City Girl in Training by Liz Fielding Page A

Still wallowing in that promise of ‘later’.
    But Cal wasn’t following the cab with his gaze. His eyes were already lifted to a window opposite, high above street-level, his hand raised to acknowledge Jay who, impatient for his arrival, was looking out for him.
    The reality of that look, the responsive wave, hit me like a fist and the air rushed out of me in a grunt of pain as real as if the assault had been physical, rather than emotional.
    â€˜Did you say something, miss?’
    â€˜What?’ I couldn’t speak. I could hardly breathe. Then, hugging myself around the waist, I said, ‘The Science Museum is near here, isn’t it? Will you take me there, please?’
    He glanced back at me. ‘The gent paid me to take you all the way to Chelsea.’ He clearly didn’t relish giving up the fare.
    â€˜I don’t care about the money. Keep it. I just want to go to the Science Museum.’ I’d been away from Maybridge for less than twenty-four hours and it seemed unreal, no longer part of my life. I had to remind myself what was really important to me. Not London, not Cal, but Don and the life we’d—I’d—been planning for us for so long.
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    Sophie and Kate were sitting in the kitchen, the remains of breakfast littering the work surfaces, a pot of coffee steaming gently on the breakfast bar. ‘The electrics are back in full working order, then?’ I said, putting the porcelain bowl I’d purchased in front of Kate and, at her unspoken invitation, pouring myself a cup of coffee.
    â€˜Electrics?’ she said.
    â€˜I blew the fuses when I tried to use the grill last night. I left an electrician sorting it out this morning.’
    Kate turned on Sophie. ‘You said you’d dealt with that!’
    â€˜I did,’ Sophie said, glaring at me as if I were the school snitch. ‘I stuck a note on the cooker point saying “Do Not Use”.’ Then, when the silence grew toolong to ignore, ‘I suppose it must have fallen off. Sorry,’ she muttered.
    â€˜No harm done,’ I said, intervening quickly before Kate exploded. ‘I fixed the fuse with a little help from the man at number seventy-two…’ I had no intention of explaining how much time I’d spent with him ‘…and he kindly organised an electrician to fix the stove.’
    â€˜He’s such a sweetie,’ Kate agreed. ‘It’s a shame he’s leaving.’
    â€˜Leaving?’ Communing with the assembly-line-perfect twin of Don’s beloved 1922 Austin on display in the Science Museum hadn’t prepared me for the shock of hearing that news. ‘When?’
    Kate frowned. ‘It must be soon. He told me two or three weeks ago. I don’t know, time flies. He doesn’t own the place, he just leased it temporarily.’
    â€˜Oh, I see. He didn’t mention that he was leaving.’ But of course it was obvious he wouldn’t need a permanent base when he was away so much. Plans for his turtle expedition must be rather more advanced than he’d implied. ‘The thing is,’ I said, preferring not to comment on whether it was a shame or not he was leaving. Eager to change the subject altogether, in fact. ‘Last night, in the dark, I managed to break a bowl. So I bought this.’ And I unwrapped it and offered it to Kate. ‘I know it can’t replace the original, but I hope your aunt won’t be too cross.’
    â€˜Oh, Philly, you didn’t have to do that.’ She looked up. ‘Aunt Cora would have understood, but Sophiewill have to refund you, since the whole incident was her fault.’
    Sophie’s scowl instantly deepened and I said, ‘No!’ And, ‘That really isn’t necessary, Sophie. But I was sort of hoping that you would do something for me. A favour. Instead,’ I added, just to make it clear that I was not expecting to be reimbursed for the