A Question of Answers By Margaret Henderson Smith.
Category: Fiction
Paperback: 244 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1845493281
ISBN-13: 978-1845493288

"Harriet felt her mother’s displeasure mingling with both anger and concern.

‘Well I didn’t ask to be put in this position,’ she heard herself arguing back in silent spurts. ‘All I need now is for him to phone!’ Before the sentence was barely finished she jumped as her prediction was fulfilled.

‘Not answering Miss Glover?!’

‘OH YES I BLOODY AM!’ balled Harriet, snatching the receiver from the wall, ’and you can think what you bloody well like.

I’ve actually had it. Do you know that Mr. Sanderson? I’ve had it with you and the cat and anyone you’d care to name. I actually don’t care any more!’

‘Not a wise statement, Miss Glover. Have you forgotten just to whom you are speaking?’

‘I probably have,’ raged Harriet. ‘I should’ve done it long since!’

‘Miss Glover, there could be very serious implications arising from this bout of cheap publicity.’

‘Cheap publicity?’ stormed Harriet. ‘As if I asked for any of it!’

‘Not the point Miss Glover. It’s absolutely imperative that you do not disclose who gave you the money. It goes without saying that you do not say why it was given to you either of course.’

‘Well, I’m not that stupid Mr. Sanderson, I’ve no intention of speaking to any of them.’"

"Harriet sat on the train looking out of the window at the hazy blue sky of the late autumn day. She liked this time of the year with its shortening days offering the street lamps a chance to shine a little earlier each evening. She loved the intensity of colour the lowering sun gave to the fields and hedgerows. She loved the early morning mist and the wet grass sparkling with the dew drops refracting the sunlight; shining like millions of tiny diamonds in all the colours of the rainbow. There was a mix of nostalgia and anticipation about the season, a self-generated excitement that was there for the taking.

Harriet thought about Mr. Sanderson and the brief respite that had just been granted her from that constant ache suddenly vanished. She looked out of the window again. The magic had disappeared. Once again she was only going through the motions."

"They got into the Mercedes and Harriet watched his gold cufflinks glitter in the deep cuffs of his shirt sleeves as the late afternoon sun stole its way through the car windows. He put the car into gear and stretched his right leg full forward to the accelerator as he let go of the clutch. They were away.

Harriet wanted to hold this precious moment in time, still, forever. She didn’t know whether Belinda Oxfordshire was still in his life. She didn’t want to know. The past and the future were places she didn’t want to be. For now he was hers. She choked away each lump as it persistently appeared in her throat. This gorgeous man was all she wanted to live for."