She turned off the water, determined to put it out of her mind.
She dressed in jeans and a light cashmere knit, and the gurgling of her stomach reminded her it was long past breakfast-time. Going downstairs, she heard Ed’s voice still in the house. What was he doing still home? He should be at the office by now. She moved towards the sound and stopped in the doorway of the kitchen.
‘I should have more information soon,’ he was saying. ‘No, I think that should be enough for now. But let me know of any further developments.’
Another business deal, Colette mused, as she stepped inside the room. Ed noticed her immediately and moved to end the call. ‘Great, thanks, just make sure to keep me up to date.’
‘What are you still doing home?’ she asked.
‘I took the day off.’ He smiled.
Her shock was obvious. Ednevertook days off for no reason; he rarely even called in sick.
‘What do you mean you took the day off?’
‘I thought my wife needed me more today than my clients. So I told them I’d be available for calls but wasn’t going to be in the office.’ He set his phone down on the kitchen island and walked towards her slowly. ‘Unless it’s an emergency, I’m all yours.’
Colette couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Seriously?’
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I already called into work for you, too, and told them you won’t be in, so you don’t have to worry.’
Ed’s approach as he moved towards her was hesitant but Colette wasn’t upset anymore. She wasn’t going to keep going with the discussion.What was the point? It wasn’t as if their arguing about it was going to make any difference. The tests were still negative.
He wrapped his arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry, my love. About everything.’
Colette hugged him back. ‘I’m sorry, too,’ she said, a little taken aback by the hollowness in her voice and the numbness she felt as she spoke. The longer she was disappointed and the more absent Ed was, the more alone and empty she felt. She’d hoped a baby would end the feeling, but even that was being denied to her.
‘So we’re going out for the day,’ he announced chirpily. ‘All you have to do is put on some comfortable shoes and we’re off.’
‘Where are we going?’ she asked. She didn’t understand this. This wasn’t the Ed she knew. Her husband didn’t just take her out on spur-of-the-moment day trips.
‘Don’t worry about where. Trust me,’ he said with a smile. ‘Today, it’s all about us, Colette. Just you and me.’
Curiosity got the better of hunger, so she did as Ed asked, got a pair of ballet flats and her handbag, and followed him outside.
His driver was waiting with the car already running when she stepped out onto the street and then her husband followed with a picnic basket in hand.
‘Did you pack that?’ she asked. If he had then she’d fallen asleep in the bathroom for far longer than she’d thought.
‘No,’ he laughed. ‘I had something delivered. I’m sure you’ll like it, though.’
The drive to wherever he wanted to go was a long one. Traffic was especially bad from Belgravia and it took them over half an hour to really get moving.
As they drove along the Mall, Colette glanced up at the Queen Victoria Memorial standing prominently in marble, the golden angels with wings and hands raised to the heavens.
The Queen had nine children. The thought ran unbidden through her mind. She shook it away, needing to move away from that mindset.
That was what today was all about, apparently.
Chapter 29
The car dropped them off at St James’s Park and Ed took her hand as they walked inside. They’d never doneanythinglike this before; he was usually way too busy during the week and what free weekends he did have were usually spent socialising or wining and dining various business contacts.
Time alone as a couple just never really seemed to happen, although Colette got more than enough time alone with herself.
Scarlet oaks and black mulberries were scattered throughout the park, and fig trees bordered the lake, which Ed had chosen as their picnic spot. He draped a light blue blanket on the grass and began to unpack the basket as Colette sat watching him, amazed. He was still unpacking the meal when she noticed the logo on the side of the basket.
‘Fortnum and Mason? You really went all out,’ she commented with a smile.
