I’m so sorry I didn’t call ahead,” said the woman who Lucy had just let into her home, “but I don’t have your number and, well…” she shrugged. “I’m Katherine,” she said holding out her left, jewel encrusted hand for Lucy to shake.
“I’m Lucy,” said Lucy with an edge of caution to her voice.
“I know,” smiled Katherine. The warmth of it set Lucy off balance. Katherine had a beautiful and kind face. Not the type of face that belonged to an enemy; the one who had called Guy ‘darling’ when she called him over to her in the department store just a few weeks ago.
Lucy gave herself a mental shake and berated herself for allowing her mind to conjur up words like ‘enemy’ as a description for this woman. For heaven’s sake, she was a grown up, not a schoolgirl in a playground, fighting over a game of kiss chase.
Lucy didn’t know quite where to start, how to break the ice or what to do, so at a loss for a place to begin, she showed Katherine into her small but cosy kitchen and did what most British people do in such circumstances: offered her a cup of tea.
“Yes please, that would be lovely,” answered Katherine, folding her jacket neatly over the back of a wooden chair and sitting herself down at Lucy’s farmhouse style table. Lucy opened the fridge to get the milk and suddenly panicked – she only had full fat milk. By the looks of Katherine in her cream cashmere tailored outfit, Lucy could have bet her salary that she didn’t drink full fat anything. In the absence of almond, rice, soy or any other kind of milk, full fat would just have to do, thought Lucy.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” began Lucy, popping a teabag into two mugs and flicking the kettle on to boil, “but can I ask why you’re here?”
Katherine inhaled sharply and breathed out slowly. “I could give you the long explanation,” said Katherine, flicking imaginary raindrops from her cream suit, “but I think it’s best to just come out with it. Guy is in love with you.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. Good God. This was the sharp end of awkward. Here was Guys fiancée – or rather presumed fiancée – sitting in front of her and dropping this rather massive bombshell. Lucy quickly cast her eyes about the kitchen to ensure heavy objects and sharp implements were out of Katherine’s immediate reach in case her wrath suddenly kicked in. Yes, Lucy was sure she could block her if she suddenly lunged for a weapon.
“I, umm, I don’t quite know what to say about that,” said Lucy.
“You’re not pleased?” asked Katherine, cocking her head to one side.
Lucy looked at her blankly. She didn’t know what to say about that either. She had, only very recently, come to terms with her own feelings about Guy, and it was true that just ten minutes ago she had resolved to go and confront him about the woman who was now sitting at her kitchen table, scrutinising her closely.
“Oh dear, maybe I’m the one who has made the mistake then, coming here and telling you like this,” said Katherine.
“What do you mean?”
“Guy’s been really miserable since that day at that shop in Bristol and I rather think I’m the one to blame for it all,” she explained.
Lucy sloshed water into the mugs and mashed the teabags around with a spoon. “I don’t see how you can be blamed. You were out shopping with your fiancé, there’s no crime in that. I’m just sorry that he, well, you know, kissed me inappropriately in front of you. I…”
Katherine waved her hands for Lucy to stop. “Hold on a second,” said Katherine. “Lucy, that’s where you’re wrong. Guy isn’t my fiancé. It’s true, I am engaged,” she said, gazing at the ring on her finger, “but to Guy’s best friend, Zac, not to Guy.”
Lucy’s mouth opened in a convincing impression of a goldfish. “But…”
“We go back a long way. We all went to University together. Believe me, there was a time when I would love to have been Guy’s girlfriend, but that ship sailed long ago. I know how it looked in that store but honestly, he was just doing his duty as best man and helping me pick some aftershave for Zac.”
“But why hasn’t he said all of this to me?” asked Lucy, feeling disappointed at the same time as relief began to wash over her in waves.
“Because I expect he is embarrassed, didn’t know how to explain. I don’t know. Guy can be pretty shy, and after that kiss and you not being in touch, I suppose he got the idea that you weren’t that interested in him.” Katherine shrugged as though the explanation was obvious. “He called me, he confided in me and I suppose I’m breaking his confidence in coming to see you to tell you, but he sounded so down, and his Aunt Irene was only too happy to give me your address once I’d explained.”
Lucy nodded, beginning to understand, the truth of the situation slotting itself into place and making more sense. She set her mug down on the worktop and looked at her watch. “Katherine, will you give me ten minutes? I need to go out somewhere.”
“Oh. I…”
“It’s OK, you can stay here, I’m not going to be long. It’s just, I was on my way out when you arrived and the errand I need to run, well, it can’t wait,” she said, already grabbing her umbrella from the hook and making for the door. “I’ll be back in a jiffy. There’s a packet of custard creams under the sink,” she called, before Katherine had a chance to respond.
The weather was appalling. The wind was howling through the trees and branches were lashing around in a frenzy. The rain sluiced down Lucy’s windscreen quicker than the wipers could clear it away. She manouevered her car through the lanes towards the school and checked her watch again. There might still be enough time to catch Jack before he got on the school bus. If she didn’t confront this today, she might just lose her nerve completely.
Lucy slammed on the brakes hard as she turned a sharp corner and met another car heading towards her in the narrow lane. There was no passing place, so one of them would need to back up. Lucy squinted through the rain on the windscreen. There was no mistaking the driver of the car which had now stopped opposite her. He wore a silly red bobble hat and he had a passenger beside him in the front seat, and there was no mistaking him either! She watched as Guy said something to Jack, before he clambered out of the car and slowly walked up to her window, oblivious to the rain that was hammering down.
Lucy took a deep breath and, ignoring the churning in her stomach, buzzed down her window.
