were on the point of marriage twice over the years. What made you back off?’
She hesitated for a moment, then decided it was fair return for Jack’s explanation. ‘The first fiancé—’
‘Second,’ he corrected.
She ground her teeth. ‘All right, the second fiancé started talking about babies and a place in the country.’
‘Ah!’ Jack leaned back, eyes gleaming. ‘The idea didn’t appeal?’
‘Not in the slightest. So we agreed—amicably—to call it a day, and I bought a flat in Notting Hill. I’d never lived alone up to that point, and enjoyed it so much that years later when I met the second—sorry, third fianceé, I insisted on keeping to my own place instead of moving in with him.’ Kate looked away. ‘A good decision, as it turned out—less complications when we splitup.’
‘Amicably again?’
‘No. More coffee?’
‘Thank you.’
Kate got up and filled the kettle again. ‘Would you like something to eat? Anna gave me some leftovers.’
Jack shook his head. ‘No, thanks, I had dinner with my father earlier. Tell me what happened to fiancé mark three.’
Her eyes shuttered. ‘I’d rather not talk about that.’
‘Then let’s talk about your new job, instead. Will you be working in the town?’
She shook her head, smiling. ‘Right here in my study upstairs.’
His eyebrows rose. ‘You’re writing a novel?’
‘I wish! I’ma VA.’ She chuckled at his blank look.‘ A Virtual Assistant,Jack. Keep up! My computer skills are good,and I was a personal assistant for a while earlier on in my career. But this time I’ll be working part-time at home for a handful of clients instead of full-time in an office for just one boss. I choose which people I take on and no coffee-making required for any of them.’
Jack looked sceptical. ‘A pretty drastic career change! Are you sure you’re cut out for it?’
‘Absolutely. I started it up before I left London.’ She described her enrolment on a VA Mastery Course the moment she gave in her notice. While she was selling her flat and organising the move, Kate completed the course, set up her personal website, named it KD Virtual Assistance, and asked Anna to advertise it in the local papers back home. Within weeks Kate had three clients, and by the time she’d moved into Park Crescent she had two more.
‘I work for people who’ve set up their own businesses, but lack the time, or inclination, to spare for the administrative side. I meet each of them in person occasionally,of course,so it’s not all virtual,’ she told Jack. ‘I do their invoicing, maintain databases, book appointments, make travel arrangements, or even just deal with household accounts. I won’t earn anything like the salary I had before, obviously, but my services don’t come cheap. Even working only twenty hours or so a week will give me enough income to live on and, most important of all,I’ll be here all the time for Joanna when she gets home for the school holidays. She’s boarding at the moment.’
‘Twenty hours isn’t much to someone of your calibre. What will you do with your spare time?’
‘All the things I’ve never had time to do before—my own interior decorating, for one. Something new for me.’ She smiled as she poured more coffee. ‘I’m enjoying it. But if time begins to hang really heavy I’ll take on more clients.’
The slate-grey eyes gleamed over the rim of the mug. ‘So if I contacted your website I could ask you to work for me?’
She looked at him steadily. ‘You could ask, but I’d refuse.’
‘Why?’
‘Oh,come on, Jack! You and I come with two much past history to make even a virtual partnership feasible.’
‘You can’t forgive my trespasses?’
‘Surely we can forgive each other after all this time?’ she countered. ‘We’re different people now.’
He eyed her in slow appraisal. ‘You don’t look different, Kate. With your hair down you look no older than the last time we met.’
‘Flatterer!’
‘Not at all.’ He downed the last of his coffee and got up. ‘Time I was off.’
‘Thank you for coming, Jack.’
‘My pleasure.’ He shrugged on his windbreaker, sniffing the air as they went into the hall. ‘Fresh paint?’
‘In here.’ Kate opened the door to the sitting room. ‘Joanna’s choice of colour and my handiwork. What do you think?’
Jack nodded in approval. ‘It looks good. How about furniture?’
‘Aunt Edith left me a houseful, but I auctioned some of it. I bought the rest locally, and asked for a delay in delivery until I finish painting. I sold my London furniture with the flat. It seemed the right time to make a fresh start.’