The Wedding Planner (chap 4)
Previously
One of the things that Claire had immediately loved about Lallybroch was the aura of peace that enveloped the big stone house. Jenny had set her aside a small sitting room, bedroom and bathroom to use as her own. When she wasn’t on duty, she could sit by the fireplace in the sitting room, reading and drinking tea, and feel completely at peace.
Now she paced up and down the floorboards, to the alarm of Adso the cat, who had been gently snoozing in his usual spot by the fire.
She had kissed her boss, the man who owned everything here. She had broken all of the rules she had ever had about working professionally, and to make it worse, she had enjoyed it. She had pulled in closer to him and parted her lips to kiss him more deeply.
She threw herself down on a chair in disgust. When the kiss had ended, they had laughed awkwardly, before settling into a silent drive back to the hotel, where she had practically raced up to her rooms to avoid him.
She heard a knock at the door and Jenny’s voice.
‘Claire? Are you okay? Let me in.’
‘I’m fine,’ she called.
‘Are you sure?’
She hid her face in her hands as she lied through her teeth.
Dusk fell and Claire remained in her room, alternating between pacing and lying on her bed in a storm of anxiety.
Eventually another knock came.
‘Claire, it’s me. I am so sorry.’
She opened the heavy oak door before she could change her mind.
‘Jamie, I’m…’
He interrupted her, begging her forgiveness. ‘…. Because I really respect you, and I didn’t want to hurt you or embarrass you in any way. I am so, so sorry Claire.’
‘It’s not that!’ she cried.
He stopped, looking perplexed, hands half raised and mouth still open.
‘Then what is it?’ he asked gently.
‘I’m still married,’ she replied miserably.
Next
