The Other Tongue

Jill nodded. "I did," she said. "How was yours?"

"Nice. I did some serious exploring. I think I have seen all charities inside -- I love going there, you know -- and I visited the museum, and the church, and I sat on a river bench for some time looking at the world go by... Yes, it was really nice."

Jill nodded. "That's what I always think, too. Most people only come for the walks."

"I think I will try one tomorrow. But the town was too good to miss! I found a few nice books to take home... I will read some more poetry before bed. You do offer a nice choice in books for your guests."

"Thank you. I'm not sure everyone thinks so."

"Some people just don't like reading too much. But they will not even look. No news from the police yet, I suppose?"

Jill shook her head. "Maybe the car was stolen, too."

"Not very likely. It's the kind of car people notice, you know, not a good one to nick. Oh well, I hope you'll hear something about it. I think I'd better go up now. Have a nice evening!"

"Okay. Breakfast at a quarter past seven again?"

"Yes, please. See you in the morning."

"Sleep well!" She smiled, and Ben thought she had a nice smile. She had a very nice face for all that. He returned the smile and climbed the stairs.

He sat down in the easy chair of the room and went through the books he'd bought at the various charity shops the town had to offer. A few whodunits he didn't know yet came first. They looked interesting, he thought. So did a couple of classics. Then there was a collection of poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and one by a Vivimarie VandenPoorten, which looked promising. He put them on the bedside table in a neat little pile.

He spent about an hour reading Graves, and then he called it a day. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, and then he turned in. The area was nice and dark, and he was rather tired, but he lay awake for a considerable time thinking about that morning's problem. He did hope the police would find out about that young woman. He was glad she wasn't around; he felt very angry with her. She was a predator alright.

Jill had asked if he didn't think she was beautiful... Jill herself was, he thought. That young woman wasn't. He'd be jiggered if her hair hadn't been bleached. It was a nuisance that there was no name to refer to her. Maybe Robbin' Rosie? Rosie was too nice a name, though. Oh well, it took all sorts. It felt a lot better to think about Jill. He realised he was actually looking forward to having breakfast because he could talk to her. He shook his head. Better try and go to sleep.

Jill had gone to her office when Ben had gone upstairs. She put down the dates on which the MG girl had stayed with her, and calculated the amount she owed her. It didn't make her feel too happy; but at least she'd put it on paper now, in case the police should manage to unearth her.

Then she picked up the ledger she'd entered Ben's particulars in that morning. How could she have been so stupid not to take down the other guests' details? But it had always been ok, until now. It did rankle, having been had by a girl like that. She couldn't imagine Ben doing a moonlight flit. The idea seemed ludicrous. He was a really nice guy.

Jill sighed. She didn't find men attractive, as a rule, and ever since her marriage and subsequent divorce they had seemed very unpleasant indeed. This one was alright, though. He had a nice voice, and a nice face... She wondered if he was married. He wore no ring... Then she shook her head at herself. As if she'd ever get to know him a little, let alone ask personal questions.

She left the office and laid the breakfast table before she went to bed. She was too tired to read as was her wont, and she fell into a dreamless sleep almost at once.

She was awake a little before her alarm went off. She felt slightly woozy at first; then she remembered all about the day before, the absconding of the girl and Ben's breakfast getting cold. She would make sure today's breakfast was good.

She had a quick shower and dressed, looking at herself critically in the mirror. She nodded; she thought she looked alright.

Ben came into the breakfast room at a quarter past, as he had said. He smiled and wished her a good morning. "Did you manage to get some rest, what with yesterday's problems?" he added.

"Yes I did. Thank you." She smiled back at him, and poured the coffee. "I'll go and get your breakfast from the kitchen."

Ben sat down and looked at the room. Like his bedroom, it was cosy, he thought. It was quite tidy, too. Well-arranged, and practical, but nice to be in. He mentally compared the owner and the room, and he thought he saw some similarities. He wondered what she did in the daytime, and whether there was a Mr Maddox, too. There was no sign of one, nor did Jill wear a ring. Not that that meant anything. Still --

Jill came back carrying a tray.

"I hope this will make you forget yesterday's cold food," she said, blushing a little.

"I already have," Ben said. "I do like sitting here; you have a pleasant place."

"Thank you. Here you are. Good appetite!"

The food smelled good, and it looked good, too. Ben helped himself to a decent portion.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" he said.

"Er, no -- but I don't usually eat with my guests. If I did I would get fat very soon."

Ben nodded. "Yes, of course," he said. "Pity."

"Why?"

"I liked having you for company yesterday."

"Oh. Well, I can have a coffee with you, as there are no other guests."

She sat down across the table, and nodded at him. He grinned back and started to eat.

"Mmm," he said. "Very good!"

Jill beamed. She had hoped he would like the food, and she enjoyed being praised by him.

"Do you like walking?" Ben asked.

"Er, yes. Why?"

"Is there any walk I ought to do?"

"Oh. Yes there is; I can show you on the map. If you like you can borrow one. It will take you all the way to the cliffs, and it is not too strenuous. You could go through the next village or stick to the fields; they're both great walks. There are a lot of good ones, but this is one of my favourites."

"I'd love to try it, then. Borrowing your map seems a good idea." He put down his cutlery. "Thank you. That was very nice indeed."

"Good! I'll get the map and show you."

Jill fetched it from her office and spread it on one of the tables. She pointed out the two walks, and told Ben where to be careful, or he might miss his way. Ben nodded, and when she'd finished he thanked her and went upstairs to get ready.

Jill cleared away his breakfast and sat down to a small bowl of cereal and yoghurt. When she'd just begun eating, Ben popped his head round the door and wished her a good day.

She smiled a little. He was a nice guy, and she felt it had been ages that she just had taken an interest in someone like now.

"Have a nice walk! See you in the evening!"

"Thank you!"

And off he was.

Jill finished her breakfast, thinking about the people that moved through her life, staying at her B&B for a day, or a couple of days, and never leaving as much as a scratch on the surface, never impressing her enough to remember them after a day or two. There were some exceptions, a lot of them negative ones; there was the odd really pleasant visitor. But this weekend was different. She would not forget that girl, and she couldn't remember having enjoyed a guest's presence as much as she enjoyed Ben's.

One more night, and their paths would diverge again completely. Pity, really -- he would make a nice acquaintance. Oh well.

She cleared the breakfast table and tidied up the kitchen before she sat down to the Sunday paper and another coffee.

When she'd finished the paper and was halfway through the crossword she went upstairs to clean the bathroom and the bedroom. Like the day before, Ben had left his room very tidy; there was nothing left for her to do but hoovering the floor. She noticed Graves was on his bedside table still; and there was a small pile of books on the table next to the chair. When she had finished cleaning, she had a look at them.

She smiled when she saw that he apparently was as random a reader as she was. She had a look through the VandenPoorten collection. She knew how to write... There was one poem that struck her, calledDeparture Lounge. Mmm yes. It reminded her of her own father somehow.

It would be nice to talk books with Ben, she thought. Oh well, no earthly chance. She smiled a little sadly at the thought. Then she sat down and copied the poem into her phone. It was a nice poem indeed.

She spent the afternoon playing music and reading. She read a lot; she preferred it to watching television, most of the time. There were some good programmes alright; but they were few and far between.

One chapter in the book was about Indian lady writers, and there was a translation of a scrap of Bengali poetry that she really liked.The Other Tongue...she thought about it and put it into her phone, too, to have a look again later. It sounded interesting and somehow desirable. She wished she could relate to it, but it seemed to be about a kind of love that she had missed out on completely.

Something to sleep on, she thought. Maybe she would get some sudden enlightenment?

At about five o'clock an elderly couple arrived who came just for the night. She put them in the downstairs room when she saw the lady was somewhat infirm, and they were very happy with the arrangement. Jill took their identification to the office and put down their particulars in her ledger. It wasn't going to happen to her again!

They went out for dinner, fortunately. Jill happily pottered about a bit until it was her own dinner time.

Ben loved the walk Jill had shown him. He took the slightly longer route through an indecently picturesque village that must be quite unaffordable for the locals, he expected. It did a have a good place for lunch, though, and he ended up on the cliffs. He walked along the cliffs for a while until they dropped sharply and he found himself on a nice stretch of pebble beach. It seemed a good place to rest; there was a small cafe where he had some tea, and then he strolled along the pebbles for a while, enjoying the sound and looking at the waves roll in. There were a few nice, small stones, and he picked them up and had a better look. One was shaped like the head of a mushroom, and he found another one that was shaped like a stem and fitted well into the hole of the other one. He grinned. It was a flint mushroom of the right size and shape, and he put the two pieces in his pocket.

He went back at three o'clock. He thought he would have dinner again at the place he'd tried two days ago. But first some more of that beautiful landscape! So this was what Jill liked. It would be nice to explore the area with her. He whistled as he resumed his walk. It first led him uphill for a mile or so, and then he walked along a path that rather resembled an undulating park landscape.

Ben loved to feel the sun on his back and the sound of the birds. Part of the way led him through a flowering rapeseed field, and he stopped to take a picture. It was truly beautiful!

He arrived at the restaurant a little before six. To his relief it was open already, and he went in and had some salmon with vegetables and pommes sautéed.

He left the restaurant at seven thirty, and he rang the bell at about eight.

Jill opened the door. "Wow!" she said. "You've got a healthy colour." She blushed. "Did you have a good day?"

"Really? It was very pleasant out there. I had a wonderful walk, and a very good time. And how was yours?"

"I did a lot of reading, and I've got a few other visitors. I asked them for their identification -- they seemed to think it was quite normal."

"Good! I think it is. I wish weekends were longer... There must be a lot more to see around here. I found a nice flint mushroom on the beach." He grinned, and Jill smiled and raised her eyebrows.

He took the pebbles from his pocket and assembled them.

"Oh I see! Yes, it looks exactly like a mushroom. Very nice!"

She nodded. Ben was a nice man, and she liked the enthusiasm he showed for simple things.

"Home tomorrow." He made a face. "Shall I pay now?"

They went to the office together, and Jill entered the payment next to his name in the ledger.

"It seemed so unnecessary," she said. "And with most people it is." She sighed. "Funny, really. Most people are just alright; it's only a few that make any difference, whether a positive or a negative one. So, will you be going home to a family?"

"No, I'm just on my own. I will be going home to a cat, though. She can come and go through a cat flap in the garage, and I left her some food for the weekend."

He smiled as he thought of her. Then he rubbed his face. "I feel drowsy," he said. "Must be all that sea air. I suppose I'd better try and get myself some rest."

"No Graves tonight?"

"Just a few poems, yes. I always read a little in bed, if I can."

"Okay. So do I! Well, have a good night!"

"Thank you! Sweet dreams!"

Ben climbed the stairs and had a quick shower. He went to bed, and after reading a few pages he closed the book and returned it to the bookcase.

He turned off the lights and closed his eyes, but sleep came hard. He lay thinking about the past few days, and about Jill's usually earnest face, and her distant demeanour when he first saw her. She had thawed since, he thought. He wished he could have thawed her some more -- he actually wished they could have done some more talking but he didn't quite know how he could have started. One ought to have some starting point; you couldn't just bluntly ask the things you'd like to know.

He wished he had more time. But what to do? He could always come again some time. He rather thought he should. Jill seemed to be a very nice woman indeed -- the first woman to make a dent in his armour, the armour he'd put on after Letty had died. He grimaced. He didn't want to think about that too much; he missed her frightfully at times. Oh well. He would at least see Jill at breakfast. He sighed, rolled onto his side and went to sleep with her face on his mind.

Jill spent her evening reading, as usual. She put her book down at ten and prepared the breakfast room. Then she had a drink while she reread the poetry she had entered into her phone.Departure Loungewas beautiful, and it made a lot of sense.The Other Tonguewas, too, but she couldn't quite explain what it said to her. She might ask Jenny, her friend. Ben might know, but she wouldn't dare ask him. She would miss his company at breakfast. One more morning...

She finished her drink and turned in.

Ben was downstairs for breakfast even earlier than the other two days. Jill served breakfast, and she sat down at his table with her coffee. She asked him a little about his taste in reading, and they sat talking poetry until Ben had finished his food.

"Well," he said. "That was nice. I'm afraid I will have to go now. Er -- I'd like to come again the first weekend in July. Maybe I'd better book?"

"Yes," she said earnestly. "That will definitely be better. July is a busy month. Shall I put you in the same room?"

"Yes please. That would be very nice. Three nights again?"

"Okay. I'll go and write it down at once." She left the kitchen for a moment. Ben watched her go, and he saw again how beautiful she was.

She was back in a jiffy. "That's arranged," she said. "I hope it will be nice weather then."

Ben smiled. "Yes," he said. "We'll see. Oh well, back on the road for now."

He walked to his room and brushed his teeth, and he went downstairs with his suitcase.

Jill had just served breakfast to the elderly couple, and she came to the front door with him. "Thank you very much for your help on Saturday," she said.

"Not at all. I hope you'll see your money. Thank you for a nice stay -- I'm looking forward to July!"

He shook her hand and walked to his car. Jill stood in the front door until he left her parking place. He waved as he turned into the road.

Jill sighed and closed the door. It was a pity he had to go; he felt really good to have around. She wished she knew how to communicate what she felt. But she would see him again in July... That was something at least.

Summer

When June drew to an end, Ben began to feel restless. Time passed very slowly indeed now that his visit to Jill was getting closer. She'd been on his mind very often, and he was looking forward to seeing her again very much indeed.

Fidgeting didn't really help, of course. But eventually rainswept June turned to sultry July, and the Friday was finally there.

Ben had taken all the day off, and he left early. There were two towns on the way he would like to visit, and he didn't want to arrive at Jill's before she was open. His morning visit was rather disappointing; there had been extensive building projects all over the place, and he didn't find too many things of interest. He thought the main aspect of the town was one of over-activity -- not what he liked to see at all.

The second one was quite to his taste, though. He first made a walking tour through the town centre to see the main sights, including the remains of a Norman castle. It was rather ruined, to say the least, but at least it had a well-kept gatehouse that was completely intact but for the wooden ceilings that had gone missing, and half the keep was still standing -- enough to get an impression of the castle as it must have been.

He spent the afternoon having some tea at a local cafe, and visiting the Red Cross shop where he'd found a CD he'd long wanted to have by Gretchen Peters, one of those country singers that could make you feel all hollow inside because their songs seemed to pluck all the right strings. He hadn't seen it anywhere for quite a long time and he was very happy to have it.

After dinner he motored to Jill's place, some thirty miles further down the road. He hoped she would be as nice as he remembered -- her earnest face had been on his mind lots of the time in the intervening months, but he didn't know if it hadn't been changed in his thoughts over time. And people weren't always the same all the time anyway...he would find out soon.

He arrived at about seven. Jill heard him park his car, and she went to the front door to greet him, feeling happy he had indeed come back. She had been looking forward to seeing him again, but she hadn't been too sure if he would actually turn up.

"Hello Ben," she said, smiling. "Please come in. Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Oh, yes please. How are you?"

"Busy. It's a good thing you booked; I've had more applications than I can handle. And you?"

"Old, fat, ugly and tired," he said with a grin. "I'm glad to have some time off, and to be here. I'm looking forward to doing some more walking and to revisiting the town. Oh -- did you hear anything from the police?"

"Yes I did. I'll tell you; but let's have something to drink first. Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please."

Jill preceded him into the breakfast room and she started her coffee machine.

Ben put his suitcase on the floor. He sat down, and looked around. It really was a nice place, he thought. As nice as he remembered, and so was Jill. She busied herself with the coffee and took the mugs to the table.

"Well," she said. "It's really fortunate you took those photographs. The police had no trouble finding out about the owner -- it is her own car, by the way -- and it seems she immediately pleaded guilty. They said she is actually quite well to do; she only did things for kicks."

"Bored and rich?"

"Yes. The police weren't well pleased, as you can imagine. She was made to pay up, and she was sentenced to two months. If she'd kept to moonlight flits she might have come off with some community service, but the robberies were what did it. It seems she actually didn't mind as it was something she saw as just another kick."