Page 165 of The Moon Sister
‘No.’
‘But you do . . . like him, don’t you, Tiggy? I can see you do.’
‘Of course I do! So that’s why I left, even though I’ve done nothing I should be ashamed of, I . . . well’ – I felt the blush rise to my cheeks – ‘I wanted to, Ally. And it isn’t right. Charlie’s a married man and I’m not going to be a home wrecker. They have a sixteen-year-old daughter too! Besides, look at the way Rosa reacted to him. I don’t want to be one of the many women who throw themselves at him. That would be sad, it really would.’
‘Tiggy, how many boyfriends have you actually had?’
‘Oh, a couple, but not anyone serious.’
‘You have had . . . you know?’
‘Yes,’ I said, lowering my eyes in embarrassment, ‘but only a couple of times. I’m afraid I’m one of those old-fashioned girls who equate sex with love.’
‘I understand completely, and there’s no need to be ashamed of it.’
‘Isn’t there? I sometimes feel that I’m really pathetic and out of date. All my mates at uni didn’t think twice about spending the night with a man they’d just met at a party. And why shouldn’t they take their pleasure like a man?’
‘Because they’re not men?’ Ally rolled her eyes. ‘I just don’t understand the feminists who seem to model themselves onmales, rather than relying on what I think is our superior set offemalelife skills. I swear, Tiggy, if we use those instead of trying to ape men, we’d be ruling the world within a decade or two. Anyway, I digress. My point was that you’re not very experienced with men, are you?’
‘No.’
‘Well, I’m here to tell you that the one we just left at the hospital two hours ago is not only decent, kind, and incredibly attractive,’ Ally winked at me, ‘but he’s also as keen on you as you are on him. Why else do you think he’d go to all this trouble?’
‘Professional reasons, Ally. He told me himself.’
‘Rubbish. Charlie came here because he cares about you deeply. I’d say he’s almost certainly in love with you . . .’
‘Please don’t say that, Ally,’ I begged her. ‘You’ll just make me more confused.’
‘Sorry, but given what I’ve been through in the past few months, I’ve realised that the moment is all we have. Life’s too short, Tiggy. And whatever you decide, I just wanted to tell you that the way he feels about you is written all over him, so no wonder his wife was feeling insecure.’
‘Then surely it’s best I just disappear? It’s all too complicated.’
‘Life usually is, and certainly to get anything worthwhile. Anyway, the bottom line is, you can’t stay here alone. So, if you won’t go back to Scotland, then how about Atlantis? Ma would love to have you, and the hospitals in Geneva are second to none. What do you think?’
‘I just don’t understand why I can’t stay here.’
‘You’re beginning to sound like a sulky toddler,’ Ally sighed. ‘I appreciate that you trust Angelina to take care of you, but even she couldn’t save you from a sudden heart attack. And it’s not fair to ask Marcella to mind you either. Besides, the cave hotel is sweet, but given you need to rest, it would be pretty depressing lying in there all day. So, why don’t you consider going to Geneva and letting Ma unleash all her pent-up maternal instincts on her patient?’
I looked at Ally, processed what she had just said, and sighed heavily.
‘Okay, but I’m only doing it for you, Ally.’
‘I don’t care who you’re doing it for, Tiggy, I just want you to be well.’
‘Oh Ally . . .’ I found my eyes filling with tears.
‘What is it?’ Ally reached her hand across the table to me.
‘Just that . . . I spent so much of my childhood watching life go on from behind my bedroom window at Atlantis. I really thought those days were over. I have so many ideas . . . plans for the future, all of which involve me being well. And if this thing –’ I put a hand over my heart – ‘doesn’t get better, then I’m not going to be able to do any of them. I’m only twenty-six, for goodness’ sake. I’m too young to be an invalid.’
‘Well, let’s hope you won’t be, Tiggy. Surely you can see that ensuring your future health is worth a few weeks’ sacrifice? And it might give you some breathing space to think about whether you want to go back to Scotland or not.’
‘I’m not going back to Scotland, Ally. I can’t.’
‘Okay,’ she sighed, signalling for the bill, ‘but at least we have a plan. So we’ll find a travel agent in town to book your flight to Geneva. And after that, we’re going to go and visit Granada cathedral, the resting place of my all-time heroine, Queen Isabella the First of Spain.’
‘She’s buried here?’
