36
Nancy made Olivia comfortable on the bed, then passed her a glass of water and some painkillers.
‘Has Hans gone back to his hotel?’ Olivia asked once she’d downed the tablets.
‘Klaus. We have to remember he’s Klaus now.’
Olivia raised her eyebrows. ‘Alright then. Has Klaus gone back to his hotel?’
‘Yes. He’s going to phone his daughter to confirm he’s ok.’
‘Was she expecting you to exact your revenge on him?’
‘I don’t know how much he’s told her. I’m sure she’s just concerned for his welfare.’
‘So what’s the next move? Are we going home now that you know all his little secrets?’
‘I wouldn’t call them little secrets! He’s asked us to dinner this evening.’
‘Both of us?’
‘He’s a gentleman. He was hardly likely to suggest you stay here on your own.’
‘And do you want me to come along?’
The honest answer was no, but Nancy didn’t have to say that out loud because Olivia knew her well enough to take the hint.
‘I’m fine here. I can send for room service if I need anything. You go on your date with your hot octogenarian.’
‘You think he looks hot then?’
‘No. He was always more your type than mine. I’ve got to say, though, he’s stood the test of time very well. He’s the same age as my Peter but doesn’t look it. Peter’s like the last shrivelled old prune at the bottom of the tin - one that’s been left out to go mouldy.’
‘That’s a bit harsh.’ Nancy had thought that Olivia’s opinion of her ex had mellowed since she’d seen him at their son’s wedding at Christmas, but he must have upset her again. ‘Anyway,’ Olivia added, ‘it’s what you think that matters.’
‘In that case, I’ll text him to say it’s just me.’ Nancy grinned.
‘What’s Olivia doing?’ Klaus asked Nancy when he collected her from the hotel foyer.
‘She’s resting her bruised ankle. She assures me she will be back on her feet tomorrow, but she’s working her way through the liquid contents of the minibar to make absolutely sure.’
‘That sounds very like Olivia. I didn’t have an opportunity to ask earlier - what happened to Pierre?’
‘He left her for another woman shortly after we … after you disappeared.’
Klaus nodded. He obviously didn’t want to be drawn into that topic again. ‘Are you ok with walking to the restaurant? It’s only ten minutes away. Or we can get a taxi? Or an Uber if you don’t want anything as old-fashioned as a taxi?’
Nancy laughed. ‘Walking is fine. I don’t need a mobility scooter just yet.’ Nancy put her arm through his. ‘Which way?’
‘Over here.’ He led them down the main road.
Nancy’s phone rang.
‘Your son again?’ Klaus said.
She quickly glanced at the screen. It was Mark. At least she didn’t have to lie about that this time, but it was unusual for him to phone - he normally texted her.
‘I’m sure he can wait until later,’ she said, clicking the ‘decline’ button. ‘Is your daughter ok?’
‘Yes, she is happy that we are getting on. But she wants me to go home. She’s worried about me catching this new virus.’
‘That’s probably what Mark wants to talk about.’
‘We worry about our children from the day they’re born, and then there comes a point where they worry about us.’
‘Though we never stop worrying about them,’ Nancy said thoughtfully.
‘Let’s take that side street,’ he said, guiding her across the road.
‘What did you do after I disappeared?’ Klaus asked.
‘I tried to track down your company, but eventually, I gave up. I used to check the postbox twice a day to see if you’d sent me a letter. But then I had to leave Paris.’
‘You went sailing? When I was in that cell, I used to imagine you at the tiller of a yacht, your hair flowing behind you as you sped across the waves.’
‘I changed my mind about the yacht trip,’ she said hesitantly.
‘That’s a shame. Did Patty make it around the world? We didn’t get that sort of news at home.’
‘No, she had to give up at Sydney. The boat had a major issue with its rigging. But on the positive side, the shipwright who looked at it for her turned out to be her ideal man. She still lives with him there now.’
They turned into another narrow street.
‘Have we walked along here before?’ Nancy asked. It was a typical old Parisian street, the sort you’d see in a tourist brochure. None of the tall, elegant buildings or the shops and cafés taking up the ground floor space rang a bell with Nancy, but something about the view in the distance was familiar.
Klaus smiled. ‘I think you will remember it very well in a minute. I hope so anyway.’
They carried for a few more metres, then he stopped and gently turned her around to face the building opposite. There was an old Art Nouveau clock on the wall between two windows. It had drawings of two stylised black cats curling around the clock face.
Nancy’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled the previous time she’d seen that clock. She was surprised he’d remembered. ‘Are we eating here?’
‘Sadly, it is no longer a restaurant, but I thought you might like to see it again.’
‘Did you pick tonight’s restaurant so we would have to walk past it?’
‘We might be taking a little detour,’ he whispered in her ear.
Nancy turned to face him and put her hand up to stroke his cheek.
Their eyes met briefly before he bent his head to kiss her. She felt his lips on hers. It could be 1964 all over again. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment as he held her close against his body. How long was it since she’d last felt this way? Years. Before Xander. Not since Hans had disappeared, to be honest.
‘Can we pick up where we left off?’ He whispered as he gently moved away.
‘Do you mean you’re going to wine and dine me, then panic and leave me frustrated at my door? ’ Nancy whispered back.
‘Absolutely not. I was referring to the last night we spent together.’
‘Do you think we could manage a night as passionate as that again?’ Nancy smiled at the memory. ‘It was an impressive enough performance for a couple of 20-somethings. It would be nothing short of a miracle at our age.’
‘I’m not sure I can be quite as energetic as I was when I was 25, but my heart is in it. I’m willing to risk giving it a go.’