Kelsie wished she could say the same for her own heart. But she too would recover with the right treatment. Namely a flight as far away from London as possible and a whole lot of work, but first she had to get through the morning.
There was a knock at the door and she put the phone down as she glanced at the clock.
It was the arrival of breakfast, and when it was pushed in, it looked like a Christmas feast in miniature. A tiny, holly-decorated painted bowl of muesli, strawberries, honey yoghurt and steaming Earl Grey tea.
Under the silver dome was a tiny nativity scene, complete with dozing animals, surrounded by curls of bacon and egg and French toast. It looked so cute she had to smile. Albeit a watery one. On the tray was a tiny, exquisitely wrapped box with a card and she smiled again as the waiter backed away.
He seemed to be waiting for her to open the card so she slid her finger under the seal and lifted the stiff folded paper out. She expected it to be from the hotel to go with the little unopened present.
Santa has been. There’s something outside the door. Merry Christmas, Kelsie!
She looked up and as if he’d been waiting for her to read it the waiter stopped at the door.
‘Someone has left you something outside your door, madam. Would you like me to bring it in?’
‘Yes, please.’
It was a tiny carry-on suitcase, in gold, with a ribbon around it. She frowned as she circled it and then lifted it onto the bed to open. Inside lay a gorgeous little Christmas tree, sprinkled with gold and covered in tiny fibreoptic lights.
It looked suspiciously like the one from the Orient Express dining car. She guessed the suitcase was so she could fly it home. Why did that thought make her eyes sting and her throat close?
Was Connor here? Her heart leapt and she looked quickly up at the waiter. ‘And the gentleman?’
The man shook his head mournfully. Obviously he was a romantic. ‘There is no gentleman.’
She crossed to the dresser and plugged the little tree in and watched it turn as the man left, quietly closing the door behind him. The tree spun and sparkled and shimmered like it had in the dining car where she and Connor had eaten together last night.
Tears stung her eyes but she blinked them away. Surely she’d done the right thing. And it was too late now anyway.
She turned back to the wrapped box on her breakfast tray and slowly unwrapped the stiff paper from the gift. Inside lay the silver charm bracelet from the Orient Express, complete with a tiny porter’s hat like Wolfgang’s, a miniature guard’s whistle, a little train engine and a teddy bear.
There was a note.
I’m not asking you to stay. I’m asking if I can come and visit you in Australia as soon as I can arrange a flight.
‘I think that would be wonderful,’ she whispered to the empty room.
He was so much better at this than she was. She glanced at the phone again. One more try and she at least had the house number that Winsome had given her.
But that phone just rang unanswered too.
Time was running out and the airport waited. Maybe he would follow her to Australia, as he’d said. She could only hope so.
It took Kelsie two hours to get to the airport through the snow and as the cab driver dropped her off the radio cheerfully informed them that flights had a two-hour delay due to the snow. Too long to wait. Too short to jump back into the cab and search for Connor.
‘What you want to do, lady?’
She thought about the suitcase. ‘Just drop me. I’ll stay here until my flight opens.’
‘You sure?’
‘Yep.’ She saw his shoulders lift and he pulled the car into the drop-off point. She paid him and the rat didn’t get out of the car, just popped the boot so she’d have to lift her huge case out herself. Connor would never do that to her.
‘Merry Christmas,’ she said with her most winning smile, and he had the grace to look away. As she got out she heard his door open and he grumbled his way to the rear of the vehicle and heaved her bag onto the pavement for her.
‘Good luck with getting that on the plane,’ he said. Then he grinned, shook his head and wished her luck before he drove away.
Kelsie encouraged the wheels on her suitcase to ignore the snow, but they weren’t listening so she tipped it on its side and dragged it, and her new little gold suitcase along with it, while the icy wind bit into her cheeks. It wasn’t the only part of her that was cold.
Home would be humid. Christmas week would be sunshine and a hot wind. Sunburnt kids and ice-cream cake. Home would be great. But despite the promise of heat the words were only empty words as the wind continued to bite into her. Deeply. She’d blown it. Been a coward. But Connor had said he would come after her.
Inside the departure hall was chaotic. With the flight delays every available waiting space in the airport seemed to be filled with bodies and luggage.