There’s Something About Harry

Harry is a bit of a conundrum. She’s the kind of woman you want to sympathize with but end up hating because of her frailty and ability to call every man in close proximity to her assistance. Her life has been hell and though she seems to think there might be a light at the end of the rainbow – it’s the light of an oncoming train!

Here’s a little excerpt of Detective Inspector Charlotte Kingsley’s experience of Harriet:

Charlotte stopped listening. The woman in that room was married. What was Seb thinking? She got up and dumped the two Styrofoam cups in the nearby bin and let herself back into Room 5. There she lay, the bane of her existence. The sound of the shower in the en-suite explained Seb’s lack of presence in the room.

Tip-toeing, Charlotte drew closer to the bed and stared at the woman who was fast asleep. What was so fascinating about her, she thought? Medium length black hair that drooped on either side of the thin face, a fawn-like expression that might appeal to some and, of course, that wide mouth that seemed way too big for her tiny face. Small body, weak arms and legs and an air of despair that seemed to seep into the very fibre of the room. A sigh left the woman’s lips and her eyes fluttered open. Charlotte didn’t know whether to run or stay. She decided to stand firm. Gorgeous grey eyes with tinges of blue around the iris took the tough detective’s breath away. Now she could see the appeal and it irked her. The woman stared at her, confused and afraid. Distress made her face look smaller and more pinched. Before she could reach for the emergency button to call the nurses on duty, Charlotte moved away from her bed to the window which had a wire mesh across it.

The sound of the en-suite door opening made both women’s attention turn and the female detective watched as the saddened face was brought to life at the sight of Seb. Dull grey lifted to a brighter, silkier blue and though her mouth didn’t move, it relaxed and showed the beauty of the high cheekbones. A pang of jealousy stabbed Charlotte as she saw her best friend’s face reflect the same emotions and as he drew closer to the bed, how reverent he was towards the woman in the bed.

She couldn’t take much more and removed herself from the room, muttering an excuse of an incoming call. Her feet didn’t stop until she was on the ground floor, away from the ugly scene upstairs. Part of her wanted to run back to the office and report on Seb; make his life a true living hell if he lost his job. But she knew she couldn’t. She had promised to be there to help him and she wouldn’t go back on her word. Maybe it would be better if she stayed away from the hospital though, or she might be tempted to teach that woman how to fly properly!

I hope you enjoyed the little except from There’s Something About Harry. Let me know if you like it.