‘Kate, are you okay?’
She was aware that her eyes were full of tears. ‘I’m just so sick of being a wallflower, Freddie. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Everyone says a wedding’s a good place to meet men, but it’s not.’
‘All the romance getting to you, is it?’
‘Don’t mind me, I’ve just had too much to drink and too little sleep.’ She sniffed. ‘I need my bed and my own clothes.’
‘Anyway, do youwantto meet men?’ Freddie asked cautiously. ‘What about Brian?’
‘Yes, whataboutBrian? Where the fuck is he when I needhim? I mean he hasn’t seen me inthree monthsand instead of racing over at the first opportunity, he’s made a bloodydate.’
‘So, when are you seeing him?’
‘Tomorrow evening.’ She sighed heavily.
‘You don’t sound too happy about it.’
‘I am, it’s just?—’
‘Feeling guilty about the long dong from Down Under, are you?’
‘No, not at all. I’m totally off the hook on that one. Before I went away, Brian and I agreed we were on a break and we could see other people.’
‘His idea, I suppose?’
‘Of course. I think he had someone in mind when he said it. Probably one of his groupies.’
‘He’s gotgroupies?’
‘Oh yes, lots. You’d be surprised.’
‘I’d be absolutely gobsmacked.’ At least it had backfired on the little toerag, Freddie thought gleefully. ‘So, if it’s not that, what’s bothering you about seeing him?’
‘It’s just that I know he’ll start a serious discussion about “the relationship” – where we are, where we’re going, blah, blah, blah – but I just want a nice dinner, a bottle of wine and a welcome-back shag. I was supposed to be giving some thought to “the relationship” while I was away. I just wish he didn’t make me feel like tomorrow’s the exam and I haven’t done any revision.’
‘Never mind. Monday we’ll have a quiet night in on the sofa. I can’t offer the shag, I’m afraid, but I could stretch to a bottle of wine and a pizza. And we can have a Dr McDreamy marathon – I’ve got three months’ worth ofGrey’s Anatomyrecorded for you.’
‘God, Freddie, if you could just give methat shag I’d dump Brian in a second.’
Just then, the DJ started playing ‘Dancing Queen’ and Freddiejumped up, extending a hand to Kate. ‘Come on,’ he said, ‘they’re playing my song.’
* * *
‘And I thought we could move that painting of your mother’s from the hall.’ On the dance floor, Tina was outlining to Will her plans for invitingHello!magazine to interview her in his ‘gracious home’.
‘I love that painting.’
‘It’s sodarkand gloomy!’
‘Well, she did it not long before she died.’
‘Oh.’ Tina made a sympathetic face. ‘Well, we can discuss it later,’ she said soothingly. ‘Anyway, in the living room, I thought I could pose in front of the fireplace, and we could hang your mother’s drawing of you over it – that little pencil sketch. Ilovethat. And since you refuse to be in any of the pictures, I thought it would be nice if you were present in some way.’
Will looked down at her. ‘I don’t refuse to be in any of the pictures.’
‘You don’t?’ Tina’s face lit up in delight.
‘No. You can put my urn on top of the mantelpiece and get a picture of that. Or you can scatter my ashes in the living room and they can get a shot of me sprinkled over the carpet.’
