Our swim was delightful. The pool was beautifully warm and, as well as helping her with the exercises she had been given by her physiotherapist, I sat and allowed the fountain to cascade over my shoulders as Marilise paddled about on her own. When I could see her starting to tire, I suggested going into the steam room for a few minutes and then, after a cooling shower, we went to lunch.
‘How was your swim this morning?’ asked Angela as we sat down.
‘Very good,’ replied Marilise. ‘Although Laura here is a harder taskmaster than you when it comes to my exercises.’
‘Which is exactly why we need her!’ replied Angela. ‘Somebody needs to be strict with you.’
The light-hearted conversation continued until the subject came around to the charity concert.
‘Bridget Montgomery rang earlier,’ said Astrid. ‘She pretended to be interested in a recipe I told her about not long ago, but she wanted to know if you were going to that concert, Nick.’
He groaned.
‘The formal invitation only came yesterday – give me a break.’
‘You might as well accept,’ said India. ‘You know you’re going to in the end. But I had a brilliant idea yesterday!’
I looked over at her sharply. Surely she wasn’t going to…
‘I think that you should take Laura with you as your plus one,’ she continued. ‘It might put Mrs Montgomery off the matchmaking, for a while at least, and Minty would be pleased.’ She turned to me. ‘You know her, don’t you?’
I nodded.
‘Yes, she’s one of my sister’s bridesmaids, about as eager for the job as I am, but it’s her brother she’s marrying.’
‘Your sister’s marrying Hugo?’ asked Nick.
‘That’s right,’ I said. ‘Have you been invited to the wedding?’
‘No,’ he replied. ‘Minty and I were great friends, but I never really…gelledwith her brothers.’
‘I don’t blame you,’ I said indiscreetly. ‘Hugo’s nice enough but so proper and old-fashioned in his outlook. He pities me more because I have a career than because I’m a widow. I haven’t met Giles, the eldest brother, but he’s married to Steph’s best friend, Dorothea.’
‘Whether he wants to be or not,’ said Nick. ‘She’s a very determined woman, by all accounts. Now, we’re all taking bets on how long it will be before she turfs out the Montgomerys senior and has the run of that amazing house.’ I giggled. It was kind of malicious of us to talk like this, but a relief to find out I had allies. ‘And I think India might be onto something,’ he continued. ‘If you can be spared, and if you could bear an evening at the Montgomerys?—’
‘Which will actually be fun,’ interrupted Astrid. ‘They’ve got some super musicians coming and they’re excellent hosts, never stint on the food and wine.’
‘Maybe I will go instead,’ said Marilise, her eyes twinkling, and everyone laughed.
‘I’d be honoured to have you on my arm,’ said Nick. ‘But I don’t think you’d be a very good decoy in these particular circumstances.’
‘No, no,’ she replied, smiling. ‘You take young Laura, we can spare her for one evening, can’t we, Angela?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Angela warmly. ‘You and I can catch up on that gin rummy tournament, although I’m losing so badly, I’m not sure there’s much point.’
‘Looks like a done deal,’ said India, smirking.
I hesitated.
‘Well, I suppose I could, but it sounds very smart. I’m not sure I have the right clothes.’
‘Now, now, none of that,’ said Marilise. ‘I have wardrobes full of frocks that never get worn, we can find something for you. I will gladly lend it if, in exchange, you will promise to tell me all about the evening. It would be too much for me, but I would love to hear who was there, what they wore, what music was played.’
I looked around the table. Although I was unsure about spending the evening with Nick, I had to admit that itdidsound like fun – something that had been lacking in my life for a long time.
‘Okay, I’ll come,’ I said, and was met with a ripple of approval. ‘Maybe you should come as my plus one to Steph and Hugo’s wedding, in return.’
I was only joking, but Nick stuck his hand over the table for me to shake.
