Guy Fawkes Day
Page 48
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‘Calm down, Sophie! Come on, sit down while I make you some coffee.’
Joanna had never seen her calm, self-assured friend in such a state. The slither of envy she had first felt on seeing Sophie’s tanned face at the doorway was lost in a deluge of guilty concern. She removed the dirty coffee cups that were resting on the front page of the Guardian, rinsed them and switched the kettle on.
‘So where did you say you’ve been: Africa and?’
‘Ramliyya.’
Joanna looked round sharply.
‘Oh, my God! You weren’t mixed up in all that business, I hope?’ But she guessed she already knew the answer. ‘Oh, Sophie, you poor darling!’
‘Yes, but that’s not the problem,’ Sophie sniffled by way of reply. ‘It’s him.’
‘Marcus?’
‘No. Omar.’
‘The Ramli prince? Oh, no! He didn’t… try anything on, I hope?’
Sophie slouched across the table on her elbows, propping her chin in one hand and curling a luscious brown lock around a finger of the other. The sniffling had stopped, drowned out by the heavier rain now lashing against the windowpane. She grew pensive, calmer and more distant.
‘No, no, it’s nothing sordid like that,’ she muttered through her fingers. ‘No, quite the opposite, I’m afraid. You see, I don’t think I’m going to see Omar again and… I’m not sure I know how to handle that.’
‘What? Oh, girl! What have you done? You haven’t gone and fallen for this weird Arab sheikh, I hope?’
‘I don’t know,’ she brooded, ‘I don’t know what I feel. I just know I’m desperate to see him again… It’s something I can’t explain.’
The kettle boiled and Joanna made coffee.
‘Here, sit down and drink this,’ she said, taking Sophie’s hand and guiding her to the table. ‘I think you’ve got a lot to tell me.’
‘Yes,’ Sophie sighed. ‘Lots.’
‘Doorbell. I'll get it,’ said Joanna, moving towards the kitchen door.
‘No please don't,’ Sophie begged. ‘That's bound to be Marcus and I don't know what to say to him right now. Please leave it till he goes away. Talking of which, Joanna, I don’t fancy going back to Folly Bridge right now. Do you think I could stay for a few nights? The sofa will be fine.’
‘That’s great news for me,’ Joanna smiled. ‘And I’ll make sure the door is bolted and barricaded!’