Page 59 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

‘Of course you’re going to sit with us,’ Sophie said. ‘You are very welcome.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, rather wishing I could disappear back to the house.

Juliet shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked away, and Sophie followed her, tucking the back of her daughter’s hem into her waistband. I felt for her; thirteen was a difficult age. I still remembered how I had felt then. All my thoughts seemed fixed. I was never going to wear make-up and couldn’t understand why anyone would waste their precious time applying it. I’d never get married or have children, I’d be far too busy with my donkey sanctuary for that nonsense. I’d travel the entire world, whilst also managing to look after my donkeys. I’d be a vet and a pop star and live in a cottage by the sea. But, within six months I’d totally reinvent myself. I’d be a scientist and work in a lab; I might have children, but no more than two and I’d still never get married. I’d seen first-hand what marriage could be like for some women. And so it went on. My mother had been brilliant through those times. Always encouraging me to do whatever I wanted rather than squashing my dreams as being as ridiculous as they probably were. And up until the point that she left my father and we moved back to the UK, I hadn’t fully grasped how incredibly difficult it had been for her.

I realised with a horrible sinking feeling that it wasn’t just Dorothy who was going to be disappointed, Juliet was very much invested in this too. Perhaps I could just leave Dorothy to break the news to her after I had disappeared back to Thame. I certainly wouldn’t be moving in with Dorothy now.

What would my mother have done? The thought landed in my head unexpectedly. She would have been upfront and honest about it. She was someone who faced things head-on. No matter the consequences.

I took Dorothy’s arm and we began to walk towards the door. Caroline and Toby were waiting to greet their guests and Leonard was hovering behind them like an annoying fly that needed squashing.

‘You’d think he’d cooked the whole menu himself the way he announced it. I for one will be so glad to be going home tomorrow. I can’t bear to be near that insufferable man for any longer than necessary,’ said Dorothy.

‘You and me both,’ I said.

‘Congratulations, my darling grandson and his beautiful wife!’

We’d reached the front of the queue and Dorothy was embracing Caroline and Toby. I was face to face with Leonard and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

‘Gina, how have you enjoyed your week here as Dorothy’s carer?’

‘Companion, and very well. You have a wonderful home with some beautiful pieces and it has been the perfect venue for this wedding. Caroline and Toby are so lucky to have had the opportunity to have their special day in this special setting.’

I ran out of platitudes then and anyway, Dorothy was giving me a look.

‘Are you quite well, Leonard?’ Dorothy asked. ‘I have to say, you look a little peaky.’

‘Quite well thank you, Dot. Very much looking forward to this meal. What do you think of a seven-course taster menu? Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it.’

‘Philip and I had a taster menu in a Michelin-starred restaurant once. It was rather lacking in substance and we stopped for chips on the way home. Shall we, Gina?’

I suppressed the giggle that was threatening to erupt out of my mouth and guided Dorothy past the incandescent Leonard.

We were the first to arrive at the table and I pulled out the chair for Dorothy. Everyone else in the room was standing behind their chairs waiting for the bride and groom to take their own seats, but judging by the queue to greet them it might be a while.

‘Just sit for a bit,’ I suggested. ‘If you want to, you can stand back up when they come in. No one’s going to mind.’

Dorothy sat down gratefully and helped herself to a glass of water from the table. It was decorated just as Caroline had described with a beautiful low-hung chandelier above us and displays of trailing pale-yellow and white flowers in the centre of the table. There were gifts of little boxed chocolates for each guest to take away, but a lack of table confetti, which pleased me. I’d often been to weddings where the table was littered and you were forever picking it from your sleeves.

I hesitated over whether to bring Dorothy up to speed with what I had found out about Leonard and Peter, and then decided that it was best not to. It really wasn’t anyone else’s business and he’d already had his privacy violated by Leonard; he certainly didn’t need me spreading nasty gossip too. I opened my mouth to let her know that Leonard had moved the painting and that it was unlikely we’d find it now, but then I closed it again. I’d leave that disappointment until after the meal. I should let her enjoy it. There was time enough to deliver that blow later.

We were joined then by the rest of our table. Yvonne sat down next to Dorothy with Bill on the other side of her. Juliet sat next to me, and Sophie and Luke sat opposite. I noticed that Sophie found Luke’s hand as he reached for the menu on the table in front of him and they shared a sweet smile. Juliet might be very much relieved and I was sure Dorothy would be too.

Then the first course arrived and someone poured me a glass of wine. I picked up the menu from the table in front of me. Amuse-Bouche and Breads it read for the first course.

‘Go easy on the bread if we’ve got seven of these to get through,’ said Dorothy.

‘What, not stopping for chips on the way home?’ I said.

‘I made that up, of course. I just wanted to wipe that smug smile from his irritating face.’

‘It worked – he looked thunderous.’

‘One must get one’s digs in whilst one can.’

In fact, it was hard not to devour the whole lot of miniature homemade breads, piquant butter and tiny cup of intense mushroom soup. So I did and then reached again for the menu to see what was next.

There was relaxed conversation around the table during the next two courses of Pea and Mint Tart followed by Hand-Dived Scallop Ceviche. I tried to include Juliet in the chatter about our week in Leonard’s manor, but she wasn’t offering much apart from pointed looks. I would have to tell her, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.