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‘I know she loves me—she’s just told me so.’
‘I did no such thing,’ she says, snatching her hand out of mine. But not for long as I snatch it back. Never let truth come in the way of a good story, I say. ‘But she’s suffering from fear,’ I say solemnly. ‘And well, if she isn’t ready to become Lady Travers—or Lady Sadie, if you prefer, which does have a nice ring to it—and live in the life of luxury.’ It doesn’t matter if I’m piss poor, Sadie will always have extravagance as long as I’m around. ‘Then I’ll move to... ’ where was it again? Something beach? Not Bondi.Wrong continent.Virginia? ‘Ocean Beach!’ I almost yell, grasping the place from the recesses of my mind.
Several people gasp, one or two titter quietly, someone even breaks out into applause, and the steward suddenly camps it up by clutching his chest.
‘Because I cannot live without her,’ I continue. ‘Or my heart.’
‘I can’t believe you,’ Sadie fumes, her body rigid as I pull her awkwardly into me.
‘I know, you didn’t want me to out you, my lovely purple faced plum, but you can’t send me away now.’
Literally. She can’t. Cabin crew prepare for take off!
The peanut gallery disperses as the pilot’s voice reminds them why they’re here.
‘You can’t ignore me for the whole eight hours.’
‘I beg to differ,’ she growls from between gritted teeth.
‘By the way, I phoned Kallie,’ I say, changing the direction of our conversation. ‘She told me she’d make up the horrid lumpy sofa in your apartment for me. Wasn’t that nice of her? I told her not to bother, of course,’ I add as her head slowly turns my way. ‘I said we’d be too busy fucking like bunnies to sleep.’
I laugh as she makes a sound of extreme frustration as I take her hand in mine.
‘I’m sorry about your loss,’ she mutters almost mulishly.
‘Thank you, but don’t be.’ I rub my finger over her knuckles. ‘His death made me realise a few things.’ Her head lifts, interest piqued. ‘I’m not him. I won’t ever be. And that I don’t have to deny myself.’
‘Oh, I don’t think that was ever a problem for you.’
‘You’re right and you’re wrong. But there was something else you were absolutely correct about, you insightful little thing.’ She doesn’t ask, though I sense her brace herself. ‘You can’t keep yourself safe from love. It just doesn’t work like that.’
She blinks back at me and for a moment I think she’s going to cry. But instead she almost dislocates her jaw in a yawn.
‘Know what else I was right about,’ she says, her words a touch uneven and sleepy.
‘What? Are you okay?’ I take her wrist in between my fingers but she pulls it away.
‘Icanignore you for the whole flight, because I’ve taken this.’ From her pocket she pulls an amber medicine bottle, shoving it into my hand.
‘Herbal sleeping pills?’ I mentally slap myself; she’s afraid of heights.
‘They’re a knockout,’ she slurs, curling away from me. ‘N-night.’
Epilogue
SADIE
Eighteen Months Later
‘Miss Evans?’
I’m not Lady Sadie. At least, not yet.
Mary, Will’s day shift nurse, who I’ve come to know very well over the last eighteen months, by telephone, at least, sticks her head around the door. Her hand curls in a rapidcome hithermotion.
‘Is he out?’ I ask quietly.He being Will.
‘Yes,’ he popped out to grab a quick sandwich for lunch,’ she whispers back. ‘He was really put out that the receptionist wasn’t about to do his bidding. He even suggested I go to the café for him, the cheeky fecker.’
