An hour later, we exit into the gardens and I breathe the fresh air hungrily, filling my lungs. Hal laughs, ‘Had enough?’ he asks.
‘No, I’m good.’ I look around for a bench to perch on for a bit and can’t seem to find one. Then again, the doctors did say I should exercise, push myself a little more each day. Keep myself mobile. So perhaps I’ve got to stop being pathetic and just live my life.
‘Come on,’ I say to Hal. ‘Let’s see if we can find any sculptures.’
We do, in the form of a straw-like structure, shaped like an enormous bird, then again in a series of what look like flowerpots to me, lying on their side in a circular formation. Farther on, there’s a series of boat-like wooden structures, their bows pointing skyward.
The tour hasn’t taken as long as I’d expected, so we’ve come outside when the temperature is still soaring. After half an hour,spotting and walking to sculptures has begun to take its toll and my leg begins to throb. My head decides to join in and, as I half-walk, half-hop after Hal, I wonder whether I might be forced to say something soon.
Hal is striding ahead, really enjoying himself, and trying, I think, to help me appreciate all the details he’s learned from the guidebook. As he makes his way towards what seems like a stone round in the centre of a green, I feel myself flounder.
‘What do you think that’s meant to be?’ he asks, pointing with a grin and looking back at me.
But the moment he sees me, his face changes. ‘Christ, are you all right? You look awful,’ he says, trotting back to me.
Ordinarily, I’d probably come back with a witty response, but in all honesty, I’m feeling woozier by the minute. Before I can open my mouth, though, Hal is by my side, his arm around my back. ‘Let’s find a bench,’ he says.
With his help, I make it to a small outdoor seating area, set out under a canopy of trees and plants. The air feels fresh here, the sun dappling the ground and furniture, but not beating down the way it was in the open gardens. He manages to find a small metal table with two chairs and the moment I sit down, it’s as if my body just crumples with relief.
‘I’ll get you some water,’ he says and returns in minutes with a tall glass filled with ice.
I sip it and begin to feel more like myself again.
Hal sits opposite me, his brow still furrowed with concern. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ he asks, and I realise there’s a little bit of anger in his voice. As if he’s been genuinely worried about me.
‘I’m sorry,’ I tell him. ‘I just… it’s such a lovely place.’
‘Yes, but it’s been here for a millennium. I’m pretty sure it’ll still be here next year for me to visit. It’s not worth making yourself ill.’
I nod. ‘I know. I suppose I just… I didn’t want to spoil everything about your holiday.’
‘You’re not spoiling any of it!’
I laugh. ‘Now I know you’re lying.’
But he cups his face on his hand, elbow on table, and meets my eye, all seriousness. ‘No,’ he tells me. ‘I’m really not! I mean, I’ll admit I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of bringing you along. But you know what, it’s been really nice having some company. No, forget that. Not some company.Yourcompany.’
‘Even with my moaning and my leg and my snoring?’ I tease.
But he’s still not ready to lighten the mood. ‘You know, when I’m with you, I kind of forget I’m forty and pretty much middle-aged. I feel… seventeen again. You know? It’s been nice.’
Part of me wants to laugh, to make a comment about middle-aged spread, receding hairlines, perimenopause and probable imminent grandparenthood. But something about the way he’s looking at me stops me.
‘I know what you mean,’ I tell him. ‘It’s not that I feel younger, though. I think I just feel… comfortable.’
‘Yeah, like I’ve got nothing to prove,’ he echoes.
‘Which is a good thing, seeing as you’ve spent most of the time running away from terrifying dogs and catapulting your swimming trunks across the pool area.’
He laughs. ‘Don’t forget giving the elderly ladies on the side of the pool a bit of an eyeful when I clambered out.’
I find myself joining in. ‘Ah, it could have been worse.’
‘I don’t see how.’
‘No, you’re probably right.’ I grin, but feel a grimace shoot across my face as my leg gives another enormous twinge.
Hal studies my face, seeming concerned. ‘That looks painful. Are you sure we shouldn’t get you checked out?’