She decided she loved this about him (as she loved pretty much everything about him). He was not impatient and tense worrying about himself, he was so because he worried about her. If she didn’t have his love then she was definitely certain she had his care, his concern, his affection and his protection.
And that would be enough.
For now.
She’d worry about the rest later, when all this troublesome business was concluded.
She moved out of the doorway and sat down beside Meg who had come back to the Pensioner’s Lunch Club that week, nearly fully-restored. Meg was now resting comfortably in one of Colin’s new, plush chairs, watching but as usual not participating in the bingo action.
When Sibyl had settled, Meg patted her hand then her fingers closed around it to hold it lightly.
“It’s good to see you so happy, Billie,” she whispered for it was a very bad thing to make too much noise when bingo was under way, the players got somewhat irate if their concentration was disturbed.
“Is it so obvious?” Sibyl smiled, completely unaware that her glorious smile said it all.
“Oh yes, it’s very obvious.” Meg’s faced collapsed happily and Sibyl gave her hand a soft, affectionate squeeze.
Sibyl caught sight of Rick prowling through Day Centre, glowering at the pensioners as if one of them was, at any moment, intending to pull an Uzi out of their carrier bag and go on a killing spree.
“He needs a girlfriend,” Meg noted sagely, eyeing Rick.
“He needs a lot more than that,” Sibyl agreed.
“All right folks, last game. The minibus leaves in fifteen minutes,” Kyle announced, striding through the room, completely unmoved by the glares he was receiving. The only thing worse than interrupting a bingo game with unnecessary noise was announcing it was concluding.
Kyle had finished his training course the week before and now the minibus, Colin’s minibus, was in full use.
Sibyl happily thought that finally all was (nearly) right with the world.
And she’d never been happier.
Never.
In her whole life.
As Sibyl began to assist some of the folks who’d started quietly to pack up, she didn’t catch Rick’s head snap around or his eyes narrowing as he focussed on something outside the window. She also didn’t notice him have a quick word with Kyle before they both exited the Day Centre’s side door, splitting outside the door, Kyle going right, Rick going left.
“Bingo!” Phoebe shouted, waving her hands in the air and everyone groaned. She jumped out of her seat and gave a whoop of joy. “I never win, ever. Hurrah!” she gloated and groans turned into grumbles.
At Phoebe’s victory, Sibyl could help the oldies without having to be quiet and she started to do so at the same time she began to clear up the bingo paraphernalia and collect ashtrays. She was eager to get back home, Colin may decide to work from home and she liked to be there when he was there. Mentally she made a list of what she needed to do before going to Lacybourne.
Put bingo supplies away.
Get Meg into her wheelchair.
Get oldies out to the bus.
Clean out ashtrays.
Collect tea mugs and stack in dishwasher.
Her mind occupied, she was completely unprepared (though nothing would actually have prepared her) for the sliding doors to the Hall being thrown open with such force that they crashed loudly against into their pockets frames.
She distractedly heard some stifled and some not so stifled screams but definitely saw, clear as day, Colin’s ex-girlfriend, Queen of Icicles and All Things Frozen, Tamara, standing between the opened doors, her arm raised, a gun clenched in her hand.
A gun that was pointed at Sibyl.
Before Sibyl could react, say a word, lift a finger, Tamara shouted, “I’ve had enough of you!”