Dulcie could no longer contain herself. She jumped up and grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge.
‘I did, I really did,’ she cried ecstatically. ‘I knew you wouldn’t believe me – I can hardly believe it myself – but I was brilliant! I didn’t make any mistakes. Oh, Pru, you should have seen me, I did everything. What’s more,’ Dulcie’s green eyes glittered as she sloshed wine into the glasses,
‘I loved every minute!’
This was hard to believe, but as Dulcie continued to sing her own praises, it became apparent that she meant every word. It wasn’t an elaborate set-up, or an April Fool. Quite by chance, Pru realised, and rather later in life than most people, Dulcie had discovered that work needn’t be awful after all.
‘I don’t know where the day went,’ she gabbled on, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘Seriously, the hours just galloped by. One minute Rufus was helping Maris into his car, and the next thing I knew, it was seven o’clock, time to close up! No thanks, better not.’
Here was another first: Dulcie holding her hand over her glass. Startled, Pru said, ‘Sure?’
‘The cafe opens at seven, for breakfast. I promised Rufus I’d be there by six.’
‘Six?’ squeaked Pru.
‘Mans has broken her arm. She’s going to be out of action for weeks,’ Dulcie explained serenely.
‘I offered to help out.’
‘You mean ... every day?’
‘Only six days a week. They’re shut on Sundays.’
It was a struggle taking it in. Pru couldn’t help wondering if she’d somehow got hold of the wrong end of the stick. ‘Dulcie, are you sure about this?’
Dulcie didn’t reply. Instead, she studied the rim of her almost empty glass for several seconds.
When she finally spoke, the jokiness, the glittering facade, was gone.
‘It’s what I want right now. It’s what I need. Something to stop me thinking about the godawful mess I’ve made of my life.’
Pru experienced a twinge of alarm. This wasn’t like Dulcie at all.
‘Oh no, you haven’t—’
‘Come on, Pru. What else am I going to do with myself? If I go to Brunton I’ll see Liam. If I stay here I’ll only think about him.’ Dulcie’s eyes were sad. This wasn’t the whole truth; she would mainly be thinking about Patrick. Oh, she’d been such an idiot...
‘You know what you need,’ said Pru.
Me too, thought Dulcie. A kick up the bum for being a prize wally.
Aloud, she said, ‘What?’
Pru grinned.
‘An alarm clock.’
Chapter 40
Having the stitches out didn’t hurt a bit.
‘There,’ said the doctor soothingly. Finished at last, he dropped the scissors into a stainless-steel kidney bowl and reached for a mirror. ‘Have a look. Tell me what you think.’
Pru looked at her wild-haired, bandageless reflection in the mirror and promptly burst into tears.
‘I know, I know.’ The doctor patted her on the shoulder. ‘I’ve done a good job, if I say so myself.’
‘Can I go home and wash my hair no*?’ sniffed Pru. It had been the longest two weeks of her life.
He smiled.
‘Only if you really want to.’
Terry Lambert was in his office working his way through a pile of letters that needed signing when his secretary popped her head around the door.
‘Someone to see you, Mr Lambert. A Mrs Kasteliz. She doesn’t have an appointment but she wondered if you might have a few minutes to spare.’
‘That’s fine, Dora.’ Terry Lambert carefully recapped his fountain pen. ‘Please send her in.’
‘Hi,’ said Pru, looking smart in a white cotton shirt tucked into dark-green jeans, and with a red silk scarf around her neck. ‘Thanks for seeing me.’
‘My pleasure. Sit down, Pru.’ Terry held the chair for her. Glancing up, he caught his secretary’s eye. ‘No need to wave your eyebrows at me like that, Dora,’ he remarked easily. ‘Mrs Kasteliz is my cleaning lady.’
Tight-lipped, Dora closed the door behind her.
‘Sorry about that,’ said Terry. ‘They know I’m involved with someone, they just don’t know who. It kills the secretaries to be left in the dark. Now then, you’re looking well. Good holiday?’
‘Actually, that was a fib,’ Pru admitted. ‘I didn’t really go on holiday.’
As a solicitor, Terry Lambert was nothing if not diplomatic. He leaned back in his leather chair and said, ‘I see.’ Pru smiled.
‘Apart from my doctor, you’re the first person to see these.’ He looked faintly alarmed.
‘See what?’
But Pru was scooping her hair up and away from her face. Her grey eyes shone.
