Free Flights of Angels by Victoria Connelly Page B

getting into her stride for recounting her week, ‘and she’d never accept an offer. So I went out to my bank, which is about a five-minute walk there and back and, when I got back to the bookshop, this man was standing there holding my book - reading it as if it was his!’ Claudie’s eyes widened at the memory. ‘I couldn’t believe it.’ She paused, as if replaying the scene.
    ‘What did you do?’
    ‘I asked him if he was going to buy it. And he looked at me for what seemed like ages. He had amazing grey eyes - they were so clear and pale - like a Whitby sky in winter.’
    ‘And what did he say?’
    ‘He said that, no, he wasn’t going to buy the book - it was too expensive and handed it to me.’ Claudie smiled at her triumph.
    ‘Well, this is quite a breakthrough,’ Dr Lynton said at length. ‘And, of course, it’s all perfectly normal.’
    ‘Is it?’
    ‘Let me remind you what you said.’ He looked down at his notes. “He had amazing grey eyes - like a Whitby sky in winter”?’
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘Don’t you see?’ He sat forward in his chair as if he’d made quite an important discovery. ‘You’re beginning to notice other-’
    ‘No!’ Claudie interrupted, her voice a little terse. ‘Don’t go pinning that one on me. I just made an observation. I do that all the time.’
    Dr Lynton flicked through the reporter’s notepad that was Claudie. ‘Not as far as I’ve noticed.’
    ‘Oh,’ she said quietly.
    ‘It’s nothing to get upset about.’
    ‘I’m not upset,’ she said, her voice a perfect monotone.
    ‘It’s perfectly natural.’
    Claudie stared at him. What was he getting at? Sex? Was he accusing her of fancying another man? After so short a time. This was outrageous, and she felt extremely angry with him for even daring to suggest such a thing. That wasn’t what she was paying him for.
    ‘It’s too soon,’ she said in a very quiet voice. ‘Perhaps it’s natural for some people to fall in love again so quickly, but that won’t happen to me.’
    Dr Lynton narrowed his eyes. ‘Claudie, I didn’t say anything about falling in love again. I know how you feel about that. I only mentioned that you noticed someone. Please,’ he said, his voice a little less excitable and a little more gentle now, ‘don’t take it as such a criticism of you.’
    But how else was she meant to take it? She felt as if he’d accused her of forgetting Luke, of daring to move on, grow another heart, and learn to live and love again.
    She fidgeted in her chair and looked at her watch, squirming when she realised that they weren’t even at the halfway mark. What could she say to fill the time in? She didn’t want to continue with the present line of questioning, that was for sure.
    Perhaps she should tell him about the angels as well? Surely the angels would take Dr Lynton’s mind off the subject he’d latched upon with such enthusiasm. But no, she really didn’t want to talk about them. They were, for the moment, her little secret. Her private world. Anyway, perhaps there were rules about telling anyone about them. She’d be best talking it over with Jalisa first.
    Dr Lynton cleared his throat. ‘I’m sorry, Claudie, if I upset you.’
    She looked across the room at him. He genuinely looked concerned, and she felt bad. He was only trying to help her. Deep down, she knew that. But she also knew that she didn’t feel ready to have that kind of pressure put on her. Not now. Not just yet.
    ‘I’m sorry I flared up,’ she said.
    ‘It’s all right,’ he said, giving his second smile of the day. ‘Shall we move on to something else, then? What else have you been doing this week?’
    ‘Kristen and I went out to dinner and got chucked out of the restaurant,’ Claudie started.
    ‘You haven’t been out for some time, have you?’
    ‘That’s what the ang -’ she paused, the cat half out of the bag. ‘That’s what Kristen said.’
    ‘And you had a good time?’
    ‘Yes!’ Claudie smiled.