Harriet could barely believe that the last day of term had arrived so quickly. In the afternoon, her uncle would arrive to pick her up and take her home. The pain of leaving her new friends and Tom and all the excitement of Oxford for five whole weeks fought against her joy at the idea of seeing her family again. They’d be leaving before nightfall, so she wouldn’t have the chance to say a further farewell to Tom.
All the rooms needed emptying to allow the new interviewees to stay, so she hurriedly packed up all her possessions. Packing came to her about as naturally as tidying did, and having flung her clothes in unfolded, she had to sit on the suitcases to make them close. No doubt her aunt would have everything washed, ironed and neatly folded or hung within minutes of her arrival back in the north.
As she packed, memories of the night before assaulted her. The anger in George’s face. The poor, dead boy. The cloud of suspicion and fear hanging over the room.
By lunchtime, she’d completed her packing, and she walked over to the bar for a farewell lunch with her friends. Despite it only being December 4th, the college had erected a huge Christmas tree. A few nights ago, they’d sung carols around it, and the previous weekend there’d been a Christmas bop. She kept forgetting that there were still weeks to go until Christmas itself. Harriet stood by the imposing tree for a few minutes, trying to soak up enough of the college’s beauty to sustain her over the next few weeks.
“I want a word with you.”
The angry voice shook Harriet out of her trancelike state, and she turned around to see Katie. She wore high-heeled boots, a black fur coat, and a red scarf, and she looked ready to kill.
“You and Tom. What the hell’s going on there, you little bitch?”
Harriet’s heart sank. In between the supernatural fury of George and the inevitable anger of her mother, she’d neglected to consider the all too human jealousy and rage of the girl Tom had been seeing.
“I’m sorry, Katie, it just happened. Has he spoken to you about it?” Harriet tried hard to sound placating, but knew that nothing she could say was likely to diffuse the situation.
“Well he gave me a ten minute spiel yesterday evening about how he’s been in love with you all term and how he was sorry, but we couldn’t be together anymore.”
In love with me all term. Harriet tried to suppress her reassured smile.
“That sounds like absolute crap to me. Everything was fine just two days ago at the Cavaliers’ dinner. I mean, surely the fact that he invited me to it meant something. But then he ran off and went home with you. What did you think you were doing?”
“Katie, I honestly am sorry. I’d never normally steal another girl’s boyfriend, but you had only been together for about a week, and Tom and I have had these incredibly strong feelings since we first met. I know you’re going to be angry with me, but I’m not sure what else I can say.”
“There’s nothing to say is there? Don’t worry, I’ll find another guy easily enough, but I won’t forget this.” Katie forced her furious expression into a fake sweet smile. “I hope you have a lovely Christmas in whatever shithole you come from.” She stormed off in the direction of her room.
The others had sat down by the time Harriet had composed herself enough to walk the rest of the way to the college bar. Ben and Caroline snuggled up on the sofa, whilst Olamide talked to an unhappy looking Josh. She sat down on the free chair.
“I grabbed you a bowl of mushroom soup,” said Olamide. “There are queues, and I guessed you’d want that.”
“Brilliant, thanks,” Harriet replied. She forgot everything else in a wave of affection for her new friends, until she remembered that she hadn’t seen Josh since they’d parted on angry terms the morning after the dinner.
“Hey,” she said quietly to him. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. Sorry about the other day, I totally over reacted. It’s just that I don’t trust either of those guys, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Don’t worry, I know. You’re a great friend Josh. I’ve got to tell you though, I’m with Tom now. It’s official.”
“Caroline told me. I’m not going to make a fuss, just be careful that’s all. And if he puts one foot out of line, I’ll kill him.”
Harriet neither liked the sound of that, nor fancied Josh’s chances in a fight against Tom, but smiled at him anyway. The rest of the lunch passed quickly as they reminisced about the term and discussed their plans for Christmas and New Year. It ended with lots of hugging, and then Harriet went back to her room to await her family, shouting goodbyes and Christmas wishes to everyone she passed on the way.
Oxford Blood (The Cavaliers: Book One) Page 26