― John Fowles
It was awkward.
I wanted to warn Clare and Nat they might be in danger, but Nat invited Tess to dinner and now I wasn't sure whether to include her in the conversation.
But the damnable thing was that by associating with me, Tess herself might now also be in danger.
I decided to wait for an opportune moment in the conversation, but how do you segue to telling people that because of you, they're under police surveillance?
Yeah, awkward and embarrassing.
The whole situation was tricky and in a sense surrealistic―we were all mired in the amber of time repeating ourselves as friends or lovers, all the while feigning unawareness.
What was at the root of our reticence―fear that we'd be considered mad, or dread that our nightmares were real?
I tried to focus on Nat and Tess to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"What draws you to the past?" Nat was asking. " I mean why are you interested in antiques?"
Tess hesitated a moment, aware that all our eyes were upon her. "I suppose it's going to sound silly, but I think I'm an old soul."
"You think you've lived before?" Nat pressed.
"Yeah, I do. I have dreams about it."
Nat was fascinated. "So, when do you think you lived before?"
"Oh, about a century ago―back in the 1920's"
"And where did you live at that time?"
"Right here in West Harbour. That's how I got involved in the antique business trying to sleuth out my origins."
"And what did you find out?" I interjected.
"I think you know the answer to that question."
Nat looked at me quizzically and Clare just stayed silent.
"Are you referring to that sense of recognition we both felt when we first met in your shop?"
Tess nodded and bit her lower lip as if stifling her emotions.
"Were we friends, Tess?"
"You might say that."
"Who else did you know back then?" Nat asked.
Again, Tess hesitated a moment and then whispered, "Clare."
"You knew Clare?" Nat asked, astonished.
"We were friends, until..."
Nat was puzzled. "Until what?"
"Not what, but who," Clare broke in.
Tears began rollin down Tess' cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Clare."
"Can we have a moment?" Clare asked, looking at me me.
"Sure," I said, getting up and nodding at Nat to follow me out.
I looked back to see Clare had sat beside Tess, this time with her arm around her.
When we got outside Nat looked at me helplessly.
"What the hell, Man? I don't get it."
I let out a deep sigh. "Neither do I, Nat" I said, clapping him on the shoulder, "but those two have unfinished business. Let's take a walk around the block and let them sort it out."
Nat looked bewildered but acceded to my request.
As we walked I thought the distance between all of us had shortened and we were coming closer to the mystery―we were on the very verge.
Nat, of course, was struggling to comprehend Tess, having just met her for the first time.
I had a different conflict having known both women in a prior life and now dealing with them a second time.