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The woman has platinum blonde hair, wide blue eyes, and a strained smile stretched across her cherry red lips. The man makes no attempt at a smile. His face is grim and downturned and it’s clear he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“That’s Aunt Marion and Ernest,” Nel tells me quietly, gaze still trained on them as they swan around the room. Marion embraces an older woman I vaguely remember being introduced as Henry’s cousin, while Ernest stands stiffly to the side.
On the other end of the room, Henry spots them both and his eyes narrow immediately. Juliette puts a placating hand over his and whispers something I can’t hear.
“What’s the deal with them?” I ask. “Your dad and Ernest? Why so much bad blood?”
Nel chews on her bottom lip and then shrugs. “I have a theory, but Finn doesn’t agree.”
“Why not?”
“Because, if I’m right, it’s an incredibly petty reason.”
I watch as Marion and Ernest approach Henry and Juliette. Marion pulls her brother into a fleeting hug while Ernest gives both Henry and Juliette a brief nod. His lips move almost imperceptibly and I have to assume he’s saying ‘congratulations’ because Henry gives him a stiff smile in response.
“What’s your theory?” I ask.
“Years ago, Ernest wanted a job at Dad’s company, but Dad said no. He said Ernest didn’t have thatsparkhe was looking for in someone to work for him. Kind of a shitty thing to say, but I get it.”
I blink, waiting for her to continue. “That’s it?” I think about how miserable Finn had been every time he got off a call with his uncle. How he kept chasing his approval but never got it, even though he delivered a phenomenal end product. How Ernest didn’t even send a congratulatory bottle of wine, let alone come and support him on the day of the launch. “There’s got to be another reason.” Surely one man wouldn’t be so petty.
“That’s it,” says Nel. “Ernest has hated him ever since, and Dad’s never been his biggest fan I guess.”
“Why not?”
Another shrug. “From what I’ve heard? Ernest wasn’t the best boyfriend to Aunt Marion back in the day. I think Dad still holds a bit of a grudge, even if she’s forgiven him.”
“And what does she think about their feud?”
“She pretends like she doesn’t notice it. It’s quite fun actually, seeing how much she’s willing to ignore. One Thanksgiving they nearly got into an actual fight over the dinner table. Mom had to literally force Dad to stay in his seat. Aunt Marion didn’t even flinch. She just sat there, picking at her turkey. Oh no.” Nel sucks in a breath and fixes a strained smile onto her face. “Watch out. They’re coming over.”
Marion sweeps across the floor, cutting through the crowd with ease. Ernest trails after her, his displeasure obvious. I’ve only been in his presence for all of ten minutes but I think if I were ever to see him smile, I’d worry he was about to have a heart attack.
“There’s my beautiful niece,” Marion coos in a manner that reminds me strangely of Cynthia. There’s something in her tone that puts me on edge. It’s sounds phoney, like she’s forcing herself to pay Nel a compliment. “It’s been so long. And who is this?” She turns to me, her eyes narrowed as she looks me up and down.
I stick my hand out. “Amber. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“She’s Finn’s girlfriend,” Nel fills in, and I don’t miss the way both Marion and Ernest frown slightly at the mention of his name.
“Finn’s here?” asks Marion. She ignores my still outstretched hand. “I thought he was still in London doing his little launch.”
Hislittlelaunch.
Anger starts to bubble in my stomach, but I force it down.
I don’t think Nel’s got it right. Marion isn’t ignoring the feud between her husband and Henry — she’s stoking it. “The launch happened over a week ago actually,” I tell her stiffly. Ernest’s deep blue eyes flicker over to me. “It went well.Reallywell. You should be proud of him. I know I am.”
“And you are?” Ernest asks.
“Her name is Amber,” Nel says sharply. “Shejustintroduced herself.”
A wave of gratitude washes over me. Nel reminds me of Bailey a little bit; she’s definitely a ride or die.
Ernest ignores her. “The launch was satisfactory.”
“It wasbrilliant,” I snap. A few people around us glance over in our direction, but I pay them no mind. “He did an amazing job pulling everything together in such a short space of time. The launch was featured in every major newspaper and magazine, and you can’t scroll through Instagram these days without seeing an influencer posing inside the club. That’s a hell of a lot more than justsatisfactory.”
He stares at me curiously, like he’s actually seeing me for the first time since this whole conversation started. “He did what was required of him. Nothing more, nothing less.”
