A Royal Wedding(87)

‘Can you find your own way back?’ Simon finally asked, in a low voice full of concern but distant and cold as the night air.

Simon was still sitting with his arms resting on his knees, staring out towards the horizon. She could not see his eyes at all now, but she knew. She had made a mistake. And this one was not going to go away.

Her own way back? No, she did not want to find her own way back.

She wanted to dance along the moonlit shore, with Simon holding her hand like he used to. She wanted to skip in and out of the waves and laugh so hard that her stomach ached.

She wanted him to want to be with her. But that was impossible.

‘Don’t worry about me,’ she replied. ‘I’ve made it on my own this far. I don’t need anyone to show me the way.’

And with that she set off back down the beach alone, grateful for the cover of darkness so that nobody would see her fresh tears.





CHAPTER EIGHT



‘HEY—guess what the airport shuttle just delivered?’

Molly Evans strolled into the sunlit hotel breakfast room, dragging behind her a battered-looking trolley suitcase, that was looking very sorry for itself.

Kate dropped her coffee cup with a clatter and knelt down to fling her arms around the dirty bag. ‘You made it with only hours to spare! Oh, I am so glad to see you, old pal.’

She gave a contented sigh before sliding it closer and grabbing the handle. ‘The bliss of having working clothes for the field trips! I don’t think these girls would last long out there. Do you?’

Molly and Kate both looked down at Kate’s shoes as she sat down and stretched out her legs. Her very high platform court shoes might have come from a famous French show-maker, but they both burst out laughing at the horror of what Kate would probably be wading through during her project trials.

‘Good point,’ Molly replied with a grin. ‘But they certainly

worked their magic. These last few days have been terrific—thanks, Kate.’

And then Molly stepped forward and gave Kate a warm hug. ‘You were fantastic, and I know that Andy will be thrilled at the feedback. I confess Prince Simon did help with the media coverage of the event, but you will be pleased to know that four new corporate sponsors are interested in his pilot study. So, job done.’

‘Thank you, Molly,’ Kate replied, and blew out a sigh of relief. ‘It has certainly been an eventful few days.’

Then Molly looked from side to side, to check that nobody was close enough to hear what they were saying, rubbed her hands together, and sat down opposite Kate at the breakfast table, propping her elbows next to the juice and toast.

‘Now,’ she whispered, and leant across the table, ‘onto far more important things. How are you and Simon getting on?’

Kate opened her mouth, then closed it again. ‘Oh, Simon. He did give an excellent presentation, and the solar energy …’

Molly waved her fingers across the table and hissed, ‘I don’t mean about work—although he was totally brilliant— I meant you and Simon.’ And Molly raised her eyebrows several times.

Kate took one look at Molly’s face, groaned, and dropped her head into her hands. ‘Oh, no. Was it that obvious?’

‘Totally. I know Simon, and the fact that you couldn’t keep your eyes off each other sort of gave the game away.’

‘We couldn’t?’ Kate whimpered.

Molly shuffled in her chair like a schoolgirl anxious for gossip. ‘So tell me everything. When are you coming back? Or is it Simon’s turn to visit you? I am dying to know. You do make a very handsome couple.’

Kate swallowed down a gulp of coffee and looked over her cup at Molly. ‘Sorry. Not going to happen. We both have too many other people to think about.’

Her voice broke as she said the words, and she sniffed away the burning in her throat as she reached out for more toast. Only Molly beat her to it, and laid her hand on top of Kate’s.

‘The last thing I need are two lovestruck people on my watch. Let’s order more coffee. I want to know the whole story. Right from the start.’

Two hours later Kate stopped outside Simon’s hotel room door, raised her hand, then lowered it again.

She was leaving this lovely conference hotel and heading out to see the two new projects that Andy had started. Which meant that it was time to say goodbye to Simon. There was no need to visit his village—the work there was well under way and all her questions had been answered. If she did go it would only be a feeble excuse to spend more time with Simon.