making the kitten spring up on its paws.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
‘Here you go,’ I said, passing him to Zach.
As I trudged through the hall, I held my breath while passing my bag, only inhaling again once I’d opened the door.
It was Rory, also carrying a box. Although his was bright blue and had Smythson written across it.
‘You’re alive!’ he replied, throwing a gloved hand in the air. ‘But good lord, are you all right? You look like a ghost. And why aren’t you answering your phone? I thought something terrible had happened.’
Before I could answer, I heard footsteps in the hall and glanced over my shoulder to see Zach and the kitten.
‘What’s he doing here?’ added Rory. ‘And what on earth is that smell?’
I sighed and stepped back to open the door properly. ‘Do you want a coffee?’
He ignored my question and stalked past us both to the kitchen. I followed him, Zach after me.
‘I’m jolly confused,’ Rory went on, taking off his gloves and dropping them on his box, before draping his overcoat on the back of a kitchen chair. ‘I’ve been ringing and ringing you all night but no answer. What is that frightful noise?’
He glanced at the kitchen ceiling as if there was a bat circling it.
‘It’s Harry.’
‘Another stranger! Who’s Harry?’ Rory demanded.
‘My new kitten,’ I said, pointing to Zach, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, cradling the mewling kitten. ‘Zach bought him for me.’
‘Did he indeed?’
‘I think I’d better get going, leave you guys to it,’ said Zach, quickly. He lowered Harry into his box and picked up his rucksack. ‘See you on Monday and, er, Rory, good to see you.’
Rory didn’t reply. Instead, he looked at Zach in the same way that someone would inspect the contents of their handkerchief. I brushed past him to hug Zach. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t mention it, and eat the rest of those,’ he said, nodding at the bag of pastries. ‘You’ll feel better.’
I waited until the front door had closed and turned back to Rory.
‘Florence, what is going on? I race back from Berlin and you don’t answer your phone, and then I arrive this morning to find your house has become a menagerie.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘A kitten and a Neanderthal ape in the kitchen!’
I sighed and sat down. This morning was proving much more eventful than I’d anticipated.
‘He’s not an ape. He’s my colleague. Last night he organized an impromptu birthday party for me and this morning he bought me Harry,’ I said, reaching back into the box and picking him up.
Rory scowled with indignation. ‘Sounds like he’s got a crush on you.’
‘He’s just being nice.’
‘Good,’ he said, before crouching down in front of me. ‘Because, darling, I realized something last night when I couldn’t get hold of you, when I was having visions of you lying dead in a ditch.’
‘Lying in a ditch? Rory, I live in south London. Where are the ditches?’
‘Never mind the ditches. Listen. What I want to tell you is that I’m in love with you. I love you. That’s what I realized on the plane last night. That’s why I was so desperate to get home.’
‘Oh.’
‘Oh?’ Rory’s face remained inches from mine. He looked expectant.
‘What’s in the box?’ I said, changing the subject. I needed to buy time.
He stood to slide it off the table and held it out.
‘Can you take Harry?’
Rory frowned down at his navy trousers. ‘What if he has an accident? These are a new pair.’
‘He won’t.’
As if handling a grenade, Rory took him and I pulled the box on to my lap and untied the ribbon. Under the lid, under a layer of tissue paper, was a black, crocodile-embossed handbag.
‘Turn it round,’ said Rory, so I lifted it from the box and found my initials stamped on the other side. FAF in gold capitals.
‘I thought it was time you got rid of that revolting rucksack,’ he said, ‘so this is a proper handbag to say I love you. I love you, Florence Amélie Fairfax.’
‘Wow,’ I murmured, running my thumb over the initials. ‘Thank you. This is crazy generous.’
Rory shook his head. ‘No, it isn’t. Not for the woman I love.’
He kept saying it and I wasn’t sure what to reply. This was the moment I’d dreamt of. A handsome man, my boyfriend, was sitting in front of me saying that he loved me. In the films, this was the moment when violins started up, the camera zoomed in on the lovers’ faces, the other person said it back and then they