Chapter 23

Sharon arrived the following morning, her usual cheerful and ebullient self. She gave Richard a warm hug and kissed him.

"So!" she said. "How did it go? Did Annette say OK?"

"Yes!"

"Go on."

"Well, um, we're now engaged."

"Brilliant! And all three of you are happy with that?"

"Of course we are! The trouble is Annette wants us married yesterday."

Sharon chuckled and then, sobering up, she asked, "How's it going with her?"

"OK, I think. She had gone all shy again when I got there on Tuesday evening."

"O-oh! You went calling, did you?"

"I was invited for supper," Richard said slightly stiffly.

"Oh, you were, were you?" answered Sharon, fighting back laughter.

"Yes, and as I say, Annette was a bit shy again."

"So?"

"Well, Deborah went off to get me a drink and Annette asked me where she fitted in to things. I said I hoped as my daughter. And that was it. She lit up and became a lovely, happy, young teenager again."

"Great!" smiled Sharon but thinking to herself that she would get the whole story from Deborah later. "I'd better get on and leave you to moon around the place like a love-sick cow."

"Sharon!"

"Sorry, Sir Richard, bull!" She darted away before he could respond.

Richard could not help but chuckle and retired to his study where inspiration struck him. He scrolled down the numbers on the telephone until he came to the taxi firm that he had used over a number of years both for business and pleasure. He called them.

"TVM taxis!" barked a gruff voice at the other end.

"Neil?"

"Yup?"

"Richard Hoddinot!"

"Hello, Mr Hoddinot! Haven't heard from you in a while."

"No, Neil. What with one thing and another I haven't needed your services for a while."

"What can I do for you today, Mr Hoddinot?"

"Have you got a really smart car in your fleet with like a glass window between the driver and the passengers?

"What, a limo?"

"Well, not exactly."

"Well, I certainly haven't got one o' them stretch jobs.

"Heaven forbid!"

"But, I've got a mate as has got a Daimler like what the Queen has an' I might be able to get that. When d' ye want it?"

"Tomorrow, Neil!"

"Shit! That's a bit short notice. It'll probably cost yer."

"Yes, I thought it might, but if I was to hire it for two days including a trip up to London do you think I might get special rates?"

"Ho! Got a bird then have you, Mr Hoddinot?"

"Cheeky bastard!" said Richard with a smile in his voice. "My fiancée actually!"

"Fiancée? Oh great! We've all been worried about you Mr H since your lovely lady died. Thought you'd become a bloody monk or something. However, seeing as how the circumstances have changed we might manage a special deal here. What exactly do you want?"

"Well, the main thing is to take us up to London to choose an engagement ring. That could mean some hanging around and then bringing us home. What I was thinking was leaving here about nine and being dropped off at the Burlington Arcade and then, depending on where my fiancée wants to go, taking us to lunch, then back to the Burlington Arcade to pick up the ring and finally back home. We are going to the Playhouse tomorrow evening with dinner afterwards at the Gondola and I'd planned on doing the driving for that but, if you can come up with a special offer, I'd throw that in as well."

"Hmm! Tell you what Mr H. I'll have a word with me mate and get back to you."

"OK, Neil, thanks!"

"Cheers, Mr H, call you later."

Neil was as good as his word and called back half an hour later.

"I've had a word with me mate," he said, "an' he's more than happy to do the London trip but he's not so keen about messing about the town tomorrow evening."

"OK!" said Richard. "That's fine by me but is he going to charge me an arm and a leg for the London trip?"

"No! Cost of petrol plus fifty quid!"

"What?"

"Yup! I told him you was a special customer of mine an' that we was all worried about you after your lady wife died and that we wanted to help celebrate you getting engaged again."

"Your not subbing him are you, Neil?"

"Aw, come on, Mr H! I'm not that stupid."

"No, Neil, you're not. Forgive me. Who is this mate of yours?"

"Geoffrey Ironside. Lives at Upton and has a stable of vintage cars."

"Whew! You've got some pretty smart friends."

There was a gruff chuckle. "Bit like you, Mr H!"

"Oh! All right! Does he know where I live?"