There's No Accounting For Love

Chapter Seventy Two

DEDICATED TO SIMON DURNEY

Clare parked her car on Goff's drive and getting out, locked the door.

She'd never been to Goff's house before, but even in the darkness she could tell it was a beautiful house, lovingly cared for. She wondered where the others had parked their cars, but perhaps he had only given her permission to park on his drive, as she had come alone. He was most considerate, Geoff.

She climbed the steps up to the front door and rang the bell. She heard voices inside and then someone came to open the door. It was Geoff.

"Hello Clare, nice to see you. Come on in."

"Hello Geoff, I've brought a bottle."

Geoff ushered her into the lounge, which was a large, beautifully decorated room full of sumptuous blue furnishings, gorgeous mirrors and lamps.

"Wow, what a gorgeous room." said Clare, noticing there was no one else there.  "Oh, am I the first to arrive?"

"Oh....um, yes, you are. I expect the others will be here soon. Please sit down Clare and make yourself nice and comfortable. We will, of course, be dining in the other room." He took her coat and disappeared. Again, she heard voices coming from another room and something about those voices began make her feel suspicious.

Five minutes later, the front door bell rang and Clare heard Geoff usher someone in. She heard a new voice. It was Alan's! And the next moment, there he was standing at the lounge door, tall and drop dead gorgeous.  His eyes were like two pools of blue in his white face. She stood immediately to her feet as Alan stared at her, in obvious surprise.

"Please sit." said Geoff, quickly. "I will get you both a drink." And Geoff was out of the door like a greyhound at the track!

"What is going on?" asked Clare. "There is no dinner party, is there? It's just you and me. How could you, Alan, after all I've said."

"Hey, wait a minute. This has nothing to do with me. I had no hand in this at all. Why would I? I'm as surprised as you are. I was expecting a dinner party and you weren't going to be here, I was told."

Alan sat down on the nearest chair, but Clare remained standing.

"I'm asking for my coat and going home." she said, making her way towards the door. "Why do people keep interfering? I hate it."

Alan didn't answer straight away. Clare looked at him and could tell he was deep thinking. He did this from time to time and the look on his face usually made her feel like laughing, but not now.

"They... are trying to help, that's all." he said. "And if Geoff has prepared a meal for us, the least we can do is sit down and eat it. Then you can go home.  If we both left now it would be very rude. You wouldn't want to hurt Goff's feelings would you?"

"Of course not."

"Well then, please sit down."

Clare sat in a chair near the fireplace feeling deeply uncomfortable.

She looked across at Alan, who, she could tell, was also feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't looking well. He looked pale and thin, like he had when Marie left him. It occurred to her that it was because of their break up. It had hit him hard.

There were voices again at the door.

"That's Angie's voice!" said Alan. "What is she doing here?"

"You didn't know what they were planning?" asked Clare.

"I've just told you, no. This has nothing to do with me."