‘But it’s right out of Robert’s way to drop me off at my parents’ house,’ I disagreed. ‘It’d be best all round if I went back by train like I originally planned.’
Robert turned to Tom in a confidential manner. ‘Nella’s parents are only about ten minutes off the motorway, so it’s hardly as if I was being asked to go to London via Basingstoke, but she’s always had a problem with maps,’ he said in a man-to-man voice. I was about to protest indignantly when I realised crossly this wasn’t the place for a session of one-upmanship, as Robert knew perfectly well. A smirk flashed over his face before he said firmly, ‘So that’s settled.’
I couldn’t think how he’d ever had the nerve to suggest that I was bossy, though of course in men it’s called being decisive, assertive - all excellent and desirable personality traits. I contemplated fighting back, except poor Janey’s nerves were already uttered enough without adding a public spat. So what else could I do other than smile and thank him? I kept my pride intact at being steamrollered, and my options open, by saying we’d talk about it later but that I had to get changed now.
Tom turned back to me with an enquiring expression but Janey seized my arm, muttering about baths overflowing and, still with a child attached limpet-like to one hip, towed me into the safety of the house before he could get any words out.
‘That’s the second time in so many minutes you’ve mentioned the need for me to have a wash,’ I said mildly as we went up the stairs. ‘Is it a hint?’
She grinned at me over one shoulder. ‘No, just expedient. You don’t have to have one if you don’t want to.’
‘Actually I’d love one,’ I said frankly. ‘I can still smell the gendarmerie on me and it isn’t one of my favourite scents.’
She sniffed. ‘Now you mention it... I prefer Contradiction myself.’ She showed me into a sleekly equipped bathroom with a double row of white painted shelves at one end of the bath packed with more bottles of bath potions, shampoos, conditioners, body scrubs, face masks and gels than I’d ever seen outside the cosmetic department at Harrods. ‘Venetia likes to keep a few things here,’ she explained with a straight face.
Goodness. ‘Help yourself to whatever you want. She never minds if we borrow her stuff,’ Janey said airily, ‘though I doubt she’d notice, even if she did.’ She waved her free hand towards the door. ‘Dressing gown over there, towels here, hairdryer next door in her room if you need it, mirror with good light ditto. Is there anything else you need?’ she asked rapidly, already edging back out towards the corridor.
‘My clean clothes. You hustled me out so quickly I didn’t have time to pick them up.’
‘I’ll bring them up in a few minutes, after I’ve got this,’ she jiggled the child on her hip, ‘into bed. See you later.’
‘Hang on, Janey.’ If she continued to bolt out of the door every time anyone wanted to say something to her, she was going to run out of people she could talk to soon. She stopped and looked at me with an apprehensive expression. ‘Just what did you think you were playing at just now?’
She looked at me as if she didn’t understand what I was talking about, then must have realised that playing dumb wasn’t going to work. ‘I’m sorry, Nella, it just sort of slipped out. We were going to suggest it later—’
‘We?’ I interrupted. I was sure I already knew who ‘we’ were.
I was right. ‘Me and Oscar. He said he was going to bring it up over dinner.’ There was another guilty little half-smile as she remembered that she’d arranged for Robert to go out for dinner with me as well as have me as his travelling companion. ‘Honestly, Nella, I don’t think Oscar’s up to anything this time, really I don’t,’ she said anxiously. ‘Not like with you and George.’
‘I’m sure about that. Even Oscar isn’t certifiable enough to imagine that there’s any sort of shared rosy future for me and Robert,’ I said with confidence. ‘And even if he was,’ for you never knew exactly what bees Oscar might get in his particular bonnet, ‘he’d realise the moment to start matchmaking for Robert is not just after Venetia’s publicly dumped him for an older and fatter man. On the other hand, Oscar does believe in being friends with your ex. I can just see him thinking what a good idea it would be to promote a new understanding between Robert and me by sending us off on a long journey together. It’s exactly the sort of half-witted, crackpot idea he gets into his head sometimes.’ I shook my head in disbelief. ‘Doesn’t he realise that even Romeo and Juliet would be at each other’s throats after an hour of going around the Périphérique? So just what does he think it’s going to do to Robert’s and my shaky accord?’
Janey’s face fell. ‘We didn’t think of that.’ We? She looked at me defiantly. ‘Come on, Nella, it seemed so stupid to have both of you going back to the UK on the same day and doing it separately. You get to save the train fare and Rob gets an assistant driver. I can’t think why no one thought of it before.’
Maybe because up until today Robert had been giving a strong impression that he’d rather walk over knives than spend too long in my company. He might still feel that way, except that a certain ironic sympathy for my predicament had made him rather better at hiding it. Oh well, I’d give him the chance to back out later. In the meantime I would try out some of Venetia’s bath stuff.
There’s no doubt that the trials of even the most traumatic day can be eased considerably by twenty minutes soaking in a bath perfumed, with a very liberal hand indeed, by bath oil that comes from the sort of shop where if you have to ask the price it’s assumed you aren’t going to be able to afford it. I got out reluctantly when I realised I was soon going to bear a close resemblance to a prune, albeit an exotically scented prune. Just in time really, for I was wandering around in Venetia’s dressing gown, a brightly coloured silk kimono affair, which, even if I say so myself, suited me down to a T, sniffing at the bottles lined up on the kidney-shaped dressing table in her bedroom and wondering if she had a scent that matched her bath oil when there was a knock at the door and, instead of Janey as I’d expected, Robert walked in with my bag of clothes.
He glanced at me and remarked that I looked better for a bath. I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. ‘Oscar’s already here and Tom’s just gone up - with a lot of grumbling - to change, and Janey reckons the coast will be clear for about twenty minutes so it’d be a good idea if you don’t take too long about getting ready.’
I nodded my agreement and he turned to go, then stopped, one hand on the handle. ‘Nella,’ he began, ‘there’s something I want to—’
Here it comes, I thought. He’s about to tell me he’d rather not have me in his car tomorrow. Oh hell, and once I’d got over my irritation at being pushed around by seemingly everybody today, I’d decided I was rather looking forward to it. For one thing, Robert’s elderly Saab was a much more comfortable way of travelling than a train packed to the gills with tourists.
I forced myself to smile. ‘It’s all right, I quite understand,’ I said as evenly as possible. ‘Janey should never have landed it on you like that. You didn’t have any other option but to say you’d be glad to have me.’
‘What are you talking about?’ he interrupted. ‘Of course I don’t mind giving you a lift. It’s the most sensible option for both of us.’ He looked as if he meant it even though I’d have appreciated a little more enthusiasm about the prospect. ‘In fact, I’d have mentioned it myself if Janey had given me the chance,’ he added. ‘All I wanted to know was if you’ve got a clean licence, otherwise I’ll have to ring the insurance people in the morning.’
‘My licence is as clean as if I was sponsored by Persil,’ I said loftily. ‘I haven’t even had a speeding ticket.’
‘Neither have I,’ he retorted in an equally superior voice as he walked out.
Either he’d had a ball and chain attached to the back of his car since he last drove me or he’d made a pact with the devil. I knew which answer I favoured.
CHAPTER 21
‘Morning, Nell
a. You’re an early bird,’ yawned Charlie, rubbing his eyes blearily as he stumbled into the kitchen. ‘Too early, if you ask me. Those suitcases in the hall are a danger to decent clean-living members of the public. I nearly did an A over T with one just now. Is that coffee? Be an angel and give me a cup.’
I watched with interest as he ladled several spoonfuls of sugar into his mug and drank it, becoming more alive with every mouthful until by the time he was halfway down the mug his eyes had snapped open properly and he no longer looked as if all he wanted to do was curl up amongst the breadcrumbs and the butter dish on the table and go back to sleep.
‘That’s better,’ he said, holding out the mug for a refill. ‘I can’t tell you how good it is to see you safe and sound again.’ He yawned again. ‘Sorry.’
‘Good evening, was it?’ I asked. ‘You must have got back pretty late for I didn’t hear anyone come in. Where did you go in the end? Oscar said everybody was still arguing about it when he left. By the way, did you know that you forgot to lock up? We found the door on the latch when we came back.’
Charlie looked as if he was finding it hard to cope with more than one question at a time. ‘It’s OK. I didn’t go out with the others as I wasn’t feeling a hundred per cent.’ He looked at me guiltily. ‘But I did have one or two toddies to make myself feel better.’ Yes, well, that was obvious. ‘They said they were going to try the Auberge de Vieux Chêne - you know, the place where Solange was seen doing naughty things with the asparagus.’
‘Shame you couldn’t go. It sounded nice.’
‘With or without the extra entertainment?’ he asked, with a sly look. ‘We’ve already been out once this week, and Maggie and Sal are planning another beano for tomorrow night - the grand finale. Frankly, I find going out this often pretty hard both on the liver and the pocket, especially as neither Maggie nor Sal are the sort of girls who are content with the hundred-franc menu and a bottle of the house red. Besides,’ he glanced at me sideways, ‘I didn’t think the atmosphere was going to be a bundle of laughs after the bollocking your friend Robert gave Maggie.’
‘Robert did what?’ I asked in amazement. He hadn’t said a word about doing anything of the sort. Neither had that arch gossip Oscar, for that matter. We’d had a very convivial meal in the little restaurant in the village where you basically got what Madame felt like cooking that evening, talking about just about everything. Or so it had seemed. There hadn’t been a single word about a topic both men must have known would have been very dear to my heart. I wouldn’t have minded knowing what Robert felt about Venetia as well, but a chance would have been a fine thing. He was infuriatingly close-mouthed when it suited him.
‘What did he say to her?’ I asked, trying to hide my eagerness.
‘Couldn’t really hear,’ Charlie said to my acute disappointment, ‘though she was looking pretty subdued by the end of it. She was rabbiting on about how it wasn’t totally her fault and he couldn’t put all the blame on her.’ I didn’t see why not. ‘What really seems to have upset her is that, as Robert pointed out, she’s lost any chance of getting Tom signed up for her new agency. Can you see Janey allowing it? And of course Sal’s hard work in trying to land his gallery business has gone for a burton too, so she isn’t too thrilled with Maggie either. Frankly,’ he looked at me apologetically, ‘I think Maggie minds far more about all that than about what happened to you.’
Why didn’t that surprise me?
He put his mug down on the table looking like a fully signed up member of the human race at last. ‘Though it beats me why the police ever listened to her in the first place. The whole idea that you could ever steal off a friend is ludicrous.’
I smiled my thanks as a distant church clock chimed the hour, reminding me I still had several things to do. Robert had said he’d be here to pick me up at nine sharp, implying there would be dire penalties if I was so much as one minute late. I got up and started rinsing my cup and plate, thinking in a White Rabbit-ish sort of way, ‘Must hurry, must hurry.’
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Charlie said casually as he emptied the last of the carafe into his mug. ‘The boot on Oscar’s car is pretty small, isn’t it? I know he wants to buy a few cases of wine off Tom, but he’s not going to have much room for them if he’s taking all your luggage as well as those pictures. You know, there’s loads of space in Sal’s car. Why don’t we take your stuff back? I could drop it off at your flat on Monday night.’
‘Oh, that’s kind of you,’ I said with real gratitude, ‘but it’s not necessary. I’m not going on the train now. Robert’s giving me a lift so I’m taking everything with me.’
‘But won’t that mean you’ll have to lug everything to your grandparents’ and back down to London again? It’s one hell of a hassle.’
‘Not as much as it would be for you. You live north of the river, don’t you? The last thing you’d want to do is cross half of London to do a delivery on a weekday evening.’
‘I wouldn’t mind.’
‘Really, I couldn’t let you go to so much trouble,’ I said as I gave the plate a cursory wipe with the tea towel. ‘But thank you very much indeed.’
‘You’re sure?’ he asked in such a despondent voice that I swung around to look at him, surprised he was so put out at me turning down his offer like this. It would have been a terrible nuisance for him.
He met my eyes and smiled slightly crookedly. ‘Come on, Nella, haven’t you ever heard of inventing an excuse to see someone again? I didn’t want to push things too much, but I reckoned if I had some of your stuff you couldn’t turn me down flat. You’d have to see me at least once.’
‘Oh,’ I said, lost for anything more eloquent to say. For one thing I’m not used to receiving this sort of declaration at breakfast, to be honest I’m not used to getting them at any time of day. For another, I might have played with the idea of how attractive I found Charlie, OK, let’s be honest about it, I’d indulged in more than a few misty-edged fantasies in which he’d played a starring role, but this transition from makebelieve to reality was a bit sudden. I looked away and said weakly, ‘What about Sally? I like her.’
‘So do I,’ he said, ‘but you must have seen how things are between us. It’s nothing specific, we’ve just drifted apart, and I certainly wouldn’t do anything to hurt her if I can help it, but I don’t think she’s going to mind much about me finding someone else. After all, she has.’ He glanced at me pointedly. ‘Or haven’t you noticed the way she hangs over your George?’
‘He isn’t my George,’ I said automatically.
Charlie laughed. ‘Certainly not any longer. So how about it? Fancy having a drink with me when we’re both back in London?’
‘I’d like that,’ I said honestly.
‘Great!’ he said with a flashing smile as if I’d just presented him with the Crown Jewels. ‘Now - would you like me to take your pictures back for you? Those cases don’t look very strong and there’d be less risk of them getting damaged in a single journey than if they’re being transferred from one car boot to the other.’
I hesitated. There was a lot of truth in what he had said, but what was Sally going to say about having her car filled with my property? ‘Well...’ I began.
The door swung open and Oscar marched in, still in his dressing gown, clicking his tongue reprovingly. ‘There you are, Nella. I’ve been looking all over the place for you.’
‘Not very hard. I’ve been in here for the last twenty minutes.’
‘I thought you might be having a last swim,’ he said blandly. ‘Robert’s here. Are you ready?’
‘Help!’ I exclaimed, shooting out of the kitchen while he called after me that he’d start putting my things in the car.
By the time I’d looked under the bed, in the back of the wardrobe, made two separate journeys to confirm that I hadn’t left my toothbrush in the bathroom, retrieved my book from the bookcase by the loo and put on an extra coating of mascara because my eyelashes were looking unwarrantedly
thin and stubby, Oscar had already packed my stuff, including the pictures, into Robert’s Saab. I shrugged at Charlie who by now was alert enough to have changed his dressing gown for T-shirt and shorts. ‘Seems my mind was made up for me. But thanks again for offering.’
‘Shame,’ he said with a slight frown, then smiled. ‘Well, you’ve still promised to have a drink with me. I’m holding you to that, all right?’
‘Of course,’ I said, still rather startled at this sudden ardour.
It seemed he was really keen. ‘How about Monday?’
Of course I was flattered. But half of me was saying that only a man would suggest meeting up the evening after you’ve come back from two weeks’ holiday. I was about to suggest sometime later in the week when an impatient throat-clearing from the direction of the car told me that my chauffeur was getting fed up with hanging around. Robert was standing with his arms propped on the roof, tapping his foot, sending pointed looks my way and generally giving an impression of a pressure cooker getting to danger point, so I said hastily, ‘Yes, that’d be nice,’ and scribbled down my address and phone number on a piece of paper.
‘Sure you don’t want to go back and have a bath, Nella?’ Robert asked nastily as I came out, checking my bag for the umpteenth time just to make sure my passport hadn’t disappeared since the last time I looked. ‘Or will we be able to leave this morning after all?’
I smiled at him sunnily. ‘I had a very nice bath last night, thank you, and you said you wanted to leave at about nine. It’s now ten past which I think still counts as “about”, don’t you?’
Obviously not, judging from his expression, though I was saved from hearing his opinion on the matter by Janey, who roared up in her little black Twingo with Lily next to her in the front. Leaving became complete chaos. Janey was practically running alongside the car, head stuck in the window while she gabbled last-minute messages. Lily had taken the opportunity to nip out of the car and was cavorting about, smiling maniacally while Oscar, Sally and Charlie tried to catch her and say their own goodbyes at the same time. Maggie and Phil were noticeable by their absence.
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