Diana stood and waited for him to unload a navy nylon bag from out of the boot.
‘What’s that?’
‘You’ll see,’ he said, putting it under his arm and striding ahead.
He led her up a shady path. On either side was a sun-dappled wood, bursting with summer flowers. Butterflies and insects flitted through the dusty beams of light breaking through the leaves. Ever since Julian’s death, Diana had found it hard to see the beauty in things. But this was perfect.
At the top of the hill they came out of the wood and the ground fell away; they were standing on the edge of a steep drop, with a view out over the Dorset hills, and off in the distance the hazy blue of the coast.
‘Look at it,’ said Diana, feeling the wind on her face.
‘I thought you’d like it,’ grinned Adam. ‘We used to run around here when I was at school. I hated cross-country. You’d come up here rain and shine, but no matter how much your legs were hurting and your lungs were crying out for mercy, this view would kind of pull you out of it.’
She watched him unzip the carrying case.
‘A kite,’ she said, feeling lightened.
‘No idea how to use the bloody thing.’
She couldn’t imagine where he had got a kite from since last night, but she was glad that he had.
He took hold of the frame and walked backwards with it, instructing Diana to keep hold of the string. When he was far enough away, he launched it into the air and Diana paid out the line, shrieking with glee as the kite soared higher and higher into the sky, dancing around the gulls, stretching to touch the clouds.
‘Go on! Run with it!’ he shouted, his voice muffled on the breeze. ‘But stay away from the edge.’
The kite was flapping wildly, and as she ran as fast as she could, she could feel a little of her dark mood lift out of her into the air.
Finally the kite tumbled back to earth. Diana was too emotional to speak.
‘We should probably be getting back,’ said Adam, squinting at the sun as though he was gauging the time like an ancient mariner. She felt a stab of disappointment, and wondered where he had to run off to this time.
‘The traffic will be murder.’
It was almost seven o’clock by the time they arrived back at Somerfold. As they drove past the lake, they saw the lights on at the boathouse and an unfamiliar car pulling up outside.
‘Rachel must have a visitor,’ mused Diana out loud.
Adam stopped the Aston outside the main entrance. He hopped out of the vehicle and opened the door for Diana.
‘Are you coming in?’ she asked hopefully.
‘I have to get back to London.’
She smiled, hoping to mask her disappointment.
‘Well, thank you,’ she said finally.
‘You’re very welcome,’ he said.
‘Thank you for showing me that days don’t have to be so dark.’
He stepped forward and planted a light fraternal kiss on her forehead.
‘You’re shivering.’
‘It’s cold when the sun goes down,’ she said, not wanting to meet his gaze.
He said his goodbyes and she stood at the door of Somerfold until his tail lights had disappeared from sight.