intently, a sudden tide of relief washed over her as he confirmed that Lyall wasn’t responsible for driving him away. ‘Everything was going well. Lyall helped me find some work, even let me share his flat until I got back on my feet, but then he told me he was going to Australia for about a year and had to rent out his flat. He said I could stay on until the new tenants arrived, and then I’d have to find myself somewhere else to live. That’s when I…’
He looked up, his eyes bleak. ‘It’s no good. I can’t tell you the rest, Katie, not yet.’
Katie sighed. ‘Jack you disappoint me! OK, if you’re not prepared to tell me anything else then just explain why you sold Aunt Alice’s cigarette box.’
He looked shamefaced. ‘I didn’t. One of my mates pinched it off me when I was asleep. I wouldn’t have sold it for the world. I just wanted something as a keepsake.’
She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. ‘There’s something else I don’t understand. Why did you come back here again after all that had happened?’
‘ Two reasons. One, I wanted to put things right with you all, but I’m finding that more difficult than I’d expected.’
‘ And the other?’ she prompted gently. ‘Aunt Alice has got some papers and other things of mine in her safe. My passport, birth certificate etc. I’d forgotten about them, but now I need them back. If you could ask her?’
‘ No way! If you want them then you’ll just have to ask her for them yourself.’
A few minutes later she scooped up Sheba, promised to keep in touch and left.
* * *
Aunt Alice was tearful at being reunited with the cat. Katie decided not to mention her encounter with Jack for the time being and said she’d found her near the woods, obviously having been locked in somewhere.
She met Lyall in the lane and told him she’d seen Jack, giving him a watered down version of events. He accompanied her home and came inside.
‘ So where exactly is Jack now?’
‘ I’d rather not tell you that for the moment. He’s in a dreadful state and I don’t want him to take off again.’
Lyall frowned. ‘I knew when Jack’s e-mails ceased whilst I was abroad, that things had deteriorated, but didn’t know quite what to expect when I returned to England. Certainly not this. Perhaps you can persuade him to meet me somewhere. Here, maybe. Jack has a habit of running away from awkward situations, but he’s a survivor, Katie, and, after all, he’s considerably better off than when I first knew him. He’s got a change of clothing, a little cash and transport.’
‘ Transport?’ she queried, puzzled.
‘ Yes, he nicked Aunt Alice’s old push bike. Didn’t she tell you? Just between you and me, she was glad to be rid of it!’
He caught her eye and suddenly they burst out laughing and the tension was gone, but there were still things bothering her.
‘ Why won’t either of you tell me what it was he did. Surely it can’t have been that bad?’
‘ It’s Jack’s story and he must tell you himself when he’s ready, Katie.’
‘ OK, and was it really a coincidence that you turned up here in Lyndhurst or did you come looking for him? Why should I trust you any more than Jack? I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you and, until this happened, we were getting on just fine.’
For an answer, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her protesting lips. It sent shock waves through her.
‘ I appreciate that trust has to be earned, and hope I’ll soon have done that. I promise I’ll speak with Jack and try to sort things out one final time, but, at the end of the day, it’s down to him, Katie. Now, regretfully, I must leave you because I’ve got a dinner engagement.’
She ought to be used to him playing havoc with her emotions by now, she told herself bitterly. She supposed he was going out with the sultry Olivia.
After a solitary supper, Katie went to see Dylan and Faye to ask their advice about Jack.
He looked up, his eyes bleak. ‘It’s no good. I can’t tell you the rest, Katie, not yet.’
Katie sighed. ‘Jack you disappoint me! OK, if you’re not prepared to tell me anything else then just explain why you sold Aunt Alice’s cigarette box.’
He looked shamefaced. ‘I didn’t. One of my mates pinched it off me when I was asleep. I wouldn’t have sold it for the world. I just wanted something as a keepsake.’
She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. ‘There’s something else I don’t understand. Why did you come back here again after all that had happened?’
‘ Two reasons. One, I wanted to put things right with you all, but I’m finding that more difficult than I’d expected.’
‘ And the other?’ she prompted gently. ‘Aunt Alice has got some papers and other things of mine in her safe. My passport, birth certificate etc. I’d forgotten about them, but now I need them back. If you could ask her?’
‘ No way! If you want them then you’ll just have to ask her for them yourself.’
A few minutes later she scooped up Sheba, promised to keep in touch and left.
* * *
Aunt Alice was tearful at being reunited with the cat. Katie decided not to mention her encounter with Jack for the time being and said she’d found her near the woods, obviously having been locked in somewhere.
She met Lyall in the lane and told him she’d seen Jack, giving him a watered down version of events. He accompanied her home and came inside.
‘ So where exactly is Jack now?’
‘ I’d rather not tell you that for the moment. He’s in a dreadful state and I don’t want him to take off again.’
Lyall frowned. ‘I knew when Jack’s e-mails ceased whilst I was abroad, that things had deteriorated, but didn’t know quite what to expect when I returned to England. Certainly not this. Perhaps you can persuade him to meet me somewhere. Here, maybe. Jack has a habit of running away from awkward situations, but he’s a survivor, Katie, and, after all, he’s considerably better off than when I first knew him. He’s got a change of clothing, a little cash and transport.’
‘ Transport?’ she queried, puzzled.
‘ Yes, he nicked Aunt Alice’s old push bike. Didn’t she tell you? Just between you and me, she was glad to be rid of it!’
He caught her eye and suddenly they burst out laughing and the tension was gone, but there were still things bothering her.
‘ Why won’t either of you tell me what it was he did. Surely it can’t have been that bad?’
‘ It’s Jack’s story and he must tell you himself when he’s ready, Katie.’
‘ OK, and was it really a coincidence that you turned up here in Lyndhurst or did you come looking for him? Why should I trust you any more than Jack? I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you and, until this happened, we were getting on just fine.’
For an answer, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her protesting lips. It sent shock waves through her.
‘ I appreciate that trust has to be earned, and hope I’ll soon have done that. I promise I’ll speak with Jack and try to sort things out one final time, but, at the end of the day, it’s down to him, Katie. Now, regretfully, I must leave you because I’ve got a dinner engagement.’
She ought to be used to him playing havoc with her emotions by now, she told herself bitterly. She supposed he was going out with the sultry Olivia.
After a solitary supper, Katie went to see Dylan and Faye to ask their advice about Jack.
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