Page 94 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
“I need to return to work tomorrow, as well. I don’t want to dwell and I don’t want to know anything more. I think I just need some time to work through what I do know and reconcile that.”
He stepped towards me, but I couldn’t look at him. I’d crumble if I did.
“Can you take me now?” I asked, my voice so quiet and full of emotion.
He reached out and placed his hand on my head. He gently let it fall, stroking my hair. He then leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
“Okay.”
I left my tea and slid from the stool. He held out his hand and I took it. “How about I take you now and then I’ll drop off some clothes and things later?”
I nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I need some work clothes for tomorrow.”
I knew I was leaving it all to him and I should have been packing myself, but I didn’t have the energy or the space in my mind to even think straight.
We left the house as Tony was walking towards it. I gave him a small smile and carried on walking while Sebastian stopped to talk to him. I didn’t want to hear. I waited beside the car, my head bowed.
When I heard the click of the locks being released, I opened the door myself and climbed in. I waited. Sebastian soon joined me in the driver’s seat. He looked at me and I stared back at him. I couldn’t work out what he was feeling, but his brow was furrowed.
“Are you mad at me?” I asked.
“Huh? God, no. Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to read you sometimes.”
“I’m gutted, Ruby. I wanted you to move in here with me, but I’m happy you’re going to the flat. It’s not far, you could probably walk here if you wanted to. I’ve given you a key, I want you to keep it and come and go as you want... for now.”
He started to say something else but paused. He then turned on the car and we drove from the house.
He was right, it was a five-minute car drive to a small mews. When he’d saidflat, I’d expected a block of them. But the building he pulled up outside was a terraced house. I waited until he helped me from the car, and he pulled a key from his pocket. He handed it to me.
“It’s basement and ground, so you get the garden.”
“Come in with me?”
“Of course.”
He took the key from me, and we walked to a small metal gate that opened to a set of steps leading down below pavement level. There, I found a front door. It opened into a square hall with a tiled floor. The walls were painted white, but it wasn’t stark, it was cool.
“Straight through is the kitchen and lounge. It’s all open plan. Here’s a toilet,” he said, touching the handle of another door. “This side is a snug, or whatever you want to use it for.”
We walked through to the kitchen. I expected a kitchen, what I got was a huge room that extended out to a lovely garden. At the end were bi-fold doors that, when opened, would expose the whole back of the house to the elements. Against one wall was an open tread staircase with wooden treads and a glass balustrade. I looked up.
“Two bedrooms, both en-suit,” he said. It was then I noticed the sadness in his voice. “I’ll bring your laptop, some clothes for the next couple of days. There are toiletries here, I stayed here a month or so ago when I had the builders in at home. I can grab some food; they’ll be coffee I imagine.”
“I can order that. I have my phone here,” I said, tapping my pocket.
“Okay.” He sighed and stood with his hands in his trouser pockets. “I’ll go now. Let you settle in.”
I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “It’s just temporary, Sebastian. Just until I can get my head around what I’ve learned. You do understand, don’t you?” I looked up at him.
“I think, maybe, it might be hard for you to reconcile the man you thought I was with the man I really am.”
“I’ve always known who you are,” I whispered. “You’re the man in the woods, in my dreams. I thought I feared you, but I understand, it wasn’t fear. I wasn’t running from you, Sebastian. I was trying to find you.”
His eyes searched mine. He nodded very gently but I wasn’t sure he was convinced. He kissed my lips and then walked away. I waited until I heard the front door close and then I wandered around.
It was a beautiful property, secluded and quiet. Perfect for me to regroup and decompress. The furniture and décor were muted tones. I opened a couple ofcupboards in the kitchen and found some teabags, coffee, biscuits, the usual dry goods I’d expect to see. Mugs and plates were stacked in another cupboard. There were two bottles of wine, bottled water, and juice in the fridge. In the living area, there were two sofa’s and two large cuddle chairs, a television, and a bookcase. Sebastian liked to read, and I walked over to take a look. He had a diverse range of books, ranging from comedy to thrillers. I picked up a book, one that looked well read, and turned it over. I placed it on the arm of a sofa. Perhaps I’d order some groceries, a takeaway, and then just sit and read. Perhaps the words on the pages would quell the screams in my mind, my reality needed to be replaced by fiction. Whether it would work, or not, was another matter.
