Georgie shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter. What are the plans for tomorrow? Like I said, I know you sent me that email but I wasn’t sure whether we would be sticking to it rigidly. Is there anything you want me to book? I could do that.’
‘You don’t have to book anything. You’re not here in the capacity of my secretary. Why would I be embarrassed by you? And, yes, it matters. We’re going to be here for ten days. It matters if you’ve somehow got it into your head that…that what? Exactly?’
Georgie took a deep breath.
‘I’m quite a down-to-earth person,’ she said. ‘I don’t do designer clothes. I work with kids and when I’m not teaching them how to ski, I’m teaching them how to play sports. My entire wardrobe is comprised of comfy clothes.’
‘I’m not following you.’
‘I thought you’d woken up to the fact that your companion isn’t going to be decked out in expensive casual wear, with diamonds on my fingers and Gucci loafers on my feet. I’ve seen the crowd here. The clothes some of them are wearing could kit out the matchbox in London I haven’t even bought yet.’
‘Why are you so insecure? Trust me, nothing could have been further from my mind.’ He smiled and yawned.
‘Okay.’
‘I can tell you’re going to get along with Flora and, whatever I’ve said about not getting close to her, it’s a relief that there won’t be any tension between you.’
‘She’s a great kid.’
‘Back to what you said, though. Tell me where that came from.’
‘What?’
‘The fact that you felt insecure about not being decked out in the usual expensive nonsense that most women feel the need to wear.’
‘Remember I’ve seen all those pictures of you online. The women you go out with don’t seem to hang around in jeans and old tee shirts.’
‘We’re not going out, though. You’re not one of my women. You can wear what you want to wear, but I thought that you might like to treat yourself to all the things you might not usually buy for yourself. And you’re right, of course. The crowd here are the usual moneyed lot. If you feel more comfortable blending in, then that’s fine. If not, wear what you want, like I said. The thick clothes you travelled in might be a little inappropriate, though. At least, if you want to avoid heatstroke. There’s no need for you to feel insecure about your looks.’
Georgie reddened but his smile was warmly genuine and he looked as though he was enjoying the conversation, enjoying being in her company.
She felt a swoop of pleasure.
‘I guess I grew up comparing myself to my sisters. We’re only separated by a few years and they’re both older than me and more successful than me. Well, I say successful, they’ve become professionals. Katherine’s a lawyer and Emily’s a doctor.’
‘Go on. I’m listening.’
‘They were bright and popular with boys and I suppose that as I was the youngest and maybe because I wasn’t as academic as they were I veered off in the opposite direction. I decided I’d be the one who didn’t dogirlyand then I found my passion, teaching kids, and there was no need to ever dogirly. So coming here…’ she rolled her eyes and smiled, relaxed in a way that was surprising, given her reaction to him ‘…I feel out of my depth.’
‘You’re insecure.’
‘No, of course I’m not!’ But then she thought of Hans and the pain of feeling like an idiot when she’d caught him kissing that girl and then winking at her, pulling her into a conspiracy of agreeing with him that what they’d had had meant nothing, had all been a bit of a laugh.
She thought of the countless times she had laughed with the lads, played football with them, listened to their tales of woe with girlfriends and felt small inside because she would have so wanted to join in with the cool gang of girls with their flirty smiles and giggling gossip but had just not known how.
She’d boxed herself in, had been the tomboy in the family and after a while she hadn’t known how tounboxherself.
‘I’m boring you.’
‘I agree you don’t give off the impression of being insecure,’ he mused thoughtfully, ignoring her interruption.
‘Because I know how to dig my heels in and stick up for myself.’
‘Don’t knock it.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s a refreshing change from a lot of the women I’ve known in the past who make it their mission to never stick up for themselves just in case it offends me.’
