Page 48 of Twin Flames
‘Oh no, she’s pretty much always worked. She’s an art dealer. Loves it actually. Does most of it in the UK but occasionally she needs to travel. She’s off to the South of France next week.’
‘I see. Good,’ said Cara.
Oops. I said that out loud.
‘Um, I mean good that she has work she enjoys.’
‘Yes, quite,’ said George. ‘I know what you mean.’ He laughed.
The Great North Road, 1536
George took a risk by throwing himself upon the mercy of King James V, but he didn’t know what else to do. His family were as good as imprisoned in Sir John Locke’s basement for the past two weeks, and he could stand hanging about on the whim of fate no more.
He saddled up one of the horses with Sir John’s blessing and set off once again on the Great North Road in the driving rain.
Cara was terrified he’d be captured and thrown in the Tower. As he rode through the bitter winds, he saw her sweet face before him. She was his lucky charm, urging him on and keepinghim safe on his mission. She’d initially been against his Scottish plan, to seek asylum from James V, because she thought it too perilous. But she knew it was fruitless to try to stop him when he’d made up his mind. And so, she swept her misgivings aside, and together they devised a plan.
United, they were a formidable force. He knew he could count on Cara to have his back even when she didn’t agree with his actions.
He missed her when she wasn’t by his side, but he felt her presence. They were constantly in each other’s thoughts, and they could often sense each other’s feelings, especially when together, but even over great distances. Words were of little importance to their eerily telepathic connection. If there was such a thing as a soul mate, then George was certain Cara was his.
She said they were the ultimate soul mates. They were Twin Flames, something she’d learned about when reading Plato’s,The Symposium. She explained it to him, saying they were like mirrors, and that Twin Flames were two halves of the same soul, split apart. Their purpose was to heal each other, and in so doing, they shined the light of unconditional love on the world.
They shared an unbreakable bond since the first night they met. It was love at first sight. Many of his friends barely spoke to their wives beyond social and family expectations, but he and Cara were different. He couldn’t bear to think of a life without her.
He pushed his horse hard through the cold nights and rested in the forest or travelled on back roads during daylight. He nibbled on the dwindling supplies in his saddlebag, as he edged closer to the Scottish border. Sir John Locke had managed to arrange a meeting between George and King James V’s special envoy.
King James V was King Henry VIII’s nephew and under normal circumstances, appealing to the young Scottish king would be as good as signing his own death warrant. However, there was a long-standing feud between the two kings.
George was counting on King James’s distrust of his uncle to work in his favour. He planned to ask for asylum, and if the king was agreeable, he’d send immediately for Cara and the children to join him at Stirling Castle or wherever the king would extend his hospitality. King James had supported the Irish rebels and had a soft spot for the northern lords.
George lost count of the nights he’d been riding. By the time he reached Berwick-upon-Tweed, his hands were raw and chapped from the bitter winds, and he nearly fell from his horse, such was his exhaustion. He was to meet James V’s envoy, and at the same time, he would send a note to Cara. He knew she would be anxious for word that he had arrived safely.
‘It’s courageous of you to come here, my lord, under the circumstances. How did you know King James wouldn’t have you immediately arrested and delivered to King Henry for the handsome price on your head?’
‘I confess I didn’t,’ said George. ‘But I counted on King James’s honourable character.’ George sipped his wine and warmed his cold body in front of the fireplace.
‘There’s a bed for you here. Please stay a few days to recover from your long journey whilst we await word from King James. He’ll know what to do, and we’ll reconvene as soon as I hear from him.’
George quickly wrote to Cara and paid a lad to arrange for the note to be despatched, slipping him an extra coin for urgency and confidentiality. Later that evening George crawled under thebed covers and fell into a blissful sleep, content he’d completed the first part of his mission.
CHAPTER 15
York, present day
George missed Cara. The days were long and dull without her. Ever since she’d dashed off to Daniel, they’d barely talked. He wanted to be understanding, but as far as he could tell, she’d been at Daniel’s bedside all week. It rattled him.
He paced around the manuscript, phone in hand. It went to voicemail. Again. The more he tried to stop thinking about what she was up to, the more he worried she was slipping away. Perhaps he’d already lost her.
What if she decides to go back to him?
He didn’t know what to do. He was damned whatever he did. If he left Joanna, he’d be the guy who turned his back on his wife and daughter. But if he didn’t, he’d lose the love of his life. There was little to hold Cara as things stood. She wouldn’t wait around forever.
He made a cup of tea, took a sip, and swore as the hot liquid burned his tongue. His head hurt. He hadn’t slept well in days.
Joanna was away on a business trip, and his daughter was in and out with friends at all hours. He wished he’d stayed inLondon out of the way. The previous night he’d laid his head on the pillow, exhausted and ready to sleep, only to find his mind raced. He couldn’t settle. He worried about Cara, was nervous about his work, and in the dark, silent hours of the night, he dreaded the future. The incessant noise in his head whirred like a fan which gave him no respite. He finally managed a restless sleep at dawn where he dreamed he was a member of Henry VIII’s court.
For the first time, he almost wished Cara hadn’t come into his life. It would be less painful than this constant tug on his emotions. You didn’t miss what you’d never tasted. He tried to recall what life was like before she appeared in the bookshop. He couldn’t visualise it.
