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'Was this just Dessous and Hazleton, or did the Prince take part in these
discussions?'
'Just those two, and Tommy Cholongai when they brought him in later. They
were only hoping Suvinder would pop the question; dropped a few hints, maybe.
But I should have said something to you, Kate.'
'Uncle Freddy, it's all right.'
'They're worried, Kate. They thought they had this all tied up, but then they
realised that they were relying on Suvinder's word or, more to the point, on
his greed. And it gradually dawned on them he wasn't actually as selfish as
they'd assumed. Not like them, I suppose.'
'A cultural thing, maybe.'
'Hmm. Perhaps. But either way, they thought if they could get you in there
they'd be going some way to guaranteeing the deal.'
'I bet they did.'
'I expect they'll still go ahead. With the whole thing. Do you think so?'
'I have no idea.'
'I think they wanted to know how& Damn, I don't know what the word is. Mind's
going. I don't know.'
'Take your time.'
'Oh, I don't think so. I don't think I've& Well, anyway. They wanted to know
how you might react to the place, to the country, to the people, I suppose.
Would that maybe persuade you, if Suvinder himself didn't? You see?'
'I think so.'
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'Take it their fiendish plan didn't work, then?'
'Oh, I don't know. I suppose I did kind of fall in love with the place. But
I can't marry the country.'
He blinked a few times and looked oddly surprised. 'Have you met Maeve?'
'What? Mrs Watkins? Yes.'
'Not bad, don't you think?' He winked with a sort of feeble lasciviousness.
'Pretty good, for an old codger like you,' I agreed, smiling. 'I haven't
really had a chance to talk to her, but she seems very nice.'
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'Very dear to me, Kate. Very dear.'
'Good. That's nice. Have you known her long?'
'Oh, absolute yonks, but we've only been, you know, involved, for about a
year.' He sighed. 'Lovely place, Scarborough. You ever been?'
'No.'
'Worth a visit. Road's not really that tricky, either. Just impatient, I
suppose. Don't think Maeve thinks it& ' He seemed to lose the thread somewhat,
then shook himself out of it. 'The Prince. Was he upset? I
mean, at you turning him down.'
'A little, but still okay about it. More sad than anything else. The ironic
thing is I like him a lot more now. I mean, I don't love him, but& Oh, it's
all so complicated, isn't it, Freddy? It's like you just never get the one
you want.'
'Or you do, at long last, but then you go and crash your car on the way to see
her and end up in somewhere like this.'
'Well, you'll just have to get better, won't you? Though I think we'll have
to get you a chauffeur after this.'
'You reckon?'
'I reckon.'
'I think a chauffeuse, don't you?'
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'No, Uncle Freddy. I think a chauffeur.'
'I don't know, Kate,' he said, looking away. 'I don't think I'll be leaving
here alive.'
'Oh, come on, now, just stop that. You'll '
'I'm being honest with you, Kate,' he said softly. 'Can't you be honest with
me?'
'I am, Uncle Freddy. They thought you were going to go belly up until last
night. Now they think you might just make it. But, then, they don't know you
the way I do. In fact, I'm going to warn them that they better surround you
with male nurses from now on, or at least make sure no female ones bend over
within striking distance.'
He coughed and wheezed again. I dabbed at his eyes. 'I'm sure you are.'
'Well, look, if you ' I said, making getting-ready-to-go movements.
'Don't go. Stay a bit. I have more to say, Kate.'
'Okay, but they don't want me to stay too long.'
'Listen, dear girl, there's something going on.'
'You mean, apart from trying to marry me off to Suvinder?'
'Yes. That bugger Hazleton's up to something.'
'Busy man, isn't he?' I said, thinking of the DVD disc.
'Kate, I didn't get you into any trouble, did I? I mean, by agreeing to
invite you to Blysecrag for the weekend. It was Miss H who told me. They had
people watching you and that American chap, Buzetski, while you were there.'
'Did they now?'
'Well, I wasn't sure whether to say anything or not. They didn't, I mean they
didn't, umm, discover anything, or, or& '
'There was nothing to discover.'
'You're pretty attached to the fellow, aren't you? Even I could see that.
Didn't need to be told.'
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'Pretty. But sadly it isn't mutual.'
'I'm sorry.'
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