The Promise of Provence (Love in Provence Book 1) (27 page)

31

Checking her cell phone as she walked home from the subway after her yoga class, Katherine was stunned to see Molly had called five times in the past hour.

“Molly, what’s up? Are you okay?”

“Yes and no,” Molly replied, her voice shaky. “Can I come and stay with you tonight?”

“Of course! What happened?”

“Someone broke into my apartment today and totally trashed it. The cops just left. I’m actually sitting outside my place in my Zipcar. I knew you were at yoga.”

Katherine shook her head and shuddered slightly. Poor Molly.

“I’ll be home in five minutes. Come now. Remind me to give you a key to the house. This is crazy!”

As she hung up, Katherine was horrified by this latest event and thought Molly sounded quite calm considering what happened. She hadn’t even sworn. That in itself was strange.

Putting on the kettle for tea and checking the liquor cabinet, Katherine considered all the frightening and mys
terious incidents Molly had been subjected to through the last few months. She wondered when it was all going to come to an end.

Fifteen minutes later Molly plopped herself down in a kitchen chair, running her hand through her hair and blowing out an enormous sigh.

“Tea, wine, or scotch?” Katherine asked.

“Tea, please. That’s all I can handle at the moment.”

Katherine set the teapot on the table next to the china mugs already there and sliced a lemon.

“So, tell me what happened.”

Leaning forward, Molly put her face in her hands for a few seconds and then sat up. She stared at Katherine in silence, shaking her head.

“So . . . ?” Katherine asked again, wrinkling her brow and spreading her hands wide. Molly continued shaking her head, wide-eyed, her lips pressed firmly shut. Putting her hands on Molly’s shoulders, Katherine shook her gently. “What’s going on in there, girl? Are you sure you are okay?”

Molly nodded yes, but still said nothing.

Katherine poured their tea and dropped a slice of lemon into both mugs, placing Molly’s next to her. She sat down in a chair, staring back at her friend.

“Are you going to talk?”

Molly nodded affirmatively again.

“Soon?” Katherine said with a smirk, sensing now that Molly was fine in spite of the weird behavior.

Reaching for her tea, Molly took a sip and slowly swallowed. “You are not going to believe this. I can’t believe this . . .”

“I’ll try my best. Start at the beginning of what happened today,” Katherine said.

“I walked into my place after work and it was a disaster—stuff was thrown all over, bookcase toppled, my drawers emptied on the floor. Fortunately I had very little in the fridge!”

“Oh my God, how horrible. Weren’t you afraid someone was there?”

“Yes, I was. To be honest, I waffled between being terrified and totally pissed off! So I ran right down to the super’s office and we called the police. I gave them the number that one officer had given me, and he was one of the pair who responded.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Yup, I was glad I didn’t have to start at the beginning again. The officer took charge right away, and he knew something I didn’t.”

“Which was . . . ?”

“After the flower-delivery fiasco, the building owners installed security cameras, but the tenants were not told. So they went right downstairs and looked at the tape.

“I knew who it was right away . . .” Her voice died off and she shook her head again. “Un-fucking-believable, Kat, un-fucking-believable.”

Katherine sipped at her tea patiently while Molly collected herself again.

“It was Pauline.”

“Who is . . . ?”

“Pauline! The secretary at my school.”

“You’re right, Molly, un-fucking-believable. You could recognize her from the camera?”

“Not right away. She wore a hat and glasses, but I knew it was someone familiar. There was just something about the way she walked. The kicker was that they had a camera on the outside of the building too, and it showed her getting out of her car. The license plate was clear as a bell, and the police pulled it up.”

Katherine shook her head. “I’m confused. Why?”

“I couldn’t believe it, but it explained a lot of things, like my lost purse and a few things that happened at school that I didn’t mention because I thought I was becoming paranoid.”

“Oh, Molly!”

“Plus she left the school at noon, saying she was taking the afternoon off because she was sick. Duh!”

“Why on earth was she doing those things to you? Have you ever had words with her?”

“No—in fact, we always got on just fine. You’ll shake your head at this story. Since last September, I’ve secretly been giving the vice principal, Terry Murphy, piano lessons. He wanted to surprise Kit, his wife, by playing something at her birthday next month. So a couple of days a week we would go into the music room and I would lock the door so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Frickin’ Pauline apparently has had a huge crush on him, and there was a little hanky-panky a year or so ago before he cut it off. She thought he was getting it on with me. And she flipped.”

“Um, to say the least!”

“I know! It’s bizarre! I’m mad at her, but I feel sad for her too. How pathetic to be so desperate. But then I want to pop her one right in the nose for all the crap she put me through.”

“Well, the feeling sad part is awfully big of you,” said Katherine. “I just say thank goodness that’s over with.”

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, you are so flippin’ right, and I’m relieved it wasn’t some weird, smarmy dude.”

“Right. Yeah, me too. It was pretty scary there for a while.”

“I have to go to the police station tomorrow to fill out some more papers. They are going to lay charges.”

Both sat quietly for a moment. Molly shook her head, saying, “How do these things happen to seemingly normal people? It boggles my mind.”

“It’s a crazy world these days,” Kat agreed. “I’ll go to your place after work and help you clean up. Don’t go by yourself.”

“Thanks, Kat.”

She got up and gave Katherine a warm hug.

“No problem. Oh, it’s time for
Downton Abbey
. Let’s go watch.”

“Good idea. Time for a change of pace.”

32

The following week Katherine was in Dr. Henderson’s office reviewing some new reports with him when he rose and shut the door.

Looking up in surprise, she was unable to recall the last time that door had been closed.

“Is everything all right?”

He shook his head as he sat back down, and a look of sadness crossed his face. “I’m afraid not, my dear. The government has announced we are not going to receive our usual funding this year, and our offices will be absorbed into the hospital’s pain research department. The economy is taking its toll on health services, as you know.”

Katherine was stunned.

“This is terrible. What will happen to all the work we’re doing? All your research?”

“Our work will simply move into the hands of the research department. You know how closely we’ve worked with them over the years and how much everything we’ve done is valued.”

“Yes,” Katherine agreed, “they’ve always been clear about that.”

“They’re not happy about losing us, not to mention adding a huge increase to their workload.”

Katherine’s voice was filled with concern as she asked about the job situation, wondering if they all would be redundant.

He took a deep breath before answering. “Well, that’s why I wanted to speak to you before I tell everyone on staff about this. There will be a few positions some of us can move into. However, I’ve decided it’s time for me to retire.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely! You know I’ve considered it from time to time.”

Katherine nodded. The subject had come up a few times.

“But I love my work here and just never felt ready to walk away from it,” he added. “This is the perfect opportunity, and it feels right.”

Katherine sighed, looking down at her tightly clenched hands.

“Dr. Landman, the chair of the hospital department, has already asked if you would be willing to work with them. They’re hopeful you will say yes.”

Looking up, Katherine shrugged. “This is all so sudden. I don’t know what to think. What about the rest of the staff?”

Dr. Henderson stood and slowly paced behind his desk. “Katherine, the position would be a good one, but I have a suggestion for you. This has been a difficult year for you. I think you should take some time off and go on that home exchange.”

Katherine’s jaw dropped. “Pardon?”

“It’s none of my business, but . . . actually, it was Susan’s idea.”

Katherine smiled. Susan was his wife and one of the most upbeat and energizing people she knew. Confined to a wheelchair and living with MS for as long as Katherine had known her, she had always been very fond of Katherine, and the feeling was mutual.

Susan spent one day a month in the office reviewing the small accounting issues their office generated, and over the years the two women had developed a warm rapport.

“I had told her about the exchange and even suggested
we
might do it, under the circumstances, knowing I would not be working anymore.”

“Well, why don’t you? That’s a marvelous idea!”

“It’s a more marvelous idea for you! We couldn’t go away from our grandchildren for that long a period. As soon as I mentioned that, Susan realized I was right.” He laughed. “Besides, as she so astutely pointed out, there undoubtedly would be narrow, steep stairs involved, although we hadn’t actually looked at the listing.”

“Stairs and cobblestones,” Katherine confirmed. “I know how Susan feels about cobblestones after your last trip!”

The Hendersons had never ceased to be intrepid travelers, often including their grown children and spouses in their travels. Katherine admired their sense of adventure, strong family connection, and the many trips they had taken renting houses in Spain, France, Italy, Costa Rica, and other exotic locations. Throwing a wheelchair into the mix had not slowed them down for a moment.

“So what do you say, Katherine? You have done nothing but rave about France since your return, and the positive effects of that trip on your psyche have been obvious to all of us. This is the perfect opportunity, and what a coincidence all of this is.”

Katherine looked off out the window. Everything was happening so fast. The thought of the office closing jolted her. The routine that had governed her life for so long was being seriously dismantled.

It had been one thing when her personal life had shattered, and now her professional one was going to transform. Her whole life appeared to be unraveling. But was that necessarily a bad thing? That thought seemed to be working its way into her head.

Dr. Henderson’s voice broke through her distracted thoughts. “Obviously you don’t have to make a decision this moment about the job, so think about your options. I’ll receive the official letter in a few days and then will break it to the rest of the staff. I’m only telling you now so you can answer the exchange inquiry if you want to.”

Then he added with a broad smile, “Susan insisted.”

Done.

Katherine hit “Send,” exhaled loudly, and pushed her chair back from her desk. She had gone directly from Dr. Henderson’s office to her computer.

Thank goodness it’s the end of the afternoon. My concentration is shot.

Her response to the Browns was on its way. She was going to do it.

That’s if someone else has not already accepted the offer
, she thought with a bit of paranoia.

As she drove home, Dr. Henderson’s suggestion was the only thing on her mind. Katherine phoned Andrea and Terrence immediately to ask their opinions. She knew by the time she walked in the front door of her house that she was going to go if the offer was still good. It was no surprise to her when they fully supported her feelings.

“Do it, Kat. Take a chance and step outside your comfort zone again,” Andrea encouraged.

“Go for it!” Terrence agreed.

“Oh my gosh!” Andrea exclaimed. “You’ll still be there when we do our exchange! We’ll come to visit you!”

The thought added to Katherine’s already growing excitement.

For some reason Molly was not answering her phone or texts. Katherine sent her an e-mail and then went to the kitchen to make some dinner.

It had been a cool, rainy day, so Katherine decided soup was in order and began clearing out the fridge. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and celery were quickly chopped and tossed into onions and garlic lightly sautéing in butter. After adding chicken broth and
herbes de provence
, her attention drifted.

Three months in the South of France. The French Riviera. La Côte d’Azur
. The words tumbled around her mind.
In nine months, my life has changed in ways I would never have imagined. I thought the end of my marriage was the door slamming on my life, but instead it turns out to have opened the door of opportunity.

Looking out at the garden, she thought of her parents and the hours they had lovingly spent there. She considered where they had come from, what they had experienced, and how they had changed direction with their lives, never looking back.

Why can’t I? There’s absolutely nothing keeping me here. Andrea and Terrence and their family will always be mine no matter where any of us live. Molly’s friendship will always be there. My colleagues at work will move on in different directions. Lucy and I will probably stay connected, and e-mail allows that so easily now—and that’s it. There’s just nothing to lose by leaving for three months.

When she considered the empowering experience she had in Provence for just two weeks, she was certain much more lay before her.

Giving the soup a stir, she turned it down to simmer and returned to her thoughts.

I’ll join a cycling club. I’ll have to really get in shape for those hills! I’ll go hiking. I’ll take French lessons—and maybe even a cooking course.

Now her pulse was racing with excitement.

I’ll have to budget, but I know my savings can cover this without a problem. I just have to make sure I have a good cushion when I get back until I find another job.

She tried Molly’s phone again and felt a little uneasy that she wasn’t hearing back. They had come to rely on each other, and to Katherine’s surprise, Molly was extremely dependable about responding. Katherine realized she was Molly’s only family, apart from her absent brother. She felt badly now that they had not been closer when she was married.

James had always been clear, right from their early days together, that he considered most people to be duplicitous and untrustworthy.
Obviously he didn’t have a problem getting close to what’s-her-name
.

He had come from a large family and was completely estranged from all of them since before Katherine met him. In spite of her urging in the early days, he refused to speak about it.

He always said it was so wonderful to have Kat because he could believe in her, confide in her, and never be let down.

Huh! Was I an idiot or what? And guess what, I never did let him down.

Her thoughts went back to their anniversary and all that had occurred in those horrific days. The pain was still there, but it was far less acute.

Taking the pot off the element, she plugged in her food processor. She had decided to make a cream soup today, but it would have to cool for a while before she could purée.

Still with no response from Molly, Katherine decided she must be singing somewhere unexpectedly, since that was really the only time Molly couldn’t find a minute to text a few words.

She checked her e-mail, hoping somehow there might be a reply from the Browns, even though she was well aware it was the middle of the night in England. She would simply have to be patient until morning.