Trenoweth House Ch. 04

"Anyway, I've got to get back to sorting out dinner," Carmen said. And before Amber had a chance to ask anything else, she'd disappeared back into the house.

-

Amber felt heavy-hearted as she reluctantly stuffed her bikini into her suitcase, wondering when she'd next use it again. Although, it had been a work assignment, it felt like the end of a really enjoyable summer holiday. After two weeks in the sun, she felt like was returning to the real world, back to the daily grind of working life: struggling through the rush-hour traffic, her mid-year assessment at work, trying to agree a budget for the communal areas of her apartment block.

As she folded her green sun-dress, her mind went over the events of the last two weeks. She'd changed so much. That first day, she'd checked her messages hoping in vain that Jeff might have texted her, but now she realised that she hadn't thought about him at all since then. She hadn't really missed smoking either.

The house and its inhabitants had definitely had an effect on her. It sounded corny but it had felt like a kind of sexual awakening for her. She'd never considered herself a voyeur, for example, but she realised that in the last two weeks she'd secretly observed Ben in the shower, Carmen and Carl that hot second night and most recently, Callum and Tilly downstairs in the study. Perhaps Carmen was right and the spirit of Charles Pollard still haunted the house, encouraging her to spy on the others or perhaps he'd simply influenced her through his art.

A knock on the door brought her back to the present.

"Morning, gorgeous," Ben drawled as he entered. "You finished packing?"

"Yeah, all ready," she replied, zipping up her suitcase then turning to embrace him.

"And you're sure you don't want to stay an extra day or two?" he asked, sliding an arm around her slim waist and drawing her tight against him.

"Come on, we've been over this," she said, sighing a little as he kissed her neck. "You know my parents are expecting me around lunchtime, and I'm due back at work on Monday. Some of us have to work for a living you know."

"Yeah, but an hour or so won't make a difference, right?" he said, sliding a hand beneath her skirt and squeezing her buttocks.

"God, you're always horny!" she said, as she felt his lips nuzzling her ear.

"Only around you," he whispered.

"Come on, you bad boy, stop tempting me!" she said, slapping his chest and reluctantly pushing him away.

"Well, you can't blame me for trying," he said, grinning as he lifted her suitcase from the bed.

"Anyway, two weeks isn't long. I'm looking forward to showing you the sights," Amber said. They'd agreed that he'd take the train up in a fortnight, and Amber already felt excited about showing him around. And sharing her bed.

"Yeah, me too," he said.

Outside, it was a little cooler, the sky overcast. She watched Ben heave her suitcase into the boot of her little red hatchback as Carmen hugged her.

"Goodbye Amber, take care," the woman said.

"Thanks for everything, you've been so welcoming," Amber said. She was determined not to cry but suddenly felt hot tears pricking her eyes. She quickly hugged Ben, then slipped into the car, wanting to get away before she made a fool of herself.

The driveway down to the main road was bone dry after the extended heat wave, and the tyres kicked up large clouds of dust as she bumped along it, one hand on the steering wheel, the other waving out of the window. In her rear-view mirror, she watched as her hosts waved her off then drifted back into the house. First, Callum and Tilly, then Carmen. Ben carried on waving as she approached the corner and when she looked again, both him and the house had both disappeared in a shimmering cloud of dust.