One Rainy Day by Joan Jonker Page A

worrying about me.’ She was a few yards away from him when she called over her shoulder, ‘Not that I think for one moment you’ll give me another thought.’
    Charlotte walked up to her brother and linked his arm, and they stood close together and watched the girl walk up Castle Street with her head held high. She seemed not to feel the rain that was falling heavily.
    ‘That was most unfortunate, Andrew,’ Charlotte said. ‘But you didn’t do it on purpose, so don’t feel badly about it.’
    Andrew wasn’t concerned about what had happened. All he could think of was that the unknown girl was walking away and he’d never see her again. Suddenly that was important to him. As he stood with his sister he didn’t question why he felt sad, he just did.
    Charlotte pulled on his arm. ‘Andrew, I am getting very wet. Can we go now?’
    Andrew seemed to come alive. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, Charlotte. I’ve spoilt your day. I wanted everything to go well, so you would enjoy yourself. How could I have been stupid enough to knock someone over? I’ve never been so unthinking or careless in my life.’ He ran a hand through his hair, sending atrickle of rainwater down his neck. ‘And yours is not the only day I’ve ruined. What about the poor girl I knocked to the ground? Heaven knows what sort of man she’ll think I am. Her coat is ruined, and she wouldn’t even let me help her. I bet she’s cursing me right now.’
    ‘Andrew, I’m getting very wet right now,’ Charlotte reminded him. ‘Can we talk about this when you’ve retrieved the umbrella, and we’re on our way to this wonderful lunch you promised me?’
    Andrew collected the brolly and took her arm. ‘I’ve never upset a young lady in my life, and today I’ve managed to upset two. What an achievement!’
    ‘Put it behind you, my dear brother. I’ll forgive you. And who knows, you may meet that young lady again and you’ll have the chance to make amends.’
    ‘I would think that is a very remote possibility.’ Andrew brought her to a halt and pointed to an opening which was quite dark, and the flight of stairs going down even darker. ‘Don’t be put off by the appearance, Charlotte. I can assure you that when you get down those steps you will be agreeably surprised. Trust me, I wouldn’t dream of bringing you anywhere I thought you wouldn’t be happy.’
    Charlotte stared into the darkness. ‘It reminds me of a dungeon, a place where they put murderers and all sorts of unsavoury characters.’
    To his own surprise, Andrew chortled. ‘For heaven’s sake don’t let André hear you say that, or I will be banished for ever. He is proud of their reputation as one of the finest restaurants in the city. His customers are envied by many who have been denied entrance because his list of regulars is full. The poor unfortunates have to wait until there’s a vacancy.’
    Still not convinced, but not wanting to offend her brother,Charlotte suggested, ‘You walk down in front of me as you are familiar with the layout.’
    It wasn’t until Charlotte’s eyes became accustomed to the dim lights that she began to believe her brother’s words. For the atmosphere alone was sufficient to tell her that this was indeed a place of excellence. The tables in the centre of the room were beautifully set with silver cutlery, heavy napkins, attractive crockery, a lit candle and a tiny crystal vase holding a single red rose. To one side of the restaurant there were four booths, for those who wanted privacy. Charlotte took all this in while waiting for a waiter to show them to a table. ‘You were right, brother dear, this looks very promising. What a pity Father couldn’t be with us.’
    Her words lifted Andrew’s spirits, for although he was upset at knocking over a stranger, he was sad for a different reason. The girl had had an effect on his emotions, and that had never happened before. He sighed inwardly, knowing he would probably never have the chance to see that