“And now you work here at The Darlington?” she asked.
“Yes, Henry gave me a job.”
“How wonderful! He told me that you really care about helping the homeless, which is why he wants to raise money for Hope Harbour, but I didn’t realise you had such a personal connection to the cause. Can I ask how you met?” She looked from me to Henry and back expectantly.
I let Henry do the talking.
“Kate pickpocketed me,” he said.
Tilly’s eyes widened. “She did what?”
“Pickpocketed me,” he repeated, smiling. “I was in St. James’s Park, and she took my iPhone when I was buying myself a coffee. But she forgot to turn off GPS tracking, so I tracked her down and confronted her. I hadn’t reckoned with how... convincing she can be, though.”
“And after all that, you offered her a job?”
Henry shook his head. “Not straightaway. We parted ways after I got my phone back, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her and everything she told me. So a few days later, I went to the park to bring her back to the hotel. It was the best decision I’ve made in a long time.”
At his last words, he turned from Tilly to me. Our eyes did more than just meet—they collided. The expression in his blue eyes changed, giving his last words a significance that I felt at my very core.
Tilly sighed. “What a beautiful story. Once again, it just goes to show that all people need is another chance. Someone who will stand up for them. No one chooses that kind of life, and with the donations from the gala, we’ll be able to make a real difference. So thank you, both of you.”
“You’re welcome,” Henry said, while I smiled modestly.
“I’d better make a move,” Tilly said, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Thanks for the meeting, Henry. I think I can see myself out. As soon as I’m back in the office, I’ll send you the email I promised.” She shook his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Kate. You should come and visit us at Hope Harbour sometime, if you like.”
“I’d love to,” I replied. I admired Tilly for the work she did and how she helped others on a daily basis.
“Great. Henry can give you my number.”
“I will,” he promised, and we said goodbye to Tilly.
I watched her leave, then turned to Henry. “She’s really nice.”
“Yes, she is. I only hope she won’t end up being disappointed.”
“You mean by the gala?”
Worry flashed across his face. “Yes.”
I took a step towards him. The scent of his aftershave had faded over the course of the day, and now he just smelled like Henry. It was the same smell that had lingered on my sheets long after he’d left my bed. “I’m sure that won’t happen. It’ll be amazing. You’re making such a huge effort, and I’m certain that Tilly and the rest of Hope Harbour will be grateful for any and all donations. It doesn’t take twenty million to make a difference,” I said with a shrug. “Nineteen million is totally enough.”
My words did the trick. All doubt disappeared from Henry’s face. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Thankyou,” I replied with a smile.
“What for?”
“For banning Mr. Fleming from the hotel. It wasn’t necessary.”
Henry’s jaw tightened, as if the mention of Mr. Fleming’s name alone was enough to enrage him. “Yes, it was.”
“I could have handled him.”
“Maybe you could have, but I couldn’t. The idea that at any moment, that arsehole could run into you and try to touch you again drove me mad. He’s lucky all I did was ban him from the premises,” Henry said, his hands clenched into fists. The ferocity of his expression was proof of how serious he was. He would protect me, no matter what it took, and that was a wonderful feeling.
30
I remember running into Richard in the corridor once. I said hello to him. He said hello back, and that should have been it. But then he followed me into the housekeeping room and started asking me uncomfortable questions. He wanted to know if I had a boyfriend and if I was into older men.
