Page 89 of People Skills

‘Thank you,’ Ettie says, looking anything but thankful.

She’s almost seven months pregnant, and her bump is perfectly round and neat. Her shiny light-brown hair is in a loose, artful bun, and the diamond engagement ring on her finger is bigger than any I have seen in real life before.

I hand her a box of chocolates that I bought, as wine was obviously wrong but I felt I should have something to give her. But now I am giving it to her, I feel ridiculous.

She takes the box, and smiles. ‘You shouldn’t have. Thank you.’

‘I wasn’t sure if you’re up to eating chocolate,’ I say.

‘I only vomit occasionally now,’ Ettie says.

‘Honey,’ Hillary says. ‘Let’s try to limit the mentions of vomit tonight.’

‘Sorry Mum, I don’t have much else going on in my life right now.’

Hillary turns to me. ‘Is Xavier with you?’

‘No, I thought he was already here,’ I say.

‘Uh-oh,’ Ettie says. ‘This whole night is a ruse to get him and Lana in the same room and he’s not coming. He’s sniffed out your plan, Mum. I told you he would.’ She leans back, opens the chocolates and starts eating them.

‘Ettie!’ Hillary says, looking appalled. ‘We’re about to have dinner.’

‘The doctor said if I feel I can stomach something, I should just eat it, because the feeling can go away very quickly,’ Ettie says, chomping down on the chocolates. ‘Also, it’s my birthday. Please let me have one moment of pleasure.’

‘Okay, darling, have your moment,’ Hillary says. ‘I’m just going to pop outside and see if anyone needs anything.’

I pull out my phone to message Xavier.

Where are you? I write.

‘He’s not coming, is he?’ Ettie says, not looking at me but holding up a chocolate to examine it and then checking its description on the back of the box.

‘Oh, um,’ I say, disconcerted that she knows I’m messaging him. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Tell him not to. Tell him Lana is here and Mum is being insane and Dad is acting weird, and it’s the worst birthday ever.’ She smiles at me, and eats another chocolate. ‘These are good.’

‘I’m glad,’ I say, and I start to move away because, honestly, she scares me a little. ‘I’m just going to get a drink.’

‘Could you get me a water?’

‘Of course.’

As I am walking towards the kitchen, James grabs my arm and draws me into the butler’s pantry with him.

‘Where’s Xavier?’ he asks.

‘I don’t know,’ I say. I check my phone. No response to my message.

‘I called him, and he didn’t answer,’ James says.

‘I told him about Lana coming,’ I say. ‘So I’m not sure he’ll turn up.’

‘Thank god,’ James says. ‘Mum’s plan is diabolical. As all her plans are. I didn’t know Lana would be here until I arrived, or I would have warned him.’

‘Hillary said they were talking again, so maybe he’s just nervous about seeing her in person.’

‘I don’t trust Mum’s interpretation of what talking again means. Oh, and Dad is here and acting inappropriately.’