Chapter Twenty-Three
CHAPTER
TWENTY - THREE
The journey home was, Violet realised, a delight. As Jenny had predicted, she was genuinely tired from all of Boxing Day’s activities, such as helping Kiki, not to mention the walks, meals and board games that she’d managed to fit in throughout the day – all of which seemed to create another mountain of washing up –before Henry declared he had to go home and was giving Violet a lift.
They didn’t feel the need to make conversation but when they spoke it was natural. They discovered they shared a sense of humour and had many interests in common.
Towards the end of the journey, Violet said, ‘I don’t think we should tell anyone at work that we spent Christmas together. I don’t mean keep it a secret as such, but just not mention it.’
Henry nodded, his eyes on the road. ‘I’m inclined to agree. I think me returning to the shop after being away so long will be exciting enough for everyone.’
Violet laughed. ‘It will be quite exciting! We must arrange to meet down in my basement first, so we don’t have to pretend not to know each other at all.’
‘Your basement?’
‘I’ve come to think of it as mine. I spend all my time there and have sorted out most of what’s down there. I do hope you approve!’ She was worried suddenly. ‘It was such a muddle. It needed some order.’
‘It certainly did. And don’t worry; I’ll come in early and be down there when you arrive. Besides, several people have taken a day or two’s holiday over Christmas, so not everyone will be in the shop anyway.’
It was dark by the time they arrived at Cheyne Walk and Henry carried Violet’s luggage, which had increased in the couple of days she’d been away, to her door. Violet was aware of him standing behind her as she fitted her front-door key into the lock. She stepped into the hall and turned to face him, and she could tell neither of them knew how to say goodbye. There was a moment of awkwardness before she said quietly, ‘Goodnight, Henry, and thank you so much for the lift. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘In your basement,’ he said, smiling.
‘Your basement really,’ she replied.
‘I think we can agree to share it. Goodnight!’
Then he got back into his car and drove away.
When she arrived in her flat, she put down the various extra bags she had acquired and her case and her bundles and looked about her. The flat was untidy. She and Jenny had left for the train in rather a rush. But what most surprised Violet was that it looked the same. She herself had undergone such a huge change, but her home was unaffected.
She put the kettle on for tea and then thought she needed something stronger and opened a bottle of wine. On the journey back in the car with Henry, she had discovered that she was on the way to falling in love.
She tidied the flat and put a hot water bottle in her bed for later, and had just finished sorting her dirty laundry when she heard a taxi draw up in the street outside. She wouldn’t usually have heard it, but the streets were quieter than normal, it being Christmas. She wasn’t expecting Lucinda and Felicity back for a few more days.
She went to the window and saw Felicity get out of the cab, alone. She caught her breath; something must have gone horribly wrong in Scotland for Felicity to come back by herself on Boxing Day. She was not at all surprised when there was a knock at the door a few minutes later.