Page 48 of The Way We Are Now

‘I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this,’ Duncan said, patting my arm and turning away.

‘Yes,’ I said politely, ‘I guess so. The last thing I want is to make anyone feel uncomfortable when I’ve been invited here as a guest…’ But Duncan had obviously finished the conversation and was now talking to another woman who’d joined the group.

‘Sorry,’ I said to Theo, feeling close to tears. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why should you be sorry?’

‘I seem to end up arguing with people.’

Theo laughed. ‘I wouldn’t call that an argument. Come on, have another drink and meet my friends. They’re probably a lot easier to cope with than some of my family.’

He took my hand and we moved through the crowd, Theo stopping every now and again to say hello and introduce me to people, and I began to relax. I loved the feel of my hand in his and, as we stood slightly apart from the others near a richly curtained window at the far end of the hall, every now and again he glanced down at me, moving his thumb gently and reassuringly across my own.

‘Where’s your other sister?’ I asked. ‘I thought you had four?’

‘Georgina’s in New York. Working there. You’d like her, Anna. She reminds me of you for some reason.’

‘Oh?’

‘She’s lovely for a start and great fun. Doesn’t put up with any crap from this family of mine. Just says it as it is. I suppose it always used to be me and Georgina pitted against the other two.’ Theo glanced back towards his older sisters and their partners. ‘She was at Durham – always been Dad’s favourite – and now she’s living in the States working for a magazine over there.’

‘My brother David wants to write,’ I said. ‘Sees his future as a political journalist.’

‘He escaped going down the mine then?’

I nodded. ‘He’s very bright. Got a first from Newcastle.’ I hesitated. ‘I suppose Dad and I have always sort of known it, but David’s… well, he’s… just come out.’

‘He’s gay?’

‘Hmm. Bit of a shock to Mum and Les who don’t really understand it all. Well, Mum’s OK, I mean, he’s her beloved firstborn, but Les seems to think it some slur on his own masculinity. Something not to own up to – you know, having one of them as a brother.’

‘Can’t be easy, coming out in a small mining community.’ Theo frowned.

‘No, I don’t suppose it is. I can’t see him ever coming back to Yorkshire. He’ll end up in London. Where he needs to be, I guess, if his political voice is to be heard.’ When Theo didn’t say anything, but appeared to be mulling over what I’d just told him, I took a big glug of champagne as well as a deep breath and said, ‘Everyone seems to have expected someone called Susannah to have been here?’

‘Yes.’

‘And?’

‘And?’ Theo turned, taking a couple more glasses from a passing waitress and then relented. ‘Susannah and I got together last year. She came home with me a couple of times.’ He shrugged, never taking his eyes from my own.

‘The squash player? She was with you down at the squash courts once.’

Theo nodded. ‘She’s a very good player.’

‘And you’re not with her any more?’

‘Anna, I wouldn’t have invited you here this evening if there was still anything between Susannah and me.’

‘I wouldn’t have come if there was.’

‘I know you wouldn’t. I think you have the most integrity of anyone I’ve ever met.’

‘And I’m here because of my integrity?’ I laughed.

‘No, you’re here because I really enjoyed the evening we spent together the other week. The thing is, Anna, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you.’

‘Really?’ I felt a warm glow suffuse through my whole body and found myself leaning into Theo.