He nodded, slowly but definitely.
‘Can you tell me?’
Again, a nod.
Zoe put her ear close to his lips as he struggled to form a word.
The first attempt came out as a hoarse, unrecognisable whisper.
‘William, can you try again?’ she urged him.
‘Ask . . . Rose.’
‘You said “Rose”, is that right?’
He squeezed her fingers, then spoke again.
‘Lady in . . .’
‘Lady in where?’ urged Zoe, hearing William’s breathing becoming more ragged.
‘Wait . . .’
‘I’m here, William, I’m not going anywhere.’
‘. . . Wait . . .’
‘I will wait, I promise.’
William sighed, his strength gone, then his eyes closed and he slipped away into unconsciousness. Zoe sat there for a while stroking his hand, hoping he’d return to her, but he didn’t. Eventually, Zoe stood up and walked out of the ward, passing quickly by the nurses’ station before anyone accosted her and asked for the personal details on William she could not give.
She stood outside the hospital, staring blankly at the traffic. Deciding she really didn’t want to go home, she rang Marcus.
‘Hi, are you still at the National?’
‘Yeah, I am. Just finished the meeting,’ Marcus replied. ‘Are you all right? You sound a bit off.’
‘Can I come and meet you? Oh Marcus, it’s just terrible. I’m at St Thomas’s—’
‘Jesus, are you hurt?’
‘No, don’t worry. It’s a friend . . .’
‘How about you come down to the Royal Festival Hall? It’s closer to you,’ he suggested. ‘I’ll see you in the café there in ten.’
Zoe crossed the road then walked along the South Bank, the wind biting at her face and drying the last of her tears. Marcus was standing outside the Festival Hall, concern on his face, and she let him sweep her into a hug, then steer her inside.
They settled themselves at a table in the café and ordered two steaming cups of tea.
‘So, what’s wrong? What happened?’ Marcus asked her.
‘You remember I was telling you about that actor, William Fielding?’
‘Yes?’
‘He was brutally attacked yesterday. I’ve just been to see him in hospital and it looks pretty unlikely that he’ll make it through the night.’ Zoe slumped down in her seat, and tears came to her eyes again. ‘It’s just upset me so much.’
Not half as much as it’s upset me, thought Marcus with a grimace. He reached out and took her hand. ‘Come on, sweetheart, he wasn’t family, was he?’
