Finding Elizabeth (24 page)

“You’re not going to play the ballet stuff, are you?” a man called from the back.

“No, how about a little Latin American, say
The Buena Vista Social Club?
” Some knew the music, and then some didn’t. “For a warm up, I’ll start with an easy number called ‘Siboney’. Line up, please, and give yourself plenty of elbow room.”

After much foot shuffling and muttering, they were ready. “Excellent.” Katherine showed them a few simple exercises. She pushed the play button on her portable player, and everyone in the group cheered. Katherine began with the movements, urging them to follow her example. A motley assortment of arm waving and foot tapping soon resulted in mayhem. The group began to partner off and dance with each other. They were having a ball, and she wasn’t going to stop them. An elderly gentleman, the only one without a partner, headed towards Katherine, his step spritely for someone of his age.

“May I have the honour?” he said, hand out. “I’m Richard Fellows.”

“I would love to, Richard.”

He placed his hand on the small of her back and swept across the hall with grace and style, his movements fluid.

“You’re a ballroom dancer,” Katherine said.

Richard gave her the biggest grin; he smiled so hard his eyes almost disappeared in wrinkly folds of freckled skin.

“Why haven’t you banded together and formed a dance group? You obviously love it.”

“But we do, twice a week. We thought a little exercise would help as well. I guess the music got us all worked up.” He wheeze-laughed.

It was after two when Katherine headed back into town and Millie’s grocery store. She tied Bubbles’ leash loosely to the bench outside, told her to sit and wait, and hurried up the steps into the store. Bubbles whined and barked the whole time she was gone. Ten minutes later, Katherine headed down the steps with her bag of groceries.

“What do you think you’re doing!” she yelled at the idiot who had untied her dog and was yanking the leash.

Bubbles refused to budge.

“I’m getting my dog back. Come on, you stubborn, smelly …”

Bubbles leapt forward. The idiot went flying and landed on his arse. Bubbles jumped, landing on the man’s chest.

“Leave her alone!” Katherine ran up and kicked the man in the shin.

“Ouch! You crazy bitch, get off me! I’ve a good mind to call the police.”

“Go ahead. They’ll tell you this dog is mine.”

Passers-by were stopping to stare. Katherine urged Bubbles off. The man scrambled to his feet.

“Who the hell are you?” Katherine trembled with rage.

“I’m Stuart Greene. I happened to be passing and saw
my
dog,” he said, jabbing a finger at Bubbles.

“How dare you!” Katherine punched him on the arm. “I saved Bubbles from the dog shelter where you left her to rot, you—you bastard! I know all about you, Stuart Greene. You just want Bubbles back to get in your mother’s good books again. Then you’ll quietly get rid of this loving girl. Get out of my way and out of my sight.” Katherine pushed between Stuart and Bubbles, snatched the leash and stormed off without a backward glance. “No one is taking you from me—okay?” Katherine stopped, hunkered down, threw her arms around Bubbles and buried her face in her thick fur. “And pay no attention to that idiot, you smell lovely. Come on, let’s go home.”

She looked down the driveway and thought she really must do something about clearing a way to the garage before her mother came home. She lugged her groceries down to the back door and let herself in.

Through the open door between the mud room and kitchen, she saw Leandra sitting at the table, hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. “Lea, I wasn’t expecting you to surface for …” Katherine shrugged, “I don’t know, days.” She toed her boots off, went into the kitchen and dumped her shopping on the table.

“The phone rang while you were out. Our mums are on their way home.”

“Brilliant, they’ll be home for Christmas.” She slid an arm around her friend and kissed the top of her head. “You want to come with me when I pick them up?”

Leandra wiped tears from her face. Bubbles went to her side and lay her head in Leandra’s lap.

“What’s wrong—how long have you been sitting here like this?” Katherine hauled Leandra out of her chair and held her until the sobbing stopped and the hiccups began. “Talk to me, Lea. Where’s Dave?”

“He’s on the phone to his boss,” she said. And blew her nose. “Anyway, not my problem.”

“What isn’t your problem? And why are you here looking miserable if it’s not your problem?” Katherine asked.

“I don’t like it when people change their goals, their life—for me. I wouldn’t do it.”

“Dave?” Katherine asked.

“Yeah, Dave. He wants to freelance,” Leandra snapped. “Talk him out of it please.”

“I barely know him. I have no business talking to him about his choices. Dave’s a big boy, he can make up his own mind.”

Leandra rolled her eyes.

Katherine rolled hers. “Come on, give. All of it.” she said, and lowered herself to sit beside Leandra.

“Dave and I have had each other in our sights for a few years now, and there has to be a reason for that, but now I’m scared.” Leandra’s mouth trembled. “This is serious. Dave wants to be with me, but he hasn’t once said how he feels, just that he wants to move in.”

“And you don’t want that?”

“How do
I
know? What if he gives up his career, his life, and it doesn’t work out? I don’t want that on my conscience.”

“No, because you
do
like him a lot, and aside from not wanting to see Dave hurt, you don’t want him to risk his career over you.”

“My love life has always ended in crap.”

“Jack said Dave’s a big boy. He’s had his share of women—”

Eyes wide, Leandra prodded her with a finger. “Exactly!”

“But,” Katherine continued, “I think that’s partly your fault because you constantly gave him the brush off, so Dave thought what the heck …”

“
Hmm …
” Leandra mused, not convinced.

“And it became a vicious circle. You snubbed him; he couldn’t have you, so he drowned his sorrows and screwed every available skirt. Because that’s all it was, you know—a screw.”

“Thanks, I think I have that now,” Leandra frowned.

“I haven’t finished. Remember what you said to me when Jack was outside the cabin chopping wood after I’d destroyed the snowman? You said, so far your dates have been total crap. God only knows what I would’ve ended up with if I hadn’t had ballet—and in your case, skiing. Sometimes you have to believe in fate.” Katherine playfully prodded Leandra. “Come on, where’s my adventurous friend? Dave jokes around, but he admires you. I think he has for a long time, and it must have hurt that you ignored him.”

Mouth quivering, Leandra nodded.

“Jack told me, the last time Dave had his heart broken he left Australia and ended up here. He keeps a tight hold on his feelings; it’s all casual and flippant, until it’s the real thing, then he can’t speak his mind like an adult.”

“That’s exactly how it is. He said, ‘Of course I love you, babe’; then he laughed and tickled me. What is that?! But now I know.” A tear slipped down Leandra’s face and she pressed her lips together, cutting back her emotions so she could speak. Instead it gave her the hiccups. “I—
hic
—have felt the same—
hic
—about Dave—
hic
—I—I love him.”

“Jeez, I thought I was bad. Come here.” Katherine hauled Leandra to her feet, wrapped her arms around her and squeezed every time she thought a hiccup might make an appearance. Leandra started giggling. Pretty soon her body was limp with laughing.

“Stop, stop, they’re gone,” Leandra cried out.

Katherine let her go and they waited …

“
Hic!
”

“Okay, have a drink of water.” Katherine put a glass in front of her. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Wait.”

“That’s the way.” Katherine thought about what Jack had said when she’d asked him how his heart was and he’d said, ‘We all have baggage.’ She might have to follow Leandra’s example, and wait.

“I see that far-away gaze.” Leandra looked at her, eyes narrowed, questioning. “So, I’ve offloaded. Now it’s your turn.”

“Stuart Greene, Peggy’s son, tried to grab Bubbles while I was in Millie’s store.”

At the sound of her name, Bubbles sidled up for a pat.

“I’d whack anyone who tried to take your dog. But you know that’s not what I’m talking about. You’re trying to veer off the subject; that’s just pitiful.” Head to one side, Leandra waited.

“Okay, I’m having a lovely time with Jack. He’s someone I could …” she stopped, took a deep breath and slowly let it out “… become attached to. But Lea,
he’s
not
staying
,” she said, hands out, palms up. “It’s a hopeless situation. That’s how it is, and I can’t change that. I’m making dinner for him tonight. You want to stay? You
and
Dave?”

“
Nah
,” Leandra waved a dismissive hand. “You two don’t want company.”

“Sure I do. And you can help me cook it.”

The phone in the living room rang.

“They’re standing us up,” Leandra said.

“Boy, you
are
in a snippy mood.” Katherine rubbed Leandra’s arm. “What’s the matter with you? Dave’s so important you’re scared it’s all going to turn to crap like they have done in the past—stop it!” She lifted the receiver. “Hello.”

“Hi, sweetie,” Pierre said. “I was speaking to Maggie and Cynthia. You know they’re on their way home tomorrow.”

“Yes, Leandra just told me. We’ll drive in and get them from the airport.”

“No, it’s all arranged. I’m on my way to Calgary now for a meeting at the Regency Hotel with China’s Minister for the Arts, so I said I’d pick them up. Not sure what time I’ll be at the cabin—will you be home tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’ll be here. Can’t wait to see them.”

“See you tomorrow, Katy.”

“Pierre’s collecting our mums,” she told Leandra.

“Yay,” Leandra replied feebly. “Great, I’ll have to suffer Mum’s interrogations. ’Cause don’t think for one minute she can’t read my mind.”

“Your mum is a little controlling, but she hasn’t had the support of a partner to raise you. All she’s had is you and her sports store.”

“Don’t nag, I know all that.”

“And she’s mellowing,” Katherine added.

“Are you finished? Because we’re running out of time to get this dinner ready. Come to think of it,” Leandra said, hands on hips, “when was the last time you cooked a big meal?”

Cracks were starting to appear in Katherine’s preparations for a candle-lit dinner. “No, it’ll be fine.” She shook her head, ignoring the warning bells. “Let’s get started. It’ll take your mind off your imaginary problems.”

Katherine kissed the top of Leandra’s head and moved to the refrigerator. She opened it and hauled out her ten-pound turkey and placed it with a thump on the kitchen table. Bubbles sat up. Nose sniffing the air, she licked her lips.

Eyes round, mouth open, Leandra gasped. “You’re cooking a turkey?”

“Sure.” Katherine glanced at the kitchen clock. “So dinner will be a little late.”

“Okay, it’s your goose—um, turkey.” Leandra screwed her face up in disgust. “Did I tell you I was thinking of becoming a vegetarian? And I’m
not
touching that bird!”

Katherine gave her a look, and pursed her lips. Leandra couldn’t bring herself to check for stray feathers and spiky bits,
or
rub the bird all over with butter and salt. It was up to Katherine to do the recon and pluck
and
stuff. She cut a knob of butter and, standing back, pushed it around the bird’s goosey skin with her index finger. A shudder rippled over her. “Oh God, there’s a feather—and another.” She cringed in horror.

“
Ugh
, that’s gross,” Leandra cried out.

“Shut up and peel the potatoes, or I’ll make you do this.”

“Not yet, I’m making dumplings first. Why did you take on roasting a turkey? Don’t they take, like, all day?”

“It’s a bird, how hard can it be? I’ve watched Mum do it, but that was a long time ago.”

Leandra gave her a look.

“
Okay
, my education isn’t as well rounded as it should be. I was too busy perfecting a
grand plié
. Have a look at it; the skin is creepy, like something out of a science fiction movie.” Katherine stepped back and at arm’s length poked the bird. “Okay, that’s enough massaging, I need gloves—and tweezers.” She washed her hands and searched drawers and cupboards. Nothing. She peeked at Leandra who, despite happily playing with dough, still seemed down.

Katherine had an idea that would solve
nearly
everything. “Back in a minute,” she said. Hiding a meat axe under her arm, she took off for her bedroom. After a quick search, she walked back into the kitchen wearing goggles and opera gloves, a large meat axe in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other.

Leandra fell about laughing. “Stop it, my stomach hurts.”

“What, not good enough?” Katherine asked, straight-faced.

Bubbles sprang up and darted to the front door, whining. Seconds later, there was a knock. Katherine strode out to answer it. The moment she opened the door, Bubbles was out, leaping and wriggling with happiness.

“Jack … Dave?” They stared at her. Fear and amusement were only a teensy part of what she read on their faces.

“You planning on remodelling?” Jack asked.

“Can we help?” Dave followed.

Bubbles warbled, hoping for attention, but all eyes were on Katherine, who wasn’t the least bit self-conscious in her ridiculous outfit.

“Oh god, what time is it?” she said, moving aside to let them in.

“We’re a little early. Is that okay?”

“Oh, um … what time did I say to come?”

“Six thirty.”

“Crap … really? Are you sure?”

They both nodded. “What’s with the long gloves, the axe and the pliers?” Jack asked.

“I’m operating on a bird.”

Bubbles barked on cue.

“Of course. Now that you mention it,” Jack said, “it’s quite obvious.”

“What’s going on out there?” Leandra yelled and came out with flour in her hair and sticky dough stuck to her fingers. “You’re kidding!” She stopped halfway into the living room. “Hi!” she said and waved a doughy hand.