A Night on the Orient Express by Veronica Henry Read Free Book Online

pretty certain that he had more than just a glimmer of his youthful self in his appearance.
    He left the store, emerging into the bustle of the Brompton Road, pushing through the crowds on the pavement until he reached the kerb. Riley never drove anywhere these days. It wasn’t worth the expense, or the hassle of keeping your eye on the speed limit or how much you had drunk, or fighting for a parking space. If it was good weather and within the Circle Line, he walked. He would happily walk as many as five or six miles to a meeting or a lunch and then back again. It kept him fit, and he mostly went through the parks, even if it meant his journey was a little longer. If the weather displeased him, however, he took a cab. Today was one such day. There was a light mizzle, fine but persistent, so he raised an arm. A minute later he was tucked in the back of a taxi, homeward bound.
    They were hurtling at speed around Hyde Park Corner when Riley saw a car pull out in front of them. The driver was either an optimist or an idiot. There was no way the cab would be able to stop in time. He didn’t see his life flash before him. He saw only her face, as it had been the very first time he glimpsed her, her brows furrowed as she read her magazine.
    ‘Sylvie,’ he said out loud, before he heard the terrible crunch of metal on metal, and the bag he was carrying slipped from his fingers.

Four
    H ospital waiting rooms, no matter how calming the colour scheme or distracting the artwork, always left you feeling the same. Archie had been in enough now to know nothing could quell the anxiety, although Jay seemed to manage to stay quite cheerful while they were waiting. It was always Archie who watched the clock, who chewed his fingernails, who jumped when Jay’s name was called.
    Today’s wait was interminable. The white board indicated that appointments were running thirty minutes behind. Not long enough to leave the hospital and go and do something useful. Of course not. You were trapped, just in case they caught up with themselves or there was a no-show and your appointment was moved up. It was a pity they didn’t have time to go for a pint, although he supposed it wouldn’t look good, Jay turning up to the consultant reeking of beer.
    But at this stage of the game, did it really matter?
    He looked over at his friend. Jay was flicking through a magazine, stopping every time something caught his eye. He seemed able to find plenty to keep his attention. Archie wasn’t a great reader, and he certainly wouldn’t have found anything to fascinate him in the pile of old National Geographic s and women’s magazines left out for patients. He was far too preoccupied to be distracted by photos of polar bears and recipes for blueberry cheesecake.
    Jay looked up, sensing he was being watched.
    ‘Tell me about your ideal woman, Archie.’
    ‘What do you mean?’ said Archie.
    ‘Your ideal woman. Describe her to me.’
    Archie rolled his eyes. ‘You’re not doing one of those awful quizzes? If you score mostly Cs then you’re a psychopath with narcissistic tendencies . . .’
    Jay shook his head.
    ‘It’s a competition. I’m going to enter you.’ Jay squinted more closely. ‘Only a week till the closing date.’
    He was laughing in a way that made Archie suspicious. He tried to lean over Jay’s shoulder to look at the page, but Jay moved the magazine away from him so he couldn’t see.
    ‘Go on – what do you look for in a girl?’
    ‘Me?’ Archie grinned. ‘I’m not fussy, as long as she’s clean and has all her own teeth.’
    Jay looked at him thoughtfully. Archie felt uncomfortable. Jay had been doing this recently, going from jocular to serious in the blink of an eye. He found it unsettling. ‘What?’
    ‘You’re never going to meet Miss Right, are you, hanging around hospital waiting rooms with me?’
    ‘Miss Right can wait,’ said Archie.
    Jay carried on staring at him.
    ‘You deserve someone special. You do know