Free High Tide by Veronica Henry

determination. A woman who wasn’t going to let anything get her down. Rather like her own mother. They were poles apart on the social scale, but Irene and Joy were made from the same mould. Kate hoped she’d inherited her mother’s doughtiness.
    ‘Are you here for long?’ Rupert’s question broke her reverie.
    ‘I need to get back to New York as quickly as I can.’ Kate felt a surge of pride at being able to tell him this. She felt so much stronger and more colourful than the girl she had once been. ‘But obviously there’s a mountain of things to sort out. Probate. The house …’
    ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.’ She was taken aback by his solicitousness. ‘I’ve got an office at Southcliffe if you need any photocopying done, or a fax machine. Probate in this country is still out of the ark.’
    ‘That’s very kind.’
    ‘Honestly. Just give me a ring.’ He handed her a card, and she put it into her bag without looking at it. ‘And if you’re at a loose end, maybe we could have dinner?’
    Now Kate really was startled.
    ‘I thought you were married?’ The words came out before she could stop herself. She didn’t think, she knew , because her mother had told her. Hadn’t she? She tried to remember the details.
    He gave a wry grin. ‘ Were being the operative word.’
    ‘Oh. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Don’t be. It’s fine. We were both too young. And we’re still the best of friends.’ He grinned. ‘The Townhouse by the Sea has a great restaurant. Maybe not by New York standards, but if you’ve had enough of Cornish pasties …’
    Kate hated herself for wanting to say yes on the spot. She felt so much more comfortable in his presence than she had done when she was young. She was a successful businesswoman now, socially confident and self-aware, not a naive, unsophisticated ingénue. Yet he still had the power to make her stomach swirl. He was standing inches from her, and she could feel his body heat, smell the sandalwood undertones of his cologne and she felt her blood warm. No one had done that to her for years. She’d had boyfriends, dates, flings, but none of them made her feel this primal—
    Dear God, what was she thinking? This was her mother’s funeral, not a speed date. How inappropriate could you get? She wasn’t going to miss the chance, though.
    ‘I’d love that,’ she said impulsively. It was true. She was a match for him now, and she wanted the opportunity to spar with him. She wanted him to know exactly what he’d missed out on.
    ‘Great.’ If he was surprised by her response, he didn’t show it. ‘Shall we say Tuesday? Eight o’clock?’
    ‘Tuesday at eight,’ she said, and turned to greet his mother. ‘Oh, Mrs Malahide. I do appreciate you coming.’
    Irene reached out with the hand that wasn’t holding her stick and squeezed Kate’s. ‘My dear, your grandmother was an example to us all.’
    ‘I know. I’ll never live up to her.’
    ‘Well, she was very proud of you. You should know that.’
    ‘Thank you.’ Again, Kate felt overwhelmed by the goodwill towards her mother. She felt proud. And sad. So many emotions … She faltered for a moment.
    She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find it was Rupert’s. He had a look of compassion on his face that surprised her. She could feel the heat of his fingers burn through her dress.
    ‘Excuse me … I must … There are so many people …’ She moved away from the Malahides. She could still feel his touch. For a moment, she wanted to laugh, pull Debbie to one side, have a whispered exchange just as they had done as teenagers. ‘Oh my God, he’s asked me for dinner …’ But now was neither the time nor the place. The churchyard was emptying, as people headed to the hall for tea. She should head there herself, make sure everything was in order.
    As she left, she saw another hearse heading up the high street, a fleet of cars behind it. She wasn’t the only person in the world