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“You THINK so?” Minty grabbed my hand and turned it this way and that. We both watched, stunned, as the diamond caught every glint of light and magnified it a million times, bouncing crystalline shards off the walls.
“Fuck me. That’s not an engagement ring, that’s a freaking island.”
“Don’t talk to me about islands,” I muttered. “I’ve had enough of islands.”
Minty dropped my hand reluctantly and cast her eyes back to mine. “Me too.”
“What do you mean?” I whispered.
“Hector and I have decided to move to London.” Her eyes rounded and I saw in them, for the first time since I’d known her, trepidation.
“Really?”
She shrugged. “Well, you know. There’s nothing here for us anymore. My parents are long gone. Hector’s are in Scotland. We’ve just given the distillery to Jasper and Arran. What’s to stop us? Plus…” she leaned towards me with a look of glee on her face, “I’ve made these awesome friends who said they’ll help get us settled.”
I looked over Minty’s shoulder and caught the eyes of Em and Peggy. They both brandished their thumbs up at me, triggering a spontaneous eye roll.
I wrapped my arms around her and muttered into her hair. “I’m so pleased for you. I think you’ll be really happy there.”
After a thorough hugging, Minty released me and smiled. “And what about you, Viv? Where will you and Rupert go?”
I took a deep breath and looked around as I exhaled. “I don’t know yet. Rupert wants to hire someone to manage the Bas business day-to-day. I want to do more tourism work…”
Minty shot me a side-eye glare.
“I know, I know…” I said with a shrug. “But there’s a lot I want to learn first. We’re hoping to travel, as soon as the rehab centres are up and running. Rupert needs a break.”
“So do you,” Minty said with a smile.
I sighed in agreement.
“Holy crap.” Minty suddenly grabbed my arm. “Tell me I’m imagining this.”
“Imagining what?” I twisted around to see what Minty and half the room were staring at, then my stomach thudded to the floor and I rammed my new diamond-clad hand into my jacket pocket.
Walking through the throngs of people, wearing a fuchsia pink lace dress that highlighted her blonde curls and dewy lips to perfection, was Elspeth Cartwright. She was such a vision in Oscar de la Renta that it was with some reluctance my eyes were dragged to her right, where they landed on a familiar-looking chaperone. As they got closer, I recognised Dan, the man rumoured to have been Elspeth’s forbidden childhood sweetheart.
“What’s she doing here?” I stage-whispered to Minty. Rupert hadn’t divorced her yet, so she was still, in the eyes of the law, Rupert’s wife. Tendrils of jealousy curled around my heart, the weight of the diamond doing nothing to hold them back.
“I might be wrong,” Minty replied, leaning sideways into me, “but I think she wants to be one of us.”
I stared, struggling to comprehend that possibility. “but she’s always been such a snob.”
“Well, sure. But people can change.” Minty flicked a stern eye in my direction and I decided to keep my mouth shut.
I watched Elspeth work the room from a distance. It was obvious most people were perplexed at her presence but as more and more witnessed the fondness that existed between her and Dan, they opened up. As they approached, Minty pushed a Hendricks and tonic into my hand, knowing full well I hated the stuff, but also knowing I had nothing else to hand and could use the prop.
“Vivian.”
The sound of Elspeth’s voice sent shivers down my back, but I held them at bay with a tightened breath and turned with a forced smile to greet her.
“Gosh, Elspeth,” I gushed. “How lovely to see you.”
She stood still for a moment then narrowed her eyes. “Vivian… You forget I shadowed you for several months. I’ve seen the way you are with people – those you like and those you don’t. I know when you’re putting on an act.”
“I would use the word ‘shadow’ lightly, Vivian,” I said. “You spent most of the time reading fashion magazines, remember?”
She tipped her chin up, glaring down her nose at me.
