Without A Song

Chapter Nineteen: Of foxes and things

My final full day in Suffolk. I awoke from a restless sleep, shaved and showered. The excitement I felt in my heart of returning to Nicole drove my day and to an extent I did things automatically, probably from a long experience of moving on. I'd things to do and still no idea on how they might pan out. Wearing clean jogger bottoms and an old familiar England rugby shirt I felt at home in, I went in search of the washer/drier with my dirty washing. Successfully located and set in motion I headed for breakfast. Rupert sat at the dining table seemingly oblivious to my presence. I made another healthy meal in ignorance of Rupert who was reading the morning paper. The kitchen clock chimed eight o'clock, I realised that he was late for work.

"I am working from home today. When I get the nod from the girls I can join you at the cinema, restaurant, or wherever they've got planned."

Over my morning meal he told me which clients he was working for and whose names were his first priority today. Some of the names I knew personally, some by reputation. Rupert was telling me this because he trusted me, it was his way of telling me this fact. I listened to him while I munched on muesli.

"Were you planning to see Terri Golding before you left? I have it on good authority that she has news for you." He held his hand up against my questioning looks. "You will have to ask her yourself but it could be good news."

I thanked him and made more tea. Not for the first time I realised, had the tom-toms been beating and I hadn't understood their significance. I guessed that Rupert had better drummers than Leanne. Between them they made a formidable force.

None of the ladies of the house entered into the kitchen before Rupert and I'd left but I heard them on the stairs. Rupert and I dutifully piled our crockery and cutlery in the dishwasher and went our separate ways for the day. I was going to spend a couple of hours in and around the swimming pool but first I must telephone Terri. Rupert was right, she did have news for me. Can we meet, can we talk, when are you leaving, do we have time for a meal? I gathered my thoughts. Yes, yes, Thursday, late lunch, in that order.

"That's why I'm ringing. I've got an eight o'clock flight tomorrow night."

"Oh God, that quick? Are you sure? You could stay another night."

"Terri, I'll always want to spend some time with you. Your words have haunted me since yesterday morning so please can we do lunch tomorrow, bring in Sandy, John or whoever you need? Then can you find time for me?"

"Hang on, just checking Sandy's diary. We are clear of appointments from twelve-thirty to two forty-five p.m. Do you know of the Mere-du-Alde on Quay Street? Can you do twelve-thirty and stay around until two or later?"

"Certainly, that will be fine with me. I've to check in at Heathrow by five p.m. and be at the Hertz desk thirty minutes before that." I did a quick calculation. "That will give me two hours to get there from Dernewell. All being well, I should make it."

We spoke a little longer about the current bomb threats, how security at the airports was very high and why the airline check-ins were opened early to process everyone. The Saudi Arabians' security was very hot. They'd insisted ramping up the individual checks for anyone flying in through their borders which meant long queues and thorough inspections. We disconnected and I went out to the pool area with a glass of juice in one hand and the local paper in the other, a pencil between my teeth and my mobile brick stretching the material of my joggers' pocket. I'd been thinking a lot about waking up in Terri's apartment on Tuesday morning. Did Terri really mean what she had said? I knew I could trust her implicitly but would she really wait for me? Was that what she really wanted? Nicole was my only priority and as much as I loved Terri I'd never considered spending my life with her. I put the conversation aside and settled into a garden lounger to do the general knowledge crossword puzzle on the back page of the East Anglian Gazette. Nothing to do now except swim and wait for the girls. I paused to consider what they might have planned but why bother, I'd just wing it and see. The washing in the washer/drier would be done long before I needed to pack in the evening. I wasn't sure how tomorrow morning would pan out so opted to go with the flow and see what happened. The only certain appointments I had were meeting Terri, Sandy and John in Dernewell just after midday on Thursday, and my flight to Saudi that same evening.