Page 49 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

‘Thanks.’ Kate cut him off. She didn’t want to hear that Lori was back on the scene. ‘I appreciate the thought about the tools. But Jenna’s waiting for you in reception. Something about a watch?’

‘Ah! Of course. That’s where I left it. Bloody insect bites. One got me right on the wrist. I had to take my watch off. One of the curses of sleeping out in the countryside.’

‘Citronella candles.’ Kate straightened up the bicycle and pushed it towards the door to her flat. Theo walked alongside her. ‘They help. Also, they make for romantic lighting when one is trying to impress the locals.’

‘It wasn’t romantic at all,’ said Theo with a laugh. ‘I saw Jenna and her friends walk in and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. That’s why I forgot my watch. I made an excuse and told her I wanted to turn in early.’ He paused. ‘I gave you a knock on the door, before I went to the wine bar, but there was no answer. Sorry.’ He coloured. ‘Didn’t quite know what my reception would be anyway. I would have preferred to go somewhere with you. Even if it was just the Dragon for some twiggy ale.’ He looked down. ‘And then when I thought about it afterwards, it seemed less risky to see you in broad daylight. I don’t quite know what I would have done if you’d answered.’ He looked up and their eyes locked. ‘I know what I would have liked, but I’m not sure you would have felt the same right now.’

Kate caught her breath. ‘Oh! I was at Cassie’s.’ She touched her hair. ‘Doing this.’

‘Well, you look amazing.’ He smiled and his eyes changed from burning desire to warm humour. ‘Like one of those poodle things at Crufts. As I say, I’m heading over to the Hall now, but I’ll just pop in and get the watch.’ He nodded over to the car park. His black and silver van was there. ‘I’ll have to drive over though, so I’ve got everything I need. I’d offer you a lift, but it looks like you’ve got your own transport.’

‘Unless you tied a rope on and towed me along; but yes, I can make my own way there, thanks.’

‘We’d make an interesting spectacle, I think, if I dragged you along on a rope. Cassie said something about a back road in?’

‘Yes. You’ll have to head over to the Dragon and it’s along from there. Turn left, then immediately on your right, there’s a single-track road. It runs parallel with the stream, and if you follow that around, all the way, you’ll come to the back gates. It’s quite close to the Spa — which is technically the pool area — and that’s where I’ll be stationed.’

‘Are you heading that way too?’ Theo asked. They had reached the reception building.

‘It seems more sensible to go that way.’ Kate propped the bicycle up and headed into the building. ‘I need to get my ice-cream. I’ll just see you up there, I guess—’

‘Theo!’ Jenna appeared like Morgana le Fay out of the darkness and flung her arms around him. ‘Just the person. Here — this is for you.’

Kate left them to it. She could sense the flirtatiousness creeping into Jenna’s voice and she didn’t want to hear it.

It was odd. She spoke like that to Tom and she had even spoken to Chris that way, and it had never bothered her. But with Theo — it bothered her very much. Logically speaking, it shouldn’t bother her whatsoever. She and Theo weren’t anything more than a couple of people who’d met and had a few things in common. Just — friends. Sort of. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t an ‘item’. He was practically married with a child, if you wanted to be blunt about it. But she realised, with a sense of disbelief, that she actually felt a little jealous of what Jenna might or might not be inferring with her flirtatiousness. More jealous than she felt about his on-off thing with Lori.

Perhaps it was “off”?

She could only hope.

Kate made a determined effort, and put the lid firmly back on that thought; then she walked away before she could add any fuel to Jenna’s fire. And before she could see Theo igniting with it, regardless.

* * *

Jenna was determined to hang onto him, and Theo tried to shake her gently but firmly off. She clung on like a limpet, chattering on about what he’d missed last night. She seemingly wasn’t going to let go of him anytime soon, and it took a good bit of manoeuvring to eventually disentangle himself, his temper rising exponentially. God, she’d done it in front of Kate. What if she got the wrong idea?

‘So we’ll be there tonight if you want to join us. She’s got me on lockdown though — a curfew and everything,’ Jenna was saying. She nodded towards the reception desk and rolled her eyes. ‘What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her though.’ She smiled, cat-like at the thought.

‘She’ll know,’ Theo said. ‘Trust me.’

‘Hmm.’ Jenna finally let go and dropped her arms to her sides.

Too bloody late now!

Almost immediately, one hand came back up and she started twiddling with a lock of dark hair and looking at the staircase. ‘She’s going to be away all day. I didn’t get an outfit to wear. I asked her if I could have one, and she said the best thing we could hope for here was a village wench or a horrible old dowdy servant’s uniform.’

‘I can see her point. This museum is set in a very different era to the Country House Party weekend. If you were dressed as a 1930s film star, it would just look odd.’

‘Yeah,’ she said, but Theo wasn’t quite sure she got it. ‘Oh, well. So, maybe I’ll see you later?’

‘Maybe. And thanks for this.’ Theo held the watch up before he strapped it onto his wrist. He headed back out of the room, as fast as he dared. It was bright outside and it took his eyes a little while to adjust. He stood blinking and heard the slam of the back door.

Kate scurried around the side of the building and pulled up short. ‘Oh. I thought you’d still be inside. In Jenna’s web. Once she traps a man, she rarely lets them leave alive, you know. Like a Black Widow spider.’ She had an ice-box balanced in her arms.

‘Nope, I escaped. I just needed my watch back. I’ve no desire to be eaten alive by her, thank you very much. Here, let me get that lid for you.’ Theo opened the box on the front of the bicycle and Kate hefted the ice-box inside. It fitted neatly and she stood back, surveying it.

‘That’s me sorted, and I’ve got some extra up at the Hall if I need it. I’ve got the cash box in the basket and,’ she patted her pocket, ‘my mobile. For emergencies.’ She cast a glance at the museum and Theo knew she was thinking of Jenna being in charge all day long.