There's No Accounting For Love

Chapter Fifty Eight

The weather took a turn for the worse. Heavy rain began to fall and the wind became gale force, so Alan and Clare decided to stay in their Hotel for the evening. At 7 pm they made their way to the dining room for dinner at their usual table and found that the elderly gent in the wheel chair and his wife, were sitting at the next one.

"Good evening, you two. You look happy. Had a good day?" he asked.

"Yes." said Clare. "A fabulous day, we got engaged in the Connaught Gardens."

"Congratulations." said his wife. "That's really wonderful."

"You certainly have had a good day." the elderly gent said, laughing.

They sat down and looked at the menus.

"I'm having Steak Diane tonight." said Alan, placing the dark blue menu on the table.

"I think I'll have the Rainbow Trout." said Clare.

"We'll have a bottle of champagne to celebrate." Alan added.

"Ooh, how lovely. Thank you darling."

Alan smiled across at Clare. "I've waited a long time to hear that."

The meal that evening was superb and complimented the champagne. For dessert they each had orange chocolate mousse. By the time they had finished dinner it was 9pm. They moved to the bar area and Alan had a whiskey and Clare a soft drink. Because of the bad weather more people than usual had come into the bar and it was a lively evening, with easy listening music softly playing in the background.

They stayed, sitting happily side by side until 11pm when the bar closed.

"Time for bed, then." said Clare.

Alan stood up and taking her hand led her out of the bar area and into the lift, which was waiting for them.

They were outside of Clare's Hotel room now. Alan grinned at her, pulled her close and held her tight.

"You are coming to share my double bed, aren't you?" he asked, thinking that of course she would.

"Oh." she said. "I'm not ready yet...I..."

Alan knew Clare had strong principles and thought perhaps when she had a ring on her finger the situation would be different. She would sleep with him then. He lifted her chin with his finger.

"It's okay. I can wait. And tomorrow, we'll go and find you a ring."

They said goodnight, after more kissing and cuddling and Alan watched Clare go into her room. He'd had the most wonderful day of his life and would never forget it. And, although he thought he wouldn't as it had been such an exciting, emotional day, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow; and he slept soundly.

* * * * * *

Clare stood in her hotel room and looked up at the dark sky from her window. The rain had stopped, but the wind was still howling, fiercely. The moon was just a small crescent, as it appeared from behind a cloud. A strange feeling of foreboding fell down upon her, as if from the sky. She shuddered, as an icy chill filtered through her body.

"What is it Lord?" she asked. "What is it?"

There was no reply, but she felt unsettled and did not change into her pyjamas, but sat in the chair with her jacket on the bed making sure she had her purse and Alan's car keys safely in her handbag.