Page 60 of Somewhere Only We Know

‘Sure.’ I caught the eye of a waitress and asked for the bill and within minutes we were heading for the door.

I could see how difficult it was for him to express his emotions. He was suffering, that much was obvious, and he still hadn’t managed to utter Brontë’s name. I’d meant it when I’d said that there were lots of things I wanted to say, and it looked as if he might feel the same. Maybe I’d be able to help him with that while I was here. Maybe these next couple of days together would be good for both of us.

Chapter 20

Australia

The next morning after breakfast, Harry collected me from my guest house in Leura with a promise to show me some of his favourite spots in the Blue Mountains.

‘Sorry about the state of this vehicle,’ he said, brushing crumbs off the passenger seat before he’d allow me in. ‘My Uncle Pete has a lot of good qualities, but hoovering his car is not one of them. Cleaning anything at all doesn’t feature highly on the list, if I’m honest.’

It was an elderly estate car with bumper stickers on the rear and dents on every door panel. Someone had drawn Clean me in the thick layer of dust covering the bonnet. Harry was meticulous, often resorting to tidying Brontë’s room when the mess got too much for him. His uncle sounded like the complete opposite and I was intrigued to meet him.

‘Harry, the last time I accepted a lift off anyone it was in an ox and cart, which was dusty, bumpy and not in the least bit fragrant.’ I laughed at the surprise on his face. ‘Believe me, this is luxury, and please thank your uncle for letting you have his car to chauffeur me today.’

We headed away from Leura, passing the little restaurant where I’d spent a serene couple of hours last night over a watermelon juice mocktail watching the sunset over the mountains from a white bandstand in the garden. After leaving the coffee shop yesterday, Harry and I had had a walk around Leura until it was time for me to check into the guest house, where he’d left me to my own devices.

I’d pondered asking if he wanted to join me for dinner but had decided against it. The couple of hours we’d spent together had been enough to break the ice, and this morning things felt more relaxed between us.

The drive to our first stop only took ten minutes, even with Harry slowing down so that I could see some of the wonderful street art painted on the houses in Katoomba. From the research I’d done on the train, I knew that I’d be in for a visual treat on our walk today. We were steering clear of the main tourist routes and were seeking out some secret spots recommended by Uncle Pete. There were motor homes, minibuses and plenty of cars filling the car park and lining the road, but Harry passed them by and found a parking spot under a shady tree. We set off with backpacks and sun hats following a path into dense woodland.

‘This trip,’ Harry asked once we were on our way. ‘You’re going to visit all the places included in her travel journal?’

‘Yep. That’s the plan. Each time I turn a page it’s like having a whole new conversation with her.’

‘I’d love that,’ he said softly.

‘It’s brought me a lot of unexpected joy already.’ I allowed a beat of silence to follow, acknowledging how lucky I was to have her itinerary to discover. ‘I put off looking at it for months. And now I know why. I think I was meant to do this trip. I’m intrigued to see what Brontë has in store for me.’

He turned to look at me, a flicker of something crossing his face. I couldn’t make out if it was impressed or alarmed.

‘Exciting,’ he said.

‘It has been, so far. I think she’d be glad all her research hasn’t gone to waste.’

Soon we were walking uphill on a twisting path towards Echo Point in Katoomba. I was staying close to Harry and warily watching for spiders. The sun was beating down in a sky barely marked with fluffy clouds, but the dappled shade of the eucalyptus trees provided enough cover to keep me from overheating. The air was fragrant with the aroma of tea tree. Somewhere beside us, a kookaburra laughed incessantly, making Harry and me laugh too.

He stopped beside a gap in the trees and indicated for me to take in the view. ‘Waterfall.’

Harry wasn’t big on detail. I didn’t mind. I’d been taking pictures of signposts and You are here maps; so I could go back and check what I’d seen later if necessary. I was happy just to spend time in this beautiful place, with him.

I knew we were looking out at Jamison Valley. And far beneath us was indeed a waterfall. Even from this distance we could hear the water crashing down into the river below.

‘Wow.’ I gazed with awe out across the landscape and up at the huge sky. ‘Makes me feel very small.’

‘Me too.’ Harry waited while I took some photos and then we continued on. ‘I come out here sometimes to remind myself how small my problems are in the grand scheme of things.’

I almost prompted him to explain, but decided against it at the last moment. He could tell me in his own time. We carried on for a few minutes in silence until we came to a lookout point, a flat platform enclosed with railings.

‘This is my favourite view.’ Harry walked up to the railings, took two bottles of water from his rucksack and handed one to me.

I recognised the rock formation on the opposite side of the valley. It was one of the most iconic landmarks of the Blue Mountains: three sandstone peaks in a row.

‘The Three Sisters!’ I exclaimed. ‘This is beautiful, Harry. Thank you for bringing me here.’

For a few minutes, we stood together, sipping our water, lost in our thoughts, the lush bluey-green of the eucalyptus forest providing a stark contrast against the orange and brown mountains. The sky was so clear that we could see for miles and miles.

‘I’m sorry,’ he blurted out, turning to me. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t come round and see you after …’