‘It’s a pack of lies. Tina and I broke up that night. Kate ran off before I got a chance to say anything to her, and then I had to go to England for my father’s funeral. I thought she was still at the villa until I got back there yesterday.’
‘So you’re not in love with Tina?’ Freddie said, brightening.
‘No. I’m in love with Kate. I’ve got to see her.’
‘She’s really not here, though,’ Freddie said, quite sympathetically now.
‘Well, can I wait until she comes back?’
‘Yes, of course, but I don’t know how long she’ll be.’
‘Where is she?’
Freddie looked warily at Ken. ‘She’s gone to see Brian.’
‘Oh!’ Will looked utterly defeated.
‘Don’t worry,’ Freddie said. ‘She’s gone to break up with him. Only he’s doing some weekend-workshop thing and she had to go to Wicklow, so it could be quite late when she gets back.’
‘I don’t mind.’
‘You’ve nothing to worry about,’ Freddie said consolingly – Will looked very glum. ‘Kate’s crazy about you. Besides, you’re every woman’s dream now – a rich orphan. Sorry about your father, by the way.’
‘Thanks.’
Freddie sighed, evidently satisfied. ‘I suppose we’d better give him some peas,’ he said to Ken, who nodded and went back into the kitchen.
‘Oh, no thanks, I’m not hungry,’ Will said hastily.
Freddie laughed. ‘They’re not to eat, silly,’ he said, rolling his eyes indulgently. ‘They’re for your eye.’
Ken returned and handed Freddie a bag of frozenpetits poisand Freddie leaped onto the sofa beside Will, pressing it to Will’s nose.
‘Thanks.’ Will reached up to hold the bag for himself, but Freddie slapped his hand away.
‘Come on, let me do it. I’ll probably never get another opportunity – there’s not much chance of any boyfriend of mine getting into a fight.’ He threw a fondly disparaging look at Ken.
‘I hope I’m not interrupting anything?’ Will said.
‘Oh no. We were just having a girls’ night in. We’ve got a DVD – one of those movies where the geeky girl gets to go to the prom with the coolest boy in the school. I love those movies about the prom, don’t you?’ he said cosily.
‘I live for them,’ Will said drily.
‘And we’ve got another for later –Fist of Glory.’
‘Oh, a boxing movie?’ Will asked, surprised. He hadn’t thought that would be Freddie’s type of thing.
‘Um, no, not exactly,’ Freddie grinned.
‘Oh! Oh, right.’
‘You’re welcome to stay for dinner,’ Freddie said. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to have yet.’
‘I think it’s obvious,’ Ken said, grinning. ‘Will looks to me like a man in dire need of a good risotto.’
For some reason that Will couldn’t fathom, Freddie seemed to find this hilarious.
‘Actually I’m not that fond of risotto,’ he said.
