Trying for Love

Chapter 18

The singsong tone of the doorbell rippled through the house. Manny uncovered the Bat For Lashes album, stuffing the carrier bag in his coat pocket and waited for the door to be answered. After a few minutes, tapping his fingers on the CD case, he decided to ring again. As he pressed the button the door opened, the repeated chime startling Alice and the appearance of her, startling Manny.

"Oh!" She laughed in surprise, "Come on in. How are you?"

"I'm well thank you, and you?" said Manny as they walked to the kitchen.

"Brilliant, even if that doorbell almost gave me a heart attack," Alice teased.

Manny set his bag down and slipped the CD between his textbooks. Accepting a cup of tea from Alice, he settled in the armchair across from where she was sitting. Although she had looked beautiful at the garden party, the shadowy rings that had been there were now gone and her azure eyes were refulgent.

"Where's-" began Manny.

"Before I forget, I have something for you," she set her cup down on the coffee table and stood. "Follow me."

A pair of tall windows basked the room with light, even though it was cloudy that day. Despite Alice calling it her study, it was much more reminiscent of an artist's studio. Bookcases, although crammed, were no higher than a kitchen work surface. Atop them was a mix of house plants and bottled inks, brushes and pencils. The room's only desk, an angled drafting table, was orientated so it looked out through the windows. Clipped to it, a large incomplete drawing. Green inks had begun to be applied to the pencilled outlines but Manny could tell that many other colours and shades were yet to be used. The central bird's eye view was accompanied by images of the same garden, just from different positions.

"They're big fans of Capability Brown," she said, joining him at her desk. "So it's my task to create such a landscape in just under an acre."

"You designed this?"

Alice nodded.

"It's beautiful," said Manny, leaning closer for a better look. "You designed your garden too?"

"Yes," she pointed to a framed illustration, "That's it there. It was what I liked most about this house, the ginormous garden. Anyway, do you remember the gentleman you were talking to at the party? Navy jacket."

"Yes, Dr Silman," said Manny.

"Exactly, well he asked me to give this to you," she said, presenting a hefty black leather-bound book.

"Gray's Anatomy," Manny said, tracing the gold lettering with his finger.

"He apologises for it not being an up to date edition. I think it's from when he was a student, in the eighties." Alice watched him, "He wrote his email down for you, it's inside the cover I think. He said to contact him if you want to do work experience at the hospital."

Manny could barely contain his excitement, "Really?"

"You impressed him. He came by, the day after the party, with the book. I just kept forgetting to get it to you," she placed her hand on his back and they returned to the kitchen.

As Alice sourced some biscuits from a tin, to have with their tea, Manny remembered the last time he was there. The house had been still and deathly quiet but now soft piano music occupied the room.

"Who's this?" asked Many, "The music."

Alice carried the biscuits over to where they had been sitting before, "Jon Leif, an Icelandic composer. It's a little strange but I quite like it, especially when I'm home alone."

"It's very different."

She laughed, "Yes."

Manny checked his watch.