Page 32 of A Spell of Midlife Mayhem

‘Sorry, there’s nothing like that at the moment,’ the attendant said. ‘It all goes so quickly when it comes in.’

‘Okay. Thank you. I’ll try again in a few days.’ She left without browsing around the shop before I could pick up the courage to speak to her.

I found and bought several things and emerged ten minutes before closing with shopping bags clasped in both hands. Now I had enough to throw together a few outfits until my luggage arrived or I got paid and could afford a few more things.

Paying for the broken mirror might have to wait. Hopefully, Aunt Ruth would understand.

I headed for the car. The bags were heavy. Maybe I’d been too enthusiastic about buying clothes... no, wait! That’s impossible.

I had only bought enough to last a fortnight. Maybe three weeks.

A figure stepped into my path, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up. Raven stood there. A tiny unexpected frisson of excitement shot through me.

‘Need a hand with those bags, Heather?’

‘I can manage, but if you’re offering, thank you.’ I let him take half of the bags from me.

Raven walked with me. ‘So, do you like Kingston town centre?’

‘It’s cool. I love the old buildings.’

‘Did you see the coronation stone?’

‘No. What’s that?’

‘It’s a big square rock over by the Guildhall. Some of the early Anglo-Saxon kings were crowned on it, apparently. Guys like Æthelstan, Eadred and Æthelred the Unready.’

‘There’s a pattern there with those names. And what’s the “unready” bit about? Was he always late?’ The image of Rose starting her assignment when it was almost due came to my mind. ‘Rose the Unready’ might fit.

Raven came to a stop outside a small café. ‘I don’t think it means he was always late. Who knows? It was almost a thousand years ago.’

A thousand years. A whole millennium. Coming from a country like New Zealand with only recent recorded history, I couldn’t get my head around that span of time.

Raven inclined his head towards the café entrance. ‘How about we take a breather and get a coffee?’

‘Absolutely.’ I bustled past him and went inside before he could change his mind. A tingle went through me. It’s not a date, it’s not a date... but coffee out with a man for the first time since my marriage ended was almost a date.

We ordered and sat at an outside table with rickety wooden chairs. Rather than being annoying, they added to the character of the place.

Raven contemplated me with sharp brown eyes. His gaze was intense. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, either. My palms became sweaty. I took a deep breath and tried not to let my mind wander too far, too fast.

Why would he be interested in me? Raven was handsome, thoughtful, smart, empathetic and as fit as an Olympic athlete. I was... sort of attractive, thoughtful in a muddled kind of way, smart and empathetic, but as far as fitness goes... yeah. Not been there yet. I considered having a relationship with the gym once, but I didn’t think it’d work out.

‘Your aunt told me you’re married, Heather. What does your husband think of you coming over here on a one-way ticket?’

I laughed, and he frowned.

‘I split up with my husband because I caught him and an ex-colleague of his having sex in our bed. I threw him out of the house. And he doesn’t know I’m in England, because I didn’t tell him.’

Raven raised his eyebrows. ‘Sorry to hear that, but it sounds like you did well to get rid of him. So, you’re divorced, then?’

‘No, only separated. Under New Zealand law, it’s not possible to divorce until there have been two years of separation, and then it’s only a matter of filing forms.’

He nodded. ‘Convenient.’

I fixed him with the sultriest look I could muster. ‘I’m effectively single.’

Our drinks arrived. I sipped at mine. Raven seemed a little fidgety. He shuffled several sugar packets around on the tabletop.

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