Part 18 (2/2)

'Watch out, Katie, he'll have your eye out.'

Katie felt sick; she had looked away quickly, but the image was stuck. The incongruity of black school trousers and a that.

She felt her cheeks burning, a pounding in her ears. Then another voice broke in. 'Don't be such a t.w.a.t, Will. Leave her alone.'

Katie looked up and straight into the eyes of Luke Taylor.

Chapter 12.

Fiona Allen came today. I never thought she'd make it. I'd seen her at the church hall with those little heels named after an animal. What are they? Kitten heels? Those. Fussing with the floral displays and smiling all the time, smiling, smiling. When she knocked on the back door I don't know what I expected. That's a lie. I had seen some Love-Lies-Bleeding earlier in the week and seen her face amongst its drooping petals, so I had a strong suspicion she was running around behind Patrick's back. And good for her. I expected a gardener or handyman, something exotic for her well-bred tastes. A bit of rough. But people are constantly surprising. She's in love, of course, silly girl. Her paramour is Patrick's brother and he loves her back, apparently. Ardently, she said, as if her life had transformed to an Austen novel. Which, I suppose it has. If you discount the heavy-rutting that has put that pinkish bloom in her pallid cheeks.

Gwen shuddered. Well, that was a little too much information. Although, if Patrick Allen was going to oppose the local craft market, perhaps the insider information would come in handy. Knowledge was power and all that. Gwen immediately felt ashamed of the thought. She felt even worse about the little spark of excitement the secret gave her. Suddenly she could see why Gloria had liked reading tarot for people; she held all the cards. Still, this would be for the greater good. Plus, she could try to get a whiff of Patrick's aftershave; see if it was the same one she'd smelled after the break-in.

She fetched Patrick Allen's card and called him. He sounded fake-delighted to hear from her and suggested they go out for lunch. 'I'd rather just come to your office,' Gwen said, thinking of her flat-lining finances.

'My treat,' Patrick said jovially.

The bell rang, saving Gwen from throwing up. 'Sorry, I've got to go. Someone's at the door.'

Katie was illuminated by the porch light that was fighting the mid-afternoon gloom. Gwen had a moment to admire her youthful glow and the sparkling whiteness of her eyes before she blew into the hallway and began stripping off her outer layers. Her red gloves. .h.i.t the floor, followed quickly by her bag, scarf and duffel coat. 'I'm starving.' She followed Gwen into the kitchen.

'You're always starving.' Gwen fetched the cake tins. 'Lemon drizzle or lime and pecan?'

Katie took a slice of lime and demolished it in short order.

'Are you on a tight schedule?'

'Huh?' Katie sprayed crumbs onto herself.

'You seem in kind of a hurry,' Gwen said.

'No. Just hungry.'

Gwen pushed the tin forwards.

'Thanks.' Katie took another slice of lime but, after the first couple of bites, she began to pick at it. The energy was fizzing off her.

Gwen waited.

'Aren't you going to ask about my day?'

'If you like.'

Katie pulled a face. 'Mum always asks. She wants, like, every detail.'

'Imagine that. The horror.'

'She wants to know what I learned, whether I got into trouble.'

'Is that likely?' Gwen looked at the angelic-looking girl rolling a ball of cake around her plate.

'No!' Katie pulled a dramatically injured face. 'I'm never in any trouble. I never do anything.'

'Ah.' Gwen sipped her coffee. It had almost gone cold, but she didn't want to get up and disturb the bubble of intimacy that seemed to envelop them. She had the feeling that Katie was working up to something. A question, perhaps.

'Was your mum like that? Gran, I mean.'

Mum. It was funny to think of her mother with that word. Gloria had never been 'Mum', always 'Gloria'. She'd been affectionate in a distracted way. Except when it came to training sessions. Then her attention had been intense. Uncomfortably so. 'Gloria wouldn't have asked you if you were hot if your hair was on fire.'

Katie thought for a moment. 'She wasn't very nice?'

'Not that so much. She's just in her own little world. Planet Gloria. Population one.'

'But when you were really little-'

'The same.'

'Oh.'

'I think Ruby is desperate not to be like her. Maybe she tries a bit too hard sometimes, but at least she's interested.'

Katie's face closed down.

Cat chose that moment to jump onto the outside windowsill, making Katie jump and then squeal. With remarkable energy, she was out of the chair and opening the window, letting in a stream of freezing air.

'Come on, p.u.s.s.ycat. We've got cake.'

Katie held out a lump of cake and Cat sniffed it delicately. Gwen opened her mouth to say that lime cake probably wasn't very good for cats, when Cat jumped in a graceful arc from the sill to the floor, landing in an ungainly puddle and jumping up again to stalk towards the water dish, tail held high and an expression that said: I totally meant to do that.

Katie brushed her hands on her jeans. 'So, what are we doing today? More unpacking?'

'I think I'm pretty much done.' Gwen got up and shut the window. She turned to find Katie frowning at her.

'But where's all your stuff?'

'I don't really have anything. I rent furnished places, keep all my essentials in the van.'

'But what about books, music, clothes? You know a stuff.'

'In the van. I travel light.'

'That's what Dad said.'

<script>