Ross had enjoyed a most satisfactory night, and wasn’t best pleased to take a call from Amy on Sunday morning.
“They did what?” he said stiffly. “For crying out loud, how could you let that happen?” He’d never been visited by bailiffs – there was no reason why a man of his means should ever meet one – but he knew that, like vampires, they could only cross the threshold if invited.
“What’s the matter?” Kat’s green eyes were wide with alarm.
Ross softened. “Hold on,” he said, muting the phone. “You’ve been evicted from your flat,” he told Kat. “I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. You can move in with me.”
She snuggled up to him. “And Amy?” she asked. “She has nowhere else to go.”
“She can stay in my spare room, I suppose,” Ross acceded with bad grace. “For a week or so, anyhow.” If it was the price he must pay for Kat to live with him, it was worth it. Anyway, Amy could look after the flat while he was away with Kat in Birmingham and Thailand.
He spoke to Amy again. “Stay exactly where you are. I’m coming back to London. We’ll move everything into my flat.”
“I can’t go with you,” Kat said. “Erik is still in hospital.”
“Don’t worry,” Ross replied, “I’ll be back tonight.”
He spent the bare minimum of time with Amy in London, both of them hobbling as they moved dresses, boxes and bags in and out of the lift and into his flat. Most of the items belonged to Kat. There was very little kitchen equipment, which suited Ross well as his designer kitchen was already well-stocked with sleek chrome gadgets. He gave Amy his spare keys, emphasised his expectations of tidiness, and departed for Euston to return to his new lover. His life was almost perfect. Only his minor leg wound and Amy’s presence in his penthouse reminded Ross that his bliss was not a dream.
Although he thought nothing would stop him going to Thailand, fate intervened the following week.
Ted, his former schoolmate, arrived from London to represent Kat. “She’s going to have to surrender her passport until her case is heard,” Ted advised him over a pint.
Ross grimaced. “No holiday, then.” He sent a brief email requesting a refund on his air tickets. While Ted’s news was a blow, he was enjoying Kat’s company in the slightly less exotic surroundings of Birmingham.
Minutes later, David Saxton phoned. “Do you think you could come back to work?” he asked. “Cari’s been suspended. Of course, the rest of the actuarial team are covering, but I really need someone of your calibre around.”
The call, while unexpected, was music to his ears. His presence must be vital to Veritable or Saxton wouldn’t have phoned himself. Ross must make sure that Carolina Tait and Joanne Tonks found out, just to let them know where they stood in the pecking order. “Certainly, Davey,” he said, with barely a thought for Snow Mountain. Anyhow, he didn’t think Kat could do much to recover her family’s vodka brand before her passport was returned. “You don’t say no to David Saxton,” he told Ted.