Read Online The Goddess Rules by Clare Naylor - Free Book Online

was weak and diminished and she knew that when he did finally reemerge, she’d be so relieved that she would forget the misery. She often wondered, as she did this morning, how she had become involved in such a dysfunctional relationship. She’d never have believed herself capable of it before she met Jake. It was something that insecure, idiotic women in magazines or television talk shows did. It wasn’t something that an attractive woman with a job and friends should have given the time of day to. But what she’d never understood before was how you could actually love someone who behaved so carelessly toward you. She didn’t understand it now, either; she just knew that she didn’t want to spend another minute without Jake in her life. But for Leonard’s sake and for the sake of not allowing her life to be completely governed by Jake, she got up and, tucking her cell phone into her jeans pocket, went to find Mirri Moncur.
    Kate arrived at Leonard’s kitchen door and rapped out a perfunctory knock before pushing it open and letting herself in. She and Leonard had lived this way for a while now. His house was open day and night to Kate, and he was very fond of saying, “
Mi casa, su casa,
my dear.” Actually he applied this expression to everything from cornflakes to friends. What was Leonard’s was, by extension, Kate’s. Similarly she’d have been delighted to share everything she owned with Leonard. Though it hadn’t come to that yet—he had little need for either combat pants or pencils, and though he had taken a queeny shine to a pair of Janis Joplin’s cowboy boots that Jake had bought for her on eBay, they would never have fit him. So Kate merely shared her tales of youthful misspending and occasionally her magazines with Leonard. And one day, when she had a palazzo in Venice and caskets of jewels, she’d share those with him, too. Though jewels weren’t really his thing. Leonard was not camp in an Elton John way; rather he was discreetly appreciative of all beautiful things and had exquisite taste. There was nothing of the rhinestone poof about him.
    “Leonard? It’s me.” Kate poked her head into the kitchen. The house was deserted.
    “Through here,” Leonard called out from his study across the hall. Kate looked about slightly cautiously in case Bébé was off his leash and prowling the corridors. Or indeed to see if Mirri was off her leash. Though in fairness it was Kate who had been unreasonable and pathetic this morning. Kate had been practicing a bit of an apology and planned to deliver it with as much grace as she could muster.
    “Come in, come in.” Leonard was sitting behind his desk and stood up when Kate walked in. “Tea? Coffee? Sherry?” he inquired as Kate gave him a small hug and then perched on the edge of a leather library chair.
    “Thanks, but I’ve got to speak to Mirabelle about this portrait,” she explained as Leonard seized the moment and poured himself a small sherry.
    “Ah, yes, the poor thing was very apologetic about not making it to dinner last night. She ran into an old friend and got carried away.”
    “I’ll say,” said Kate when Leonard’s back was turned.
    “Sorry?”
    “That’s a shame.” Kate smiled. “Still, we had a lovely time.”
    “Absolutely we did.” Leonard settled back down to do his work. “Can’t possibly look my accounts in the eye without one of these,” he said as he raised his sherry glass.
    “Quite right, too.” Kate stood up. “Have fun with your accounts.” And with that she went out into the hall and up the stairs to the top floor.
    “Ah, come in, come in.” Mirri opened the door with a flourish as Kate waited hesitantly. It wasn’t the reception she’d expected. Mirri was smiling, warm, and dressed in a flowing sky-blue caftan. Kate had imagined that the only thing that would be blue would be the air—with a stream of abuse for Kate’s rudeness this morning. But Mirri seemed not to even remember, let alone