One Intimate Night

He had done everything he could to get her out of his mind...and out of his heart... Those remaining days they had shared together at his godmother’s house had been sheer purgatory for him, and, even now, he had no idea just how he’d managed to stop himself from going into Georgia’s bedroom and pleading with her to at least try to love him. But somehow he had.

He had told himself that it was the best possible thing that could have happened, for both their sakes, when his godmother had returned home and Georgia had moved out, but there wasn’t a day that went by without him thinking about her, longing for her. A day! He was lucky to make it through an hour, a minute, without aching for her, he told himself bitterly.

‘Georgia?’ He had called her name and started to cross the road to her before he could stop himself.

In her car Georgia was uncomfortably aware of the displeasure of the drivers behind her. Hot-faced, she changed gear, refusing to give in to the temptation to look back across the road to see if Piers was still there...with that oh, so pretty girl...but as the traffic started to move forward she couldn’t quite prevent herself from stealing a glance in her driving mirror. Piers was crossing the road behind her but there was no sign of the girl. Perhaps she had rushed home to change for her date with him, Georgia decided forlornly. Oh, how she envied her. Oh, how she wished that things could have been different and that Piers could have loved her.

* * *

Really, some people had no idea when they were well off, Georgia told herself sternly. She had just returned home from a most enjoyable and informative month spent witnessing the strength and bravery of the people who had been learning how to get the best out of their new canine helpers, and into the bargain she had been invited out by one of the course instructors who, flatteringly, had made it plain that he was attracted to her.

On her return Philip had summoned her into his office and told her how pleased he was with her work and how much he hoped she would stay on with them after her trial period was up, and, despite her gentle refusal of his invitation, the course instructor had telephoned her once she got home, trying to coax her to change her mind.

Yes, she had every reason to feel good about herself and her life. Every reason bar one, that was!

She had arrived back in town early the previous day and had called in to the practice in the afternoon to check in there. Today was her day off and she had done some essential food shopping and all the washing she had brought back from the course with her; she was planning to spend the afternoon indulging in a leisurely walk along the river bank, enjoying the warmth of the summer sun.

And when she did so she was not going to think about Piers once. Just as she hadn’t thought about him once when she had been away? she taunted herself grimly. Not once, no...just every single day, every single minute!

A couple of hours later, as she was walking along the river path, Georgia heard her name being called by Emily Latham. As she looked towards the older woman she was relieved to see that Piers wasn’t with her. The colonel was, though, his manner towards his companion both proprietorial and protective, Georgia noticed when they came over to talk to her.

‘Where’s Ben?’ she asked the older woman conversationally.

‘Oh, didn’t you know? He doesn’t live with me any more,’ Emily Latham told her.

‘You’ve re-homed him?’ Georgia couldn’t keep the distress out of her voice. ‘Oh, poor Ben.’

‘Oh, no, he’s very happy,’ Emily told her immediately, ‘and Piers was so adamant that it was the right thing to do.’

Piers!

She might have known, Georgia realised. Everything he had said to her about him feeling guilty about the way he had been with Ben had simply been a lie. He had quite plainly been planning to get rid of Ben all along, just as he had warned her. And now, it seemed, he had succeeded. Why had she been naive enough to assume that he had changed his mind?

‘Yes, we’ve just been to visit him,’ the colonel boomed. ‘Can’t really understand why a single chap should move into a place as large as his...’

‘Piers has bought Riversreach Farm,’ Emily informed Georgia happily. ‘He moved in just a short time ago.’

Riversreach Farm. Georgia knew it. It was a lovely Georgian farmhouse just outside the town. She had visited the previous owners to look at a cat they had which had gone down with feline flu.

‘I do miss Ben,’ Emily was saying, ‘but Arthur has suggested that I should think about getting a smaller, quieter dog.’

‘Where is Ben?’ Georgia wanted to ask her, but her throat felt too choked with her anger for her to formulate the words. She was surprised that Emily could discuss Ben’s banishment with such equanimity. She had seemed so devoted to him. But no doubt Piers had spun her some tale about it being in Ben’s interest for him to be re-homed and Emily was naive enough to believe him...just as she had done!