There's No Accounting For Love

Chapter Two

The following Friday the rain bucketed down and it was blowing a gale, so Clare decided not to venture out, but the week after, as it was bright and sunny for November, she made her usual visit. When she arrived there was no sign of Hal and as nothing jumped up to catch her eye, she didn't buy anything. Before she left the shop she said to Gerald "Have you seen Hal, today?" to which he replied "No, not yet, but he's been in every day this week." Just as Gerald finished speaking, Hal came in the door looking so much smarter, she hardly recognised him. He was clean-shaven and his hair was cut short. He was wearing a smart black suit with an orange shirt and yellow tie.

"Hello, sweet lady," he said "Just a little thank you for helping me the other day." He smiled down upon her and handed her a small, green leather bound book. "I'm afraid to say, you gave me a terrible headache." His eyes twinkled brightly as he spoke. She wondered if he was telling the truth, she hadn't had a headache, although she'd had a bump on her head for several days.

She looked intently up into a pleasant face. It was surprisingly good looking, in fact. A pair of lovely almond shaped eyes, framed with long eyelashes, held her gaze. She was mesmerised! Before she could thank him he'd turned on his heels and was gone. "Oh!" she said. She was still staring after him when Gerald brought her back down to earth.

"He's a nice man Hal, he helped me buy into this place. He's my 'Silent Partner'."

"Really?" said Clare.

"He likes you." said Gerald "He's been asking me lots of questions about you and he mentioned something about a headache." He laughed loudly. Clare was colouring up by now, she wasn't sure whether it was because Hal liked her, or because she'd given him a headache!

"Well?" asked her mother that evening, "What happened today?"

Clare told Kathy all she knew. In fact, Gerald had made her late back from lunch as he had so much to say. Harold Porter, known as Hal to his friends, was a lecturer in Economics at Bristol University, had no taste in clothes and was a divorced man. His ex-wife had created a scandal by committing fraud. She'd stolen thousands of pounds from her employers and then run off to South America with her 'fancy man' as Gerald put it.

"He said Hal was the most generous and honest man he's ever met. Hal came into the shop and he gave me this book, Wordsworth. Wasn't that thoughtful, just to say thank you for the other day."

"He sounds like the absent-minded professor to me." said Kathy.

"He knew I liked Wordsworth, fancy taking the trouble to find that out?"

"Yes, just fancy," said Kathy "I think you have an admirer there."

"But I gave him a headache."

"Clare," said Kathy seriously "You're enough to give anyone a headache." She disappeared into the kitchen to make coffee. Clare smiled. An admirer! Life was looking up. She wondered what would happen next? She liked the look of Hal, now he'd smartened up.

Kathy came back into the Lounge with their drinks.

"Anyway, it's time you were married, you've been under my feet long enough," she said handing Clare a mug.

"But I've only just met him, you can't say that. Anyway, he might not want to ask me out." 

 Clare's mother smiled.  "Well, we'll just have to wait and see won't we?"

Clare smiled back at her mother, but said nothing more and they drank their coffee.

"Guess what?" said Kathy "Sandra rang me earlier. Stephen has passed his exams at the bank. He may be able to get a promotion and move back to Bristol. Wouldn't it be nice, to have them all closer to us?"

"That would be wonderful, we could see more of the children. That's really good news!" For the rest of the evening they sat quietly watching television and relaxing. Clare's mother worked at the corner shop several evenings a week and it was always a pleasure to spend an evening together.

That night, as Clare prepared for bed, she thought of Hal. She had never met anyone like him before. He spoke like an Edwardian gentleman and had an easy, charming manner which was very refreshing. She found him very appealing and just thinking about him gave her a warm, glowing feeling.

When she climbed into bed that night, the thought of him was still with her and as she snuggled down into her pillow, thinking about his lovely eyes, she hoped that he would ask her out on a date, knowing that she'd be deeply disappointed if he didn't!