Page 40 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

‘Should you?’ she asked. Treacherous indeed. Her heart had started to pound at a million miles an hour.

‘I think it’s best.’

‘Perhaps.’

Because what about Chris? She dragged her gaze away from Theo and stared at her feet instead. It was wrong that she should feel so unsettled, just because she was putting too much stock into the past, or into whatever daydreams she was coming up with that were pretending to be the past.

‘I need to tell you though, that I don’t want to go. But I think we both know why I should.’ Theo’s voice was soft, and interrupted her thoughts. It made her stomach somersault, imagining what that voice might sound like whispering love to her; perhaps reciting love poetry, unsure of the words but meaning every one of them, on a sunny afternoon while she dabbled her toes in the cool water of the River Hartsford . . .

Kate looked at Theo quickly. His eyes were perfect and honest. He wasn’t flirting or teasing; he was being completely truthful.

She thought about denying how she felt about the situation, but she couldn’t.

She looked away, back at the empty fireplace and sighed. ‘I do know.’ She put the skates on the mantelpiece and touched them gently. ‘Were they definitely repaired then?’

‘Yes. You can see how the blade was broken in half. It took some skill to do it, but he did a good job.’

‘He? The blacksmith?’ She smiled, sadly. ‘Not everything that’s broken can be repaired so easily, though, can it?’

‘No.’

There was a brief silence.

‘I really should go. The longer I stand here, the more difficult it is to remember I just came in for a guided tour. I didn’t expect this. Although,’ he half-smiled, ‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope for it.’

Kate felt wretched. This time she nodded. ‘I understand. I feel the same. I’ll let you out the front door. The one with the horseshoe on.’

Chapter Fourteen

When it came to it, they stood, facing each other, in front of the cottage, sunlight glinting off the horseshoe so carefully nailed to the door, not really knowing what to do.

‘Kate—’

‘Theo—’

They spoke together.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she whispered, shaking her head. ‘I somehow feel responsible for whatever happened in there. I hate that it’s made you sad. I hate that it’s made you want to leave. That sort of thing — if it’s what I think it is — it’s happened to me before and it does freak you out.’

Theo smiled. ‘I don’t know if it was the same sort of thing. But don’t be sorry, regardless. I think it’s just been a strange sort of day.’ He reached out and crooked his finger; put it under her chin and turned her face up towards his. ‘Don’t be sorry,’ he repeated, quietly. ‘But, as a matter of interest, how long have you been with Chris?’

‘Three years, just over.’

‘I truly wish I’d met you three and a half years ago, then.’ He looked into her eyes, sadly. ‘It would have saved so much heartache for everyone. I’m not quite sure what happened in there myself, but something happened. I don’t know — I believe we meet people when we’re supposed to.’ He laughed, humourlessly. ‘If that’s the case, I should have met you years ago.’

‘Maybe you did. Somehow,’ she whispered. ‘Which is why, right now, right this very moment, I’m sorry that we met again. Because I can’t right now. I need to — I have to — it’s just because—’

And then he did it. He silenced her with a kiss, frightened that she would tell him exactly why she couldn’t — didn’t want to be with him. ‘I know,’ he whispered, half-regretfully.

Strange as it seemed, he did know.

He felt as if he’d known her all his life, known her even before. They had, in another time, been together. He was as certain of that as he was of the fact he just had to be patient.

The kiss was pretty spectacular. Not just a short, sweet one as he had intended. Once their lips met, it was as though they moved of their own accord, fusing them together. Two mouths, perfect for one another; two souls becoming one. Their tongues met, seeking each other, as if it they were always meant to. And Theo couldn’t have stopped kissing her if his life had depended on it. But eventually, he ran out of breath and had to.

And by God, it hurt when she hurried away and disappeared into the leafy shadows, leaving him standing alone, staring after her — wishing that things could be very, very different.

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