Page 60 of People Skills

I carry out the cheese platter, and Graham’s wine, and join the gathering. Hillary holds up her glass.

‘Cheers,’ she says.

‘What are we cheersing?’ Graham asks.

‘To our wonderful sons,’ Hillary says.

Xavier gives a strained smile, and James raises his eyebrows in amusement.

‘Ettie would love that,’ James says.

‘She’s not here,’ Hillary says. Everyone clinks glasses. I feel distinctly awkward, which Hillary seems to realise, because she adds, ‘And to Charlotte.’

‘To Charlotte,’ James says, grinning at me. ‘For all she has and will endure.’

‘No assistant has ever survived Hillary for this long,’ Graham says, clinking his glass to mine. ‘What’s your secret?’

‘I love working with Hillary,’ I say.

Hillary is glaring at Graham.

‘Her last assistant had to take stress leave,’ Graham says, chuckling like he has just told a funny story.

‘Graham, that is someone’s private health information,’ Hillary snaps. ‘And she wasn’t my last assistant, it was many, many years ago, and she took stress leave because her boyfriend cheated on her, which was nothing to do with me.’

There is a beat of tense silence.

‘Good cheese, Mum,’ James says, cutting a hunk off onto a biscuit.

‘Thank you,’ she says. ‘But you shouldn’t be eating it with your high cholesterol,’ she adds.

‘I have cholesterol in the upper range of normal,’ James says. ‘Not the same thing.’

‘High cholesterol is a sign of a life well lived,’ Graham says.

‘Xavier, you should get yours checked too,’ Hillary says.

Xavier takes a large sip of wine and makes a noncommittal noise.

‘Xavier lives a stress-free life, his heart will be fine,’ Graham says.

Xavier absorbs this and concentrates on eating a piece of cheese.

Hillary frowns.

‘Graham, what do you do for work?’ I ask. My experience of men like Graham is that it only takes one or two questions about their job for them to talk about it for quite a while. And I’m right because Graham launches into a long speech about his company, which segues into a story about his recent clients, and then into golf. My neck hurts from nodding along. I can see Hillary is annoyed, but I feel like there are hundreds of possible things Graham could have said or done to set her off so it’s impossible to say why. She goes in to check on the food, and I follow and help her.

‘The salmon is ready, if everyone would like to come inside,’ Hillary says, ushering everyone in.

‘Salmon,’ Graham says, sitting down at the table.

‘Is there a problem?’ Hillary says.

‘No, no, salmon will be fine,’ he says.

‘I can make something else if it’s not to your liking, Graham,’ Hillary says.

‘I would never dare criticise your cooking,’ Graham says. ‘Or did Charlotte cook it?’