Page 52 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

‘Anything interesting?’

‘Well, it was odd. Rufus telling Sandra that he’d found a compromising video of Leonard and someone, unnamed.’

‘Oh dear,’ Dorothy shuddered at the thought.

‘Yes, and something about them having him now, and blackmail, and how could it be any worse. Not sure it really helps with what we’re trying to do, to be honest, but Juliet will play it for you if you want to hear it.’

‘Okay, and in the meantime we have a garden party to get ready for,’ Dorothy said.

‘Yes, but only if you’re well enough to go?’

‘I shall make every effort to join in. That way, I won’t miss out on any opportunity to make Leonard squirm. I know an awful lot more about him now.’

Dorothy thought Gina looked lovely in a pair of pale-blue linen trousers and a cream blouse, but she noticed Gina never wore short sleeves and thought she must be hot. Dorothy herself had chosen a light summer dress in lavender, which Gina helped her into when her arms didn’t seem to want to work properly.

‘I love that your dress has such deep pockets,’ Gina said. ‘Not enough women’s clothes have pockets.’

‘That’s all to do with us having to have good silhouettes. I used to subscribe to that rubbish, but not any more. Pockets are useful; silhouettes are not.’

They made their way slowly down the stairs and outside into the parterre garden where Leonard had arranged to have several separate gazebos constructed with tables and chairs underneath. Every table had a vase of lemon-coloured roses and jugs full of ice and sparkling elderflower. Music filled the air from another gazebo where Dorothy could see a string quartet playing. The guests looked relaxed and delighted to be there while Caroline and Toby flitted between the groups, making sure everyone was having a good time. Dorothy watched as Gina took a couple of glasses and filled them.

‘I really want to hate him with everything I have heard about him,’ Gina said, ‘but I do have to commend him on another fabulous set-up. He’s a wonderful host.’

‘I think you’re to be congratulated on your kind nature, Gina. It’s an excellent trait to see mostly good in people. But, please don’t confuse wonderful host with narcissistic show-off with head up own arse,’ Dorothy said, causing Gina to splutter out some of the juice she still had in her mouth. ‘I, however, wish him a grizzly death where he is dragged through the snow by rabid wolves and torn limb from limb. Ah! Yvonne, how lovely to see you.’

Dorothy turned from Gina to greet her old friend who was wearing a large pink hat and a matching dress with plunging neckline in, what Dorothy knew to be, her wonderfully extravagant signature style. They leaned into each other to kiss cheeks and then choose seats in the shade.

‘Gina, my oldest friend – Yvonne. Yvonne, my newest friend – Gina.’

Gina extended her hand and Yvonne shook it vigorously.

‘Pleasure,’ Yvonne said. ‘Although I can’t possibly be your oldest friend, Dorothy. I’m only eighty-nine, the same as you,’ she said with a deep laugh. ‘I have a proposition for you, dear.’

‘Oh? I’m all ears,’ Dorothy said and then noticed that Gina was giving her a pointed look and turning her head in the direction of the rose garden. Dorothy looked to see Peter walking under the arch covered in white blooms.

‘Dorothy, would you like me to stay with you, or shall I go and mingle?’ Gina said, extending the syllables of the word mingle.

‘Oh, please do go and mingle. I have a lot of catching up to do with Yvonne. And, Gina,’ she said. ‘If you happen to go back indoors, would you be so kind as to fetch me that little packet of tissues I’ve left on my bedside table. No rush, mind, just in a while, if you’re going.’

Dorothy touched Gina’s arm and smiled as Gina placed her glass back on the table.

‘Of course, no problem at all,’ she said and then after a nod at Yvonne, Dorothy watched her as she made her way across the lawn, past the sculpted topiary, down the steps towards the sunken rose garden in pursuit of Peter.

21

GINA

‘Peter!’ I called out as I picked up my pace. I looked back over my shoulder to see that Dorothy and Yvonne were chatting animatedly, Leonard was in deep conversation with a couple holding a baby and that Juliet had found a young lad to speak to. As everyone seemed occupied I wondered if I should really be indoors on the hunt, with that pretext of fetching Dorothy’s tissues, but for some reason I felt drawn to talk to Peter again.

He was already inside the confines of the rose garden by the time I caught up with him and he had his head stooped, his hand cupping an orange rose, his nose inside the petals. The garden was set up in an oval shape, reminding me of the room in the house with the stolen items and for a moment I wondered if Dorothy’s painting could be out here, but just a quick glance told me there were no hiding places. There were four borders, though full of rose bushes. I thought it would have been spectacular in June, but now during the last few days of August, there were only a few blooms left. Some of the remaining buds may never open and a good north-easterly wind would see the last of the flowers off. I could see a bench at one end near a water feature that was set into the wall. A bronze lion’s head dribbled water onto stones below. Down here the music and chatter was faint and I imagined that bench would be a perfect place to sit and contemplate life, or to read a book, or just to look at the roses with a glass of wine. I had a sudden urge to do all three.

‘Hello, Peter,’ I said and then realised I’d made him jump as he dropped the rose. ‘Wonderful garden party.’

‘Yes, it is. Leonard has outdone himself again. Hello, Gina.’

Peter walked to the bench and sat down. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.

‘It’s so peaceful here, you wouldn’t imagine that this house could harbour such a wealth of secrets.’