‘This isn’t exactly romantic,’ she pointed out, trying not to let his words pierce her.
‘No, you’re right,’ he said sadly. ‘Look, just come home with me. Or let’s make a new home. Start again.’
‘I just can’t, Pete. I’m sorry.’
He looked for a moment as if he might burst into tears. Then his expression hardened. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Fine!’ He began to walk off rapidly.
‘Pete!’ she said. ‘Wait! Where are you… Do you have somewhere to stay? I didn’t?—’
But he had rounded the corner, flapping his hand as if flicking her away.
She sighed for a moment, tried to recapture the feeling of potential she’d had when she’d first exited. But then another voice: ‘Bella?’
This time, looking down from the steps, she saw Henri still dressed in his suit, walking, then jogging, towards her. She smiled; he must have decided to meet her, maybe travel back to the house with her. Perhaps he’d be able to tell her what the delegates had decided. Only when he neared, she realised his expression was thunderous.
‘How could you do that?’ he asked when he was close enough.
‘What?’
‘Tell my father about me. About the business. How could you do that?’
‘Henri! I didn’t! I’d never do that!’
‘Then how does he know?’ Henri folded his arms across his chest. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the dull light of outside, she could see that his were red-rimmed. He’d been crying.
‘I don’t know. But you have to believe… Henri, that’s your secret. Your problem to sort out. I would never— I haven’t spoken to him.’
He shook his head. ‘Then who?’ he asked her. ‘Who would do that to me?’
She stepped forward. ‘Maybe he worked it out for himself.’
‘No. He said he heard it from someone.’
A sudden thought. ‘Henri, it was probably us. In the corridor. I mentioned… well, I said to you about lying and…’
‘Then itisyour fault.’ Henri’s voice didn’t sound like his. ‘Everything is ruined and it is your fault.’
‘Now come on…’ she said, taking another step.
Friendship’s full of dregs; methinks false hearts should never have sound legs.
he quoted miserably.
‘What the fuck are you talking about?’
Only Henri had already turned, was walking quickly away.
‘Wait! Henri!’ She made to rush after him, but misjudged the step.
He didn’t see her ankle turn, her leg bend underneath her. Didn’t notice her tumbling to the bottom of the steps. A pain shot through her lower leg as she hit the pavement, landing first on the edge of her ankle, then on to her knees, managing to put her hands out and prevent her head knocking the ground. The slap of flesh on pavement was both sharp and hard, and the pain of it almost took her breath away. She felt tears spring to her eyes.
A man was at her side almost instantly. ‘Madame,’ he said. ‘Can I help you?’
A woman appeared too, holding out her hand. ‘You have fallen, Madame. Are you OK?’
Bella, wincing, moved herself to a sitting position on the bottom step. ‘I’m OK,’ she said. ‘Honestly. I’ll be fine.’ She forced a smile.
They looked doubtful, but moved on, glancing back once or twice as she sat there wondering what to do next, her ankle screaming in pain.
