Page 77 of The Clockmaker's Cottage
‘We have life!’
‘One down, another forty-nine to go!’
Another clock ticked to life. Then another. The room began to fill with gentle ticking, uneven and overlapping.
Some clocks sprang back to life with ease. Others needed coaxing.
Theo stepped beside her, holding up an ornate carriage clock. ‘You know, I always liked these. They were the travel clocks of their day. Fancy people took them on grand tours.’
‘Imagine needing a personal brass timepiece just to go to Florence.’
‘Honestly, I admire the commitment.’
‘The pocket watch that my dad gave me could be my travelling timepiece, He said it hadn’t ever worked, but as we know it keeps springing back to life since I’ve been here. Maybe it likes the rain and is some sort of weather clock.’
‘Or maybe the clock decided after you did a runner from your own wedding that it was the right time to start your life again.’
There was a little flutter low in her stomach that she couldn’t ignore. ‘I was actually going to say that to you! There’s something quite romantic about that concept.’ She looked at him, feeling warm and dreamy. ‘And does Doctor Blake think he could be a part of that life?’
She saw it instantly. Theo’s expression shifted. Just a flicker, but enough to remind her of Clara’s phone call in the early hours of the morning, and that Theo’s head and heart were probably both a mess right now. It was enough to make her instantly regret opening her mouth.
‘Oh, I didn’t mean… Look, this morning… There’s no pressure. Honestly. I knew the score. We were in the moment and we’re adults– we make choices. If you want to give your marriage another go, I totally get it. It’s?—’
Before she could finish, Theo reached out and pulled her towards him, his hands slipping around her waist. He kissed her firmly and without hesitation.
‘The taste of wine and mouldy cheese…’ she murmured against his lips.
‘The best combination,’ he said, kissing her again.
When he pulled away, he took her empty glass, filled it, then topped up his own. He carried both glasses to the sofa and sat down. Pippa joined him. He turned to her, eyes steady. ‘I don’t just go around sleeping with anyone, you know.’
Her stomach flipped.
He held her gaze. ‘You don’t actually realise how long I’ve waited to be that close to you.’
‘I think I do, I’ve wanted the same,’ she said quietly, honest to a fault.
Theo leaned back. ‘I’m torn, Pip,’ he admitted. ‘Because part of me hates the idea of looking like a failure. Starting again. I didn’t get married for it to fall apart.’
She nodded, saying nothing.
‘But there are just some things…’ He swallowed. ‘Somethings you can’t forgive. Sleeping with Sebastian… of all people…’ His voice cracked slightly. ‘That wasn’t just a mistake. That was… something else. And the sad thing about it all is that he probably didn’t even really want her. He just did it to get at me.’
Pippa’s stomach twisted. Her chest went tight. ‘Does that mean you don’t forgive me?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ he said gently. ‘We weren’t married. We didn’t set up a home. Share a bank account. Build a life.’ His mouth twitched. ‘Granted, you really should have had more taste,’ he joked. ‘But seriously, the reason it hurt so much when I heard about it was because… I wanted it to have been me.’
She swiped him playfully.
‘But I’m leaving. First stop New York. The main reason I took the job was to run from my life. It came just at the right time.’
Pippa’s smile faded. She shifted closer, tucking one leg beneath herself. ‘I know you’ll be brilliant,’ she said softly. ‘Travelling the world, lecturing… I’m happy you’re doing something you love.’
Theo slipped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.
‘But,’ she added gently, ‘is that what you really want, Theo?’ She was trying to understand. ‘Did you jump into that job because your marriage was ending? Because you needed something to hold on to? Or is this truly the dream? Is this the thing you want more than anything?’
Theo stared at the ceiling for a moment before he spoke. ‘I’m really not sure.’ He took a sip of wine. ‘Even before Clara did what she did, I started falling apart. I kept questioning if I was happy… if this was it… and every time I looked at her, I felt… wrong. Wrong life, wrong house, wrong everything.’ He swallowed. ‘So yes, in a way, this is an exit.’
