Rory ignored their questions and calls for pictures.
‘Thanks, man,’ he said quietly to the cameraman and gripped his hand briefly.
By this time, Tessa had tottered down the hill to investigate what was going on and reached Rory as he turned to go back to the car. ‘Tessa will answer all of your questions,’ he said, pushing her into the crowd of journalists and cameras.
Tessa yelped when she saw that Rory intended to abandon her to the wolves, but it was too late as they mobbed her. ‘Rory!’ she yelled furiously, to his retreating back. ‘Rory!’
He ignored her and got back in the car. ‘Could you take me to the airport?’ he asked.
The driver looked at him in his mirror. ‘Sorry, sir, but my job is to drive Miss Bond home.’
‘I’ll give you a thousand pounds if you take me to the airport now.’ Rory didn’t usually throw his weight around, but this was urgent.
The driver considered it. ‘Sorry,’ he said finally. ‘Can’t do it. More than my job’s worth, mate.’
‘Look, what’s your name?’
‘Winston.’
‘Okay, Winston. Do you know who I am?’ Rory winced inwardly – he had never said that before.
‘Sure – you’re Rory Cassidy, out of Walking Wounded. I’ve got all your albums.’
‘Well, how would you like to come and work for us?’ He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and scribbled Louise’s number on it. ‘Just call this number – I’ll arrange it.’
Winston peered at the piece of paper, then at Rory.
‘What about Miss Bond?’
Rory looked down the hill. Tessa was still swamped by media, trying to fight them off. ‘Leave her. I think she’ll be busy for a while. And I’ll still give you that grand if you take me to the airport right now.’
Winston didn’t hesitate any longer. He turned back to the wheel, gunned the engine and did a U-turn. Then they roared back down the hill. Rory glimpsed Tessa’s livid face as they swept past, leaving her in a cloud of dust.
14
THREE MONTHS LATER
On the second Thursday in December, Kate made her way through the throng of late-night shoppers on Grafton Street. A canopy of Christmas lights twinkled overhead, and every few yards carol singers were belting out old favourites, ‘Jingle Bells’ mingling with ‘Silent Night’, accompanied by the jangle of collection tins. Shop windows sparkled in the darkness, decked out in sumptuous colours and rich fabrics, shining like beacons of warmth and luxury in the bitter cold. Already laden with bags and chilled to the bone, Kate longed to go home, put on her Christmas pyjamas and curl up on the sofa, but she forced herself to press on. She was way behind with her Christmas shopping, having only returned from her impromptu travels the previous week.
Determined to get one more present before she gave up, she took refuge in the warm, comforting cocoon of Brown Thomas. She wandered aimlessly around the brightly lit opulence of the cosmetics hall, bewildered by the dizzying abundance of products spread out across the counters and the brightly wrapped gift boxes piled high on display stands. Lingering by the Jo Malonecounter, she tried out one perfume after another. Recognising the scent Will used, she couldn’t resist spraying some onto her wrist and breathing in the citrus fragrance, which sent shivers of longing up her spine.
‘Are you looking for a gift?’ The sales assistant shook her out of her reverie.
‘Oh – yes.’
‘That one is gorgeous for men.’ She indicated the bottle Kate had just tried. ‘I always buy it for my boyfriend. It’s so sexy.’ She giggled conspiratorially.
‘Yes, it is.’
‘Is it for a boyfriend?’
‘Oh no.’ She was shocked to find herself fighting back tears. When was it going to stop feeling so raw? ‘Actually, I want something for my mum.’
‘Oh, well, this one is lovely and very popular…’
She only half listened as the girl went into her sales spiel. She normally loved Christmas, but now she understood why some people dreaded it. Everything about it seemed calculated to make her miss Will more intensely. All the things she usually adored were robbed of their magic and sparkle, rendered futile because she wasn’t sharing them with him. It was as if she had lost the sense of taste and her favourite foods were flavourless in her mouth.
Having paid for her purchases, she decided to call it a day and was on her way out the door when her mobile rang. It was Lorcan. ‘Hi, Kate. You doing anything tonight?’
