Free A Most Desirable Marriage by Hilary Boyd

for the damage. I talked to my solicitor today and I wanted to let her know what he said.’
    ‘Please, I really should go.’ Jo was already on her feet, the glasses of white almost untouched on the table in front of them.
    ‘Don’t . . . don’t go yet, Joanna. I’m a hopeless sleeper and I loathe television. What can I do for the next few hours if you run out on me?’ Again, the charming smile, the pleading eyes. ‘Anyway, it’s a terrible waste of good wine.’
    She sat down again.
    It took them a while before they finished the bottle. Hugh asked her about her work, her family, Lawrence – he was a good listener, obviously a prerequisite of his job – making her laugh with his boyish humour. She found out almost nothing about him. This is my life now, she thought. Sitting on strange sofas with men I don’t know, hoping, I suppose, if I’m very lucky, to fall in love with one of them someday. But falling in love seemed a ridiculous idea. She loved Lawrence, and however much she told herself not to, her heart continued to yearn for just one look from her husband’s blue eyes that said he loved her too.
    When she got up to go, a little wobbly, Hugh got up too.
    ‘Thanks for rescuing me,’ she said, as they stood by the door. ‘I was in need of company tonight.’
    ‘The pleasure was all mine.’
    He held her gaze, as if asking her the question. She said nothing, so he began to draw her towards him, lowering his head as if preparing to kiss her. Why not? she asked herself. But her heart wasn’t in it, her body only remembered the way Lawrence’s body fitted so well with her own, and she drew back from the strangeness of another mouth.
    ‘No?’ Hugh had a quizzical smile on his face.
    ‘Sorry,’ she replied.
    He shrugged. ‘It could have been nice. But maybe we’re a bit old for one night stands.’
    She laughed. ‘Put like that . . .’
    He held the door open for her at the head of the dark stairs, reaching to push the press-button timer switch. Jo couldn’t see a thing in the dim light.
    ‘Will you be all right getting home? I could call you a taxi . . .’
    ‘I’ll be fine.’
    ‘Ring me if you feel like it. You know where I am of a Tuesday night.’
    ‘I will,’ she said, although she knew she wouldn’t and she was sure he knew it too.
    *
    ‘I really don’t think it’s such a great idea to go to a strange man’s flat alone, darling. You’d only known him for ten minutes.’
    ‘I know, but he seemed OK. I did think about it.’
    ‘Hmm . . . not exactly reassuring. You’ve got to be much more careful. You’re a novice at all this. He could have been anybody.’
    ‘Well, he was “anybody”. But if I’d met him online, as you keep suggesting, would it have been any safer?’
    ‘You’re not supposed to go back to a strange man’s flat
wherever
you meet him. Once you’re alone with someone, anything can happen.’ Her friend’s tone was aunt-like and severe.
    ‘Yeah, well it almost did. He sort of offered to kiss me.’
    ‘NO!’ Donna shrieked, pulling the pottery wheel, on which spun another fledgling pot, to an immediate halt. ‘So all this shrinking violet behaviour is a front! You’re a shameless flirt, Joanna Meadows. Two men trying to take possession of your lips in a week? That beats my recent batting average into a cocked hat!’
    ‘Swedish Brian just slipped I think, too drunk to stand up straight. The other one was being polite.’
    ‘Men don’t kiss women out of politeness.’ She wiped her hands on her apron.
    ‘I’m sure they do sometimes. Anyway, it was depressing.’
    ‘Why? Didn’t you fancy him?’
    ‘I didn’t, but it’s not that. He was a decent man but . . . he wasn’t Lawrence.’ She felt tears in her eyes. ‘How do I ever replace him, Donna?’
    Her friend sighed. ‘Wish I knew, darling.’ She got up from the stool and opened the door for Max, who was outside snuffling to get in. The Border Terrier immediately came over to Jo, licking her