Oxford Blood Read Online Free

chapel.
    “We’ll see you back at your room in a bit then love. Have
fun,” her aunt said.
    “Well, that was easier than I’d have thought,” Harriet said.
“Shall we walk?”
    It was already dark outside and the ancient buildings and
perfectly landscaped grounds were taking on an eerie air. Despite this, Harriet
couldn’t think of anywhere she’d rather be, or anyone she’d rather be with.
    “Have you seen the Old Library?” he asked. “It tends to be
deserted.”
    “No I haven’t, show me.”
    Tom took her hand, causing her heart to beat faster than
ever, and led her to a small stone staircase built into part of the college’s
internal wall. He pulled out a decorated key and opened a heavy wooden door at
the top.
    “It’s very dark in here,” Harriet said.
    “Shall I turn on the lights or do you prefer it this way?”
Tom asked, still holding her hand tightly. “I rather like the dark, in this
sort of situation at least.”
    Harriet giggled, but insisted on some lighting. Tom let go
of her whilst he flicked the switch. It lit up one bulb, high in the roof,
allowing Harriet to see the room but doing little to expel its gloom. She
glanced around, seeing a beamed roof, deep windows and row after row of ancient
leather covered books.
    After a moment, Tom moved to stand behind her and began to
gently stroke her neck. His oddly forward behaviour caught Harriet off-guard,
but his touch felt wonderful, and she smiled up at him, wondering whether, if
he didn’t lean over and kiss her within the next few moments, she’d have the
guts to take the initiative herself. She’d had no trouble initiating
proceedings with the few boys from school that she’d been vaguely interested
in, but Tom was different. She felt as dizzy as the time she’d done a charity
sky dive and first looked out of the plane and down into the clouds.
    Eventually he did kiss her, stroking her hair and drawing
her to him. As their lips touched, everything felt perfect. Harriet lost any
sense of being in the room. She was only aware of Tom.
    His soft hands slipped under the collar of her polo necked
jumper. As his fingers found her necklace, he froze. Gingerly, he eased the
ruby studded engraved locket out from under her jumper and looked at it closely.
    “What’s wrong?” Harriet asked, still breathless.
    “Where did you get this?”
    “From my mother, years ago. She had a screaming row with my
aunt and gave it to me to calm me down. I always thought it was beautiful, and
it helps remind me that she must love me really, to have given me such a lovely
gift.”
    “So the woman I spoke to wasn’t your mother?”
    “Oh no, that’s Aunt Kate. She brought me up but she isn’t my
real mum. You’d never have made her agree to let you do what you wanted so
easily.”
    “No, I dare say I wouldn’t have done,” Tom said, looking
suddenly nervous. “All this talk about your aunt reminds me, you should be
getting back to her. We’ll have all the time in the world to get to know each
other properly.”
    Harriet felt thrown by the turn events had taken, but
nodded. Her aunt was probably panicking already.
    He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek, and then ushered her
towards the door.
    “Aren’t you coming too?”
    “I need to make a phone call. Maybe I’ll see you at the club
later.”
     
    ***
     
    Harriet found her aunt and uncle back in her room, admiring
the view out into the quad. They didn’t ask where she’d been. The entire
meeting with Tom had been so intense she almost wondered if she’d imagined it.
She twirled the necklace thoughtfully, wondering again at Tom’s odd reaction to
it.
    Shortly afterwards, her aunt and uncle decided to begin the
long drive back home. Harriet walked with them to the car. As she hugged them,
the euphoria she had been feeling all day slipped and for a moment she felt a
flash of loneliness, suddenly conscious of the fact that they would be going
without her and she would have to fend for herself.