Chapter Thirty-Two #2
Heavy rain lashed against the window as Hugo sipped his drink.
‘It’s the least I can do.’ Bob reached into the wardrobe where Hugo’s clothes hung to one side and Sir Henry’s on the other. ‘Hattie is going to make arrangements for your brother’s things to be taken home. Don’t worry about a thing, she’ll take care of it all.’
‘Fine woman,’ Hugo said. ‘Heart of gold under that heaving chest, make someone a first-rate wife.’
‘All part of the Boomerville service, I’m sure.’ Bob smoothed and folded, running his hands over cotton shirts and heavy tweeds, taking care to pack Hugo’s finery. ‘Do we know how Lucinda is today?’
‘Taken to her bed, I hear.’ Hugo poured more whisky. ‘I’d better pay the gal a visit.’
‘Would you like me to come with you?’
‘Might ease the way. Would you mind old chap?’
‘Not at all,’ Bob said as he closed the final case and placed it on the floor. The last time he’d seen Lucinda was at the hospital. She’d been hysterical and it wasn’t a pretty sight. God willing, she’d be zoned out on tranquillisers and unaware that she had visitors.
‘Fancy a spot of lunch?’ Bob asked.
‘No appetite, old boy.’
‘You might find you’re tempted.’ Bob walked across the room and took the glass from Hugo’s hand. ‘It’s roast beef today, Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings.’ He placed his hand on Hugo’s shoulder. ‘Do you think you might try? It would help keep your strength up.’
‘A roast. Henry’s favourite.’ Hugo’s eyes began to mist as he eased out of the chair.
Bob helped Hugo to his feet and, with a last look around and satisfied that his work was done, led Hugo out of the room. ‘We’ll raise a glass of wine to Sir Henry as we dine,’ he said and with a steadying arm guided Hugo down to the restaurant.
* * *
It was busy in the panel room as James and Kate went in for lunch. A fire blazed and they sat at a corner table close to the hearth, where they could enjoy the cosy warmth as the rain lashed down outside.
‘It’s wild out there today,’ Kate said as James held her chair and waited for her to make herself comfortable.
‘It certainly is. I think there might be flooding in the village if this keeps up. The river was very high as I drove over the bridge.’
They stared out of the window. Expanding pools of murky dark water lay on the patio as water gushed from downspouts struggling to cope with the deluge.
‘I’m not looking forward to my journey home.’
‘Do you have to leave today?’ James flicked a serviette onto his knee.
‘Yes, I think I should.’
‘Have you seen anything of Andy?’ James hated asking but was keen to know if Andy was still in residence.
‘No. Hattie says he’s holed up in his room.’
‘I’d like to think that he’ll be leaving. Surely he can’t intend to stay on after the way he’s behaved?’
‘I have no idea what his intentions are and I don’t intend to hang around to find out.’
A waiter appeared with their starters and both tucked in. Kate spread butter on a warm roll. She wasn’t hungry but as soon as she tasted the creamy soup, her stomach craved for more. She hadn’t touched a thing the day before.
‘What will you do with your novel?’ James asked.
‘I’ll get it finished and edited as you suggest, then try and find a publisher. Bob said he would help me.’
‘Don’t dismiss self-publishing; cream rises to the top and a high percentage of successful books are from authors who go it alone.’
‘It certainly is a consideration.’
James had read Kate’s work-in-progress and thought that the theme was strong. She’d created a cast that blended well, with plenty of suspense and a twist that would hold the reader to the final page. ‘Did you know it would turn into a mystery?’ James asked.
‘No, not at all. It was a happy-ever-after romance that in truth was probably boring, but as I got going something seemed to possess me and the whole plot changed. I can’t explain it.’ Kate pushed her bowl to one side. She rubbed her fingers together; they seemed especially painful today.
‘So Boomerville has been good for you?’
‘Yes, I suppose it has, despite my stupidity.’ Kate didn’t want to discuss Andy but felt that the conversation was heading that way again.
‘You weren’t stupid at all,’ James said softly. ‘Your emotions were on the floor having dealt with your father’s dementia for so long. I can’t imagine how much that must have taken out of you.’
Kate stared into the fire and there were tears at the corner of her eyes.
‘Andy caught you at a very low time and it was natural for you to respond.’ James longed to take her face in his hands and kiss the tears away. He also wished like hell that she’d met him first instead of that bastard Andy.
A waiter cleared their bowls and Kate turned to thank him.
James looked at Kate and wondered if she’d absorbed anything that he said.
He wanted to tell her that there were plenty of men who would stop in their tracks if she only looked their way, but her eyes were sad and she seemed defensive.
If only he could tell her how he felt, that he adored her and always would.
‘How’s your hand?’ Kate asked. She reached out to touch his knuckle.
‘Fine thanks, nothing broken.’ James felt Kate’s finger run lightly across his grazed skin and once again resisted the urge to pull her into his arms. She’d recoiled the last time he’d attempted to hold her and this was no place for a scene.
‘Andy was always winding you up, you must have bottled your feelings for some time.’ Kate attempted a smile.
‘Possibly.’ James searched Kate’s eyes for signs of encouragement. ‘He was an annoying student who was always disrupting my class. I thought he was thoroughly dislikeable.’ James sighed. ‘I’m sorry to say that because you clearly felt differently.’
Kate looked away. How could she tell James that she was mortified with shame by the way she’d fallen so easily for Andy?
She knew that James had feelings for her and under any other circumstances she’d have reciprocated, for James was a decent man.
He was very attractive too. Not in a drop-dead-handsome way like Andy, but his charm and manner were appealing and Kate wondered why she’d never seen it before.
But it felt all too soon and her heart would not allow her to go from one to another.
Their main course arrived and as Kate helped herself to vegetables, she looked up to see Bob and Hugo come into the restaurant. They were guided to a table at the opposite side of the room.
‘Hugo looks dreadful,’ Kate said. The man seemed to have aged overnight, his brother’s death weighing heavy.
‘It was a great shock,’ James said. Kate had diverted the conversation and his heart sank. He’d asked her to lunch to tell her how he felt in the hope that she would at least give him a chance but now he’d blown his opportunity.
Dessert was served and Kate asked James about Helen. He told her that he hadn’t heard anything since she’d left for France.
‘I hope you sort it out. Helen will have regrets if she doesn’t enjoy her relationship with her sons.’ Kate looked at James. ‘I’m sorry, I have no right to comment on a parent’s behaviour. I don’t know what it is to be a parent.’
‘Don’t worry, you’re saying all the right things.’
They’d finished their coffee.
‘I must be making tracks,’ Kate said. ‘It’s late afternoon already and I’ve got several hours of driving ahead. And I don’t like the look of this weather.’ She pushed her chair back and placed her serviette on the table. ‘I have to go and pay my hotel bill.’
James stood too. ‘Lunch is on me. I’ll settle up and then see you off. Do you need a hand with your luggage?’
‘That’s kind, thank you.’
James watched Kate walk away and knew that his chances were fading.
He determined that before she got into her car, he would tell Kate how he felt.
After all, he had nothing to lose. He followed her through the restaurant and into the bar where a new group of boomers were chatting about their week to come.
Hattie and Jo were in reception and both looked up as Kate and James approached.
‘All set for the off?’ Hattie asked cheerily and handed Kate her bill.
‘Yes, I’ll just sort this out.’ Kate reached for her bag. She took a bank card out of her purse and handed it to Hattie as Jo took a payment from James for their lunch.
Outside, dark clouds collided as they rumbled in from the fells. Thunder roared and lightning streaked across the sky. They discussed the terrible weather as they waited for Kate’s card to clear and Jo urged her to take care on her journey south.
‘It says “insufficient funds”,’ Hattie whispered to Kate, sliding the card discreetly across the desk.
‘What? There must be some mistake.’ Kate was puzzled and searched for an alternative payment.
‘Whoops, it’s happened again.’ Hattie did her utmost to be inconspicuous as Kate passed several cards to her but it soon became apparent that none were going to clear.
‘But I don’t understand?’ Kate’s hands were shaking as she fumbled around in her purse.
‘Here, let me.’ James handed Hattie a card to cover Kate’s account.
‘No, I couldn’t possibly.’ Kate pushed his card to one side. ‘There can’t be a problem. I have ample funds in all my accounts.’
Kate was becoming upset and Jo, sensing that new residents were within earshot and wishing to save any embarrassment, stepped in. She took Kate’s arm. ‘Let’s wait a few moments, then try again.’
‘I’ll get my laptop and go online to check my account, there must be an explanation,’ Kate said, but as she turned a crash of thunder shuddered through the building and the lights flickered in the hallway.
Suddenly everything went dark.
‘That’s the power off.’ Hattie reached under the desk for a box of candles. ‘By the look of this storm, it could be off for some time.’
‘Oh dear.’ Jo frowned. ‘I think you’re right.’ She stared anxiously out of the window. ‘I’m afraid to say it, but we could be in for a very long night.’