Chapter Thirty-One #2
She knew that she had a novel to work on and if she could keep going, there may be more writing in the pipeline.
At least that was something to be proud of.
Somehow, she must stay optimistic. But the emotional turmoil that she’d experienced for so long when caring for her dad was back.
Kate felt as though a knife had been driven through her heart and it physically hurt.
Had she really been so vulnerable when she met Andy? At such an emotional low ebb that she’d been so easily fooled into falling in love?
Kate reached into her bag and found the box that held Andy’s ring and placed it on the table.
She longed to throw it across the room and hurl it into the fire or scratch it across his handsome face, but she knew that she was being petty and must keep calm and dignified until it was over.
She stared out of the window at the willow tree and wondered if the Shaman was watching.
Her fingers were aching and the pain had come back.
She felt angry.
What a waste of time the Shaman was! Casting spells to make people better and curing evil, it was farcical and she wondered why she had been uneasy in his company.
He was just a silly old man, an imposter bought in to spice up the courses and she wasn’t going to spend another moment of her time in his presence.
She heard the door open and spun around.
‘Kate, my darling, there you are.’ Andy stood at the entrance. His face was distraught and he hurried across the room to sit by her side. ‘Please can we talk about the future? You know that I can’t live without you.’
Kate could smell whisky. There was a smell of sour alcohol and stale cigar smoke. Andy hadn’t shaved and looked unkempt and as she recoiled, Kate knew that she no longer had any feelings for this man.
Thankfully, this was going to be easier than she’d thought.
* * *
James wandered down the corridor of the hotel and yawned as he pulled his coat around his shoulders and reached into a pocket for his scarf.
The events of the previous evening had been exhausting: sitting through the night with Kate beside Lucinda, unable to talk so they didn’t disturb the newly bereaved fiancée, yet needing to stay awake.
When the mourners returned from the hospital, he’d had a large brandy and decided to snatch some sleep on the sofa in his studio.
He’d only just woken up.
His car was parked at the front of the hotel and as he reached the hallway he stopped. Hattie was by the Green Room. The door was closed and she was bent down with her ear against the keyhole.
‘Hattie, what are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Shush!’ Hattie held up her hand and indicated that James should keep back.
‘You shouldn’t listen at keyholes.’
‘Belt-up James,’ Hattie hissed. ‘I can’t hear a thing with you prattling on.’
‘Then perhaps you should come away.’
‘Oh, you don’t understand.’ Hattie straightened up and turned to face James. ‘I’m keeping an ear out for Kate. She’s talking to James Bond and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.’
Hattie had caught James’ attention. Mention of Kate stopped him in his tracks and he too bent down to the keyhole to listen. ‘What’s she saying to him?’ James whispered.
‘She’s giving him the old heave-ho.’
‘Breaking it off?’ James straightened up.
‘Snapping it in two if I had my way,’ Hattie said, face darkening, ‘before the evil shit lays one more finger on her.’
‘What did you say?’
‘Oh, you heard,’ Hattie snapped. ‘I’d have had him arrested but she wants to do it her way.’
James stood back. He took a moment to digest Hattie’s comments. If he understood correctly, Hattie had just informed him that Andy had been physical towards Kate, who was now alone in the Green Room with the monster.
James removed his coat, scarf and glasses and handed them to Hattie. ‘Hold these for one moment, please.’ He opened the door to the Green Room and stood at the entrance.
Kate was sitting in a chair by the far window and Andy was on his feet towering over her. He didn’t see James and as he made ready to exit the room, James heard Andy leave Kate with a parting shot.
‘You’ll regret it,’ Andy snapped. ‘Your final years will be lonely and isolated because you’re a middle-aged matron whose looks are fading and no one else will have you. You’ll wish you hadn’t turned me down.’
Kate had seen James and as her frightened eyes darted towards him, Andy spun around.
‘Oh, I see, your literary lover leaps in to soothe your pain,’ Andy said and began to march past James. ‘Where’s your glasses, four-eyes?’
James stepped forward and, with one smooth and alarmingly accurate shot, punched Andy hard on the nose, cracking his head back and sending him careering across the room.
‘James!’ Kate screamed.
‘Bleedin’ hell, James!’ Hattie shouted and rushed forward to land a hefty kick in Andy’s stomach as he lay writhing on the carpet.
‘What on earth’s going on?’ Jo ran into the room and saw Hattie land the kick. Pete was close behind and Bunty, sensing tension, lurched herself onto Andy and grabbed the leg of his trousers.
‘Get that bloody dog off me!’ Andy yelled and kicked out.
‘Bunty, off!’ Jo screamed and tugged hard until Bunty released Andy’s leg. ‘Pete, help him to his feet.’
Jo looked around the room and looked questioningly at Hattie.
‘It’s a long story,’ Hattie said.
James, who was rubbing his knuckles, stood back as Pete led Andy from the room. Andy’s nose was red and he held a handkerchief to staunch the profuse bleeding. He swore under his breath as he glared at James and Hattie. ‘I’ll have you both for assault,’ he hissed.
Jo stared at Hattie, then turned to Kate. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes, I think so.’ Kate’s eyes were wide and she seemed to look at James in a new light.
‘You’ve got some explaining to do,’ Jo said to Hattie.
Hattie held her arms out as James retrieved his coat. He knotted the scarf at his neck and replaced his glasses.
‘If he wants to press charges you know where I am,’ James said. ‘It’s time I went home.’
‘He won’t be pressing any charges.’ Hattie reached for Kate’s arm. ‘I think Mr Mack will think twice about that.’
‘Oh, I hope so,’ Kate said. ‘Thank you so much, James.’
But James had turned on his heel and was gone.