Page 68 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

Violet nodded. She could hear the wind howling outside and she felt so removed from the world. And, despite her situation, she simply felt free not to lie.

‘It was Grace questioning me that really hurt.’ She had never said that—not even to Grace. ‘I don’t blame her. I get that it was easier for her to think I’d taken something rather than that her mother was so ill. She’s always trying to talk about it now, or say sorry.’

‘You’re still too angry to hear it?’

‘Oh, no.’ She shook her head. ‘I was never angry—just terrified I was going to lose her friendship.’

‘Violet...’

‘Don’t.’

She put up her hand and then went back to the trunk, grateful for the distraction.

Her heart came to a stop when she saw a photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II with... ‘Oh, goodness.’ Her emotions changed like the wind. ‘I thought this was you.’

‘Show me?’

‘Is this in London?’

‘Yes.’ Sahir propped himself onto one elbow to look. ‘That’s my father.’

‘He looks about twelve.’

‘He’d have been about eighteen...’ He took a moment, as if to work out the year it had been taken. ‘No, he’d have been nineteen.’

‘Where’s your mother?’

‘This was before they were married. It was his first solo tour. What else is in there?’ he asked.

‘Menus,’ Violet said delightedly. ‘Maybe they’ll give me some ideas. At work, we all bring in something to eat on a Friday... Oh, well, I guess I won’t be needing these...’

‘You’re going to miss working a lot?’

‘Yes,’ Violet admitted, flicking through the cards. ‘But maybe it’s the change I need. I mean I always—and I mean always—wanted to be a librarian. I was also keen to study, but I didn’t want to move away.’

‘How come?’ he probed. ‘Why are you so reluctant to move away?’

She paused in flicking through the menu cards and met his gaze. She liked how he didn’t react when she told him things, how his expression didn’t change and he didn’t judge. Sahir’s calm made her feel able to admit something she never had before.

‘I don’t want to leave in case my parents ever decide to look me up.’

He nodded.

‘They wouldn’t be able to find me.’

He said nothing. Yes, she liked his calm...how he didn’t react.

Inwardly Sahir did react.

I would find you, he wanted to say, but knew those words could only hurt.

She had put her career, her future, on hold, in the hope that one day her parents might look her up, or drop in.

He felt a real sadness. One he’d been taught not to feel, let alone reveal.

He felt everything now. Since Violet had appeared in his life he felt the world more intensely, and he breathed through the wave of anger that seemed to crush him for a moment as Violet got back to the menu cards.

‘Ooh, what’s Persian Love Cake?’

---