The rain didn’t help. She opened the back door in the kitchen of the hall and stood on the step, risking upsetting the catering staff who were all around her.
Then it happened. It was a vision. This time it was Luke she could see so clearly. He was wearing a suit and was looking at someone in a blue dress – Hattie couldn’t see who – with love in his eyes. There was a tiny glimpse of what looked like the lining of thejacket the woman was wearing, fabric she’d never seen before. It was white with a small filigree pattern in blue on it, beautiful. Frank and Fearless were standing next to what was probably the woman’s knee. Hattie stepped out of the kitchen and held on to a garden bench until the vision and its accompanying nausea left her. She breathed deeply for a few seconds, her brain whirling. Then she made a decision which probably broke every rule but she found she didn’t care. She had to act. After all, if the vision hadn’t yet happened in real life, she could stop Luke meeting the woman in the blue dress. She went back into the building and found Rose.
‘Did you drive?’ she said.
‘Of course – what’s the matter?’
‘Can I borrow your car?’
‘Where do you want to go in such a hurry? Would you like me to drive you anywhere? It’s not Mary, is it?’
‘No. I just need to get somewhere. Immediately.’
‘You’ve had a vision, haven’t you?’ said Rose.
Hattie nodded. ‘I need to go now.’
Rose delved in her handbag and found the keys. ‘It’s Luke, isn’t it?’
Hattie nodded. ‘I have to stop him falling in love with the wrong woman!’
‘Alleluia!’ said Rose, but Hattie had gone.
Hattie was at Luke’s house almost without realising how she’d got there. There was a strange car on the drive she knew by instinct was April’s, but she didn’t allow that to slow her. She had her key in her hand this time, so she opened the door. The dogs rushed up toher, jumping and yipping their welcome. She pushed past them into the sitting room.
Luke and April were at the table with some papers – architectural drawings, perhaps – she couldn’t really make them out. They both got up when she appeared, looking guilty. ‘Hattie!’ said Luke.
Hattie didn’t reply. April looked at him, obviously acutely embarrassed. ‘I’m not going to say it’s not what it looks like,’ she said to Hattie. ‘Luke, you’re going to have to tell her everything!’ Then she picked up her handbag and left.
Hattie thought her knees were going to give way. She got herself to the sofa and sat down. She felt hot and cold at the same time. She knew it was only partly the aftermath of the vision. The rest was shock at what April had said. Frank and Fearless sat at her feet, looking anxiously up at her.
Luke came over. ‘You don’t look well. I’ll get you some water.’
He seemed concerned but no longer guilty. She took the glass when he handed it to her. ‘It’s all right,’ she said when she’d taken a sip and her mouth became less dry. ‘I know you and April are together – and – well – you’re perfectly entitled.’
When she’d been flying through the country lanes, she had been set on telling Luke how she really felt. But now it was too embarrassing to declare herself without really knowing how he felt; all she knew was that she wanted to try. The certainty her vision had given her had faded somewhat.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Luke said. ‘Stay there and drink your water.’
He left the room and a moment later she saw him crossing the garden to his cabin. She sipped and closed her eyes. Fearless crept up on to the sofa beside her. Frank had his head on her knee. They kept her from fleeing the house but they couldn’t prevent the tears seeping out from between her lids.
Luke was back in a few minutes. He had something in his hands which he put into her lap. She looked down to see a Bag for Life stuck up with parcel tape. It was wrapped round something quite large and she wondered what it could be. But what on earth was going on? She’d come here to declare herself, had her worst fears confirmed and now she was apparently about to open a present.
‘It’s for you,’ said Luke. ‘I intended to wait until Christmas to give it to you.’
There was a lot of tape, and she didn’t know where to start.
‘Here,’ he said, handing her a knife.
She took the knife but was in too much of a state to be able to think how to use it.
Luke picked up the parcel. ‘I’ll start it off for you.’
Hattie started to pull away the tape where Luke had made a cut.
‘I’m no good at wrapping presents,’ said Luke.
‘You never have been,’ she said, looking up at him. Hattie took out a white cardboard box, too big to be held in one hand.
