Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (best books under 200 pages TXT) 📗

Flora feltlike the head girl. Was she to forbid the expedition? Orcondone it? Personally she didn't care what anyone did,but she found she didn't want Charles to be upset.

Althoughhe was the only member of the party who was notnow on the drunk side of tipsy, he seemed quite relaxed.As the driver, he could have announced it was time to go home.

‘Ireally don't feel like a walk myself,' said Flora. 'But I'll pop up and get a couple of shawls for youtwo. It is getting chilly. What about you, Charles?'

‘Idon't need a shawl, thank you. But I'll help you clear up if the otherswant to go.'

‘Thank you.’

When theothers had set off into the trees Flora started to clearplates. Charles put his hand on her arm and stoppedher. 'Why don't you just sit down and look at the stars while I clear up?'

‘Icouldn't possibly do that. Besides, I can't recognise any of the constellations.' In spite of herprotest she sank on to the sofa andstared up into the heavens. 'Why don'tyou sit down too, or I'll worry about you washing up without me.’

He remained standing. 'I don't minddoing it.’

Florashifted herself to the edge of the sofa so she couldconfront him. 'No, don't. I really want to talk to you.'

‘Oh? I didn'trealise I was your favourite agony aunt.’

‘Thisis no time to develop a sense of humour,' she said sternly. 'I want to apologise.'

‘What for? You didn't step on my foot,did you?'

‘Charles,please! You've never been funny before, please don't start now. I want to say how sorry I am for saying those dreadful things. The other week, inthe office, when I pulled the ceiling down.'

‘Ithought you knew that I'd forgiven you for your attempts at decorating.'

‘Yes, but thatwasn't what I wanted to apologise for.

It was forsaying you couldn't run a piss-up in a brewery and thatyou were hopeless, and that I was the senior partner,things like that. I do think we should work hard toadvertise and all that stuff, but I don't think you're bad at yourjob. At all. I was just angry and said the most hurtful things I could think of.'

‘Iwas angry too,' Charles said quietly. 'I probably said unforgivablethings.'

‘Well,not totally unforgivable, but I was a bit upset that you thought I was heartless and manipulative.'

‘I don'tthink that now. And I must say, I'm glad not to see Henryhere. He's not the sort of man you should be spending time with.'

‘Oh.'Flora was a bit thrown by that. 'Well, I did invite him, but he couldn'tcome.'

‘Oh.’

Florawondered if she should have admitted this as Charlesreverted to his normal state of buttoned-up inaccessibility.She sighed. 'So why did you think I was a heartless bitch?'

‘I didn't say that.'

‘Notin so many words but it's what you meant.' It was his turn to sigh. 'Itwas Justin.'

‘Justin?'

‘JustinMateland. You broke his heart, you know. Or at least, that was what hetold me.'

‘Idon't think Justin's heart was remotely involved,' Flora said crossly. 'He just got annoyed because. . 'Why?'

‘Becausehe obviously expected me to . . . Well, he'd bought me dinner and assumed . . .I really don't want to go intodetails.' Flora shuddered at the memory; it had been so sordid. She'd had to fight him off and she'd beenextremely frightened.

‘Oh.'Charles blanched as he suddenly realised what she meant. 'I didn't realise. I had no idea. When he got in touch with me he was very upset. Now I realisehe was angry.'

‘Hewas certainly angry when he left my flat.' And bleeding, she remembered.

‘God,I'm sorry, Flora. I shouldn't have made the assumption that he was right without getting to know you first.' Charles did, to his credit, lookgenuinely abashed. 'What Justin hadtold me about you, that you were a .. .' He coughed, unable to think of a polite way to put it. 'Well, anyway, what he told me about you meant thatI'd made up my mind before you even arrived.I suppose I didn't want anyone new arriving and sticking their nose into what, I'm afraid, I do still think of as mybusiness, and particularly not a spoilt little girl who would come in and mess everything up and then disappear off as soon as she got bored.'He shook his head. 'Annabelle and Ididn't exactly give you a warm welcome, did we?’

Florasmiled. 'No, not exactly. But you're not the only one guiltyof going on first impressions. I should have seen beyond the "at-a-glancetaxidermy".'

‘The what?'

‘Ithought you were so stuffy that one look from you and any living creature would become glassy-eyedand full of sawdust.'

‘GoodGod! I hope it's not how you see me now.'

‘I can'tsee you at all, Charles. It's too dark.' She opened hermouth to ask him again to come and sit down on the sofa next to her, but shutit again. The summer night was having a strangely sensualeffect on her and it wouldn't be a good idea to have himsitting next to her, in the near-dark, when she'd had toomany glasses of wine.

He came andperched on the arm of the sofa. 'Perhaps we shouldclear up. Or at least, perhaps I should.' 'No, don't. There's nowhere to putanything.'

‘Thekitchen's not really designed for entertaining.’

‘No. Wouldyou like some more coffee or anything?’

‘No, thank you.’

Thesilence hung between them for a moment. Flora struggledto think of something to say. 'They must have gone forquite a long walk. I wouldn't have thought Annabellewas the sort to go trudging through the woods in the dark.'

‘She has hidden depths.'

‘Andhave you and she been engaged for long?' She didn't really want to know, but it gave them something safe totalk about.

‘We'vebeen engaged officially for about a year, but it was always understood that we would marry. We've known each other from the cradle.' He paused. 'Idid fall in love with another woman,briefly, while I was travelling. But it didn't last. I was very glad to come backto Annabelle.’

Withanyone else, Flora would probably have asked if thiswoman had broken his heart, but not with Charles. 'Will you let me wash up, now?'

‘No—'

‘Ijust don't think it's a very good idea to go on sitting here in the darkwith you.'

‘I'mnot