Faith - Lesley Pearse [209]
‘Thank goodness I caught you,’ she said breathlessly as she reached them. ‘I got to the court too late, I could just see you in the distance, so I ran all the way.’
She paused to catch her breath. ‘Obviously the hearing was successful or you wouldn’t be out here,’ she said. ‘I read in the paper about Stuart being stabbed by Belle. I wanted to get in touch then, but I didn’t think you’d want to know me any more. Then Stuart rang me last night and told me about the hearing today. I wanted to be there to give you some support, but I got held up in traffic.’
Laura felt a sort of inner glow to be once again listening to Angie’s breathless explanation. She had always been that way, always late, always rushing, yet she never failed to look as if she’d just stepped off the pages of Vogue. The pale blue Chanel-style suit she was wearing had been Angie’s mother’s; Laura remembered helping her to alter it. That was at least five years ago, but it looked as chic now as it had then.
‘It’s good to see you again, Angie,’ Laura said, and moved nearer to give the younger woman a hug. ‘I understood how it was for you, too much poison was dripped out for anyone to believe in me. This is my sister Meggie. We were just going to get some coffee. Why don’t you come with us?’
She glanced down at Angie’s suitcase. ‘Or are you going off somewhere?’
‘Oh no.’ Angie smiled. ‘These are things for you. Stuart knew I’d stored your things and he asked if I could dig some of them out as you wouldn’t have any clothes.’
‘My clothes!’ Laura exclaimed in delight. ‘Wonderful! I thought I’d have to borrow some of Meggie’s.’
‘I’m afraid they aren’t actually yours.’ Angie looked a bit crestfallen. ‘You see, your stuff is at my mother’s, and I couldn’t go there last night. So I raided the shop, and got you some new undies and things this morning. I hope you don’t mind?’
Laura smiled. She didn’t really care what she put on. To be out of prison was more than enough for now, and she was so touched Angie had gone to all that trouble. ‘You always had good taste, so I’m sure they are lovely.’
‘I’m so relieved to see you are still the same size.’ Angie looked at her appraisingly. ‘Stuart said you were, but men don’t always see things as we do.’
Laura picked out a coffee bar in Princes Street which was over a shoe shop. The windows were huge, giving a great view of the Castle and Old Town, plus people out shopping. She eagerly bagged a table by the window and Meggie and Angie went to get the coffee.
‘Isn’t it a beautiful city?’ she said as they came back. She waved her hand at the view. ‘You’d think I would be disenchanted with it after all the nasty things that have happened here. But I still love it.’
‘I was kind of hoping you’d get to love London again so Ivy and I could spend more time with you,’ Meggie said. ‘But it sounds like your heart is here. Maybe after the appeal Ivy, Derek and the kids and me could come up for a holiday and find out what’s so good about it.’
‘You’ll have your own place to stay in,’ Laura said, but when she saw Meggie’s puzzled expression, she realized Goldsmith hadn’t yet told her about Jackie’s will. She couldn’t tell her now, not in front of Angie, so instead she pulled the suitcase close to her and opened it just enough to peep.
On the top was a dark red velvet jacket, and she knew without pulling it out properly that it would be fabulous.
‘Oh, Angie,’ she sighed. ‘You can’t imagine how good it will be to put on nice clothes again, thank you so much. But what do I owe you?’
‘Nothing, of course.’ Angie looked embarrassed. ‘It’s the very least I can do. You let me take over the shop, and we never sorted out a price. When you are finally acquitted we must have a talk about it and come to an agreement. I’ve been putting money away for you in a savings account, but it may not be enough.’
‘Angie, you were there for me the whole time I was on remand,’ Laura said reprovingly.