He’s yanked out a couple of strands and is staring at them critically, running his fingertips along their length before he bursts out laughing. ‘It’s icing sugar from the cupcakes!’
‘Icing sugar? You mean you pulled out my hair for nothing?’ I rub the sore spot on my head and grin to let him know I’m not really annoyed. The churning in my belly subsides.
‘Come on, let’s go.’ Nathan takes my arm once more and we make our way over to the clubhouse, where I spot Kelly and Sonny standing next to Tia and Rosie. Ed is close by chatting to Ash while trying to keep hold of little Leo. I’m nervous about going over, as I get the feeling Tia isn’t too keen on me these days. And Nathan always gets this macho competitiveness whenever he talks to Ed. Not sure why, as Ed is the most easy-going person I know. I think somehow Ed’s laid-back personality riles Nathan in some way.
I inhale deeply, needing to let go of all this anxiety. If Nathan has a problem with Ed, there’s nothing I can do about it. Same goes for Tia. If she has a bee in her bonnet about something that I may or may not have done, she should just tell me what it is. I wish I could run home and sit on the deck on my own. Maybe read a book or paint. That would be a real luxury right now.
‘Hey, Fi, Nathan.’ Kelly smiles and beckons us over. Her warmth is infectious, and I feel myself relaxing a little.
‘You managed to bag a great spot,’ Nathan says, nodding appreciatively at the view over the lake.
‘We saved you some chairs!’ Sonny says proudly.
‘Hello, Tia.’ Nathan nods at her. ‘Is Ed ready to get his arse kicked this afternoon?’
‘You’ll have to ask him.’ I cringe at the flirtatious wink Tia gives my husband. She just can’t help herself, and Ed is only standing a few feet away. She’s not even properly dressed for a regatta, in very short cut-off shorts that highlight her long brown legs, a silk leopard-print vest top and trainers. Yet somehow she manages to look relaxed and stunning. I feel overdressed by comparison.
‘You’re not racing?’ Nathan asks her.
Tia pulls a sad face. ‘No time to train. My little monsters keep me too busy.’
‘That’s a shame. Be good to see you up at the clubhouse again.’
‘Maybe I’ll get back into it some day, once they’re older.’
Ed catches my eye and waves. I give a half-hearted wave back, aware that Nathan still has hold of my arm and is squeezing it quite tightly.
I catch the eye of a woman whose kitchen I designed last year – Lucinda Blethin. She’s standing with a group of local women, most of whom I recognise and grew up with. I smile and wave. But instead of smiling back, Lucinda turns to her friends and says something. They all glance over at me and then they look at Kelly. A couple of them curl their lips in what looks like disgust. Their unfriendly scrutiny makes me anxious and I wonder whether I should mention it to Kelly. Maybe she knows why they’re being so rude.
‘They’ve started!’ Sonny cries, a pair of binoculars glued to his eyes.
I’ll have to wait until later to speak to Kelly about Lucinda. I realise she needs to focus on the race right now.
‘How’s Ryan doing?’ Nathan asks.
‘Not sure, hang on.’ Sonny twists the dial on his binoculars.
A line of white sails slice across the surface of the lake like paper cut-outs. Kelly’s boss Derek is on the PA system commentating. I’m not too sure what’s going on, but I hear Ryan’s name mentioned a couple of times. We watch for a while, but I still can’t make out who’s who.
‘Ryan’s out in front!’ Sonny cries.
‘Go, Ryan!’ Tia yells, her confident cry ringing out across the water.
The crowd along the shoreline are cheering and waving, even though there’s no way any of the competitors would be able to hear from so far away. They’re getting closer though, and as they do, their speed takes my breath away. I wonder why I’ve never got involved in sailing. It’s such a big part of Ashridge life and it looks like something I would enjoy – a real adrenalin rush. Nathan would probably laugh if I suggested it though. He’d tell me I wasn’t suited to it. That I’d end up hurting myself or making a fool of myself. He’s probably right.
‘Oh no!’ Sonny’s cry draws our attention. ‘I think… I think Ryan’s in trouble.’
‘What do you mean?’ Kelly takes the binoculars from her son and swears under her breath as she attempts to refocus them and get the boats in her sight. ‘Which one is he?’ Kelly cries.
‘Number seventeen,’ Sonny replies, his eyes full of fear. ‘He’ll be okay, won’t he?’
‘He’ll be fine,’ I say, taking Sonny’s hand and giving it a rub. Although I have no idea what’s actually happening out there. I glance over at Kelly’s white features and pray that Ryan’s okay. She can’t have another tragedy in her life. Not after losing Michael.
Twenty-Three
FIONA
I strain my eyes to try and work out what’s happening out on the lake. But all I can see are a mass of white sails and churned-up water.
