ‘as though you’re well out of it.’
By the time February came, Nell had hardened her heart and
‘It’s wonderful!’ Nell exclaimed. She had expected it to be more like camping, but Elly pointed out facilities at the mooring she hadn’t had occasion to notice before: an ablutions block with hot water only yards away, bins for rubbish, electricity lines, and water hoses. ‘Does anybody live on these boats all year round?’
‘No,’ Paul said. ‘They’re rented out to holidaymakers, so we’ll probably never see the same people twice. Suits me very well. I have quite enough of the social scene in London.’
Nell wondered if Elly felt the same.
Elly obviously felt cold. ‘Is there any possibility of heat,’ she asked, ‘or are we all supposed to freeze heroically to death?’
‘Give me a chance,’ Paul said. ‘I’m just about to light the damn stove. All right?’
‘How about us two going for a walk while he does that?’ Elly said to Nell.
Nell glanced at Paul. He made a
‘Please
, get her off my back and out of here before she drives me barking mad’ sort of expression with screwed-up nose and pursed mouth. ‘Good idea,’ she said quickly. ‘Upstream or down?’
‘Down towards the sea.’
They set off over the Eely bridge and along the path on the south bank of the river.
‘Right,’ Elly said. ‘Ten walking steps, followed by tenrunning ones, followed by ten walking ones, and so on. That way, we’ll soon get warm. OK?’ She set off without waiting for an answer, dodging the puddles nimbly to preserve the shine on her expensive leather boots.
Nell was relieved to be away from the tension that Paul’s presence always seemed to generate.
‘… Nine, ten!’ Elly chanted, slowing down.
‘It’s a lovely houseboat,’ Nell said, catching her up. ‘Sibyl will adore it too.’
‘Good isn’t it?’ Elly said. ‘I can’t quite work out why Paul’s buying it, but I’m sure there must be an ulterior motive.’
‘You don’t seem to like each other very much at the moment,’ Nell ventured.
‘That must be the understatement of the year!’ Elly shoved her fists deep into her pockets. ‘When the boys are older, I’m definitely going to leave him. I’ve made up my mind.’
‘Oh, Elly!’ Nell was distressed. ‘I’m so sorry …’
‘… Eight, nine, ten!’ Elly counted. ‘Come on, run! One, two, three …’
After half a mile of this, they stopped and walked normally.
‘So, how’s Rob?’ Elly panted.
‘Dunno.’
‘Why? Haven’t you seen him lately?’
‘Not since New Year, no.’ The trees around Bottom Cottage were coming into view. In a few minutes the cottage itself would be visible too. Nell wondered whether Rob would be at the window with his binoculars, and whether they should turn round now before he could see them. She didn’t want him to think she was mooning after him. But Elly kept going, and it was already too late, so she followed.
‘But why ever not?’ Elly asked.
‘Because he hasn’t phoned. Simple.’
‘The bastard!’ Elly said indignantly. ‘After all your hard work too.’
‘I didn’t do it for a quid pro quo.’
‘No, of course not. I didn’t mean that.’
They walked in silence for a while. Then a high-pitched wailing sound reached their ears. It was travelling across the water from the cottage.
‘Listen!’ Elly said, stopping and staring across the river. Nell stopped reluctantly beside her. She hadn’t got her binoculars with her, but she could see three figures in the garden behind the stone wall, one tall and two small. The taller of the two children appeared to be making the noise, and keeping it up apparently effortlessly in spite of the entreaties and promises the man seemed to be making. Then the smaller child joined in.
‘Oh dear,’ Nell said. ‘Poor things. I wonder what’s wrong?’
‘Sounds to me,’ Elly said, ‘as though you’re well out of it.’
By the time February came, Nell had hardened her heart and
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