Chapter 12
‘So, Ally, have you been losing weight? Don’t overdo it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the skinnier you are, the better. Chaps like a few curves .?.?. oh, and a good set of teeth. It’s evolution. Don’t tell your mother I said that.’ Dad shoved a powerful gin and tonic into her hand. As an attempt at daddy–daughter bonding, it might be a little dated. Still, it felt lovely to have a rare moment alone with Dad during their monthly family Sunday dinner. For a change, Maeve was helping Mum with the gravy, so Ally sat down in the chintz-bedecked drawing room.
‘Some people say this place is old-fashioned,’ boomed Dad. ‘Francis informs me they’re all into minimalism now, but you know, be a slave to fashion and you’ll always be wrong. Timeless, that’s my style.’
Dad thought nothing of dragging her ex into conversation with painful regularity. Still, she’d noticed her father looking older on recent visits, and it left her with sadness and a vague reminder of passing time. So she decided to make the most of her special moment with him. ‘Dad, have you been golfing much with Francis lately?’ she asked innocently.
His response was unusually subdued.
‘Not so much. Funny you should ask, he seems very busy at the moment .?.?. buying the new house, I imagine.’
It struck her that he seemed less confident, a tiny bit lost even – perhaps he was glad of his children’s company.
‘Mum says you’re changing jobs, love. No harm, a law firm would be nice. Funny, I always thought you’d be the one to do law.’
‘I don’t think I was clever enough, Dad. This is just a receptionist job.’
‘Nonsense,’ he broke in, ‘you’ve plenty of brains, you just don’t believe in yourself, that’s all.’
Well, that was a revelation – he was normally too busy to even acknowledge her, never mind offering a compliment. Just then the doorbell went and a moment later Damo piled in with his girlfriend Julia, who was originally from Holland. When he wasn’t being painfully bratty and full of himself, he was good fun, and Ally was happy to see him. Julia was smart and steady – and quite unlike his previous girlfriends.
‘Hey, it’s the film star!’ he chortled.
‘Oh my God, what the hell happened to you?’ said Julia, fascinated.
Oh crap, they’d obviously seen the fight on TikTok. Entranced to have the first scoop on the story, as Mum and Maeve crowded in to hear what the furore was all about, Damo plugged his phone into the TV and played through all five videos, including the one with Rosemarie and William being interrogated by the Guards, which now had at least one hundred thousand views.
‘Actually, Ally, you look really hot in that one,’ observed Julia, in her frank manner, which was at least some consolation.
‘So I’ve been told,’ she responded grimly.
‘The best one is you charging over to pick up the guy that gets decked!’ honked Damo.
‘Oh Lord, Maeve, I’m devastated,’ said Mum, totally overdramatic as usual. ‘If anyone from Hogget and Simpson sees this, it’ll be the end of this job. Then what are we going to do?’
Ally felt a surge of annoyance.
‘Youdon’t have to do anything. I’m quite capable of managing my own life, thank you very much.’
‘Well, you could’ve fooled me,’ sniffed Mum.
Why would nobody just leave her to ruin her life in peace?
* * *
They’d finished the main course, and Ally was clearing away the plates and preparing to cart in the chocolate pavlova, when Damo picked up a spoon and started dinging his glass.
‘Fam, hush up, Julia and I have an announcement .?.?.’
Mum practically erupted with joy.
‘I knew it, I just knew it, they’re getting engaged,’ she confided to the chandelier.
‘Julia’s expecting twins.’
Mum blinked a little, her enthusiasm barely undimmed.
‘So .?.?. you’ll be just .?.?. getting married. That’s fine .?.?. engagements are so old-fashioned.’
