‘Darling, you know I couldn’t work as well with anyone else as I did with you. I’ve tried a couple of other interior designers, but it’s not gone well.’ She pulled a face at us both.
‘You know Fliss has started her own business here?’ Jesse said.
Her hand went to her throat. ‘You have? Oh, my darling! Why didn’t you say? Thank goodness for this hunk of a man filling in the blanks. Do you have a card? I have to go to this ghastly wedding this weekend and there’s all sorts of extra “fun events” they have planned.’ She rolled her eyes dramatically. ‘Oh God,’ she said quietly, ‘here comes that dreadful Araminta.
‘Minty, darling!’ She held out her arms as she had done to me, pulling a face over her shoulder. ‘Do you know Felicity DeVere and Jesse Woods?’
‘Oh God, yes! We go back ages, don’t we, Felicity?’ Araminta said with an enthusiastic sincerity that, from the stolen glances she aimed at Jesse, I assumed she was still hoping would lead to a better acquaintance.
‘We went to school together for a while,’ I replied, my expression cool but polite. She slanted her gaze towards me. It might have been a long time ago but I hadn’t forgotten Minty’s behaviour towards me back when she and her cronies had made me feel worthless. But she didn’t have that power any more. Nobody did. And Minty knew it.
‘So how are you, Caro?’ she asked, turning her back to me.
‘Wonderful, thank you. You’re blocking Felicity, darling,’ Caro said, manoeuvring Minty into a more polite position. A pink flush appeared on Araminta’s enhanced cheekbones as she made a fake apology.
‘That’s OK. We need to get home anyway.’ Jesse and I still weren’t actually living together but if Minty took it to mean that, then all the better. And from the look on her face, it worked. ‘Caro, here’s my card. If you have anything you want to chat about, then just give me a call.’
‘I absolutely do! I hope you’ve got space in your diary. Since you left, I’ve been itching to get on with things. Finally!’ She raised her expensively beringed hands to the sky. ‘I’ll call you next week. Lovely to see you again!’ She gave me a hug with an added squeeze.
‘Andverylovely to meet you too.’ She held out her arms to Jesse, who also received a hug. Minty tossed her hair and pretended not to care but I knew her of old. She hated anyone to be one up on her, which, of course, Caro knew too and was likely why she’d made such a display. When she winked at me out of sightline of Araminta, I was sure.
Jesse walked around and opened the driver’s door for me.
‘And manners too!’ Caro called, sending a chef’s kiss our way, causing Jesse to laugh and shake his head before folding himself into the passenger side.
‘She’s a character,’ he said as I pulled out onto the road and pointed the car back towards Jesse’s house. I was currently mid kitchen, although what was in already was looking amazing and I couldn’t wait for it to be finished. I might not know how to cook but learning how to was on my list.
‘That’s an understatement,’ I replied, laughing.
‘She seems different from Araminta.’
‘Chalk and cheese. She plays along because that’s how things are done. But she’s loyal to the people she actually cares about.’
‘Like you.’
‘Yes! Apparently!’ I looked across at him for a moment before returning my eyes to the road.
‘You seem surprised.’
‘I am. We always got on really well and seemed to be very in sync in understanding what was needed. I got what Caro wanted so it was always just easy and enjoyable working with her, which I can’t say about everyone.’
‘She obviously felt the same way. Sounds like she might be sending some more work your way.’
‘I’m trying not to think about it too much in case it doesn’t happen but if it did, it’d be amazing. Some of my biggest commissions were Caro’s, as well as the most fun.’
‘Fingers crossed, then.’
‘Fingers crossed!’
* * *
Caro, true to her word, had rung the following Tuesday – ‘once the hangover had subsided, darling’ – and on Thursday, I was being thoroughly wined and dined up in London as she and I spent several hours going through all the plans she had for what she called her ‘projects’. I felt myself fizzing with excitement. Working with Caro had always been so much fun and this time, these well-paying commissions would be helping pay off the huge loans I’d taken out in order to make my house the paradise its title promised it was.
Three weeks later found me on a plane, first class, to Milan to ‘do a little shopping’ then on to Venice, where it transpired that Caro had invested in a stunning palazzo in need of a revamp, which was Caro-language for a complete makeover. Then there was the Chelsea apartment we’d done several years and one ex-husband ago, and she wanted a whole new look for that too.
‘I was thinking of a Moroccan feel in the dining room. Or maybe Indian. I haven’t decided yet. We’ll have to have a couple of trips to help me get inspired.’
‘Or I could pull together some mood boards for them?’
