‘What do you think of this business of the Tree-shagger not turning up?’ Jack asked.
‘It’s a bad business, Mr O.’ Despite his misuse of the family’s favourite epithet for him, Freddie knew that he was referring to Kate’s boyfriend, universally loathed by her entire family. ‘Apparently he’s working.’
‘Huh! That lad wouldn’t know work if it jumped up and bit him. Some day I’d like someone to sit me down and explain to me exactly what he does.’
‘Well, apparently today he’s teaching people to scream.’
‘Jaysus!’ Jack raised his eyes to heaven. ‘Mind you, they’ve got the right man for the job. He’ll have them all tearing their hair out in no time flat. Can’t stand the little git, with his recycled jumpers and his tofu cigarettes.’
‘And his holier-than-thou attitude,’ Freddie joined in. ‘He lords it over anyone who has a real job, but he’s always scrounging money from Kate.’
‘I know. Still, she seems to like him. We just have to hope she eventually sees sense.’
Freddie was buttering bread and dividing the remaining sausages and bacon between two slices. ‘If she’s on her own at the wedding maybe she’ll meet someone nice.’ He slapped the sandwiches together and cut them in half, then piled them onto a plate.
‘You’ll look after her anyway, won’t you, Freddie?’
‘Course I will, Mr O. She’ll always have me.’ Freddie finished filling the glasses and sailed out.
After he had distributed drinks to Rachel and her mother, he returned to Kate’s room and kicked open the door. He was laden down with the sandwiches, sewing box, champagne bottle and glasses.
‘How are things downstairs?’ Kate asked.
‘Well, it’s safe to say you’ve pissed off Rachel. And your mother’s wigging out big-time.’
‘What’s new?’ The O’Neill children often joked that their mother, a former actress, had retired from the stage but had never given up drama.
‘Rachel says you’re to take the dress off again and come down in your dressing gown to have your hair and nails done.’ He deposited his booty by the bed and began rummaging through the sewing box. ‘But keep it on for moment while I pin it. And tell me about Africa,’ he said, through a mouthful of pins.
‘Oh, it was fantastic! Bloody hard work, but worth it.’
‘There, done,’ he said, a few moments later.
Kate took off the dress, got into her dressing gown and flopped onto the bed. ‘Oh God, I just want to sleep for three days.’
‘Tired?’ Freddie ruffled her hair.
‘Absolutely knackered.’
‘That reminds me – I’ve got an extras job for us Monday. D’you mind?’
‘No. I could do with the cash. I’m flat broke. What is it?’
‘Northsiders.’ Freddie supplemented his income as a costume designer with occasional work as an extra, and Kate sometimes joined him when she was between jobs, which was often.Northsiderswas the latest home-grown soap opera.
‘I told them I’d bring you along, too, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.’
‘No, that’s great. Financially Africa was a disaster. I barely managed to scrape the money together for the flight home – thought I’d be stuck there for life at one stage, unless I sold myself to a camel trader. So I’ll have to start hauling my arse around looking for a job – at least now I can put it off until Tuesday.’ She heaved herself up. ‘I suppose I’d better go down and get tarted up.’
‘First things first,’ Freddie said, pouring champagne.
Kate joined him on the floor and they sat leaning against the bed. ‘Brilliant breakfast sandwich,’ she said, through a huge bite.
‘Did you meet anyone nice on your travels?’
‘Oh please, Freddie, don’t start that – I’ll get enough of it later from my relations.’
‘Oh come on, you must havesomegossip – you’ve been gone three months. No bed-hopping on the road?’
