Evan nudges my arm. ‘You’ve perked up.’
‘I like this music.’
I’m in a much better mood by five twenty-five when the resident viscountess pokes her head around the door. We’re in the process of filling champagne flutes, a mass of bottles laid out on the counter beside us.
‘Hello, darlings. All okay?’
I nod and Evan gives her a perky ‘Yep!’
Her hair has been blow-dried into a neat bob and she’s wearing a long mauve slip dress with a blinging necklace. Are those real diamonds?
‘We’re all set. I imagine we’ll be outside until speeches as it’s such a fine day. Do keep the champagne flowing!’
‘We will!’ Evan chirps.
‘And please make sure it’s extra chilled!’ she calls as she leaves. ‘In fact,’ she says, turning back and nodding at the trays we’ve already filled, ‘can you leave those now and top up as you go along?’
‘No worries,’ Evan agrees.
‘Wonderful.’ She swans out of the room.
Fuck this, I’m putting my red lipstick back on.
By six o’clock, the courtyard and upper terrace are swarming with people. The catering staff are outside, circulating with canapés and trays of drinks. Evan has just taken a bottle of champagne to top up glasses and I’m in the kitchen filling fresh flutes, trying to make sure they’re as close to ice-cold as possible.
Evan comes to grab another bottle and asks me to go andcollect empty glasses from the windowsills outside, a directive from our dragon boss. I grab a tray and get to work.
As predicted, my feet are killing me, but I’m glad to be outside in the fresh air. I’m tempted to knock back a couple of half-empty glasses of fizz just to take the edge off my pain, but I resist, even if it is a crying shame to waste good champagne.
A string rendition of ‘Common People’ by Pulp is spilling out of the open windows and I smirk, wondering if this was on a predetermined playlist or if the band are taking the piss.
‘I hear congratulations are in order!’ a Hooray Henry booms from right beside me.
For a split second, I wonder if he’s talking to me, but then I see a twenty-something brunette coyly flashing a diamond solitaire the size of a rock at him. Someone get me my sunglasses.
‘Oh, that’s smashing,’ he effuses as I reach for an empty glass behind him. ‘Have you set a date?’
He’s completely oblivious to the fact that I’m trying to get past.
‘No, not yet,’ the woman replies.
‘You’d better get in quick before Berkeley and Bex,’ he says conspiratorially as I irritably snatch the glass.
‘Yes, Berkeley and Bex will be next,’ she concurs.
‘I heard there might be an announcement tonight,’ Hooray Henry adds, brushing up against me.
I freeze so abruptly that I almost lose the contents of my tray, but he doesn’t even seem to notice. It’s as though I’ve tumbled back in time to my school days and I both hate and resent being made to feel invisible.
I take a breath to steady my racing heart and regain my composure, then move on.
My mum would be in her element here, swanning around, trying to charm everyone. And perhaps some of the people herewouldbe interested in what she had to say. Maybe she’d make a connection that would bring in business. Or maybe they’d just indulge her and as soon as she had her back turned they’d raise their eyebrows at each other, faintly amused by her gall.
My dad would also be sucking up, but far less gracefully, and he’d know deep down that he wasn’t cut out for it. He’d feel defensive and resentful if someone didn’t pay him enough respect and later there would be a dark cloud hanging over the house.
I used to try to cheer him up when this sort of thing happened, and my mum would make cutting comments about how I’m such a daddy’s girl, a people pleaser.
Flinching from the memories, I make my way out onto the upper terrace and pause for a moment to stare at the woodland in the distance, bathed in golden light. In the courtyard, the sun has sunk below the roof, but out here it’s perfect. I wish I could just keep walking and get away from these people. It’s triggering being here amongst them,servingthem.
