An Affair of the Heart (19 page)

“There is! I’ve
got Sarah’s heart!”

“I told you, I
don’t believe in ghosts!”

“Then what are
you doing here, Robert? Sarah’s not coming. Not today, not ever! So
who else are you waiting for? And why haven’t you gone back to
America?”

“Stop it!”
Robert’s voice was raised. A few people nearby looked across at
their table. Robert lowered his voice again. “Just stop it, okay?
You’re messing with my head!”

“Fine,” she
said, standing up. “I’ll leave you to your empty table.”

“No!” Robert
grabbed her arm. “Don’t go, Rachel! Look, just sit down, will you.
I’m sorry, okay?”

Rachel sat down
again. She just sat there, holding on to her half finished mug of
chocolate with both hands, and staring down at the table.

Robert looked
at her. Then he reached out and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Rachel,”
he said again. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just can’t help it,
okay? I guess it’ll take me a while to get over all this. But I
could do with a friend right now. Especially one who, according to
her mother, ‘fancies me,’ and also happens to be as pretty as you!”
Rachel looked up at him and he gave her one of his best boyish
grins.

“I’ve had my
hair done,” she said in a quiet voice.

“You look
beautiful!” he said quickly.

“You’re
supposed to say that when you first see me, not after I tell you!”
she complained.

“I haven’t seen
you in two and a half months! How was I supposed to know it was a
recent change?”

Rachel reached
up and fluffed at her hair. “Okay, I’ll let you off!” she said,
brightening up again. “Do you want to see what I’ve bought?”

Robert sighed.
“Go on then,” he said. “Let’s see what you’ve spent all you’re
ill-gotten gains on.”

“They’re not
ill-gotten!” Rachel replied as she dug into one of her shopping
bags. “Mum and I earned that money!”

“You only got
it because Alex turned soft at the end and settled out of court.
Brian was so disappointed at not getting his chance to thrash Sir
Richard Hargreaves, I thought he was going to cry!”

“Alex didn’t
turn soft! He just did what was right that’s all!” Rachel looked up
from delving in one of her shopping bags. “How is Brian,
anyway?”

“He’s got a
bigger, better, and even more expensive office. He’s doing real
fine.”

“Good! I liked
Brian.” Rachel pulled an extremely short little blue dress out of
one of her shopping bags and stood up, holding it against her body.
“I got this first,” she said. “I just had to have it as soon as I
saw it. What do you think?”

“It’s
perfect.”

“It’s not too
short is it?”

“No, just
right.”

Rachel sat down
again, put the dress away and pulled out a pair of high-heeled
shoes. “And of course I had to get these,” she was saying
enthusiastically.

“You’ll need a
step-ladder,” Robert remarked.

“But you have
to have high heels with a short dress, don’t you?”

“Of
course.”

“And then
there’s the handbag…”

“Naturally.”

“And then in
Kendals I saw this red suit –not getting bored are you?”

Robert shook
his head and grinned at her. “Of course not!” he said. “I’m just
looking forward to the underwear.”

Rachel pointed
a finger at him sternly. “You were doing well up to then, Mr
McCord!” she told him with mock severity. “I sentence you to
another three shopping bags!”

Rachel then
dived into the next colourful shopping bag, pulling out another new
purchase for him to see. They went on like that for some time, with
Rachel pulling out each new item, and Robert continuing to comment
and agree on the perfection of her choice, and occasionally making
her laugh. Most people in the restaurant hardly noticed them, or
paid them much attention. They were just two ordinary people
enjoying a pleasant afternoon in town together, and perhaps getting
to know one another just a little bit better.