‘Don’t get smart with me, son,’ she says, striding out into the hallway. ‘You’re the last to arrive.’
I can see Raphael trying to come up with a riposte, before thinking better of it. ‘Tori,’ Mrs Campbell continues, turning to me. ‘I know we met briefly before the service, but I’m so looking forward to getting to know you a little bit. My Gabriel seems quite smitten with you.’
‘Smitten?’ I repeat, looking at Gabriel with a smile.
‘I’m not sure—’ is as far as he gets before Mrs Campbell cuts him off.
‘Absolutely. He’s talked of little else since he met you,’ she tells me. ‘Now come in and say hello to everyone. Lunch will be ready in a little while. I hope you’re hungry.’
‘Mum’s a feeder,’ Gabriel warns me as we follow her into the sitting room. ‘I put on at least half a stone each time I visit.’
The scene in the sitting room is interesting. While Lily and Dan are chatting comfortably with Grace and her husband, Amy and Stuart are standing on their own to one side, looking a little awkward. Mrs Campbell sits regally on one of the large sofas.
‘Come and sit next to me so we can chat,’ she commands me. ‘Gabriel, you can sit too. Raphael and Uriel will fetch the drinks. We’ve got Sorrel drink, Ting or Ginger beer. What would you like, Tori?’
‘Sorrel drink is kind of Christmassy,’ Raphael explains. ‘It has Christmas spices in it, like cloves and allspice, but Mum breaks it out every week because she loves it. Ting is a refreshing grapefruit soda, and I’m sure you know what ginger beer is.’
‘I think I’ll try the Ting,’ I tell him.
‘Good choice.’
‘So, Tori, I want to learn all about you,’ Mrs Campbell says, once Raphael and Uriel have taken everyone’s drinks orders and disappeared off to the kitchen. ‘Gabriel tells me you’re in recruitment, is that right?’
‘That’s correct, Mrs Campbell.’
‘Oh, honey. Call me Constance. I get the feeling you and I are going to be seeing quite a lot of each other.’
Her sharp eyes are fixed on my face and I can tell she’s assessing me. This is a test, I realise, and I have no idea what criteria she’s looking for. What’s more surprising is how much I care about passing.
27
‘I’m not sure which has been better grilled, me or the chicken,’ I whisper to Gabriel as we follow Constance towards the dining room around half an hour later.
‘You did brilliantly,’ he reassures me.
‘I don’t think she was very pleased when she found out I wasn’t a churchgoer.’
‘Don’t read too much into that. Of course, she wants all her children to be as devout as her and marry good Christian people, but I think she also knows that it’s not a realistic dream. Leonard isn’t a Christian at all, she knows Raphael and Uriel only go to church to keep her happy, and Blessing’s husband is Church of England, which she thinks is so liberal in its views that it doesn’t really count. She also assumes every relationship is heading inevitably for marriage. Dad was her only boyfriend, so she doesn’t really understand why you’d start seeing someone unless you thought they were a serious prospect.’
‘I am,’ I remind him playfully. ‘Have you told her you’ve already proposed?’
‘Oddly, I haven’t mentioned that yet. I’m waiting for the right moment,’ he says with a laugh.
‘There are two plates of chicken,’ Constance explains as we take in the sideboard groaning with food. ‘The plate on the left is for our English guests.’
‘What’s the difference?’ Amy asks.
‘The one on the right is probably a bit too spicy for you, honey,’ Constance tells her.
‘I’m sure it will be fine,’ Amy says as Gabriel gives me a meaningful glance. ‘I love spicy food.’
The temptation to leave her to her fate is almost overwhelming, but I don’t think Constance will take kindly to Amy spitting it out when she finds out just how hot it is. ‘Amy,’ I say quietly. ‘I’d really advise you to go for the English version.’
‘Nonsense,’ she tells me robustly. ‘You managed the Jamaican one, and I’ve got a much higher spice threshold than you. How bad can it be?’
‘Have you got lots of milk?’ I ask Gabriel. ‘Something tells me we’re going to need it.’
At least I know what some of the side dishes are now, I think to myself as I help myself to a couple of pieces from the milder chicken plate. There’s rice and peas, as well as the callaloo and a couple of other dishes I don’t recognise. I glance at Gabriel and raise my eyebrows questioningly.
