“I can’t think of anything objectionable about her, Rhys.Catriona is as dependable and reliable as they come.Several times I had her teach a section for me and everyone always had good things to say about her.I will miss her when she returns home, which is soon, I believe.”
“Early January she said.”
“That sounds right.I don’t think you could go wrong hiring her for the girls’ break.She’s smart, fun, and hard working.Jilly and Olivia would enjoy her, I’d think.”
“Jilly’s been a tyrant since we arrived.Catriona won’t have an easy time of it.”
“Catriona isn’t a pushover.I think she’ll be able to manage both girls just fine.”
Call ended, Rhys considered whether he should phone or text Catriona back, and decided a call was required.“Eloisa gave you a glowing reference,” he said when Catriona answered.“She thought you’d do well with my girls.Can you travel tomorrow?”
“I can.”
“Great.I’ll send you the train schedule and times.Essentially, you’ll take one of the mid-morning trains from London to Derby, where you’ll change trains and travel to Matlock.I’ll pick you up from the station in Matlock.From there it is a twenty-minute drive from our house in Bakewell.”
“I thought I was to take a bus to Bakewell?”
He was impressed that she remembered.“Picking you up will be faster, and it means I can maybe get work done tomorrow afternoon, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Thank you.I’m not able to get anything done with the girls unchaperoned, but once you’re here, I will be able to unplug and bury myself in the library.”
*
Cat spent therest of the day packing for her trip to Bakewell.She wouldn’t need any of her go-out-on-the-town outfits and focused instead on comfortable clothes that were warm and could be worn in layers.She packed all of her walking shoes and boots, as well as outerwear since it sounded as if they were definitely in the country.Bakewell, a former market town, wasn’t very big, with less than four thousand people, but it lay close to the Peaks District and a number of grand houses, including Langley Park, Haddon Hall, and Chatsworth House.Cat made a mental note to visit the grand houses if she had the opportunity as she had a soft spot for all things medieval and Renaissance.Haddon Hall was the oldest of the three, dating back to the eleventh century, but all three were listed buildings.
That night, Cat and Sarah got their favorite takeout and sat in the little living room in front of their small Christmas tree eating their curry while sharing a bottle of wine.
“You must come see me in Bakewell,” Cat said, a sudden lump filling her throat.
She always found the holidays challenging and it had given her comfort knowing she’d spend it this year with Sarah, who was such a good friend in every way.
“If there isn’t room at Dr.Harmon’s house, I am sure there would be rooms in town.”
“See how things are when you get there and let me know.It would be fun to escape London for a few days, but I don’t want to be in the way.”
“You’d never be in my way.”
Sarah laughed.“I wasn’t worrying about you.I was thinking of your highhanded surgeon and his hellion offspring.”
“Apparently Olivia isn’t difficult.”Cat grinned.“Most of the time.”
“I’ll miss you,” Sarah said, topping off their wine glasses.“It’s going to be lonely with you gone.”
“That’s why you’re going to come see me for a few days.Right?”
“Right.”
*
Cat didn’t sleepwell, lying awake until the early hours of the morning, and then waking up every hour or so to check the time.By the time her alarm did go off, she was exhausted and wishing she didn’t have to go anywhere today, never mind to the middle of nowhere to take care of unhappy little girls.But she’d made a commitment, and she would honor the commitment, and since Sarah had already gone to the hospital, Cat showered and dressed, putting in fresh contact lenses, before brushing her hair and pulling it back into a thick ponytail.She packed her electronics and last-minute items, did a last check around her room, and then headed outside to meet her Uber.
Traffic was surprisingly light and she arrived early for her train, giving her a half hour to wander around the station, pulling her big suitcase and smaller roller bag.If she’d had a free hand she would have bought a coffee and pastry as the bakery at the station had a glass window full of gorgeous-looking cakes and pastries, but without sleep she didn’t trust herself to juggle one more thing.Hopefully, the train would have a car with a café and she could purchase a snack for the two-hour trip to Derby.
Finally, it was time to board.Her big suitcase went in the luggage rack and her smaller roller bag at her feet.She purchased an instant coffee and scone after the train rolled out of the station and settled into her seat, hoping she could relax.But her thoughts raced, and her hand shook as she sipped her hot drink.Last night at midnight when she couldn’t sleep, she’d done an internet search on Dr.Rhys Harmon and found a lot of medical journal articles about his research and work, articles written by him as well as others.But she was less interested in the dozens of medical journal links than finding out more about him.
She discovered what she was looking for when she checked images for Dr.Harmon.Professional headshot of a dark-haired man in his thirties.He was attractive but serious.And then there were a few candid type images, one of him receiving an award at a medical conference, and then another of him attending some kind of charity event with his then wife, Lyndsey—because the caption said so.Rhys and his wife were formally dressed.She was an elegant blonde with her gleaming gold hair swept back from delicate features, while a faintly smiling Rhys Harmon wrapped a protective arm around his wife’s slender shoulders.He looked every bit the sophisticated husband in his black tie with his lovely wife, and Cat wondered about their marriage, the kind of marriage it was, and why it ended.Of course, it was none of her business, but the pair looked so good together, so right, that it was sad they hadn’t been able to make it.
