Page 106 of The Love Letter

‘No. Look, why don’t I knock up a little something for supper? I haven’t seen you eat a thing since I arrived at Welbeck Street yesterday morning.’

‘That’s kind of you, but I just couldn’t force it down.’

‘Fine. Then I’ll cook it for me.’

Zoe shrugged, then stood up. ‘There should be enough hot water for a bath by now. I’m going to take one.’

When she’d left the kitchen, Simon set about gathering ingredients together and began to chop vegetables, whistling to himself just to break the deathly silence of the ancient walls around him.

Zoe arrived back downstairs an hour later in her grandfather’s old paisley dressing gown, and smelt something enticing wafting from the kitchen.

‘What is it?’ She peered over Simon’s shoulder at the pot he was stirring.

‘Does it matter? You don’t want any, remember?’ He indicated an open bottle of red wine on the table. ‘Help yourself. I opened it for culinary purposes only, of course.’

‘Of course.’ Zoe smiled then poured herself a glass, sat down and watched Simon at work.

‘Is this part of your training?’

‘No. I just love cooking. Sure you don’t want some?’

‘Go on then, as you’ve worked so hard.’

Simon filled two plates and put one in front of Zoe. ‘It’s spicy beef with lentils. I should have marinated the meat for a few hours first, of course, but it should be edible.’ He sat down opposite her.

Zoe forked up a mouthful. ‘This is really good, Simon.’

‘Don’t sound so surprised,’ he laughed.

‘You’re wasting your talents. You should open a restaurant.’

‘That’s what Joanna always says.’

‘She’s right.’ Zoe continued to eat. ‘Were you and Joanna ever . . . you know?’

‘Lovers? No, never. I always thought of her as my sister. Somehow it would have seemed . . . incestuous. Although . . .’

‘Yes?’

‘Oh, it was nothing really. A few weeks ago, she was staying with me and we kissed.’ Simon felt his face redden. ‘Her boyfriend had just dumped her, but I still thought my relationship with my ex-girlfriend was intact. So I stopped it.’ Simon paused with a forkful of food halfway between his mouth and his plate. ‘If I’d known then that my ex was about to dump me, I wonder if I’d have reacted differently.’

‘Well, you’ll never know now.’ Zoe shrugged.

‘Would you like some more? There’s plenty.’ Simon studied her empty plate.

‘I’dlovesome more, thanks, it’s delicious! Will you do this forever?’ she asked as he put a second helping in front of her.

‘What’s that?’

‘Be a bodyguard. Subjugate your own life for the safety of others.’

‘Who knows?’

‘I just think you’re wasted. It’s a bit of a dead-end job, isn’t it?’

‘Wow, thanks,’ he laughed.

‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ She blushed.