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Chapter 24
I’m not going to pull Jasper out of his own mother’s party just to pick me up, so I order a cab to take me to Maude’s house. In the car, I tap out an apology to Dee:
You know I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m sorry. I’m on my way to see Jasper now. xxx
The cab driver stops for me at one of the honesty boxes by the side of the road, a small stall selling vegetables and flowers. I can’t imagine anything like this working in a big city. Checking I have the right change, I pick up a bunch of ‘modern pinks’ for Maude and put the money in the box.
When I arrive, I can hear people out the back, so I walk around to the garden. Jasper is chatting away to an elderly lady in a wheelchair, while holding a plate of sandwiches and a bottle of champagne. He’s laughing kindly at something the woman is saying, and I feel instantly glad that I came.
He looks up and sees me across the garden and his face breaks into a huge smile. I wave, not wanting to interrupt his conversation. He says something to the lady in the wheelchair, and she waves both hands at me in delight. Jasper bounds over and kisses me on both cheeks.
‘You came,’ he says. ‘How did you know where to come, I forgot to send you the address?’
‘Oh, um, Google. I am a journalist,’ I half laugh, half sigh.
Jasper tilts his head in concern. ‘And are you feeling better after a lie down?’
I nod, prickling with guilt as I think about the nature of my ‘lie down’ – in the sand, with Ted on top of me, his mouth against mine.
‘You look flushed, Laura; are you sure you’re alright?’
‘Yes, fine, thank you, feeling much better.’ I pinch my lips together, annoyed at my face for giving me away.
‘Let me introduce you to my family. I’ve already told them all about our suitcase story.’
Jasper ushers me over to Maude, who is seated on the patio, talking to Keith and a lady with messy grey curls. At the far end of the table are two women in their thirties who look alarmingly like Jasper, but with Kate Middleton’s physique and wardrobe. They both have long dark hair, the same dimpled grin, and aristocratic posture. The taller of the two has a long string of pearls around her neck, and the other wears some eye-catching orange earrings.
‘Laura, this is my mother, Maude,’ Jasper says, making introductions. ‘Keith and his wife June, then two of my sisters, Jocelyne and Juliette, who are over from the UK for the day.’
The sisters both hold up a hand in greeting. Keith eyes me suspiciously, recognising me from the fete.
‘Laura and I met at the fete yesterday,’ he says, narrowing his eyes. ‘Glad to see you tracked your man down, then.’
Keith says it like I’m some kind of sniper out to snare Jasper in my black widow’s net, and there he is, sitting between his wife and mistress in broad daylight, giving me the judgey eyes. I don’t often take against people, but I have decided I do not like Bee Man Keith.
‘Happy birthday,’ I say, smiling at Maude and handing her the bunch of flowers. I’m finding it hard not to think a little badly of her, too, the fact that she’s invited the wife of the man she’s carrying on with to her birthday party. June sits silently, hardly acknowledging my presence. Poor woman, she probably knows what’s going on, but Keith’s gaslighting her into thinking Maude’s ‘just a friend from bee club’. Then again, maybe kissing two different men in the same day precludes me from making moral judgements here.
‘Jasper’s been talking about you non-stop,’ says Maude.
‘He has,’ confirms Jocelyne, reaching out to squeeze Jasper’s cheek, ‘he’s a smitten kitten.’
‘Please don’t make me sound uncool,’ Jasper blushes, and I feel a swell of affection for him.
‘Well, thank you for letting me gatecrash your party,’ I say to Maude.
‘Jasper’s “suitcase girl” is most welcome. Thank you for these,’ says Maude, smelling the flowers I have given her.
Jasper buzzes around me, fetching me a drink, introducing me to his mother’s friends. I wonder at how welcoming everyone is. This is the second party I’ve been invited to join – I can’t even think of the last time I went to two parties in the same weekend. The guests here feel more staid than Gerry’s. The tone is more cucumber sandwiches and tea from good china, than sausage baps in napkins and sangria out of plastic cups.
Jasper leads me over the croquet lawn, up to the far end of the garden to show me the beehive he commissioned Keith to make for Maude.
‘There’s nothing Keith doesn’t know about bees,’ he explains.
‘So, Keith’s a friend of your mum’s, is he?’ I ask, unable to stop myself from prying.
‘Yes, they’re very close,’ says Jasper as we walk back towards the group gathered around the patio table outside the house. Then I notice Keith is holding Maude’s hand, right in front of June; the man is completely shameless!
‘So, what brings you to the island, Laura?’ Jocelyne asks, straightening the blue velvet Alice band on her glossy mane of hair.
