A Swing at Love Read online

  A man sidled up to her. “How are you holding up?” She recognised him as Lionel, who had sat at the far end of her table, which, Diane had revealed near the end of the meal, was dubbed the ‘singles’ table’.

  “Just fine, thanks.”

  Lionel had loosened his tie and his eyes were glazed over.

  Tamsin took a small step away, not that she considered him in any condition to take a subtle hint.

  “You’ll find us a lovely, civilised bunch.” He all but slurred his words.

  Yeah right. Like the lot at my previous club.

  “I’m sure you all are.” Tamsin had little choice but to oblige him.

  “I hear you’re renting the Andersons’ cottage,” Lionel said. “Is it just you there or do you have a husband and some kids running around?”

  How quickly word spread in villages—and clubs—like this. Of course, the Andersons were members here as well. Any newcomer would have tongues wagging. She knew how this worked.

  “Just me and Bramble, my dog,” she said. Bramble had acclimatised to the cottage and its surroundings instantly. Tamsin adored the cottage but knew she would need a little longer to adapt to everything else.

  Lionel took a step closer again. “We’ll have to make sure you don’t get too lonely over there then.” Lionel tried a smile but the corners of his mouth seemed too lazy to quirk all the way up.

  Tamsin thought it best to not dignify that with an answer. She looked at the dance floor again. Diane was chatting to a woman at the edge of the bopping crowd. She didn’t seem like much of a dancer either. Of all the people who had inquired about lessons tonight, Tamsin looked forward to teaching Diane the most. They’d spent the most time together, so it was only logical. She didn’t much look forward to teaching Debbie—what had Diane called her again. A trollop? Tamsin snickered inwardly, careful not to show any outward signs of her glee, lest Lionel believed she was actually enjoying their conversation.

  Diane must have felt Tamsin’s gaze on her because she looked in her direction and gave her a wave. Her gaze lingered, then meandered to the person next to Tamsin. She rolled her eyes.

  Emboldened by Diane’s small display of sympathy at being stuck with a drunken Lionel, Tamsin said, “Please excuse me.” She turned away from him, only to be accosted as soon as she rounded the corner of the bar by another member in dire need of golf lessons.

  Chapter Three

  “Damn it,” Diane muttered as she watched her ball fly over the green and end up in the bunker behind it.

  Isabelle was using her new special binoculars to measure the distance to the hole. “They’re the newest, most accurate model,” she’d said, proudly showing them off to Diane on the first hole. “And so much cheaper in the US. If you want I can ask Ted to bring you some, he’s going back in a couple of weeks to take care of some business.”

  Diane had politely declined the offer. She was a firm believer in instinct and her own eyes. All these new technological innovations were lost on her. These days people even had watches that told them the distance to the hole.

  Now, looking at where her ball had ended up, she was starting to think that a little help from technology would not be such a bad thing.

  Isabelle finally decided on which club to use. She set up in front of her ball and took a calm and elegant swing at it. They both followed the ball with their eyes as it flew through the air until it landed on the green, rolled for a few seconds, and ended up two yards from the hole.

  “Nice shot,” Diane said. “Did you do anything besides play while you were in Florida?”

  Isabelle grinned at her. “Not really, no. I’ve told you many times, you should consider doing the same. We should go over together soon and you can look at condos. Then we can spend the winter together in the sun.”

  “It does sound more appealing every time you mention it,” Diane mused. “But as long as I’m still working, I don’t feel I can be away for that long.”

  “Oh, come on,” Isabelle exclaimed. “You only go into the office three days a week as it is. Your loyal employees keep the place running without you there. And, I know you’re a technophobe, but there’s this thing called the internet. Even Florida’s connected to it. You could work remotely.”

  They had reached the green. “I’ll think about it,” Diane said. “Now let me focus on getting this ball out of that bloody bunker.”

  After they had finished the hole, they saw they had caught up to the foursome in front of them. They sat on the wooden bench next to the tee as they waited their turn.

  “Can you believe how slow they are?” Isabelle pointed at the septuagenarians playing ahead of them. “They’re probably still hungover from the dinner on Saturday. Did you see how drunk Barry Ferguson was? I saw him almost fall on his face on the way to the car park.”

  Diane chuckled. “Most of those old codgers don’t usually stay out that late. You can’t blame them for having a jolly time.”

  They sat in silence for a while and turned their faces towards the sun, making the most of its unexpected appearance. The trees were not showing signs of new leaves yet but the air smelled of the possibility of spring for the first time that year.

  “Have you booked any lessons yet with the new pro?” Isabelle asked.

  “I haven’t, but I plan to do so soon,” Diane replied. “I was sitting next to her on Saturday; she seems very nice.”

  “She does, doesn’t she?” Isabelle said. “Did she happen to mention why she left Chalstone?” Her tone was conspiratorial.

  “She said she needed a change.” Diane looked at Isabelle. “Why? Do you know more?”

  “I probably shouldn’t be saying this, as it’s only a rumour I heard from Ted’s friend, who’d heard it from someone else.” She paused. “Apparently—and again, this is just a rumour—she had a fling with the daughter of Chalstone’s president. That didn’t go down well, as you can probably imagine. Plus, said daughter is only about twenty, according to my source, so they said she was taking advantage of the girl. Miss Foxley’s contract was therefore not renewed and she was asked to leave.”

  Diane sat in stunned silence for a moment. Then she said, “How sure are you of this?” Diane knew enough about golf to not be surprised that the new RTGC golf professional was sapphically inclined, but Tamsin had seemed completely decent and genuine, not the type to take advantage of anyone.

  “As I said, I only have third or fourth-hand knowledge.” Isabelle shrugged. “Could be someone failed to improve their handicap sufficiently after lessons with her and decided to discredit her out of spite.”

  The older gentlemen had moved on. Diane and Isabelle both hit their drives onto the fairway. As they were walking towards their balls, Isabelle said, “In any case, I for one would be very happy to have another out LGBT person at the club. Rob and Matthew sometimes feel so out of place. Maybe she can help Matthew get his membership accepted, finally.”

  After they’d finished their round, Isabelle had rushed off, claiming the slow play had made her late for an appointment.

  Diane was in the warehouse where the golf bags were stored, cleaning the mud from her clubs. She straightened when the door opened and Tamsin walked in.

  “Hello Diane,” she said, “are you starting or finishing?”

  “I just played a round with Isabelle,” Diane replied. “My first one since before Christmas, can you believe it?”

  “Is that Mrs Avery?” Tamsin asked. “I’m not familiar with all the names yet.”

  “Yes, that’s her.”

  “How did it go, after your long break?”

  “Not very well.” Diane laughed. “Let’s just say you’ll be seeing me on your teaching schedule sooner rather than later. If it’s not completely booked out yet, that is.”

  Tamsin took her phone out of her pocket. She tapped the screen a few times, then held it out for Diane to look at. “As you can see, my schedule for the next few days is still pretty empty. Darren has been encouraging his pupils to give
me a try, and many have approached me, but I guess they’ll only actually start coming once he’s gone.”

  “Well,” Diane said resolutely, “I for one don’t want to wait. New year, new start and all that.” Diane thought she had spotted the name Deborah Stamp in Wednesday’s calendar and decided not to take any chances. “Are you free Thursday afternoon, say, at three o’clock?”

  Tamsin checked her phone. “Not anymore.” She smiled at Diane. “Thank you.”

  “Did you have a nice time at the party Saturday night?”

  “I did, but I went home quite early. It’s rather tiring meeting all those new people, trying to remember everyone’s name.”

  “I can imagine,” Diane said. “Especially when most of us had a few too many to drink. I saw you managed to fend off Lionel’s advances.” Diane winked.

  Tamsin chuckled. “Yes, I did.”

  “Not your type, is he?” Diane asked before she could stop herself.

  “Eh, no, not really.” Tamsin blushed at the question.

  “I’m sorry,” Diane said, placing her hand on Tamsin’s arm. “I’m always saying things I shouldn’t.”

  “That’s all right,” Tamsin said. “Don’t worry about it.” Her mouth opened and she looked like she might say something more, but then decided against it.

  An awkward silence followed. Diane realised her hand was still on Tamsin’s arm, and quickly retracted it.

  “Well,” Tamsin said, “I should let you get on with your cleaning. I want everything spic and span for Thursday.” She wagged her finger and gave Diane a stern look, before breaking into a wide smile.

  Diane laughed and gave a salute. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “See you then.” Tamsin walked towards the back of the warehouse, where the pro’s office was located.

  Diane’s gaze followed her and lingered on the spot where Tamsin had disappeared from view behind a row of stored bags.

  Diane was intrigued by the new teacher. She had an easy manner with people and an engaging personality—as far as Diane could tell after only a couple of encounters. These were probably prerequisites for someone in Tamsin’s profession. Nevertheless, Diane felt like they would get along. Despite what Isabelle had told her on the course, Tamsin definitely didn’t seem like someone who would act inappropriately with anyone. Diane vowed to do her best to make sure Tamsin was welcomed at the RTGC.

  Chapter Four

  “How about you show me a swing,” Tamsin said. “See how far you can hit the ball.”

  Diane looked like a natural in her golf outfit, as if she’d been doing this all her life. She probably had. She wore a bright orange polo shirt and a pair of navy-blue trousers. Her golf bag was perched on an electric cart.

  Tamsin had taught a lesson to ‘the trollop’ the day before and, although she’d been dressed in similar garments, Debbie didn’t come near the effortless elegance of Diane.

  Diane selected a seven iron and positioned herself for her swing. Tamsin studied her movement as she hit the ball.

  “Can you do that a few more times, please?” she asked.

  Diane didn’t say anything; she just focused on hitting the balls. Tamsin had looked up her profile on the club’s internal website, as she did with everyone who booked a lesson, and she had learned that Diane Thompson’s handicap was a very respectable thirteen.

  “I’m impressed,” Tamsin said. “You get a really good length with that seven iron.” She took a step closer. “Do you mind if I show you a little trick to get your direction more consistent?”

  “That’s what the lesson is for, isn’t it?” Diane grinned, her eyes sparkling as she did.

  “Indeed.” Tamsin stood behind Diane. This was always a little bit awkward with new pupils, but she was a teacher and, sometimes, there was no other way to demonstrate something. She put her hands on Diane’s arms and pulled them up slightly so her hands held the club a little higher. “Can you feel how this straightens your legs?” Tamsin asked.

  “Yes,” Diane said.

  Tamsin let go of her. “Keep that position.” She crouched down to tee up a ball. “And try another swing.”

  Tamsin watched Diane’s improved form. It was only the tiniest of changes, but they were what made the difference in golf.

  “How did that feel?” she asked.

  “Like I could hit a little better.” Diane painted on a satisfied smile.

  “You have a natural draw in your shots, which you should always take into account,” Tamsin said.

  Diane nodded. “I’ve missed many a hole-in-one because of it,” she joked.

  They worked on Diane’s swing for the rest of the lesson. Tamsin hadn’t taught many lessons at her new club yet, but from the few pupils she’d had, Diane was definitely top of the class. She had a confidence about her that came from having played the game all of her life. Tamsin had also gleaned from the club’s website that Diane had won quite a few club championships, although her winning streak had ended a few years ago.

  When they came to the end of their lesson, Diane said, “I couldn’t help but notice when you showed me your calendar the other day that you were due to have a lesson with Debbie Stamp.”

  “The woman of the t-word,” Tamsin said, allowing herself this inside joke with Diane—even though it was extremely unprofessional.

  Diane nodded, her lips curved into a lopsided grin. “Do you think she’s close to getting her handicap yet?”

  Tamsin pursed her lips. “I think it’ll be a while.”

  “Good.” They walked to the clubhouse together. “Do you have time for a coffee?” Diane asked.

  “When you inadvertently glanced at my calendar, you may have also seen that it’s still quite empty,” Tamsin said. “I have all the time in the world.”

  They sat by one of the large windows overlooking the putting green. Tamsin had chosen coffee, whereas Diane had claimed she deserved a glass of wine after her lesson.

  “How long have you been a member here?” Tamsin asked.

  “All my life,” Diane said. “My parents were members.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m the one who got Lawrence in and what thanks do I get? Him ushering in his younger model.” Diane took a sip of wine. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m still very bitter about the divorce, while I’m really not.” She lifted a finger. “But I am still very much riled-up about Debbie being allowed to join. Not only because the committee decided against Matthew joining, but also because this club has always been a refuge for me. After my divorce, I came here a lot so that I could forget about the whole mess. For a while, Lawrence felt too guilty to show his face much, what with having turned into such an utter middle-aged cliché.” Diane shrugged. “But now Debbie has invaded this part of my life as well, while all I want to do is pretend she doesn’t exist.”

  “That must be hard.” Tamsin wasn’t new to pupils baring their soul to her. When you spent a lot of one-on-one time with someone, it happened quite naturally.

  “It is what it is, of course.” Diane leaned back in her chair and stared out of the window. “I’ve no choice but to accept it.”

  “If it’s any consolation”—Tamsin leaned over the table—“from what I’ve seen, there’s not much chance Debbie will ever become a great golfer.”

  “That is a consolation.” Diane dragged her gaze away from the window. Her grey-blue eyes landed on Tamsin. “Thank you.”

  “This is strictly between us, of course,” Tamsin whispered.

  “Your secret’s safe with me.” Diane narrowed her eyes, as though she was going to say something else, but she must have thought twice about it, because silence fell between them.

  “Can you put me in for another lesson for the same time next week?” Diane asked after a while.

  “With great pleasure.”

  Diane gave her a wide smile. It reminded her about what Ellen had once said about Tamsin’s. Your smile can light up the darkest room. For once in her life Tamsin had really—really—liked someone. She’d known the signifi
cant age gap between them wasn’t ideal, and that their affair perhaps didn’t stand a lot of chance, but that was for Ellen and her to figure out, not for Ellen’s father to put a very offended stop to.

  Maybe it was time she started dating again. Put the past well and truly behind her.

  “Something on your mind?” Diane asked. “You look completely lost in thought.”

  “Just thinking about how to improve your game. Do you want to work on anything specific?”

  “Well, I’d say let’s get my handicap down, but it’s been going up steadily for the past decade so I guess that’s out of the question.” Her gaze held Tamsin’s for a split second. “A bit like my weight, actually.” She belted out a brash, loud cackle of a laugh. “And, inevitably, my age.” She reached for her wine glass again. “I’m turning fifty-five next year, in case you’re wondering.”

  “Let me give you a dash of hope,” Tamsin said. “I’ve been doing this job for a while now, and I’ve seen many women in their fifties improve their handicap. Not by a great margin, but it can be done. The downward spiral doesn’t have to continue.” Tamsin wanted to add that Diane looked in great shape for her age, but she didn’t want to sound patronising.

  “I’m suddenly very glad that Darren’s retiring,” Diane said. “I get nothing but good news from you.”

  “You’re the one who has to put in the work.” Tamsin used her stern coach’s voice.

  “I practically live at this club. I have more meals here than I do at my own home.” She tapped a fingertip against her glass. “And more drinks as well.” Another one of her smiles.

  “Are you retired?” Tamsin figured they’d reached a stage where she could ask a more personal question.

  “No, I still work part-time.” Diane twirled the stem of her wineglass between her fingers. “I go to the office most mornings. I own an accountancy firm. I can’t really see myself actually retiring any time soon. I can hardly play golf all the time.”