Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (13 inch ebook reader TXT) 📕

‘Just a minute!' Flora's backbonere-formed itself. 'Who are you to tell me to "come on"?’

Charles frowned down at her, confused.'Flora, I've come to take you home. Now come on.'

‘Ican't leave here, I happen to be working, in case you didn't notice!'

‘Standinground handing out leaflets is not what I call work!'

‘Well,sorry about that! It's the best I could do in the time! I've only been in London a short while—’

‘And it's timeyou came home again.'

‘Noit's not! I'm working. Now please go away and let me do my job.' She smiled over his shoulder, to make outthere was someone waiting for her attention.

Charles clicked his teeth and took herbottle of water out of her hand. He lookedfor somewhere to put it and, failingto find anywhere, dropped it on the floor. 'No one's that bloodyindispensable,' he misquoted back at her, as she had when he hadn't wanted totake time off for the dentist. 'Come on.’

Chapter Twenty-Five

 Flora foundherself being grabbed by the wrist and pulled. As digging her high heels intothe parquet floor would have been both difficult and embarrassing, she allowed her body to follow her wrist. 'I can't go anywherewith you, Charles,' she said when they got outside. 'And if I leave early, Iwon't get paid and I need the money.'

‘What do you need money for?'

‘Topay my rent. And I've got a flat to look at when I've finished here.' That wasn't true, but it sounded good.

‘Look, Flora, it took me a long time totrack you down—'

‘How did you track me down? Don't tell me mymother told youwhere I was?’

Charlespushed his hair out of his eyes. 'Can we have this discussion somewhere other than inCork Street?'

‘Where do you suggest? Shall we ring upRent-a-Boardroom and hope they've got one available?’

Charles smiled. 'A restaurant would begood. I'm starving.’

Excitement, adrenaline, and sheerpleasure at being with Charles again, even if they were fighting, made Flora'sheart give a little skip. 'OK.' She struggled to sound non-committal. Shedidn't want to give Charles the impressionshe would just go meekly home with him.

‘There must be one somewhere roundhere.' Still holding on to her, they walked past several places that wereclosed.

‘A lot of restaurants are closed onMonday nights,' explained Flora. 'It's something to do with the fish. Or thatmay just be chip shops.’

Charles scowled down at her, as ifdespairing of ever understanding her.

Theyturned into a little side street down which could be seen an awning and fairy lights.Sounds of a busy restaurant emerged. They got to the door; the maitre d' regardedthem sadly and shook his head, 'I'm sorry—'

‘Listen,' said Charles, polite but veryfirm, 'we're hungry, we need a small tablefor two. We don't mind if we have to sit by the kitchen, we don't mindif there's a bit of a draught, we just want somewhere we can eat.'

‘Certainly,m'sieur. If you would just wait here, I'll see what I can do.’

While they were waiting, Flora lookedaround her. It seemed as if there wasn't aspare square inch to sit down in the entire place. However, not manyminutes after their arrival, the maitre d' came back to them.

‘We have found a little corner for you.’

They squeezed past other diners andSwiss cheese plants until they came to thecorner described. Even with the table pulled out, Flora could hardly getbehind it. She collapsed on her seat with a giggle, which she partly put down to nerves. Charles took the menu fromthe waiter, who had followed their progress with difficulty.

‘Steak frites, salad, and - can I see the winelist? That all right for you, Flora?'

‘Are you ordering my food for me, Charles?’

‘Yes. Have you got a problem with that?’

Flora sighed. 'Not on this occasion.’

Charlesscanned the list that was on the other side of the menu.'We'll have the Barolo, please, and some water. Sparkling or still, Flora?'

‘Sparkling,' she said meekly.

She didn't approve of men ordering foodfor their companions as a rule, but in this instance it was quite nice. Afterall, if he'd ordered something she hated, or just didn't fancy, she'd have saidsomething. And she was too intrigued byCharles's presence to fuss about it.

The winecame with satisfying alacrity. 'I don't need to taste it,' said Charles. 'I'm sureit's not corked.’

The waiter tried not to show he wasoffended and poured them each a glass of wine and then retreated. He wasobviously experienced enough to know when customers wanted to have a good rowin peace.

‘Now, Flora. Oh, bread. Thank you.’

Flora took a bit of bread and nibbledit. She realised she was hungry, too. She hadn't eaten anything except nibblessince breakfast.

‘As I was saying. Why did you run away?You must come home!'

‘I didn't run away! I went away for theweekend and decided to stay on for a fewdays. It's not at all the same.' Shedidn't want to explain why she'd gone, it was too humiliating, toopainful.

‘You mayhave told Geoffrey that, but it didn't fool me. Andif you only went for the weekend why did you get a job? And you said you werelooking at a flat!’

Flora checked her watch. 'Thank you forreminding me. I'm due there at nine. It wasthe only time they could see me. I mustn't miss the appointment.' Her pridemade her keep up this pretence. It made her feel more in control, somehow.

‘You'renot going to look at any flat! What is going on with you? You come downto Bishopsbridge, cause havoc at every turn—'

‘I didnot cause havoc! I caused . . . prosperity, publicity, a lot of goodthings. And we made loads for Geoffrey's books.'

‘Iknow. I was there. We must let you have another go sometime, when you'remore experienced.’

Flora was on her feet before he'dfinished speaking. He grabbed her wrist.'Only joking, honestly. You were a star, and everyone has gone on and onabout it ever since.’

Flora regarded him suspiciously. 'Tellme, Charles, honestly, did you deliberatelystay away so I'd have to do the sale?’

Charles raised a comical eyebrow. 'If Itell you, will you promise not to throw anything?'

‘No.I won't promise,' she snarled, 'and you've betrayed yourself by askingthat question.'

‘Think how disappointed you'd have been- Geoffrey would have been - if you'd done all that coaching and