‘My husband got very lucky when you invited him to go into business with you,’ said Carol, as Imogen stopped by her table. ‘This is the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve been to Italy many times.’
‘Thank you,’ said Imogen. She agreed with Carol, James was very lucky. In more ways than Carol knew. James was sleeping withher. Imogen just wasn’t sure he appreciated how lucky.
‘It’s amazing,’ gushed Lorna, who was sitting opposite her mum. ‘You’re going to be famous again. Our very own celebrity chef. And this place,’ Lorna gazed around, wide-eyed, ‘well, you must be making a killing! It’s so full!’
Not yet, she wasn’t, but Imogen was forecast to. Not that she was going to engage in any conversation with Lorna on the matter. Her crassness was irritating.
She smiled warmly. ‘It’s so nice to see such close friends here,’ she said, placing a hand on each of Carol and Lorna’s shoulders. ‘And James is an excellent business partner,’ she added, looking at Carol. ‘So attentive, and he has a real personal touch.’
‘He’s spent so much time here on the run-up to opening. I can see why now,’ said Carol.
No, you can’t, thought Imogen.He’s been here for other reasons.She shouldn’t have said anything about James’spersonal touch. Her annoyance was with Carol’s daughter, not Carol herself.
‘Will you excuse me?’ she asked. ‘I hope you have a lovely night.’ And she headed to another table.
‘I think the whole village must be here,’ said Lorna enviously.
‘Not the whole village,’ said Carol. ‘That isn’t possible.’
‘Oh, look, there’s Nicole!’ said Lorna, calling out the other mum’s name and waving enthusiastically. ‘She’s comein for a takeaway. Bloody hell, eight boxes! At ten to fifteen pounds a pop! And there must have been at least four other people come in to collect in the last ten minutes alone. Plus, once we’re all gone,’ she waved a hand over the diners, ‘there’s another seating at eight.Thatwill cover the whole village,’ she said jokingly, ‘well, except perhaps Nancy.’
‘Is that the woman who lives in Imogen’s old house?’ asked Carol.
Lorna nodded. ‘She’s not exactly Miss Popular around here.’
‘Has something else happened?’
‘Some of the mums think she’s ruined the water down at the reservoir. Ever since she built her natural pool.’
Carol laughed at first. ‘That’s ridiculous.’
‘Try telling them that.’
‘But the whole of Heron Water? It doesn’t make sense.’
‘Not the whole of it. The bit near her house. At least that’s what some people think.’
‘What people?’
‘Well, Nicole for starters,’ said Lorna, waving gaily at Nicole as she left the restaurant, pizza boxes piled high. ‘And quite a few of the others. It’s the dogs,’ she explained, ‘they’re getting poisoned, and people think it might be due to the unusually high levels of blue-green algae near her place.’
Carol was shocked into silence for a moment. ‘And they genuinely believe this?’
‘Yes. I mean, it’s because the village has never had this problem before. With the algae. And the dogs. It’s onlysince Nancy moved here. At least, that’s what they’re saying.’
‘It’s like a witch-hunt,’ Carol said quietly.
Imogen was high on all the congratulations. Every table had stopped her, told her how much they loved her food, said they’d be recommending the restaurant – and even more importantly that they’d definitely be back. And she could tell in their eyes that they meant it. It was better than she’d ever imagined. She felt someone come up behind her, touch her gently on the lower back and for a brief second she thought it was James. Alarmed, she turned quickly.
It was Dylan. She felt a flush of relief. Her husband was looking buoyant.
‘How was the interview?’ she asked.
‘Surprisingly good. I liked him. The head. And I think he liked me too.’
‘Of course he did,’ said Imogen, kissing him on the lips. Out of the corner of her eye she saw James watching them, giving a minuscule frown. He didn’t like seeing her being affectionate with her husband. She turned her back.
‘You think you got it?’ she asked Dylan.
