She came up to the bed and rested her muzzle next to Harriet.
Harriet’s eyes softened as she stroked the dog’s nose. ‘I’ve left you once, with disastrous consequences,’ she murmured. ‘Could I do it again?’
‘You don’t have to,’ Damien said. ‘There’s something else you could do. I told you Charlie plays chess?’
She nodded after a moment.
‘He’s going to need some help to get through this period. Obviously he can’t spend the whole time playing chess, but you two might be able to come up with ways to keep each other occupied—you’re going to have the same problem for a while. You can’t spend your life cleaning paintings.’
Harriet looked up at him. ‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’
She sat up and plaited her fingers. ‘Will you be here?’
‘Yes. But I’ll be busy. Africa is coming to me, you see.’
Harriet blinked several times. ‘Come again?’
He grimaced. ‘I’ve reversed things. Instead of taking my machinery there, I’ve invited this company I’m dealing with to come here. I may not—’ he paused then continued gravely ‘—be able to offer them wildlife safaris with lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and hippos, to name a few, but there’s the Great Barrier Reef, the Kimberley, Cape York, Arnheim Land and some wonderful fishing. If they feel like a bit of danger there are plenty of crocodiles to dodge.’
Harriet blinked again then had to laugh. ‘Is that what big business is all about?’
‘That’s better... It has a part.’
‘What’s better?’ Harriet asked curiously.
He shrugged after a moment. ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen you laugh since you demolished the gatepost.
‘But look, I’ll obviously be here at times. If you’re worried I’m liable to harass you on the subject of...on any subject, don’t be.’
Harriet turned her attention to Tottie, still sitting patiently beside the bed, and wondered at the reaction his statement brought to her. It had a familiar feeling to it...
But Damien didn’t elaborate. He felt in his pocket for his phone, and glanced at the screen. ‘Sorry,’ he murmured. ‘I need to take this. Sleep well.’ And he walked out, switching off the overhead lights so that she only had her bedside lamp to deal with. Tottie pattered after him at a click of his fingers. He closed the door.
She lay back after a moment and turned the bedside lamp off. And she pulled the spare pillow into her arms and hugged it as she examined that familiar feeling she’d experienced only minutes ago on hearing he didn’t intend to harass her.
Why should that make her feel hollow and lonely at the same time as she felt ruffled and restless? It didn’t make sense. She should be relieved if anything. The last thing she should feel like was crying herself to sleep.
It could never work—any other arrangement with Damien could never work; she knew that in her heart and soul, didn’t she? It would hurt her dreadfully if she came to be mistrusted because he couldn’t help it now; if she could never get right though to him, if she lost him...