‘It’s not as if I can do anything about it anyway,’ I said and shrugged, knowing Ann was probably right.

  ‘Why? What do you mean?’ Ann’s gaze flicked to a couple being seated nearby then her eyes drifted back to me.

  I took a deep breath. ‘Marcus’s wife…’

  Ann’s eyes widened. ‘Marcus has a wife!’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Marcus’s wife was killed by a drunk driver over a year ago,’ I said, taking a small sip of my drink.

  Ann gasped and took a second to digest my words. ‘Oh my, that is absolutely awful! I can’t begin to imagine what he must be going through.’

  ‘I know,’ I replied, pondering whether to confide in Ann about his wife’s affair.

  I let out a long breath as I made up my mind. ‘That’s not all,’ I added, checking the nearby tables to make sure no one was listening.

  ‘Really?’

  I paused.

  ‘I’m sensing you aren’t sure whether to tell me,’ Ann observed correctly. ‘You can trust me.’

  I knew she was right – she’d been my best friend for such a long time, and I was sure anything I confided in her wouldn’t go any further.

  ‘When the police returned his wife’s personal items after the crash, he discovered texts and pictures on her phone that suggested she was having an affair with someone from work.’

  ‘Jeez, I bet that’s an emotional nightmare. So not only is he grieving for his wife, he’s also tortured by questions that will never get answered,’ Ann said, flabbergasted.

  ‘Exactly. So you see – whether I’ve got feelings for him or not – it wouldn’t be fair to put him in any compromising situations.’

  Ann nodded. ‘Yes, I understand what you’re saying but, Lizzie, promise me one thing.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Just be careful.’

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

  Ann’s eyes darted upwards and she smiled. ‘Here’s the man himself, Mr Manager.’

  I swung round to see Marcus approaching our table with a wide smile on his face. ‘Good afternoon, ladies. How was your lunch?’ he asked.

  ‘Amazing,’ Ann piped up.

  ‘Truly delicious – and cooked to perfection,’ I added, pushing my empty plate away from me.

  ‘And I trust Pierre is looking after you?’ he smiled, glancing briefly towards Pierre, who had now appeared to clear away the empty plates.

  ‘He is indeed.’

  ‘Would you like to see the dessert menu?’ Pierre asked politely.

  ‘Thank you but I don’t think I could manage another bite. Maybe just a latte for me.’

  ‘Yes, and one for me too,’ Ann said.

  Pierre nodded and walked briskly towards the kitchen.

  ‘He’s nice,’ I said to Marcus.

  ‘Pierre? Yes, he’s new to the store too. Only started work here a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Well he’s doing a very good job,’ Ann acknowledged.

  ‘What have you two got planned for the rest of the afternoon?’ Marcus asked.

  ‘I’m sorry to be rude,’ Ann said, standing up and placing her napkin on the table, ‘but will you excuse me for a minute? I need to nip to the lavatory.’

  ‘Over there,’ Marcus said, pointing her in the right direction.

  ‘Thank you.’

  We both watched Ann weave her way through the tables before I spoke.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Marcus, I’ve not replied to your text yet.’

  Marcus perched opposite me for a moment in Ann’s chair.

  ‘That’s OK.’

  ‘It’s just…’ I hesitated.

  ‘Have I put you in an awkward position?’

  I bit down on my lip and looked at him.

  ‘I have, haven’t I?’

  ‘I just don’t know what to do,’ I confessed, leaning towards him and folding my arms on the table.

  ‘It’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,’ he said, stretching his hand over the table to squeeze mine. His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘I couldn’t help it. I’ve really enjoyed the time we’ve had together. It’s made me feel alive again.’ His face was kind and his smile was warm.

  I knew exactly how he felt. I paused and took a deep breath. Our eyes didn’t leave each other.

  ‘Don’t be daft. I’m flattered that you asked me.’

  ‘But you can’t come?’

  ‘I really want to, but how can I?’ I asked, grappling with my conscience.

  ‘How can we make it possible?’ he asked softly.

  ‘We can’t.’

  Visions of Henry seeped into my mind again. There wasn’t a chance on this earth that I’d be able to dress up and leave the house without Henry wondering where I was going. What would I say?

  ‘How about…’

  My eyes darted towards his. ‘How about what?’

  ‘How about if Ann came with you?’

  The cogs in my mind whirled.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. She can be my plus plus one.’

  ‘And you wouldn’t mind?’ I asked cautiously.

  ‘The more the merrier if it means you’ll think about coming,’ he said, smiling broadly.

  Lost in thought for a second, I quickly decided that as plans went, it wasn’t a bad one. And I wouldn’t have to concoct a believable story for Henry. As far as he’d be concerned, I’d be out with Ann – and he wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Ann and I would just treat it as a night out.

  I couldn’t control the wide grin that spread across my face.

  ‘Is that a yes then?’ Marcus pressed, standing up as he noticed Ann heading back towards the table.

  ‘I’ll have to ask her.’

  ‘You pair look like the cat that’s got the cream,’ Ann said as she sat back down.

  Pierre appeared with our two lattes before heading towards a couple on the other side of the room that were waiting to pay their bill.

  ‘Marcus and I were chatting about the Christmas party.’

  I stole a furtive glance at Marcus, who nodded encouragingly in my direction. I flexed my ankles under the table in an attempt to stop my legs from trembling, and butterflies were already fluttering around my stomach at a rate of knots.

  Ann gave me an inquisitive stare.

  ‘Marcus suggested you might like to come to the Christmas party with me?’

  Ann stared at me, then Marcus.

  ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll leave you ladies to it,’ he said, taking a quick glimpse at his watch. ‘I’ve got a meeting now. I’ll text you later on, Lizzie.’

  ‘OK,’ I smiled.

  ‘And, Ann, you are more than welcome to join us.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, quickly looking back in my direction before she took a sip of her latte.

  Marcus touched me on the shoulder before he turned and walked out of the restaurant.

  Ann moved her drink to one side and then it was her turn to fold her arms and place them on the table.

  ‘Oh no! I know that look! What are you thinking now?’ I joked.

  ‘You tell me what I’m thinking,’ she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

  ‘OK, I really want to go to the party. I told Marcus I wouldn’t be able to sneak away without Henry asking questions, and to be honest I’d feel better if you were with me.’

  ‘You mean so I’ll cover for you?’

  Ann wasn’t daft; there was no point dressing it up. If she didn’t come with me, there was no way I’d be able to go.

  ‘It’s just a party. We can have a drink and a dance. It’ll be such a lavish event, and when was the last time we went to a Christmas party? There’ll be canapés and everything.’

  ‘Oh well, if they have canapés, it’s a must,’ Ann said, laughing.

  ‘Are you serious? Will you come with me?’

  ‘Go on then, but only so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t do anything stupid. We’ll have a dance and a drink, and that’s it.’

  ‘I promise, thank you!’ I could feel a wide smile stretching across my face.

  I was excited, nervous and scared witless all at the same time, but it was comforting knowing that Ann was going to be by my side.

  Pierre wandered back over to the table. ‘Is there anything else I can get you ladies?’

  ‘Just the bill please, Pierre,’ I said.

  ‘There is no bill,’ he replied, popping his pen and pad into his jacket pocket.

  I raised my eyebrows. ‘No bill? I don’t understand. We need to pay for our food.’

  ‘It’s on the house. Mr Bowman has already taken care of everything,’ he said, smiling.

  ‘That is extremely kind,’ I gasped, taken aback.

  ‘It sure is. You make sure you thank Mr Bowman from the both of us,’ Ann insisted, looking in my direction.

  ‘Thank you very much, Pierre, we really enjoyed our meal.’

  Pierre smiled at both of us. ‘No problem, we hope to see you both back here very soon. Enjoy the rest of your day.’

  As we travelled down the escalator, Ann and I were chatting about Marcus’s kind gesture when I glanced over the moving handrail. There were two shop assistants busying themselves below, putting the final touches to a display. It was then something caught my eye.

  I gasped. I grabbed Ann’s arm in excitement.

  ‘Where’s the fire?’ she asked.

  ‘There! Look!’

  ‘What at?’ She peered over the side of the escalator, trying to follow my gaze.

  ‘Over there,’ I said, pointing. ‘Come on, follow me.’ I marched off in the direction of the display as soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs, Ann hot on my heels.

  When we reached it, we both stared up at the dress – elegant and beautiful.

  ‘That’s the one, Ann! That’s the dress! It’s gorgeous – and right up my street.’

  ‘I think you might be right,’ she said softly.

  It was a simple dress, made from a shimmering dusky grey satin that was gathered at the waist with a satin band and floated elegantly to just below the knee. The cap sleeves and the soft gathers around the scoop neckline were extremely flattering, and it just oozed class. The dress was accessorised with a silver sparkly handbag and matching heeled shoes. A darker grey fur shrug rested on the shoulders of the mannequin, which finished off the look perfectly.

  ‘I didn’t see this dress before,’ I said.

  ‘Me neither. Maybe they’ve only just put them out,’ Ann replied, looking around.

  ‘There they are.’ I pointed, spotting them first and we hurried over to the rail.

  I scanned the sizes and Ann held one of the dresses up against me. I twisted my hair and scooped it up on top of my head before letting it fall back to my shoulders.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘You look stunning. Now go and try it on.’

  I plunged below the neckline and pulled out the label.

  I gulped.

  We both stared at the price tag in disbelief.

  ‘Do you think it’s a printing error?’

  Ann and I exchanged looks before she looked at the label on the next dress on the rail.

  ‘They’re all the same,’ I said, deeply disappointed. I let out a weary sigh. I couldn’t afford to spend £400 on a dress, not to mention the extra cost of the shoes and handbag. How would I explain the disappearance of that amount from our bank account? Henry would definitely want to know what I’d spent it on. I’d saved a little money from last month’s sewing jobs but not enough to cover that amount.

  I sighed and reluctantly hung the dress back on the rail. We both turned away. ‘Well that’s that, then. There’s no point even trying it on.’

  ‘You’ll find something to wear, Lizzie. And if all else fails, do you know a good seamstress?’ Ann said and smiled, linking her arm through mine. We walked in silence towards the revolving glass door at the entrance of the store.

  When we were out on the street, we paused and Ann turned towards me. ‘Just stop thinking about it. We still have a few days left to find you something,’ she said warmly.

  ‘I know. The price was extortionate. It’s Sod’s Law, isn’t it?’

  ‘On the plus side, I’m coming with you to the party, so let’s figure out how we’re both going to escape for the night!’ Ann suggested, giving me a quick squeeze as we ambled through the busy crowds towards the next row of shops.

  23

  Yesterday’s shopping trip hadn’t been as successful as I’d hoped it would be, and I still needed to find a dress for the party, but nevertheless I’d had a fun day with Ann.

  Last night, I’d come back to reality with a bump. After I’d made Henry’s tea, he’d retired to the living room in his usual routine while I’d disappeared upstairs to run myself a bubble bath.

  I stood over the bath and watched the water rush out of the taps, my mind whirling with the day’s events. Marcus had treated us both like princesses – and I could easily become accustomed to that.

  It hadn’t been long since I’d last seen Marcus, but I was already missing him. I had no idea where these feelings were coming from, but he was on my mind constantly. I balanced a glass of wine and my phone on the windowsill and climbed into the steaming bathtub. When Marcus had left the restaurant, he’d promised to text me, so I couldn’t risk leaving my phone unattended downstairs.

  I sank into the warm, soothing water and started to relax, my mind turning towards the party. I was so happy at the thought of spending an evening with him and delighted that Ann would be by my side. I closed my eyes, content. Ann was a good friend, and I was really lucky to have her.

  The cost of the dress passed through my mind. It would have been so perfect and now I’d been thrown into a blind panic about what I was going to wear. I began to mentally flick through the clothes rail in my wardrobe. Surely there was something suitable? Maybe it would be easier to accessorise an outfit I already had with a chunky necklace or a new handbag. Failing that, surely Ann would have something I could borrow. I remembered a black chiffon blouse with a tie neck and puffy sleeves that I’d bought for a presentation evening when one of the girls had left school. That might just have to do. It had been a long time since I’d treated myself to anything new – not because I didn’t want anything but because I could never usually find anything that suited me.

  The water began to cool. I turned on the hot tap and swirled the warmer water all around me before taking a swig of wine. I began to think about what Ann had said as we’d stood outside the department store. ‘Did I know a good seamstress?’ My mind was racing. Could I really knock up a dress like that in a few days? I remembered the material that had caught my eye in the sewing shop’s window. It would be perfect. I was sure I could design something similar to the dress in the department store. The design was elegant yet simple. Maybe that’s what I’d do tomorrow. I could wander back into town and price up the material.

  Hearing my phone beep, I grabbed the towel I’d placed beside the bath and quickly dried my hands.

  My heart fluttered when I saw Marcus’s name on the screen.

  I read the text message. ‘Can you talk?’

  I craned my neck towards the bathroom door and listened. All I could hear was the low hum of the TV filtering up the stairs from the living room. I felt nervous with excitement and apprehension. I really wanted to hear Marcus’s voice – and Henry had probably dozed off in his chair by now.

  I texted back, ‘Yes’ and immediately switched my phone to silent so Henry wouldn’t hear it ring. I intently watched the screen and within a couple of seconds it lit up with Marcus’s name.

  ‘Hi,’ I said softly.

  ‘Hello. How are you? Did you enjoy the rest of your day?’ Marcus asked.

  ‘Yes, it was perfect – and thank you so much for taking care of our lunch.’

  Marcus paused.

  ‘You’re welcome, but I’m ringing to ask a favour.’

  ‘Anything,’ I whispered, trying to keep my voice down.

  ‘I’m really struggling with Frank. It was easier when I was home but I’m conscious I’m leaving him alone for long periods of time. So I want to offer you a job, Lizzie.’

  ‘A job?’ I asked, puzzled.

  ‘Would you consider being my official dog walker and looking after Frank for me during the day. I’ll pay you, of course.’

  I didn’t even pause to think about it. I’d wanted a dog for as long as I could remember and this would be the next best thing.

  ‘Of course,’ I replied.

  ‘You will?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I can’t thank you enough.’

  Suddenly there was a loud rap on the bathroom door.

  ‘I’m putting the kettle on. Would you like a cup of tea?’ Henry asked through the closed door.

  My breath caught in my throat and my heart hammered in my chest. I was relieved to see I’d remembered to lock the door.

  The phone was still against my ear and I could hear Marcus, ‘Are you still there, Lizzie?’

  My pulse quickened.

  Before I had a chance to reply to either, Henry pulled down on the door handle but the door stayed firmly shut.

  ‘Lizzie, are you OK? I thought I heard voices,’ Henry asked.

  Oh.

  My.

  Goodness.

  Thinking quickly, I began to talk. ‘Yes, Ann, that’s great. I’m sure Henry won’t mind. I’ll look forward to it,’ I said, before hanging up on Marcus, who must have thought I’d completely lost the plot.

  ‘I was just on the phone to Ann,’ I shouted through the closed door.

  ‘You pair are joined at the hip! I thought you’d been out to lunch today?’ he said, laughing.

  I kept my voice calm and didn’t falter. ‘Yes, we were, but she was ringing because she’d forgotten to pass on my invitation for Friday night.’

  ‘Friday night?’

  ‘Yes, the ladies from bingo are having a get-together. A Christmas meal out, and they’ve kindly invited us along. I hope that’s OK with you?’

  I closed my eyes and bit down on my bottom lip, waiting for him to answer.

  ‘I don’t know why you want to go out this time of year. The weather is dreadful and everywhere is manic. Too many crowds for my liking. I couldn’t think of anything worse. Did you want a cup of tea?’