replied. ‘I don’t feel there is any more.’ She didn’t say that she felt ever-so-slightly bored too. She didn’t say that she heard girls
in the office talking about saucy encounters and wishing she had some to report of her own. She could let him go kindly without grinding his face into the dirt.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, reaching over and closing his warm hand over hers. ‘I understand. It’s you who needs to focus on your job without the distraction of
me.’
Clare sighed guiltily. This was horrible. She sounded like a right hard cow.
The waiter arrived at their side to take their order.
‘Do you want to eat?’ asked Lud. Clare’s lowered head moved slowly from side to side.
‘Just the champagne,’ Lud told the waiter. ‘If you could bring me the bill, thank you.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Clare.
‘Don’t be,’ replied Lud. ‘You’ve worked hard. You deserve your moment in the spotlight. I know how important it is to you.’
And he did. Over the years Lud had witnessed the many achievements of Toby and Alice Salter eclipsing everything that Clare did. How could he deny her the fifteen minutes of family fame?
The waiter brought over the bill. Lud gave it a cursory glance and then replaced it on the plate with some notes from his wallet.
‘I hope you’re really happy in Dubai,’ said Clare, fighting back the emotion that had lodged like a hard lump in her gullet. ‘I hope you find what you’re looking
for.’
‘I had found it,’ he said. ‘Can I get you a taxi back to work?’
‘No, I’ll sit here for a bit and then take the Tube.’
Lud leaned over her and kissed her head, his hand curving tenderly around her arm.
‘Goodbye,’ he said. ‘It’s been fun.’
‘I hope we can still stay friends,’ said Clare, almost desperately, not wanting to let go now that she had separated them, but feeling that she had pushed him too far away to reach
for again.
He nodded gallantly, like an old-fashioned soldier, then she watched his broad back cut through the crowd of café customers until it had disappeared totally from sight. As she followed
him with her eyes, she did not realize that in his pocket lay the Tiffany engagement ring which he was going to present to her over lunch.
Finished, gone, just like that. All those years of togetherness ended with just a few words. Now she was free to concentrate on being the family superstar for the first time in her life. The
Salter runt who was clever but never managed the genius heights of her smart-arse siblings had finally managed to outshine their achievements. And Ludwig could go and conquer the world and find
himself a woman that he would ignore his phone for. The thought that he might sent the tears tumbling down her cheeks and onto the pristine white tablecloth.
Chapter 12
May’s meeting in Clapham at nine that morning was with a man trying to set up a wholefood restaurant. She arrived at half-past eight to find Mr Terry waiting for her, an
enthusiastic smile plastered all over his face. She reckoned he would be onto a winner too. He was so keen to get started, the property was ideal, the plans he had to renovate it were simple, cheap
but effective ones, and his menu looked fantastic. She envied his passion for his work and his self-employed status, answering to no one but himself. May loved her job; she just hated all the
rubbish that came with it: namely reporting to a man who didn’t seem to have a clue what he was doing. He had all the management skills of a dead squirrel. Thank God he escaped to a golf
course as often as he did and left everyone to get on with it.
May had allowed the full morning for the meeting but was done and dusted by just after half-past ten. She didn’t want to get back to the office too early so took herself off to a
café near the park. The waitress brought over a frothy cappuccino and a millionaire’s shortbread which, disappointingly, had a very unbuttery base and not enough chocolate
in the office talking about saucy encounters and wishing she had some to report of her own. She could let him go kindly without grinding his face into the dirt.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, reaching over and closing his warm hand over hers. ‘I understand. It’s you who needs to focus on your job without the distraction of
me.’
Clare sighed guiltily. This was horrible. She sounded like a right hard cow.
The waiter arrived at their side to take their order.
‘Do you want to eat?’ asked Lud. Clare’s lowered head moved slowly from side to side.
‘Just the champagne,’ Lud told the waiter. ‘If you could bring me the bill, thank you.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Clare.
‘Don’t be,’ replied Lud. ‘You’ve worked hard. You deserve your moment in the spotlight. I know how important it is to you.’
And he did. Over the years Lud had witnessed the many achievements of Toby and Alice Salter eclipsing everything that Clare did. How could he deny her the fifteen minutes of family fame?
The waiter brought over the bill. Lud gave it a cursory glance and then replaced it on the plate with some notes from his wallet.
‘I hope you’re really happy in Dubai,’ said Clare, fighting back the emotion that had lodged like a hard lump in her gullet. ‘I hope you find what you’re looking
for.’
‘I had found it,’ he said. ‘Can I get you a taxi back to work?’
‘No, I’ll sit here for a bit and then take the Tube.’
Lud leaned over her and kissed her head, his hand curving tenderly around her arm.
‘Goodbye,’ he said. ‘It’s been fun.’
‘I hope we can still stay friends,’ said Clare, almost desperately, not wanting to let go now that she had separated them, but feeling that she had pushed him too far away to reach
for again.
He nodded gallantly, like an old-fashioned soldier, then she watched his broad back cut through the crowd of café customers until it had disappeared totally from sight. As she followed
him with her eyes, she did not realize that in his pocket lay the Tiffany engagement ring which he was going to present to her over lunch.
Finished, gone, just like that. All those years of togetherness ended with just a few words. Now she was free to concentrate on being the family superstar for the first time in her life. The
Salter runt who was clever but never managed the genius heights of her smart-arse siblings had finally managed to outshine their achievements. And Ludwig could go and conquer the world and find
himself a woman that he would ignore his phone for. The thought that he might sent the tears tumbling down her cheeks and onto the pristine white tablecloth.
Chapter 12
May’s meeting in Clapham at nine that morning was with a man trying to set up a wholefood restaurant. She arrived at half-past eight to find Mr Terry waiting for her, an
enthusiastic smile plastered all over his face. She reckoned he would be onto a winner too. He was so keen to get started, the property was ideal, the plans he had to renovate it were simple, cheap
but effective ones, and his menu looked fantastic. She envied his passion for his work and his self-employed status, answering to no one but himself. May loved her job; she just hated all the
rubbish that came with it: namely reporting to a man who didn’t seem to have a clue what he was doing. He had all the management skills of a dead squirrel. Thank God he escaped to a golf
course as often as he did and left everyone to get on with it.
May had allowed the full morning for the meeting but was done and dusted by just after half-past ten. She didn’t want to get back to the office too early so took herself off to a
café near the park. The waitress brought over a frothy cappuccino and a millionaire’s shortbread which, disappointingly, had a very unbuttery base and not enough chocolate
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