A little later on, the front doorbell rang. One Ear raced towards it, barking in warning as he usually did.
‘It’s just me, Orla!’ Luke called from the other side, and Orla smiled and let him in.
‘You’ll never guess where I’ve been,’ Luke said as they walked across the great hall. He sounded excited and anxious too and Orla couldn’t begin to guess what he’d been up to.
‘Tell me.’
‘Oyster Cottage.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘On the way to the quay. It’s where your gardener lives.’
‘Oh?’
‘And we have a lovely invitation for Friday night.’
Orla frowned, not understanding. ‘What do you mean?’
Luke smiled. ‘Did you know Bill hosts Lorford’s horticultural club? Well, there’s a meeting on Friday. All about herbs. I think you probably know more about herbs than I do, but I thought it would be fun to go along. You know – get out of the castle for a bit and get to know a few people. What do you think?’
Orla stared at him, unable to believe that he was even suggesting such a thing.
‘Are you serious?’
He swallowed hard, but then nodded. ‘I think it will do you good. They’re wonderful people here in the village and they’re bound to be friendly and welcoming. And you’ve only to walk a little distance. It’s not really far at all.’
Orla didn’t respond for a moment because she really didn’t know what to say.
‘It’s just a little meeting of friends at Bill’s,’ Luke went on. ‘You’ve already met Bill. He’s a really decent bloke. His wife’s lovely too. She makes these cookies – they’re amazing. Chocolate chip. She’ll probably make some more for the meeting.’ Luke paused.
Again, Orla didn’t respond.
‘What do you think, Orla?’ he asked.
At last, she found her voice. ‘What do I think? God, Luke! I can’t believe you thought I’d go with you!’ she cried. ‘What gave you the right to make that decision for me?’
‘Orla – listen to me.’
‘No, Luke! You listen to me! Ever since you got here, you’ve done nothing but pry and ask questions about my past and the way I live. You’re the one who came here to tell me about your life, and I’m truly sorry for what’s happened to you, and to Helen. It breaks my heart that it happened, but that doesn’t automatically give you the right to expect me to open up to you! I like you – I really do – but I’m finding all this very stressful. And this – this plan of yours to get me out of my own home – well, it feels like a horrible betrayal,’ she told him. ‘Just when I was beginning to trust you too!’
‘Orla!’ Luke took a step forward, but Orla backed away. ‘Please, Orla – I didn’t mean to upset you, although I seem to be doing nothing but that.’
She looked at him, her eyes full of tears. ‘Maybe it’s time for you to go.’
Her words hung in the air for a moment.
‘Can’t we talk about this some more?’ Luke asked, but Orla felt as if she had nothing more to say to him. ‘Okay.’ He nodded, and she watched as he backed out of the room.
Orla couldn’t believe what Luke had suggested. She felt stunned. Stunned and betrayed. How dare he make assumptions about her willingness to attend social events. Didn’t he realise how truly terrifying that was for her? It didn’t matter if it was the home of her gardener or if the members of the club were all nice people. They were still strangers and strangers were always dangerous, weren’t they?
Orla took a deep breath in order to try and calm herself down, knowing that her heart raced wildly when she felt threatened like this. It was a feeling that was hateful to her, but she couldn’t control it. Anything outside her comfort zone made her feel threatened and Luke obviously didn’t understand that, did he? She’d thought he had, but how could he? He could only imagine what it was like being her. He didn’t really know. He’d probably thought he was trying to help her, only he was doing the very opposite of that, and she just couldn’t handle that. Not yet and maybe not ever. So that meant only one thing – Luke had to leave, didn’t he? As much as it pained her, and it really did, he had to go.
Luke made the slow, painful walk to his bedroom, silently cursing himself for having upset Orla yet again. He couldn’t blame her for throwing him out. He’d brought nothing but bad news and trouble with his arrival and he’d caused her so much upset. It was a wonder she hadn’t set One Ear on him, although he had a feeling that the dog was a gentle giant and didn’t really have what it took to be a decent guard dog. Still, he wouldn’t like to put him to the test and so he quickly packed his few belongings.
After stripping his bed, he took a moment to look out of the arched window of his bedroom, out towards the red rooftops of the village. He’d sincerely thought that his idea for Orla to attend a gathering in the village had been a good one and certainly something that Helen would have encouraged. He’d so wanted to help her build a metaphorical drawbridge from her castle out towards the community and he knew in his heart that that was what Helen had wanted for her friend too. He was so sure the villagers would be good for her and that she had so much to offer them. It bothered him that she was so closed off from the world and the lovely little community on her doorstep. But perhaps it had been naive of him to think he could charge in and change her habits overnight.
Leaving the bedroom, Luke walked through to the great chamber to collect all his work tools and fold away the dust sheets. He reached out to touch the cold stone wall he’d been repointing and looked down at the floorboards, regretting that he wouldn’t have the chance to repair them now. He was going to miss this castle and his work here. He hadn’t realised how much it meant to him until now, but he’d come to love the castle. He could see why Orla had bought it and how easy it would be to cocoon yourself away in such a place. It was a unique home and, alas, it was one he had to leave.
His van was parked in the driveway and it depressed him to think that he would be driving it home now. He didn’t feel ready to face home. But maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he could stop off somewhere on the way – just find some random hotel and hide away for a few days. If he’d learned anything from his time at the castle, it was that the outside world was pretty easy to shut out if you were determined.
Reaching his van, he opened the back doors and placed his toolbox and bag in there before returning for the rest of his equipment. He’d probably never get to work on another castle again, that was for sure, but he was going to miss more than the castle. He was going to miss Orla. He sighed as he remonstrated with himself again for having made such a mess of things. He’d blundered into her life and tried to make changes to it that simply weren’t welcome. Well, he’d learned his lesson. Some people couldn’t be changed or, at least, didn’t want to be.
It was as he was packing the last of his things that he heard her voice.
‘Luke!’
He turned around and stared in surprise as he saw Orla running down the steps of the castle, followed by an excited One Ear. He’d never seen her in this part of the garden before – so near the front gates. Whenever he’d seen her leave to walk One Ear on the beach, she went through a gate in the back garden which took her down a secluded path. Here, she suddenly looked more exposed than he’d ever seen her and, as she stood there watching him, she too seemed to realise the fact.