‘There’s really no need. Why don’t you send it to me at home after Christmas? No need to put yourself out.’
‘No, I’d like to. Please, Penny, let me have the address, I think you’ll really like it.’
I didn’t want his present, but I couldn’t think up any reason not to let him send it, so reluctantly I told him the address, and a few minutes later we said goodbye. I pushed him from my mind as I continued tackling the pile of gifts.
After supper that evening, we were all sitting in the living room playing another increasingly silly game of Charades. Even Zara joined in for a while, although her frustration at not being able to guess a film or book from her teammates’ ludicrous gestures soon saw her give up and retreat to an armchair to tap away at her phone. The rest of us got noisier and more competitive the more we played, so when Daphne suggested a speed round, we were fully hyped up for it. It was my turn first, so I barely heard the doorbell ring, or registered Xander, who was on the other team, go out to answer it.
‘Film!’ my teammates shrieked, and I nodded vigorously. ‘Er…er…er…romance, it’s a romance! The!’ I mimed sunbathing, throwing myself to the floor and squinting at the ceiling. ‘The Beach!’No!I pretended to pack a suitcase and William shouted, ‘The Holiday!’ A thumbs-up and I was on to my next one –Octopussy. I screamed with laughter, signed ‘book’ and ‘film’ and was just showing eight fingers and doubling up with giggles wondering how on earth I’d do the rest of the word, when a familiar voice behind me said my name. I spun round and felt as though a large, freezing snowball had hit me in the stomach.
‘Timothy? What on earth are you doing here?’
The rest of my team was shouting at me to carry on, as time was running out, but I was oblivious to them.
‘Surprise!’
Timothy opened his arms.
What was I supposed to do – run into them?
‘Aren’t you pleased to see me?’
I looked around at all the faces staring at me: confused, amused, concerned, blank. And I wondered how mine appeared to them, because I had no idea how I felt. Timothy was the last person I had thought I wanted to see, but there again was that tug of familiarity, the feeling of not having to try quite so hard anymore. The sort of relief you feel when you pull on an old pair of tracksuit trousers, which is always mingled with a sort of self-disgust that you look horrible and should put in more effort. Eventually I managed to choke out some words.
‘I– I’m surprised, that’s all. I thought you wanted to send me a present. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’
‘I thought it would be a nice surprise for you.’
‘I don’t understand. You left me. Why are you here?’
‘Because, Penny, when I got your text, I realised that I’d made a terrible mistake.’
There was a collective intake of breath from our audience, and I went cold all over. Thatbloodytext; how I wished I’d never sent it. But how could I possibly have known that this would be the result? I glanced round at the Lords, then grabbed Timothy’s arm and pulled him out into the hallway.
‘I’m sorry, you think you made a mistake?’
‘Yes. I’ve missed you, Penny.’
‘You’vemissedme?’ I was beginning to feel angry now. ‘So you just thought you’d turn up here – at my place of work – and I should what? Drop everything?’
‘Well, er, well, I thought you’d be pleased,’ he said again feebly. ‘You did say in your text that it would be good to see me. Anyway, now I’m here, I want to say that I am going to propose to you, Penny.’
A little gasp was audible from the living room where, I now realised, the riotous evening had gone suspiciously quiet.Oh, who cares? I thought. I was getting into my stride.
‘Right. And is that now, or at some point in the distant and probably fictional future?’
‘Oh, well, I thought you’d be delighted. I haven’t actually got a ring with me, so I thought the proper proposal should wait until I do.’
‘I see.’
‘And I know you want babies, so we can talk about that too. When work slows down. Which I’m sure will happen soon. So, what do you think, Pen old girl, shall we give it another whirl?’
My mind was alternating uncomfortably between going completely blank and having a million thoughts and emotions whizzing around it. Here I was, being offered the words from Timothy I had waited to hear forten years, and all I wanted to do was cry. Or scream. Or punch him. Certainly, burn my mobile phone so that I could never send another tragedy text in my life. Luckily, I was saved from doing any of those things by a swift string of events.
First Lando, bursting into the hallway. ‘This is ridiculous. I’m going to go and do some work.’ He stormed out.
Then Zara. ‘Lando, darling, wait for me, I’ll come and help.’ With a smirk in my direction, she followed him.
Then, thankfully, Bunny. ‘Well, it’s frighteningly late and I, for one, am exhausted. Timothy, there’s a bedroom you can use tonight, I’ll get you some sheets and show you where it is. I’m afraid I need Pixie to finish off some preparations for me, so I’ll be keeping her busy for the next hour or so. Pixie, wait for me in my room, please, I won’t be long.’
