‘Yeah, fine.’
But Mac had stalked into the hall, returning with his wife’s fur coat.
‘Put this on,’ he’d told her, and she’d taken it obediently. ‘It’s time to go home.’
Recalling that day in such forensic detail made Edie feel incredibly tense and also guilty, because she could see how she’d ignored a lot of signs. She was ready to spring up at any moment and go to Hannah’s rescue.
‘I hope they’ve managed to have a good talk,’ she whispered to Ralph. ‘Thank God you wouldn’t react that way if I came on to someone. Not that I would,’ she added quickly. ‘It’s not my style.’
She was about to start praising her husband for his magnificent display of sangfroid earlier, when Jessica had tried to push herself between Hannah and Mac. But his body twitched and he grunted and snuffled, before breathing out with a crackly whoosh. He’d dropped off.
‘Night night,’ she whispered, carefully extricating herself from under his arm and rolling on to the other side. Then she tiptoed over to the window to close the shutters and opened the door just a fraction, so she could hear any strange noises in the house more easily.
Finally, with a sigh, she climbed back into bed, pulled the sheet over her and closed her eyes. She tried to think happy thoughts until sleep arrived at last, wrapping her in its familiar and oh-so-comforting embrace.
10
The following morning, Edie and Ralph were in no hurry to get up and join the others and it was after 9a.m. by the time they went downstairs.
Jessica was reading her book at the table when they poked their heads into the garden.
‘Coffee?’ Edie asked, managing to force a smile, though her face and cheeks felt tight and rigid.
‘I’ve got some, thanks.’ Jessica looked up and held aloft a white-and-blue-striped mug. ‘I wasn’t sure what time you’d be down, or I’d have made a big pot.’
‘No worries.’ Edie bobbed back indoors, where Ralph was filling the kettle. ‘Who’s there?’ he asked, with a frown.
‘Just Jessica. She seems quite normal today.’
His frown deepened. ‘Hm.’
He and Edie sat on the opposite side of the table from Jessica while they spread butter and honey on some bread rolls from yesterday, which they’d warmed in the oven.
Jessica seemed disinclined to speak and soon put her nose back in her book, which suited Ralph and Edie fine.
They chatted quietly about this and that until they’d finished eating.
‘What do you fancy doing today?’ Edie asked her husband, reaching across the table for the big pot of coffee he’d made and topping herself up. ‘After your walk with Mac, I mean.’
At this, Jessica glanced up momentarily before feigning disinterest and returning to the page. Edie could tell she was listening, though.
‘Um, not sure.’ Ralph poured himself more coffee, too. ‘I haven’t seen the village yet, remember. Maybe we could wander down to the beach there and have a swim.’
On hearing voices inside, they froze. Edie had a chunk of crusty bread in her mouth, which hurt her throat when she tried to swallow it down.
Soon, Hannah appeared, quickly followed by Mac.
Hannah looked quite different from last night: fresh and attractive in a pale blue sundress, which Edie hadn’t seen before. Her blonde hair was still damp from the shower and she was wearing a thin gold necklace and gold studs in her ears.
‘Morning!’ she said with a dazzling smile, as if nothing had happened. ‘How did you all sleep?’
Before anyone had time to reply, Mac, in a clean white T-shirt, jeans shorts and bare feet, stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
‘I must’ve slept for ten or eleven hours,’ he announced, still stretching.
You could see a sliver of pale tummy between the end of his T-shirt and the beginning of his waistband.
‘Me too. I think we both needed it.’ Hannah shot her husband a small, secretive smile before walking over to the table and helping herself to what was left of the coffee.
