While Ralph had fetched some drinks, Edie had warned the others about Jessica.
‘She might be a bit quiet. She absolutely doted on Ernest.’
‘We’ll be gentle with her,’ Hannah had promised. ‘No dog jokes.’
‘Do you know any?’ Mac had asked in a sarky voice. ‘I wouldn’t have said jokes were your thing.’
Hannah’s lips had puckered, as if she’d eaten a lemon. ‘I do, actually.’
Mac had raised his eyebrows. ‘Really?’
Edie’s pulse had quickened and she’d fidgeted nervously with the neck of her jumper. They were at it already! She’d have liked to change the subject, but felt duty-bound to stick up for the sisterhood.
‘I’ve heard some of Hannah’s jokes,’ she’d said, a little too brightly. ‘I can still remember the fish one in that famous seafood place we went to with the kids in Cornwall. The joke popped out of her mouth just as the food appeared. It was hilarious!’
‘You mean: “What do you call a fish that won’t shut up? A big-mouthed bass.” That one?’ Mac had asked.
Edie had nodded.
‘That wasyearsago. The kids were only little. She hasn’t told one since.’ He’d grinned, trying to make out it was just a harmless tease, but no one had laughed. Hannah had made no comment but her eyes had narrowed and she’d stared down at her feet, clearly stung.
She and Mac had only been there five minutes and he’d already managed to create an atmosphere. Edie wondered why he did it.
At that moment, she’d felt like slapping him and now rather wished she’d followed it through. She could still recall feeling anxious about whether she’d be able to cope with him on holiday. Perhaps she should have given it a bit more thought before booking.
With luck, though, she’d mused, he’d relax with Ralph. The two still got on and could talk for hours about football, rugby and politics. They were both left-leaning and had been active members of the university students’ union. Down the years, they’d gone on numerous protest marches together, from climate change to spending cuts to further education.
They were both die-hard atheists, too, but Edie had forbidden Ralph from raising the subject at social gatherings, after a dinner party some years ago that hadn’t ended well.
Ralph had reappeared with a tray of drinks just as the doorbell rang. Dilly, who’d been snoozing in front of the fire, sprang up and yapped hysterically, making everyone’s nerves jangle, and Edie had been worried the barking would upset Jessica.
She’d hurried into the hall, unable to stop the dog following close at her heels, and asked Ralph to scoop Dilly up and shut her in the kitchen.
Once the coast was clear, she’d opened the front door with a wide smile and remembered being taken aback by her visitor’s appearance.
Always neat and tidy at school, Jessica was looking uncharacteristically windswept, with long, loose, messed-up hair and pink, weather-beaten cheeks.
She was wearing a khaki waterproof jacket and tan boots and thrust a bunch of mostly purple flowers into Edie’s arms.
‘It only took twenty minutes to get here on the bike,’ she’d announced. ‘It was easy.’
‘Oh! You cycled?’
It was only then Edie had noticed the helmet in her friend’s spare hand. ‘Where did you leave your bike?’
She’d peered left and right over Jessica’s shoulder. ‘Do you want to bring it in?’
Jessica shook her head, pointing to the side of the house where a passage led through another door into the back garden. ‘I’ve locked it up; it’ll be fine there.’
‘OK. If you’re sure.’ Edie had leaned forward and embraced her friend, whose cheek was slightly damp. ‘Come on in! The others are here. They’re looking forward to meeting you.’
Far from seeming nervous or shy, Jessica had stridden confidently inside, pulling off her jacket as she went and tossing it over the newel post, on top of Hannah’s fur coat. Underneath, she had on a baggy grey sweatshirt and jeans. She’d bent down, unlaced her boots and taken them off.
‘They’re dreadfully muddy. I probably should have left them on the doorstep.’
Edie had glanced down the hallway, now strewn with clumps of dirt and a few leaves, and shrugged.
‘No worries. How are you feeling?’
