Harriet's Arrangement

Compromise

Somehow Harriet managed to make it through dinner with Mr Browning and his colleagues. Johnny was true to his word and kept close by – but not too close, she noted – for the duration of the evening. Tom sent her regular updates on his journey by text, and when at last dinner was at an end, she bade Mr Browning and the others goodnight and arranged to settle the bill with the waiter. Johnny was waiting in the foyer when she came out of the private dining room, and she gave him a grateful smile.

"Tom's train gets in in ten minutes," Harriet said, accepting her jacket that he was handing her, "Have you tried Kieran again?"

"I've been trying him every half hour," Johnny said, holding the door open as Harriet thanked the hostess as she said goodnight to them, "Nothing." They'd made excuses for Kieran's absence with the clients, but fear had been gnawing at Harriet's insides all evening.

Harriet bit her lip. "Malcolm will know we had this dinner," she said, quietly, more for her own peace of mind than anything else, "I expect he will be expecting me to come afterwards."

"Do you want to meet Tom at the station?" Johnny asked.

Harriet nodded. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he said, "And it will be nice to meet this mysterious man of yours too."

She smiled, a little distractedly. "Thanks, Johnny."

The walk to the station was only five minutes, and they arrived just as the loudspeaker announced the arrival of Tom's train. They stood by the display boards, Harriet chewing her lip and balancing on her toes to spot him. It wasn't a busy train and her eyes found his in no time, and before she knew it he was by her side, his arms folding her into him and his lips in her hair, murmuring to her. She felt her frayed nerves soothe a little the second he held her and she sighed a ragged sigh of relief into his shoulder as she clung to him.

He released her, squeezing her hand, and turned to Johnny. "You must be Johnny," he said, holding out a hand which Johnny shook.

"Tom," he said with a polite nod, "It's nice to meet you at last, albeit in slightly unusual circumstances."

Tom gave him a wry smile. "Indeed," he agreed.

The three of them were now walking out of the station back in the direction of the hotel, Tom's hand tightly clamped around Harriet's. "Tell me what happened?" Tom asked, directing the question at both of them.

"I don't think there's much more to tell," Harriet said, quietly, "Everything was fine – great, even – and then I spotted Malcolm, I couldn't find Kieran, I found Johnny and neither of us could get hold of Kieran. We had a break so we went to sit down in the bar to try and figure out what to do and then Malcolm showed up. Then you called and you know the rest."

"He did leave, then, when he said he would? And you've not seen him since?"

Harriet shook her head. "No. We went to the dinner," she said.

"Good girl," he murmured, "This man, Harriet..."

"I know," she said, biting back a wave of tears that she was surprised hadn't come earlier, "I'm sor–"

"Harriet, if you say you're sorry, I think you know what will happen," Tom said in a low voice, directing his scold away from Johnny, who was walking a little way away now to give them space.

"Yes, Sir," she whispered, the relief to have him here, in control, and so Tom palpable.

"Now, do we relieve Johnny of getting any more involved in this?" he asked.

She nodded. "I think so," she said, "I feel awful that he's as far in as he is."

"Not your fault," Tom said, "You did the right thing. You understand?"