‘But I’m not—’ I stopped when I saw her face. ‘Thanks, that would be great.’
Jules smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
I still wasn’t hungry despite the enticing smells that always wafted through the café, but she was probably right. I hadn’t eaten since the plane and, with the time difference, my body clock was completely out of whack.
I sipped on the dark roast and savoured the taste, picking at the fresh, soft croissant, my mind drifting back to the night before and how things had gone from perfect to perfectly awful so fast. The café filled up around me and every time the tiny bell above the door tinkled, I half expected, and if I was honest, half wanted, Jesse to walk in, his frame filling the doorway as it always did, the smile he gave whenever he saw me and the feeling of peace and security that radiated through me when he did. But that was then.
When the door did next open, it was with a force that made everyone look up. Araminta strode in, her eyes laser focused on me.
‘Who thehelldo you think you are?’
The café fell silent. I looked up at her. I wasn’t the insecure young girl she’d befriended then dropped the moment I was ‘poor’ any more.
‘I assume you’re talking to me.’ I remained seated and took another sip of my coffee.
‘Of course I’m bloody talking to you. Who the hell are you to reject an offer from Magnus Montagu-Peak?’
Now she definitely had everyone’s attention. Jules caught my eye, mouthing, ‘What offer?’ but I looked away, back at Araminta.
‘I have no wish to work with your cousin.’
‘You do realise that price was well above what anyone else would ever pay you? Not to mention putting you up in the best hotels and flying you first class. Personally, I thought it was over the top but Magnus insisted.’
‘And why would he do that? Why are you even interested in what I do and who I work with? You weren’t interested in being there for me when my family lost all their money. When I needed a friend.’
The heads swivelled back.
‘Your family didn’tlosetheir money. Your fatherspentall the money, mostly on that trollop of a stepmother.’
Back to me.
‘But you were behind Magnus coming to me with an offer.’
She stuck out a hip and put a hand on it. ‘Yes. I thought it would help.’
‘Help what, exactly, Minty?’
‘You!’
‘And why did you assume I needed help now when I’m finally settled and happy?’
‘Happy? Here?’ Her nose wrinkled at the thought. She appeared to be attempting to frown too but her Botox was having none of it.
Some of the customers exchanged dark looks.
‘Yes.’
‘Because what? You think this is your world? You think these people accept you? Don’t be so bloody ridiculous, Felicity. Money is the only thing that matters to you. That’s how you were brought up. It’s in your blood and who you’ll always be. Don’t forget I know you of old. If it wasn’t, why would you have done your utmost to claw your way back to that world? But suddenly you don’t have a price?’
I drained my coffee slowly then pushed out my chair.
‘No, Araminta, money is not the everything I once thought it was, and I’m unbelievably glad. I’ve realised that I am who I am today through my own choices. You’re right. I did think I was supposed to be a part of the world I’d been brought up in. But I’m not. Because all of it, like you, was fake. People are either useful to you or they’re not. That’s your sole reason for being what you call friends with someone. But that’s not friendship. I’ve not heard a single word from any of my so-called friends in London. It wasn’t until I moved here I realised what true friendship is and you would never, ever understand. Let’s face it, the real reason you’re here is that you couldn’t bear it, could you?’
‘What?’
‘That I was happy.’
‘I don’t care enough about you to bother whether you’re happy or not.’
