A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde

Author:Katie Fforde [Fforde, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9781250024299
Publisher: Arrow
Published: 2010-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The first part of their journey went smoothly enough. The train was nearly empty. They sat next to each other, looking at the hills speeding by, spotted rabbits in the fields and, as the area became more urban, saw canals, sometimes prettily done up, at other times gloomily filled with supermarket trolleys and polystyrene. They looked into people’s back gardens, deciding which families used their garden to play in and which as a place to put things they didn’t often use.

There were still fairy lights up everywhere. Sophie told Luke she felt that some of the houses had gone over the top with their Santas on the roof and choirs of snowmen singing round deflating sleighs. Luke told her that in many parts of the States these would have seemed paltry – hardly decorations at all. Sophie giggled. ‘Although I love fairy lights, I think I prefer them white and on trees. I don’t mind if they twinkle, though.’

Luke smiled down at her. ‘My grandmother is the same. She has many, many sets of lights, but they’re all white.’ Then he frowned. ‘Although maybe she has some chilli-pepper lights somewhere.’

‘She and I have a lot in common,’ said Sophie. ‘I have a set of chilli peppers in my bedroom.’

Luke and she exchanged glances. She thought he was going to say something but just then they were plunged into the darkness of Birmingham station and the moment passed.

When they finally located the right platform for their onward journey, which was underground and dimly lit, they found it crowded, mostly with young men singing.

‘Why are there so many people wanting this train?’ Sophie asked a woman who, unlike most of the other people, wasn’t drinking extra-strong lager out of a can.

‘Some big match. Not everyone could get back last night. I think there was supposed to be a special train but it didn’t happen so they’re going to be crammed on to this one.’

‘Football fans,’ she reported back to Luke. ‘Do they have them in the States?’

‘Oh yes, but we call it soccer and they don’t usually cause a problem on trains.’ Luke frowned. ‘At least, I don’t think they do. I don’t use the train very much.’

As more young men piled on to the platform she edged nearer him, feeling protective. He was wearing a long overcoat and under it his shirt was pink. His chinos were pressed and his shoes shiny. It may not have been obvious to people not examining him closely that his coat was cashmere but anyone who touched it would feel its softness. No one would mistake him for a football fan coming back from a big match. He was wearing his scarf the wrong way for a start.

‘Did you bring trainers with you?’ Sophie asked, wondering if there was anything he could do to stop himself looking so different.

‘Pardon me?’ he said, obviously not understanding. ‘Why would I need those? I haven’t worn diapers for a couple of years now.’

Sophie chuckled. ‘Sorry. You’d call them sneakers, maybe.

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