Turning, she left the room and headed back out across the quad towards the main hall. If Ellie was here then there was a strong chance that her dad would be too. She managed to miss Alex every morning but in the afternoon he made sure to come and chat, and she had to admit it was kind of nice. Easyconversation – he managed to make her feel remarkably at ease, which considering their initial first day was quite impressive – with no hint of predatory behaviour. Nor any hint of a wife yet, and Sylvie had to admit her interest was piqued. Her money was on an immaculately groomed, terribly professional wife, who shot around all over the place being practically perfect in every way. Bar childcare, it would appear.
‘Sylvie.’ And as if her mind, and her uncharitable thought, had conjured him, Sylvie could hear the pad of his shoes as he chased to catch her up. Her head turned in welcome as she paused so he could reach her, and she could feel the grin take over her face. Along with the pale – she hoped it was pale, it was now a daily occurrence – flush that flared across her cheeks. With any luck, he’d just assume it was a medical condition.
She told herself that she wasn’tthatattracted to him, and that her response to him on the beach had been some freaky anomaly, completely unrelated to him as a person. She just had a habit of blushing at inappropriate times, at the postman, the vicar and occasionally at John, one of Tom’s farmhands. Pretty much any male in the vicinity, and under seventy. Experience had taught her they didn’t even have to have all their teeth, let alone their wits. It had been causing embarrassment ever since she was a teen, but she hoped she might grow out of it any day. Surely?
She watched as he smiled his greeting in return as he came alongside her; the way his eyes crinkled in the corner as he did so, and how the T-shirt he was wearing fitted his shoulders just so. Everything about him seemed so effortless, whereas she found it difficult enough to find matching socks of a morning.
‘Those two are having a whale of a time together. I’m so glad we… Ellie was lucky enough to meet Sam on the beach that day. Having a built-in friend already has made coming into school so much easier for her.’
‘She’s definitely had an influence on Sam, he’s growing in confidence every day. So if either of us owes a debt of gratitude, it’s me. I think your Ellie would flourish anywhere. She has this shining charisma that pulls people in, bewitches them. If she keeps that up she will always live a charmed life.’
A flash of something flitted across Alex’s face. A microsecond of bleak sadness that seemed completely out of context before he replaced it with his characteristic cheerfulness.
‘She’s certainly very confident. Though talking of confident, we’d better head in and see what Marion has in store for us.’
‘Marion? The PTA woman? I didn’t realize you knew her.’
‘Oh yes, I met her when we were students, and she and her husband are good friends of a friend of mine. That’s partly why I decided to send Ellie to Penmenna. Chase invited Marion around and she bullied me into considering it.’
‘Bullied you. You don’t look like you’re easily bullied.’ Yep – there was the flush again; she hadn’t meant in relation to his powerful physique but his air of utter self-assurance.
‘You’d think. But honestly, she is something else. Trust me, if I hadn’t acquiesced quickly she might well have brought pliers to pull my fingernails out next. In this sort of situation I’m a moral coward, I like to take the easy route.’
‘In torture or sign-here situations, I can see why you might do that.’
‘Don’t mock me, you’ll see. Any second now, I should imagine.’
He pushed open the door to the school hall and Sylvie couldn’t help but gasp. Of course she had been here before, throughout her entire childhood for example, and more recently when the school had had its television debut a few months earlier – the children all involved in a gardening project that had proved to be peak-time television manna – and for the induction day. But this was something else. She spun around tolook at Alex and saw his smug grin, belied by the twinkle in his eye.
‘I expected a few dozen cheese straws, but this is ridiculous.’
‘Told you, she’s a force!’
‘I will never doubt you again.’ Sylvie stood, still rooted to the spot as she saw parents milling about in the hall, which was decorated to within an inch of its life. The big whiteboard attached to the wall showed sliding pictures of laughing children and beaming parents, and tables either side of the hall littered with foodie delights that would make any winner ofMasterChefproud. There, as a centrepiece, was a cake of Penmenna School and next to it one of Penmenna Hall which had already had some, very neatly cut, slices taken out of it. One side of that was a chocolate fountain with mounds of glistening fruit around it, jewelled berries piled high and shiny grapes, chunks of pineapple and a jumble of popcorn. Its counterpart, the other side of the cakes, were three cheese fondue sets, equally spaced for access, and a pile of breads, soft squidgy white, a canary yellow cornbread and seeded wholemeal, all in delicious little squares desperate for plunging cheesy death.
By the interactive whiteboard Marion Marksharp held court, surrounded by women who looked very similar to her. In fact, two were spookily alike, their hairstyles almost identical to Marion’s, coiffed, mid-length and blonde, and their outfits clearly picked with each other in mind. It was all just a little bit Stepford.
Sylvie discreetly directed Alex to them with a nod and then had to nonchalantly wander off to examine the cake as he burst into laughter.
His laugh meant that Marion’s head spun around and Sylvie watched as she smiled a particularly welcoming smile at him. She resembled the Enormous Crocodile from the children’s book and Sylvie watched, impressed that Alex didn’t visiblygulp, look flustered in any way or indeed run. Marion carried on grinning, gave the room one last check, tapped her microphone – a microphone for goodness’ sake – and cleared her throat.
‘Hello, Penmenna parents and staff. I think we’re all here now, so let’s begin. Please do take a seat and feel free to help yourself to refreshmentsafterwards.’ She said the last bit rather forcefully, and Sylvie couldn’t help but giggle, but as the two Marion lookalikes glared at her she turned it into a little cough. It was rather like being back at ballet classes with an absolutely terrifying woman at the front barking commands and rapping a cane on the floor to back them up. It would appear that Parent Teacher Associations were a whole new world that the uninitiated had no clue about. Sylvie, up until this point, was very definitely uninitiated.
‘Now, I’d like to welcome you to Penmenna School.’ She gave a little nod as she said this and a rather sullen-looking acolyte with dark hair behind her pressed a key on the laptop to reveal a picture of the front of the school. She saw Rosy, who was sitting at the front alongside Marion, look around at the sulky brunette and try to give her a cheery smile.
‘Penmenna is a school to be proud of, and I’m sure you’re aware it has received more than its fair share of media attention recently, as we guide the school through the choppy waters of today’s society, never failing to deliver a top-notch education and a raft…’ Marion stopped as a GIF of a raft clicked onto the screen and the ladies behind her obediently tinkled. Alex’s eyebrows shot up.
‘Do you think they’re robots?’ he whispered.
‘I’m happy to answer all questions at the end.’ Marion beamed directly at Alex whilst Sylvie felt a strong need to cast her eyes down and fidget with her skirt. ‘As I was saying, a raft of outstanding and exceptional extracurricular activities. The Penmenna Hall Restoration Project, which I’m sure every oneof you…’ again she paused as the PTA nodded vigorously and the new parents in the audience, who realized their obedience was expected, joined in, ‘…has watched on the television recently. None of this would be possible without our leading lady, Miss Winter…’ Marion paused again as her minions led a round of applause and Rosy, managing to look both mortified and resigned, smiled back at the audience, ‘…and her amazing teaching team steering the school. However, this level of excellence is not unaided by our marvellous PTA…’ the ladies all beamed on cue, with the exception of the brunette at the back who was somewhat aggressively hitting the keys on the laptop at appropriate points in the talk, ‘…who do a marvellous job of fundraising…’ Marion continued to talk evangelically about how Penmenna PTA was not just outstanding in every way, but also a rare opportunity to hit a social pinnacle, a life-changing opportunity.
Sylvie was beginning to worry it was a bit cult-like. She was definitely going to approach the brunette and get the real low-down. She tuned back in to Marion’s burble.
‘And of course, the Penmenna Restoration means that our children get real-life media training, so important from a young age in today’s society. I believe it’s only a matter of time before my own dear boys are snapped up by a Hollywood agent. And you’ll see it invigorates the school, attracts a new calibre of parent, as this year’s intake surely demonstrates.’ Sylvie watched as Rosy rolled her eyes heavenward, if only for a millisecond, and Marion’s gaze seemed to have lit upon Alex again. Shit, should she know who he was? Or was that Marion woman delusional? Sylvie had a strong sense both might be correct.
The speech came to a close, with all parents being urged to sign up and make a difference before hitting the chocolate fountain and decimating the school-shaped sponge cake.
After rapturous applause Marion made a beeline for Alex, who looked at Sylvie in alarm.
