Then, and I have never been so pleased to see a dog, Watson ran out, tail swishing from side to side. He trotted up to Charles and immediately rolled on to his back, paws in the air. Charles crouched beside him– easily, I noticed; no crunch in his knees– and rubbed the dog’s ears, telling him he was a good boy.
Jasmine was gazing at the house. ‘Charles, when you told me you had a little place in Scotland, you didn’t tell me it was a littlecastle.’
‘That’s what I said.’
It was the first time I’d spoken. Possibly the first time Charles noticed I was there; certainly the first time he acknowledgedme. I shot a meaningful look at Holly, who quickly said, ‘Dad, I want you to meet Patrick.’
He was still crouching beside the dog. I stepped forward, expecting him to stand and shake my hand. But without getting up, he simply said, ‘Patrick,’ leaving me there with my hand out, feeling like an idiot.
Jasmine, however, drew me into one of her already famous hugs.
‘Another newcomer,’ she said close to my ear. ‘We’ll have to look out for each other.’
I liked her immediately.
Charles got to his feet– again, no sign that he was anything other than fit and strong– and said, ‘Well, is someone going to make us a cup of tea?’
‘I’ll do it,’ Lewis said. ‘I make the best tea in this family. Mum always said so.’
I expected Miranda or Holly to argue, but they were both silent and staring at Jasmine again, smiles frozen on their lips. I wanted to tell Holly she was being blatant– rude, in fact, which was completely out of character for Holly– but Jasmine seemed oblivious. She followed Lewis into the house, and Charles went, too, the dog trotting along beside him. I was left with Miranda and Holly. The second the others disappeared through the front door, their smiles disappeared.
‘Is it just me?’ Holly whispered to Miranda.
‘No. It’s not.’
‘I can’t… I can’t believe it. What the fuck is going on?’
‘I was about to ask the same.’
‘Miranda? Holly?’ Lewis called from the doorway. ‘What are you doing? Are you coming in?’
‘Later,’ Holly whispered to Miranda, and we all went into the kitchen, where Jasmine and Charles were sitting at thedining table. Lewis fussed around, searching for clean mugs. ‘Anyone else want tea?’
‘I’d love one,’ I said.
‘Let me make it.’ Miranda shouldered her way past Lewis, who was staring at the kettle like he didn’t know how it worked.He probably had a boiling-water tap at home, like Holly. ‘Anyone else, or is it just Jasmine?’
‘I said I’d like one,’ I said. She was as flustered as Lewis and I wasn’t sure if she had heard me. There was no sign of Zack, and I remembered his words from just before, his prediction of stormy weather. Miranda reached up to take down some mugs and dropped one. It landed on the counter with a bang that made the dog jump up.
‘Oh, fuck,’ Miranda said, hands on her head. ‘Oh God.’
The mug, which bore a picture of the Loch Ness Monster, lay on the counter, the handle broken off. She picked it up like it was baby bird that had fallen from a tree. Holly and Lewis were acting like she’d stabbed someone.
‘That was Mum’s mug,’ Holly said. ‘Her favourite mug.’
‘Jesus Christ.’ There was the scrape of a chair as Charles got to his feet and stomped across the kitchen. In one smooth motion, he scooped up the mug and handle and dropped it into the bin. ‘What’s the matter with all of you? Have you been taking drugs? Holly, you haven’t gone back to your old ways, have you?’
‘No, of course not. But I think I might be hallucinating.’ She said it with a sidelong glance at Jasmine.
‘Screw the tea,’ Charles said. ‘We’ve been travelling all night, and I am exhausted.’
‘Beds in first class not what they used to be?’ Lewis asked.
‘No. They are not. And they let all sorts in there now.’ He sounded very far from the humble market trader he portrayedhimself to be in public. ‘I’m going for a kip. Jasmine? Are you coming?’
‘I’ll come up in a little while, darling,’ she said.
He went back to the table and kissed her. A proper kiss that lasted several seconds.
