Page 18 of Just for the Season

Eek. I don’t think Marcus is going to be very pleased if ‘this’ expands beyond this room.

‘I don’t think anyone should tell Roderick,’ I say. ‘Just in case he isn’t happy.’

‘Well, I suppose that will be up to Marcus.’ Gran looks wistful for a moment. ‘Roderick and I still aren’t really on speaking terms. It’s been sixty-three years now. I’m sure he loves his grandson more than he hates me, though. I’m sure all he wants is Marcus’s happiness. And no-one could fail to be happy with you, my darling.’

I think about Rick and how he evidently wasn’t happy with me, and how my own mother has never wanted to spend any time with me, and look around for another glass of champagne, just as Ellie pops up next to me holding a glass of water.

‘Were you looking for a drink?’ she asks. ‘Here you go.’

Hmm. If I were suspicious I’d think she’d been watching me and didn’t want me to drink any more alcohol.

I do fancy some water, though, and, when I sip it, it does taste very nice. Very cold and a bit lemony.

‘I was just telling Frankie that Marcus is the grandson of Roderick,’ Gran updates Ellie.

‘What, the Roderick?’ checks Ellie. ‘Jilted Roderick? I didn’t know that. How come you haven’t mentioned it before?’

‘I don’t really enjoy talking about him.’ Gran’s cheeks are tinged a little pink.

Ellie and I look at each other, alarmed. Neither of us would ever want to upset her.

‘Let me tell you about the dreadful team-building mixed football I was dragged into yesterday,’ Ellie says, and then launches into a very long and very funny description of the match she played.

It’s perfect. Gran has no further opportunity to talk to me about Marcus, and her cheeks return to their usual colour. Meanwhile, I begin to realise that I was really quite drunk earlier on. I’m now sober enough to realise that I am in fact still not that sober. I wouldn’t back myself right now to thread a needle or pour any of this champagne into these very slim flutes without spilling it. But I do now have the ability to think straightish, and I can’t help feeling that, even though it felt entirely normal and acceptable at the time, strong-arming someone into being your fake boyfriend for an evening is not fully normal behaviour.

Hmm. I had excellent reasons for doing it and I definitely still think it was a genius idea, but also I think I might actually have to apologise to Marcus.

Not now, though. I’ll think about it properly in the morning. Right now, I’m really, really tired and my head’s starting to ache quite a lot, and I just want to go to bed.

I can see that Marcus is back in the room with Ruby and Sam, and they’re all smiling, so I haven’t caused him any issues with his children, thank goodness. I wouldn’t want to do that.

‘Your lovely boyfriend is back,’ says Gran. ‘You should go and talk to him. Go. Shoo.’

Bugger.

‘Okay,’ I say, and stand up and begin to make my way over to Marcus.

He sees me, and stands, hands in pockets, just watching me. I hope that Gran can’t see the derision in his eyes. He’s definitely laughing at me. Possibly because I’m really, really tired now and it’s honestly a challenge to walk in a completely straight line.

It’s better for him to be laughing at me than angry with me, though.

Hang on, no, I don’t even care what he thinks of me. Or do I? Oh, who knows. I’ll work it out in the morning when I’ve had a very, very long sleep.

‘Hey,’ I say when I reach him. ‘Sorry that I have to come and talk to you, but Gran made me.’

‘I’ll do my best to deal with it.’ He’s definitely in a way better mood now that he’s spoken to his kids.

‘So your chat with Ruby and Sam went well?’ I ask.

‘Yep, they just think you’re a complete lunatic,’ he says very cheerfully, ‘but they’re cool with it.’

‘Great.’

‘Yeah. All good. Now.’ He looks over my head towards the other side of the room. ‘Your grandmother is watching us very closely.’

‘Bloody hell.’

Marcus smiles at me while shaking his head a little, and then throws his head back and laughs.