The Weird Problem of Good by James Ward

Author:James Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gypsy romance fiction set in England, contemporary romantic comedy novels set in northeast England, Asian and Eastern European culture novels set in the UK, literary fiction featuring Hindu and Romany culture, Middlesbrough and Stokesley love story novels, mystery thrillers set in Teesside and North Yorkshire in Britain, multicultural and interracial romance novels
Publisher: Cool Millennium
Published: 2016-10-26T00:00:00+00:00

18: He’ll Find Me!

PREM STOOD AT THE EDGE of the Père Lachaise cemetery looking up at a dead elm tree where a flock of starlings was gathering. He’d promised himself he’d go back to the hotel and pack his things when the last bird landed and they all became still. But whenever it looked like that was about to happen, a new one arrived out of nowhere and the others started bobbing about and squawking.

The sky was the colour of chalk. The sun was nowhere to be seen. It was as cold and damp as winter.

It was odd how things worked out. He had come to Paris so he could clarify his feelings. He’d succeeded brilliantly. He was in love with Uršula.

The truth became clear to him even before he set off when he was at home packing. Uršula was standing at the top of the stairs making suggestions as to the best clothes for the weather given the forecast, when he realised he didn’t want to go with Nasreen, he wanted to go with her.

“I don’t really want to go,” was the most he could manage.

“But Nasreen’s really looking forward to it,” she said. “She’s never been out of the country before, never been on a plane. Can you imagine that? Who’s she going to take, if she can’t take you?”

“She’s got two friends.”

“One with chicken pox, so she can’t go. One who’s at work, so she can’t go.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yes.”

He grinned. “It puts a completely different complexion on things.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m her last resort.”

“Possibly.”

“She just wants a holiday and I’m her last resort. All that stuff about sorting out our feelings for each other, that was just bullshit.”

“Calm down, you’re jumping to conclusions.”

“Yes, yes, I – I know. I don’t know.”

“If you don’t go with her, Prem, she simply can’t go. This might be her last chance to travel by plane or do anything exciting. Don’t ruin it for her. Besides nothing’s going to happen is it?”

“No,” he said. He suddenly saw clearly what a waste of time it was. “No, nothing is. You quite like Nasreen, don’t you?”

“Yes I do. I think she’s sweet.”

“I’ll try not to upset her.”

“It’s only a week.”

It was when he woke up in the Hôtel Maison Luxueux without any possibility of seeing Uršula’s face for seven days that he knew for certain. And as that day and the following week wore on, the knowledge seemed to get stronger, as if there could be gradations of certainty. He didn’t care that Nasreen was probably in bed with Francis Ardry and the two of them were probably laughing at him. All he could think about was Uršula and how he could keep her for ever.

At last he realised. Only marriage would do. Given her predicament it was the only possibility. She would have to see that.

First though, he had to do something to make her love him. He wondered about diets. If he could just lose five stone he’d probably look all right. That would be a start.

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