Chapter Thirty-Four
CHAPTER
THIRTY - FOUR
‘I know it’s early, but can I take you to a rather nice pub?’ Owen said later that afternoon. ‘You’ll have had tea and cake with my aunt and I think champagne is better at this time of day.’ The twinkling smile appeared again. ‘Mind you, I think champagne is good at any time of day.’
Violet laughed. ‘I’m not going to argue with that!’
He took her arm and they walked through the streets together. He was nice, she decided. And possibly reliable. Maybe she should tell her heart there was a better option to hand than Henry.
He was also extremely good company. In no time he had them established in a cosy corner of a pub she had never noticed before, with a bottle of champagne and some crisps.
After a toast, when he looked at her just long enough to make her blush, she said quickly, ‘So please tell me. How does your aunt get all her information? I swear I didn’t even tell her the name of the man I worked for at the bookshop and yet she knows everything about him. What on earth did she do in the war?’
He laughed. ‘Well, of course she won’t tell us but we all think it had something to do with spying or codebreaking. And I must confess she did enlist my help. I hope you don’t mind? I find I can’t say no to her, either because I’m very fond of her or very scared. Possibly both.’
‘I don’t blame you for helping your aunt and I completely understand what you mean about being part fond and part afraid. I maintain the fiction that I would leave the moment she upset me, but I probably wouldn’t.’
‘I’m very happy to hear that.’
‘So? How did she find out so much?’
‘She rang the employment agency to ask who your previous employer was and of course they told her. From then on, it wasn’t that hard.’
‘She actually said it wasn’t hard enough to be fun,’ said Violet. ‘But how did she know about Henry’s interest in a lost palace? She told me herself he’s never published anything to do with it.’
‘That was me, I’m afraid. I know people at Oxford and Henry has friends there and is not secretive. I helped her with Dr Saunders, too. Now she’s a piece of work!’
By the time the bottle of champagne was finished, they were chatting freely. Finally, Violet got up to go and Owen rose too.
‘Thank you so much for doing so much to help,’ she said.
He kissed her cheek. ‘You’re welcome. Except I’ve a horrible feeling I’ve done myself a disservice.’
Violet walked home not quite knowing what to think.
Violet’s lights were on at the top of the house when Felicity got in that evening, and she quickly learnt her mother was still out when she saw the post neatly piled on the crescent-shaped table in the hall. Anna would have put the letters there before she went home.
There was a small, pale blue envelope on the top of the pile that made her heart race. Even without being able to read who it was addressed to, she knew it was from Oliver. She picked it up and stood for a moment, trying to decide where she should read it. Then impatience overtook her and she ripped it open. My darling Felicity, I am bracing myself for you to ignore this letter. You may not even open it. But if you have ever cared about me at all, meet me outside your front door at 5 a.m. this coming Sunday. I’ll show you a day you will never forget, one that will prove my love for you. I will wait. Yours ever, Oliver
The desire to cry almost overcame her. She cleared her throat and went into the little kitchen to make tea. He loved her. He’d tried to convince her of this before, she knew, and she had totally rejected the notion. The image of him kissing another girl was permanently imprinted on her mind, but here was an excuse to forgive him. She suddenly found it difficult to breathe and she had to sit down for a few moments before she finished filling the kettle.