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The weather was lovely that day, so they had dinner outside on the terrace, with the dogs lazing at their feet. It was just the four of them: Eloise, Brooke, Fiona and Genny.
Fiona had decided to stay the night. “Truly, I can’t deal with the boys just yet. I’ll see them tomorrow. It’s soon enough.” She took a big gulp of wine and flicked Genny a quick, disdainful glance as she set the glass down.
Genny always felt edgy around Fiona. She had the definite sense that Fiona didn’t like her, which wasn’t especially surprising. Fiona and Brooke were BFFs after all. No doubt Fiona disliked Genny as a matter of course, out of loyalty to her longtime friend.
Out past the terrace, a nightingale cried.
Brooke shivered. “It always seems so quiet at Hartmore, after London.” She aimed a forced smile at Genny. “Too bad Rafe’s run off. Married barely a week and he’s left you all alone.” Eloise sent a warning look in Brooke’s direction. Brooke waved a hand. “What? It’s just conversation, Granny.”
Genny spoke up. “He’s off on business.” She was proud of how casual and relaxed she sounded. “Just until Wednesday. He wanted me to go with him, of course.” Well, he had asked her if she’d like to go. “But I decided to stick it out here with Eloise. It’s so beautiful this time of year. The buttercups are in bloom now. The daisies and wild roses, too.”
Fiona hid a yawn. “Right. The country. Don’t we just love it?”
“Yes, we do,” replied Eloise strongly. She launched into an enthusiastic description of the success of the weekly market in Hartmore Village, of the upcoming County Show to be held in Elvaston Parish. It promised to be bigger than ever this year.
Fiona hid more yawns and Brooke got a glazed look in her eye.
When Eloise finished, Brooke started in about the new clothes she’d bought in London. “At Fresh,” she announced. “It’s a shop. A wonderful shop. Granny, you remember Melinda Cartside?”
“Of course. From the village. Nice girl. Melvin and Dora’s only daughter.” Eloise explained to Genny, “The Cartsides run the post office and village store.” She turned to Brooke again. “Melinda went off to Paris, didn’t she?”
“She did, yes. But now she’s in Chelsea and she is the genius behind Fresh.”
“Well, I’m so pleased to hear she’s doing well. Dora was brokenhearted when she went away.”
“Well, she needed to make a life that worked for her,” said Brooke, more than a little defensively.
“I know, I know,” Eloise replied mildly. “Children have to go out and make their own way.”
Fiona drank more wine and said that everything Brooke had bought was fabulous. And then Brooke told them that she’d invited Melinda for a visit. “Just a short one. Overnight.”
Eloise agreed that it would be lovely to see her and Genny tried not to wonder what Brooke was up to now—which was pretty small-minded of her, and she knew it. Why shouldn’t Brooke have her friends come to visit?
The meal wore on. Somehow, they got through it without Brooke or Fiona saying anything too awful. After the dessert of fresh berries and cream, Brooke decided to open another bottle of wine.
Eloise shook her head. “You’ll have a headache in the morning.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Granny. It’s just a little wine.”
“No, dear. You’ve had a little wine. When you finish another bottle, you’ll have had a lot of wine.”
Brooke only laughed. “And then I will most likely feel happier about everything.”
Fiona snickered. “After which, we’ll need more wine—to celebrate so much happiness.”
“And I will not be here for that,” said Eloise mildly. “I believe I shall call it a night.”
“Good night, Granny,” Brooke said much too sweetly.
“Yes,” agreed Fiona. “Good night. Lovely dinner.”
“So pleased you enjoyed it.” Eloise got up. The dogs jumped up, too, eager to follow wherever Eloise might lead them.
Genny started to stand. “I’ll come up with you.”
“Oh, no,” said Brooke, much too eagerly. “Genny, don’t go.” Genny. Brooke never called her Genny. Was it a good sign? Genny couldn’t help but doubt that.
“Yes,” agreed Fiona, flashing her pretty white teeth. “You must stay with us. Have a glass of wine. We’ll talk about old times...”
Brooke, Fiona and too much wine. Not a good combination. Genny knew if she stayed things could easily get ugly.
But her pride pricked at her. It seemed so cowardly just to run away from them. They resented her. To them, she had it all by a mere accident of birth. They were the same, of course. Born into good families, both had married wealthy men. But Genny’s luck beat theirs. She was higher born and had an enormous inheritance. Plus, as it turned out, Rafe’s fortune was nothing to sneeze at. So she’d married well, too.
