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The walk home took almost twice as long as the walk there, both Kate and Bob feeling snoozy after two pints of Doom Bar. They’d finished their meal in companionable silence, the kind of silence Kate usually only achieved with Flo. Conversation had picked up on the walk home, but half way back Bob’s phone pinged and his face tensed up.

“You go on ahead,” he said. “I just need to make a quick call.”

Kate sped up her pace, wondering if the call was a sensitive work matter. She looked back once, and saw Bob gesticulating in the air, before rubbing his temples. By the time he caught her up, he looked deflated, like he’d shrunk several inches.

“Are you OK? A problem with work?”

Bob looked at her, his face flickering with an unidentified emotion. “Um, yeah, that’s it. A problem at work. Do you mind if we speed up a bit? I really need to be getting back.”

“Yeah sure. It seems a bit off though, them calling you on a Sunday. Surely you’re entitled to a weekend like everyone else?”

“Can you just drop it please, Kate?”

Bob’s words stung Kate like the nettles at the side of the path. She was only trying to be a supportive friend. They walked the rest of the way back in silence. Not the comfortable silence of earlier, but a jarring, awkward silence, neither of them wanting or knowing how to break the deadlock.

“Sorry I snapped earlier,” said Bob as they arrived back at the house. “I’ll text you about next weekend, and I promise to be in a better mood.”

“OK, see you then,” said Kate, leaving him at his car and letting herself in the house.

She hoped Bob would be true to his word. Sullen Bob was like a bear with a sore head, and she’d rather explore the town herself than encounter that version of him again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, a knock on the door sent Kate into a blind panic. She checked her watch. It was only nine-thirty and her next guest wasn’t due to arrive till three. Had they got their wires crossed? Kate thought of the unmade bed and empty biscuit tin upstairs and opened the door with caution, wondering how she could put the guest off for a couple of hours.

The woman stood before her was tiny, and Kate, at five foot five, towered over her. She was clutching a bunch of flowers in front of a sky blue twin-set, and her neat silver hair had pink tones running through it.

“Hi, you must be Gloria. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t expecting you till this afternoon.”

The woman looked startled and took a step back from the door. “Sorry, dear, I think you’ve got me muddled up with someone else.”

“You’re not Gloria?”

“No, dear.”

“Oh thank God for that.”

“Why? What has Gloria done?”

“Nothing, I’m just not quite ready for her yet.” Kate was now thoroughly confused, as seemed the other lady, clutching her flowers with one hand and patting her permed hair with the other. “Sorry, how can I help you? I’m not interested in religion, if that’s what you’re here for?”

“Religion? Well, I wouldn’t be so quick to write it off, but no, that’s not why I’m here.”

Kate fought the urge to close the door, as the old lady studied her from behind thick, red-rimmed glasses.

“Are you Katherine Trenain?”

“Yes, I am, but no one calls me Katherine.”

“Oh, I see. Well, dear, what do they call you?”

“Kate. Sorry, how can I help you?”

“Moira asked me to come and check on you.”

“Moira? You mean my grandmother?”

“That’s the one.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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