Page 8 of Lost in Love
“I was too busy reprimanding her for her behaviour when I met her to even look at her,” Katherine added reluctantly.
“Reprimanding?” Rebecca’s eyes widened. “You do know there is a very fine line between your serious schoolmarm persona and you being overtly flirtatious.”
Katherine’s face dropped. “You don’t think…”
“No, but she might,” Rebecca answered, nodding towards Anna’s house.
“Oh.” Katherine clenched her teeth.
Rebecca stretched back in her chair and took in the sun.
“Well, this lifestyle certainly seems to suit you better — pub lunches, abbey tours, walks in the countryside, green goop. Helena would be proud of you.”
Katherine dropped her sunglasses down her nose and glared at Rebecca. “Please don’t.”
“Sorry.” Rebecca pinched her lips and zipped them with her fingers.
* * *
Katherine had seen parts of Nunswick Abbey from her bedroom window, so she was vaguely familiar with the layout of the grounds. She led Rebecca, who’d had not one, but two glasses of wine, through the visitor centre to the tour pick-up point, as instructed by the young woman at the desk.
Katherine felt strangely nervous; she had been worrying all through lunch that she may have appeared flirtatious to Anna during the appointment when she certainly hadn’t meant to - it would have been far from appropriate.
Bang on time, Anna appeared from the visitor centre, introduced herself to the small group, and gave a brief but informative history of the abbey. She led them off into the grounds, and her group obediently followed.
Rebecca leaned over to Katherine and whispered in her ear. “That’s a chiselled face if ever I saw one. And what fine brown eyes.”
It earned her an elbow in the side.
Katherine was impressed by their tour guide. She was not only knowledgeable but engaging and humorous, traits Katherine had not seen on their first meeting.
Anna appeared to be avoiding eye contact with her, yet she must have noticed Katherine’s presence in her group. Perhaps she had given her the wrong impression and now Anna was embarrassed. Maybe Katherine should rein in her schoolmarm act, she thought. She could see now how it could look flirtatious to men, but surely Anna wouldn’t have noticed a woman flirting with her. Not, Katherine quickly confirmed to herself, that she had been.
Katherine felt herself completely drawn into Anna’s tour. She spoke so animatedly and passionately about the architecture of the abbey, the people who lived there, and its ultimate downfall during the Reformation. Watching Anna so closely, Katherine realised the tour guide was wiping her forehead regularly. It was warm, sure, but there was a cool breeze. Katherine couldn’t help it when her doctor senses began tingling. She moved closer to Anna as they walked on, and when they stopped to admire the north wall of the abbey, Katherine made sure to place herself at the front of the crowd.
Anna was about to restart her talk but began to sway instead, her eyes locked onto Katherine’s with desperation. Her arms shot out and her head dropped. Her knees buckled just as Katherine darted towards her and wrapped her arms around her tightly. She felt Anna’s body go limp and slowly lowered her down to the ground.
The crowd broke into a round of applause and moved forward to get a closer look.
“Get rid of everyone,” Katherine hissed at Rebecca.
Rebecca turned to the group. “Right, show’s over, everyone. Please make your way back to the visitor centre to join the next tour or proceed to the next point on your map for a self-guided tour.”
The crowd immediately dispersed.
Katherine looked up at Rebecca, impressed.
“What?” Rebecca looked down at herself. “Barrister.” She then looked where the crowd had been. “Courtroom.”
Katherine returned her attention to Anna. She took a jumper from around her waist and placed it under Anna’s head.
“Is she going to be all right?” Rebecca asked, more concerned now that it was just the three of them.
“It’s nothing a good meal and a rest won’t fix, I’m sure. Have you got any food in your bag?”
Rebecca rummaged and pulled out a chocolate bar.
“Here, I picked this up at the service station this morning.”
