Practically Perfect (44 page)

Anna regarded it as if it might contain poison. ‘But you’re driving. You can’t drink practically neat vodka.’

‘I know. I just want to taste what I’m feeding you. Have a sip.’

Anna sipped. ‘It’s incredibly sweet. But quite nice,’ she added a moment or two later.

Chloe followed suit. ‘Mm,’ she said, making a face. ‘Not my favourite mixer but not bad.’

When Anna felt Chloe was ready to sit down and discuss matters, she perched on the arm of the sofa and said, ‘Now tell me about this whole Rob thing. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for not giving him my address. You didn’t, did you?’ she added anxiously.

‘Of course not! But don’t get too complacent. He knows roughly where you live, just not which house. He found out my telephone number through the Greyhound Trust. He was kicking himself for not thinking of it before.’

‘I can’t think why he wants to see me. I certainly don’t want to see him.’ Anna clutched a scatter cushion to her, seeing the point of them at last.

‘I rather get the impression he wanted to apologise to you. He said he’d said some dreadful things.’

‘It’s not what he said that bothers me, it’s what he thought.’

‘Which was?’ Chloe asked, heading for the kitchen area.

‘That I was making plans for his house – his burnt-out house – so I could sweep in and make a profit. Quite honestly, Chlo, if he can even think that, he doesn’t know me at all.’

Chloe was opening and shutting drawers, looking for cutlery. ‘The trouble is, you haven’t seen each other for a bit. That’s how misunderstandings develop. He was extremely keen to make contact with you while he was at his sister’s. Frustration can make people react in funny ways. Ah, here we are.’ She brandished a couple of knives and forks and set about putting portions of fish and chips on to two plates.

Anna accepted hers and put it on her lap, evicting the hot-water bottle. ‘If he was that desperate, why didn’t he try harder?’ Anna was starting to wind herself up again.

‘Because he hadn’t thought how to. You know what men are like.’ Chloe joined Anna on the sofa, her own meal in her hand. ‘And he kept thinking you’d get in touch with him, and get me to drive you over, or something. He knew
your
mobile phone hadn’t been destroyed in a fire,’ she said reasonably.

‘It would have been hard for me to get in touch with him! I don’t know his sister’s surname, let alone her telephone number. She’s quite likely to be ex-directory anyway, like you.’ Anna drew breath so she could continue her tirade. ‘And although I have been to her village, once, I don’t know if I could go back there without instructions. It’s totally unreasonable of him to have expected me to get in touch with him.’ Anna ate a chip savagely. ‘It’s his dippy sister’s fault. She was the one who told me his phone was dead! She should have made sure she had my number before she hurried me out of the hospital.’

Chloe bit into a batter-covered morsel. ‘She was looking after her baby brother. She was bound to be distracted.’

‘Oh, stop being so reasonable!’ Anna smiled ruefully as she heard herself.

‘Sorry,’ said Chloe. ‘It’s my birth sign. It’s very irritating.’
She
ate a chip, chewing thoughtfully. ‘I’m sure this isn’t an irreconcilable difference, Anna.’

Anna shook her head vehemently. ‘Yes it is, Chloe. Absolutely. You weren’t there. It wasn’t a lovers’ tiff, it was a basic misunderstanding of my whole character. How could he have got me so wrong?’ She forced a half-smile. ‘I’m excused from getting him wrong. I have no judgement when it comes to men. Think of Max.’

Chloe put down her plate and got up. She went to the kitchen, looking for something.

‘I haven’t got any ketchup, I’m afraid, if that’s what you’re looking for. I don’t like it,’ Anna said.

‘That’s OK, nor do I. The boys do. I like mayonnaise. Got any of that?’

Anna nodded. ‘In the fridge.’

‘Right,’ Chloe said, bringing the jar back with her and sitting herself down again on the sofa. ‘Tell me everything.’

‘No,
you
tell
me
everything!’ said Anna, out of self-defence.

‘I think, for continuity, you have to go first,’ Chloe insisted.

‘What’s with the long words?’ said Anna flippantly, feeling anything but. She was not looking forward to telling Chloe she was moving back to Yorkshire. But it did seem the only viable solution.

‘Just tell me! Why did Rob fetch up at my house, furiously angry and very upset? What did you do to him?’

Anna sighed. ‘I don’t know why you think I’ve done something to him, but anyway, I didn’t mean to do it. He just got the wrong end of the stick and wouldn’t let me explain.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, once I’d got the car, I started going to take the dogs out while Rob wasn’t there. It was for Caroline’s sake, really,’ she explained, crunching into a large chip.

‘And for Rob’s,’ Chloe pointed out. ‘You knew he’d be worrying.’

‘Yes, but as he didn’t know about the car, he would still have worried, but that’s beside the point.’

‘OK, go on.’

Anna felt a little calmer now Chloe was here, she’d had a soothing drink and refuelled a little. Perhaps it would make more sense as she explained it to Chloe. ‘Well, I went to what’s left of his house, and because it’s what I do, I started making plans for its rebuilding. After all, I can’t get on with the house I’m buying – was buying – as it’s not mine yet.’

‘It’s bound to cost a fortune,’ Chloe said matter-of-factly.

‘Oh definitely,’ Anna agreed. ‘Much cheaper to pull it down and start again. But I don’t think Rob would want to do that.’

Chloe nodded. ‘Nor do I.’

‘I haven’t been able to cost it properly, but it is going to be very expensive,’ Anna continued. ‘Although lots of the old house is still standing. Anyway, I’d arranged a site meeting with a builder, a structural engineer, and Eric – you remember him?’ The whole scene replayed back in her mind in horribly vivid detail. ‘Well, Rob turned up, saw us all there and hit the roof.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘Or he would have hit it if there’d been one.’ Anna took another sip of her drink, which was growing on her, in a strange way.

‘Go on!’ Chloe urged.

‘He thought I saw it as an investment opportunity. I just don’t know how he could have thought that about me. It’s so hurtful! The last thing I would ever do is try to exploit anyone’s misfortune, least of all Rob’s.’

‘So you do care about him then?’

‘Oh yes,’ Anna sighed. ‘Or at least I did. At the moment I just want to spit roast him over the flames of what’s left of his house, but I don’t suppose that’ll last. But anyway, I’m going back to Yorkshire, to live near Laura. I can’t stay here, where so much of the area is either listed, or in a conservation area: we’d keep running into each other.’

Chloe made a harrumphing noise and dipped a large chip in mayonnaise. ‘But if you care for him,’ she said slowly, when her mouth was free to speak with. ‘I think you should give him a chance to explain.’

‘What’s to explain? He hates me!’ Anna said dramatically. ‘He thinks I’m someone completely different from who I am!’

‘I’m sure he doesn’t hate you,’ murmured Chloe.

‘Yes he does! Get with the programme! He couldn’t think those things of me if he cared about me at all.’

‘I didn’t get the impression he hated you when he came round to my house, desperate to get in touch.’

‘Well, anyway, I’ve decided to go back to Yorkshire.’

Chloe, who had left her drink on the side, took a sip of Anna’s. ‘But, Anna, you’ve just bought a new house.’

Anna shook her head. ‘I haven’t completed. I can easily pull out.’

Chloe placed a hand on Anna’s arm. ‘Well, don’t do anything in too much of a hurry. You’re extremely upset—’

‘That does pretty much describe it.’

‘Why don’t you just go and stay with Laura for a bit?’

‘I can’t stay with her with Caroline for long. I’d have to find somewhere to live anyway and, as we know, it’s hard to rent with a dog.’ Anna got hold of her cushion again and gave it a hug.

Chloe stayed silent for a few moments. ‘I can’t believe this is really the end. You two had so much going for you.’

‘I thought we had, but then I thought I was so in love with Max that I thought I would die, and that was just infatuation. This probably is, too.’ She hugged the cushion tighter, feeling astonishingly sorry for herself.

‘I’m sure it’s not!’ Chloe said reassuringly. ‘I’m sure he cares about you. Why would he be so keen to get in touch with you if he didn’t have feelings!’

‘He hates me. That’s feelings.’

‘Come on, Anna,’ Chloe chided. ‘He doesn’t hate you. Now, are you certain you won’t let me tell him where you live, or at least give him your number? Honestly, he’s in a complete state. Since he got my number he’s left three messages on my answer phone, and then came round.’

Anna sat up straight. ‘Chloe, you’ve got to promise me, whatever else you do, you won’t tell Rob where I am, or give him any way of getting in touch with me.’

Chloe regarded her friend, trying, by sheer effort of will, to get her to unsay those words.

‘I mean it, Chlo. You’ve been such a good friend to me—’

‘And you to me! Think of you and Rob taking over while I was in hospital – then it all just went away—’ Her voice broke. ‘I can’t bear it! And I’ll never see you again if you move to Yorkshire.’

‘Come on! It’s me with the broken heart, not you. And you can come and visit.’

Chloe sighed deeply. ‘OK, I know. And I will promise if you’re sure that’s what you want me to do.’

‘It is.’

Chloe put her arms round Anna and they hugged for a long time.

Chapter Twenty-Six

AFTER CHLOE HAD
gone, Anna realised she had to act quickly. She knew Rob would want to have his dogs back with him as soon as possible and that he wanted to see her. It was quite possible that he would go to Geoff’s and be lying in wait until she came for Caroline. She’d have to start planning and packing immediately.

Although it was late, she rang Laura. ‘Sorry for ringing so late. You weren’t in bed, were you?’

‘That’s fine. Are you all right?’ Laura sounded tense, and definitely as if she was in bed.

‘Fine, but it is a bit of an emergency. Can Caroline and I come up to stay for a little while? I – I might even buy a property up near you, like you said I should.’ This sounded a bit more positive than just needing a place to run to.

There was a silence. Anna knew Laura was imagining all sorts of emergencies and trying not to panic. ‘Fine. When would you want to come?’

‘Tomorrow, really, but it may have to be the day after.’ Anna picked up a pen and started doodling, until she saw she was drawing houses and had to score them out.

‘But, Anna!’ Laura exclaimed. ‘You’ve got at least three more weeks on your rented house paid for.’ She sounded incredulous and a little hoarse. ‘What’s the rush?’

‘It’s complicated, but I promise you, it’s urgent that I come.’

‘And you have to bring Caroline? Not that I don’t adore her, of course,’ she said hurriedly. ‘But I’m not sure there’s room for her. And Will has turned the spare room into an office.’ Laura obviously hated not being immediately and totally welcoming. ‘I’m not saying don’t come, but a couple of days’ notice would be brilliant.’

‘I’m not sure I’ve got a couple of days, Lo. It’s hard to explain.’ Anna picked up the pen again and started drawing: bars this time, crossing and recrossing.

‘Is it Rob?’ Laura said gently.

‘Mm.’ Anna had been so brave in front of Chloe, but she’d drunk a fair amount of vodka since then and her resistance was crumbling.

‘God! Men are bastards! What’s he done? You’re not pregnant, are you?’

Anna could almost see Laura’s imaginings, a crying baby as well as a greyhound in her shrinking house. ‘No! It never got that far.’

Relief made Laura expansive. ‘But you were so in love with him!’

‘I know, but it’s not reciprocated and I have to get away. I can’t stay here, knowing I might bump into him at any moment. I just can’t.’ She heard her voice crack and tried to get herself under control. She couldn’t let herself go. She had things to do. ‘If it’s hard for you, I could always go and stay with Mum.’

‘No! We’ll manage somehow. Come whenever you like.’

‘Well, I won’t be with you until quite late, I shouldn’t think,’ Anna said. ‘I want to avoid the motorways and I’ll have to work out a route. I need to buy a map.’

‘Honey, why don’t you hang on for a day? I’ll come down by train and we’ll drive back together. It’s a long way for an inexperienced driver.’

‘I can’t wait for you to do that, although it’s a wonderfully kind offer,’ she added, trying not to sound too desperate. ‘I have to be away from here as soon as possible.’

‘Shall I get in the car and come down now?’ Laura asked. Anna could hear the concern in her voice.

‘Oh, Laura! You’re such a star, but it’s not that bad. Tomorrow will do. And I’ll manage the drive just fine. I’ve got a lot of practice in recently, even though I haven’t done any long journeys yet. I’m not worried about the driving.’ This wasn’t entirely true, but the drive was quite a way down her mental worry-list. There were so many much more pressing matters.