A Stranger's Kiss

Janice to send someone to repair my door. You do still have Janice?’ she asked.
    ‘Janice has been a lot harder to shift than the first two. But her job’s quite safe now. I don’t want you in the office. I have other plans for you.’
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘You might well say “oh”, my lady. I wasn’t that well prepared last night, which is why I plan to marry you at the earliest possible moment.’
    She lowered her lashes. ‘Did you ask me to marry you, sir? I have no recollection of it.’
    ‘That’s odd. I distinctly recall mentioning it twice,’ he replied. She sipped her coffee. ‘Oh, I see. You want the whole bit. Down on one knee?’ She kept her eyes averted so that his sudden move took her by surprise and when her eyes flew open he was indeed upon one knee before her. He took her hand. ‘Will you marry me, my lady? I’ll love you and cherish you—’
    ‘Adam, get up!’ she laughed. ‘I didn’t think you’d do it.’
    ‘I only plan to do this once, Tara,’ he swore, emphatically. ‘So it might be a good idea to say yes with all possible speed, before I abandon you to a life of horror with Jim Matthews.’ His eyes glinted wickedly. ‘Maybe you’d prefer to have his slimy green monsters morning, noon and night.’
    ‘No!’ she said with a shudder.
    ‘You’re quite sure?’
    ‘Positive.’
    He stood up. ‘In that case...’ He put his hand in his pocket and drew out a small jeweller’s box. ‘... maybe this will help you make up your mind.’ He opened it to reveal a solitaire diamond that the sun streaming in through the window lit with a thousand fires. He slipped it on her finger and kissed her hand.
    ‘Adam, it’s beautiful.’
    ‘Can I take that as a yes?’
    ‘You know it is.’ He pulled her into his arms and for a long time neither of them said anything.
    The urgent peel of the telephone finally parted them. ‘It’ll be Beth, wondering if I’m ever coming to work,’ she said.
    ‘Shall I answer it?’ he offered.
    ‘No!’ She dived across the room and grabbed the phone and Adam bent to pick something from the carpet. It was a ribbon. A red ribbon.
    He saw her puzzled expression. ‘Every knight is entitled to carry his lady’s colours, Tara. And yours are most definitely red.’ He touched her flushed cheeks.
    ‘Tara? Are you there?’ Beth’s voice said plaintively. But Tara didn’t answer. She replaced the receiver without saying a word and went into his arms.
    * * *
    Beth said nothing when Tara arrived after lunch. She had seen her partner arrive in Adam’s car and she sat with a smug, contented expression as if the whole thing had been her idea. One look at Tara’s flushed and happy face had been enough to convince her that everything was right with the world. A second glance had taken in the ring and all the day’s conversation had revolved around the coming wedding.
    They had called at the register office on the way into their respective offices and confirmed that if they wished to be married by licence the wedding could take place a couple of weeks after their application.
    Tara made no outward show of her disappointment when Adam suggested they needed a little longer to give them time to make all the arrangements. But three weeks on Friday hadn’t felt quite like the “earliest possible moment” that he had promised.
    And he was distracted when he called at the office later that afternoon. Sensing he had more than dalliance on his mind, Beth withdrew on an errand to the bank to give them some privacy.
    ‘I have to go away, Tara.’ He raked back his hair. ‘I’m not sure when I’ll get back, but I’ll be there for our wedding.’
    There was a cold little spot of fear deep in her heart. She didn’t want to let him out of her sight, terrified that something would go wrong, that fate would once more dash the cup of happiness from her lips.
    ‘Where are you going?’ she asked.
    He leaned across the desk and kissed her mouth and she knew with absolute certainty that he had no intention of telling her. ‘Janice is organising everything. Flowers, cars, reception. You don’t have to do a thing.’
    She sat behind her desk, her hands neatly folded in front of her, a picture of serenity, while inside she felt quite sick. ‘I’ll see you when you get back.’
    His answering smile was all on the surface. She had seen him do that at meetings when underneath a thousand thoughts were churning away. Something had happened since this morning. Something