Chapter Forty-Two
Hattie was desperate to make her excuses, grab an overnight bag from Sheila’s house and go back with Luke. She set off to find Sheila.
‘Hi—’ she began.
‘Oh, Hattie!’ Sheila exclaimed. ‘I thought I’d missed you. I wanted to say thank you again for taking Fiona to see the puppies and doing such a splendid job as celebrant.’
‘That was all an absolute pleasure,’ said Hattie, ‘but now—’
‘It couldn’t have gone better, could it?’
‘No, but, Sheila—’
Something about the way she said it finally got Sheila’s attention. ‘It’s me and Luke,’ said Hattie. ‘We’ve got together—’
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence before Sheila embraced her. ‘Oh, my darling! I couldn’t be more delighted! But how? He couldn’t make the wedding. Did he show up at the last minute?
‘I went to see him, on impulse,’ said Hattie. ‘Inspired by the wedding,’ she added, feeling the need to provide some sort of explanation. One day she’d tell Luke about the visions, of course she would, but not now. ‘And now I want to get some things from your house as well as my car—’
‘Go! And I want all the details very soon!’
At last she was back with Luke in the car park.
‘Rose and Sam had to go,’ Luke said.
‘I know. That’s why I got the panicky text.’ She smiled. ‘If you drop me back at Sheila’s, then I can pick up my car and drive to yours?’
He smiled. ‘Don’t hang around.’
Luke hadn’t waited for her at Sheila’s, and when Hattie arrived back at Luke’s house, she understood why. He had done a rapid but effective tidy-up. There were flowers, picked from the garden, in a jug on the table. There was a bottle of champagne in a bucket – a black polythene builder’s bucket.
He kissed her briefly. ‘Stay here for a moment or two. I haven’t finished in the bedroom.’
Hattie found her place on the sofa and the dogs instantly got up and sat next to her, leaning into her embrace.
She sat there, anticipation and even slight anxiety mingling with her desire for Luke.
How could she get through the next few moments, waiting for him to come and fetch her?
Could you actually die from longing? Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long.
Luke put out a hand and pulled her to her feet.
Then he swept her up into his arms and carried her, right past the unopened champagne and up to the bedroom.
She could smell line-dried sheets and his cologne.
He dropped her on to the bed and had a stern word with the dogs before shutting the door.
Hattie was happy. Just now, she didn’t want to share Luke with anyone.
The following morning, Hattie and Luke were in bed drinking tea. The bottle in the builder’s bucket was now empty and upside down. Frank and Fearless had joined them on the bed. Hattie had never felt so happy before in her life.
Then suddenly the dogs were on full alert. Luke sat up. ‘Who on earth could that be?’ He looked at his watch. ‘It’s nearly eleven.’
‘Oh,’ said Hattie, feeling very caught out.
The doorbell rang and Luke got out of bed and started pulling on his clothes.
‘We could pretend we’re not here,’ suggested Hattie, getting up too now. She realised her overnight bag had never made it to the bedroom and she didn’t fancy fighting her way back into her wedding finery. ‘Can I borrow something to wear, Luke? A shirt?’
He pulled one from a hanger and threw it towards her.
‘It might be a delivery or something.’ Luke was now dressed. ‘I’ll go and see who it is.’
‘And can you get my case for me?’
‘Sure,’ he said, and left the room.
Soon she could hear voices and Luke being welcoming; it was obviously not a delivery.
Hattie had an extremely quick shower and pulled on the shirt which was long enough to make her almost decent. Then she peeked out of the window and saw her sister’s car parked behind hers.
Although she was alone, she blushed from head to toe.
Quite why she felt so embarrassed at the thought of her sister knowing she had sex, she wasn’t sure.
She couldn’t possibly go downstairs in Luke’s shirt now.
She was just starting to panic when Luke opened the bedroom door and pushed her case through, giving her a knowing smile as he did.
She was delighted to see it but found it very carelessly packed. Her underwear and toiletries were there, and a pair of jeans, but somehow no top. What had she been thinking last night? Luke’s shirt would have to do.
In the hallway, she spotted a metal tape measure on a shelf. Almost weeping with relief, she picked it up and went into the sitting room.
‘Oh, hi, Lennie! Tom! And Xander! I didn’t know you were coming! Luke? I think standard curtains would be fine in there. Or you could have a blind.’
Her sister, Tom, Luke and Xander all looked at her. Hattie realised she had no idea of what had been said. Had Luke announced the fact that they’d got together as he’d opened the door?
Even the dogs paused in their making a fuss of Xander to look at her quizzically.
‘It’s no good pretending you were measuring up for curtains,’ said Leonie, appearing amused.
‘It’s perfectly obvious that something’s going on between you.
Quite apart from the fact that that shirt is way too big for you, there’s this.
’ She indicated the builder’s bucket, the champagne bottle and the glasses.
‘We were celebrating, ‘said Hattie, unwilling to admit defeat. ‘Luke is buying a house!’
‘Another one?’ said Leonie.
‘You can never have too many,’ said Luke, seriously.
‘Mary’s house! He’s buying it for me,’ said Hattie. ‘Not for me, but on my behalf.’
‘Oh, that’s amazing!’ said Leonie. ‘Your own home that you won’t have to keep moving out of. That’s brilliant! Well done, both of you.’ She gave her sister a tight hug; Hattie was rather taken aback.
‘We’re celebrating too!’ said Tom, brandishing a full bottle of champagne.
Hattie relaxed. With news of her own to share, Leonie wasn’t going to be interested in the details of what Hattie and Luke had been up to.
‘I’ll get some glasses,’ said Hattie.
‘Do you know where they are?’ asked Leonie, suddenly very innocent.
‘Of course. We lived here, remember!’
Leonie gave her a sisterly smile which made Hattie want to kick her.
Hattie found glasses and some unopened snacks.
‘Can I go to the cabin and make a bit of a track, do you think?’ asked Xander. ‘I realise no one is going to give me champagne.’
‘Of course!’ said Hattie, grateful for one less embarrassed person in the room before realising that it was Leonie’s job to give permission really.
‘So, what’s your excuse for champagne?’ asked Hattie when Tom had filled the glasses and Luke had passed them round. ‘Although I hope I can guess!’
Tom nodded. ‘We’re engaged!’
Hattie swooped on her sister and hugged her. ‘That’s such lovely news!’
‘Yes,’ said Leonie. ‘And we’re going to have an engagement party – where Mum and Dad had their do.’
‘As well as a wedding?’ asked Luke.
Leonie nodded. ‘The wedding will take a while to organise and Mum and Dad want everyone to have met Tom beforehand. And, Hattie, I’m taking you shopping for a proper outfit.
You may have looked amazing in that slip dress but Mum was not impressed.
’ She shot Luke a look before continuing, ‘I’m assuming you’ll have a plus one. ’
‘She will,’ said Luke. ‘And I liked the slip dress.’ He gave Hattie a lingering look.
‘So, when did this happen, then?’ asked Leonie, nodding at Hattie and Luke. ‘I want all the details.’
‘You can’t have all the details,’ said Luke firmly, ‘but maybe – Hattie? Do you want to show Leonie and Tom?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Hattie went to the sideboard where she’d put the snow globe. ‘Luke made me this.’
‘Hattie! What an amazing present. You’ve always loved snow globes.’
‘It’s Mary’s house,’ said Hattie.
‘It was when I thought she couldn’t have the real house,’ Luke explained. ‘It was painstaking work but satisfying.’
‘It’s amazing,’ said Tom, turning it round and round in his hands. ‘All I gave Leonie—’
‘Is this!’ Leonie held out her hand. On her finger was a very attractive ring: amethysts and pearls set in gold. ‘It’s Victorian. We bought it in a lovely little antique shop.’
‘It’s so pretty! I love it,’ said Hattie.
‘I must say it was the first one we saw and although we looked at others, we kept coming back to this one.’ Leonie got to her feet. ‘Hattie, I’m not going back to Switzerland until the middle of next week. Any chance we could go outfit shopping before then?’
‘Er, I’m sure we could.’
‘Maybe also buy a skirt or a pair of trousers?’ Leonie put her arm round Hattie’s waist and led her away from the men. ‘I’m so pleased that you and Luke have finally got together,’ she said quietly. ‘What took you so long?’
Hattie shrugged. ‘I don’t know really. But we worked it out eventually.’ She didn’t mention the vision, though the question of the other woman flashed into her mind once more.
‘Well, thank goodness! Now, do you know where you’ll be living until you’re installed at Mary’s? I’m leaving Xander with you again next week. Will you be here or with Sheila?’
Luke, who apparently had the hearing of a bat, joined them. ‘I really hope Hattie will be here. And Xander, of course.’
Hattie found herself blushing again.
Leonie gave her a squeeze. ‘Jolly good! I’ll fetch Xander and we’ll get out of your hair for now. I’m sure you have… things to do.’
If Hattie had thought she could take her and Xander’s things and run, Sheila had other ideas. She sat Hattie down at the kitchen table and produced tea and biscuits.
‘So, you and Luke!’ said Sheila. ‘Tell me the details. I know you’re old friends but when did you start to feel differently about him?’
‘It sort of crept up on me, Sheila.’ Hattie found herself determined to change the subject. ‘Now, what I want to know from you is, are you and Fiona both going to have puppies? I don’t think you should miss out on the fun. You can look after each other’s dogs when you go away. It would be ideal.’