I nodded, silently thanking her for the sudden ‘strict boss’ act and ran upstairs two at a time to find refuge in her beautiful room before anyone else could ask me any impossible questions.
About fifteen minutes later, Bunny came quietly into the room and shut the door. She handed me a drink and sat down, sipping from her own glass.
‘Don’t worry, Pixie, mine’s fizzy water, but I thought you could do with a giant G&T.’
‘Thank you, it is exactly what I needed.’
I took a sip and reeled slightly at the strength. Maybe Bunny thought I should be drinking for two.
‘I’ve installed Timothy in a room nice and far away from you. I think that was what you wanted?’
‘Yes, yes, it is, thank you…’
I trailed off miserably.
‘Itiswhat you wanted, isn’t it, Pixie darling? I can tell you where he is?’
‘Oh, Bunny, I don’t knowwhatI want, it’s all so confusing. I had written Timothy off, started to move on, resolved to change my life and not let anyone waste another second of it. Then I stupidly sent him a text message when I was feeling low, saying it would be good to see him.’
‘Oh yikes. And he took you seriously. So how are you feeling now?’
‘Well…This is all very recent and raw. It’s not as if Ican’tgo back to Timothy, and he’s suddenly offering me everything I have wanted for the past ten years. If I accept his proposal, then those years won’t have been wasted, after all.’
Bunny nodded.
‘Tempting. I can see that.’
Why wasn’t she disagreeing with me? Oh God, did she think Ishouldgo back to Timothy? The thought that she might encourage it was bizarrely disconcerting, given what I had just said.
‘What doyouthink I should do?’
‘I don’t want to tell you, Pixie darling, I don’t know enough about it all. But I don’t think that marrying Timothy is the only way to reframe all of this. If you don’t, then are you sure the last ten years were wasted? Can you think of them differently?’
I paused and drank my gin.Could I?
‘Maybe. I thought I had managed that, deciding that I would stop hankering after a husband and kids and rush off to India, but…well, exciting though that all sounds, all that has really crystalised in my mind is that Idostill want to settle down with a family. I believe that’s my kind of adventure. But it looks like that ship has sailed.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Bunny briskly. ‘It’s definitely not too late for you. And…’
I glanced at her, and she smiled.
‘I don’t want to pry, but I had rather thought that you and Lando seem to be getting on rather well?’
I felt my face flush and pressed the cool glass to my hot cheek. I was sick of pretending, and certainly didn’t want to lie to Bunny.
‘We are. We were. But he seems so set on going to Greece and sequestering himself away, and then Zara turned up…’
‘Pah! Don’t pay any attention to her, horrid woman.’
‘She said that she and Lando were getting back together.’
‘They won’t do any such thing. For all his grumpiness, Lando, as I am sure you are well aware, having seen him fuss over those dogs, not to mention my children, has the softest heart of anyone. Zara turned up with some sob story, and he can’t bring himself to turn her away at Christmas. But there’s no way he’s going to take up with her again. Besides, have you seen the way he looks at you? He adores you.’
I felt a wonderful surge of excitement course through my body, mingling pleasantly with the gin. I stared shyly into my glass.
‘Do you really think so?’
‘Yes, I do. And I’m glad to see that he has finally found some sense, although why he hasn’t declared himself to you, I don’t know.’
