Rory knew that if he held her now he would never be able to let her go. Only when he was about to leave did he take her in his arms, holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. His eyes said it all:I’m sorry, I love you.Then he kissed her with a fierce passion, and their lips clung together as if for the last time – which they both knew it was.
‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll always love you.’
‘I love you too,’ he said grimly. And then he was gone. She watched his car drive away. Only when it was out of sight did she allow the floodgates to open and sank to the gravel in a heap, sobbing hysterically. Which was where Owen found her sometime later.
‘Louise! What the fuck?’ He knelt down beside her and took her in his arms. ‘What the fuck’s the matter? Where’s Rory?’
‘He’s gone,’ she sobbed brokenly, clinging to him. ‘Rory’s gone.’
* * *
Kate had just got out of the shower when her mobile rang. ‘Hello?’
‘Kate! Where are you?’ Rachel demanded sharply.
‘At Will’s.’ Wrapped up in her own little world, it hadn’t occurred to her that everyone didn’t know the wonderful events of the last twenty-four hours.
‘At Will’s?’
Rachel’s sharp tone brought her down to earth with a bang. She wished she hadn’t answered the call – she didn’t want to have to explain her and Will to anyone just yet.
‘What are you doing at Will’s?’ Rachel asked.
‘I’m – well, I’m…’ Kate faltered.I’m shagging his brains out every chance I get. ‘We’re together now, Will and I.’
‘Together?’
‘Yes, together,’ Kate said, stung. Rachel couldn’t have sounded more incredulous if she’d said she’d hooked up with the Dalai Lama.
‘You don’t mean?—’
Kate sighed. ‘Yes,’ she said defiantly. ‘We’re together. What’sso unbelievable about that?’ Of course, itwasunbelievable, but Rachel had no right to think so.
‘Nothing, it’s just— What about Tina?’
‘Oh, all that stuff in the papers was rubbish. Tina and he are finished.’
‘Oh!’ Rachel was silent for a moment. ‘Anyway,’ she continued breezily, ‘the reason I called: I was wondering if you could do a dinner party for me, as you’re out of a job again. Tom wants me to throw one for some of his yawn-a-minute legal cronies.’
‘Can’t, sorry,’ Kate chirped, feeling anything but. ‘I’m going back to Tuscany with Will.’
‘Oh, okay,’ Rachel said smoothly. To Kate’s amazement, she didn’t even sound put out. ‘Well, let me know if your plans change. We want to do it Saturday week. I was thinking we could start with those crab tarts you make, they’re always so popular…’
Kate hardly listened as Rachel proceeded to outline the menu to her as if she had said yes. Why is she telling me this, she thought, infuriated. What part of ‘can’t’ did she not understand?
‘Yes, but I won’t be doing it,’ she cut in, as Rachel pondered the relative merits of tiramisu versus lemon tart.
‘Well, you never know, a lot can change in a couple of weeks. You might decide not to go back to Italy after all. Anyway, keep it in mind, just in case.’
Kate disconnected and threw her mobile onto the bed in exasperation.
* * *
When Will had gone, she spent the day chilling out at his house, sunbathing in the garden and waiting for him to return, missing him intensely. Later, she went into the village to buy groceries, planning to make a beautiful dinner for when he came home.Returning laden with bags, her heart leapt when she saw his car in the drive and she skipped up the steps, letting herself in with the key he had given her. She was about to go into the kitchen when she heard him on the phone and stopped in the doorway. He had his back to her and obviously hadn’t heard her come in.
‘I don’t want her here!’ he was saying into the phone. ‘Get rid of her!’ He sounded livid.
Kate hesitated in the doorway, feeling a chill go up her spine.
