“I don’t.”
“I just need to change. Give me a few minutes.”
“Take your time, ma’am. I’ll be here with Miss Lillian.”
With the speed of an Olympic sprinter, I scrub my face and throw on my jeans and a shirt. Outside, humidity lingers in the air, making it one of the rare times during the British summer that it’s still warmenough to go out without a jacket. Lillian tugs on her lead and heads directly for her favorite bush to mark near the car park.
“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” I tell Art. “I thought you and Angela would’ve headed home a while ago. You put in a full day.”
“I was finishing the report on today’s outing.” He slides his hands into his pockets. “Angela left an hour ago.”
“Why’d you come up instead of sending one of the evening security officers?”
“The lads were just clocking in. I offered so they didn’t have to rush.”
“Of course. That makes sense.” I don’t know the exact procedures, but off the top of my head, I know they have to sign out their equipment and receive a briefing.
“I could ask you a similar question, ma’am. Don’t you have a member of staff who tends to your dog?”
“I do, but whenever I’ve been out all day, I like to try and spend at least a little time with her.”
Lillian signals she’s ready to keep going, finished with the roses. Art and I resume our walk around the courtyard.
“You’re a good owner.”
“Thank you.” My body warms at his compliment. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, since I was gone for a few months, but I’d like to think I’m at least responsible.”
“Don’t worry. You are, I can tell. How old is she?”
“About four and a half years. I’ve had her since she was a puppy. Her mum is my parents’ dog.”
Art nods. I’m tempted to ask him if he has any pets, but that might be a little too personal for him, and I doubt he’d tell me much. I wrack my brain and try and come up with a few safe, neutral topics we can discuss, but I draw a blank.
Luckily, he chooses that moment to speak. “I always wanted a dog growing up, but my parents didn’t think my younger brother, or I were responsible enough. So the only pets we kept were fish.”
I bite back a gasp of surprise. This is one of the first pieces of personal information Art’s shared with me. It feels like it’s a watershed moment in our relationship, but I’m likely reading way too much intothis. Pets have a way of helping people relax. And since Art’s going home right after this, he probably doesn’t realize he’s letting his guard down. “What kind of dog would you have gotten, given a choice?”
Lillian stops and elects to do her business on a bed of newly planted flowers. The gardeners will be none too pleased when they see the state of it in the morning. With any luck, they’ll think it was a squirrel, fox, or some other wild animal.
“Hmm... I don’t know.” He strokes his chin. “I’ve never given it too much thought. I’ll have to get back to you on it. For now, let’s say a rescue dog. There’re never enough comfortable homes to go around for them.”
I agree with him wholeheartedly. The longer I speak with him, the more pieces of the puzzle come together. Art is not the man I thought he was. Outwardly, he may be a protection officer who plays strictly by the rules, but inwardly, I’m finding him to be a softie. At least, that’s my latest theory. There are still many layers to uncover.
After I clean up Lillian’s mess, we walk in comfortable silence along the side path that runs parallel to Green Park. Beyond the iron gate, I spy the silhouettes of a few people strolling through.
“It seems busier than normal,” I muse.
“The summer concert series begins tonight in Hyde Park. I think it started at eight.”
“Any idea who the headliners are?” I joke.
“The briefing book mentioned Coldplay,but I skimmed over the other acts.” He stops walking and freezes. His eyes widen and his breathing quickens. “You, er... didn’t want to go,did you?”
It’s almost as if he’s panicked about it. Why would he be? I shake my head. “No. There’re too many people and I have an early day tomorrow. I work six to three at the Kensington Stables.”
A look of relief passes over his face.
“Ifyou’reinterested in going, we can head back now. I’ve kept you long enough.”
