But as I watch her face, I wonder just how happy she is. We’re all good at pretending, and everyone knows how many affairsPeter had while Joanne was at home with their children. Maybe these elaborate parties are all just a front, the mask to hide how sad and alone she is.
Or maybe I’m just projecting.
“You look like you’re too lost in your own thoughts and not enjoying the party,” Holly says, appearing beside me with a glass of champagne.
“I’m wondering how Joanne’s doing.”
“Mmmm, you and everyone else.” Holly leans closer. “Word on the street is that Peter’s filing for divorce.”
My jaw drops. “No way.”
Holly nods. “Apparently some lovely lass in Cornwall has caught his eye. All that fresh country air giving him new life, and now, well…” Holly trails off, gazing across the ballroom, in Joanne’s direction. “Not that she’ll lose anything, really. She has enough money to last her a few lifetimes and her kids aren’t little anymore.” Holly gives me a side glance. “Men, ey?”
“Yeah, men.” I take a swig of my champagne, mulling over Joanne’s situation, and my own. Yes, I wanted to divorce Archie. I should have divorced him years ago. I don’t even know why I never did now. But perhaps he’d beat me to it. Just like Peter Murray was going to now. Joanne had stayed with him through all his infidelity, all that betrayal, to try and put on a brave face - and for what?
To now be ousted in favour of some woman young enough to be Peter’s daughter no doubt. Why hadn’t she taken control of her life earlier?
Holly gives me a pointed look. “You still look like you’re thinking.”
“Just wondering why we let men get away with the things they do.”
“Hope they’ll get better?” Holly gives me a smile that isn’t quite relaxed. “Hope they’ll see what they have in front ofthem and finally give us respect?” She sighs heavily, casting a gaze back over to Joanne, who is smiling brightly, no sign that anything is wrong as she chats and gesticulates. “Or maybe we just keep thinking that one day we’ll say or do the magic thing that’ll turn them into better men because we don’t want to chance what else is out there.”
“That’s extremely grim,” I say with a laugh.
“Trust me, the dating pool makes you extremely grim.” Holly tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder and grimaces. “The ones who are upfront about being tossers are one thing, but the ones who say anything just to get you into bed? They’re the worst. Men are too comfortable lying.”
“That’s for damn sure.”
Joanne spots me across the room, her face lighting up as she makes a bee-line for me, and I take a fortifying gulp of champagne.
“Mia!” Joanne places a kiss on each of my cheeks with exaggerated smooching sounds, and I wonder just how many glasses of champagne she’s needed to get through this day. “It’s so good to see you, darling! I feel like it’s been ages.”
“Yes, I know, we need to catch up.” I exchange a quick glance with Holly, who raises her eyebrows but quickly takes a swig, neither of us wanting to remind Joanne that she just saw me last Monday. She really is drunk.
Joanne smiles sadly at me and rubs my shoulder. “Howareyou, though? You must be struggling with all this?”
I swallow hard and try to find the words. “I’m… lucky to have people around me.”
“She’s being very well looked after,” Holly interjects quickly, and Joanne presses a smile in her direction.
“Ah, well that’s… that’s lovely.” Joanne’s gaze settles back on me. “Has anyone heard from Archie at all?”
Holly’s gaze flickers to my face, and my mind races. “He’s… He’s spoken to his grandfather, so we know he’s alright.”
Joanne scoffs a little more loudly than I expected, and she downs the remainder of her champagne. “Ah yes, Billy Graves, he’d be loving all this. His grandson following in his footsteps.”
Holly looks at me with alarm, and Joanne seems to recover and quickly covers her spite with a laugh.
“Oh, don’t mind me! The Graves men just have a way of rubbing me up the wrong way.” She leans closer to me, and I can smell the alcohol on her breath. “Dominic shagged my PA about 10 years ago and she was so smitten she was ready to run off with him.” She throws her head back and laughs loudly. “Oh but then he wasn’t interested and the poor girl was so distressed she ran off to France and never came back. Has a cooking vlog now I think.”
“I guess we all knew Dominic was a bit of a ladies man.”
“So you be careful,” Joanne says, wagging her finger at me.
“I’m his daughter-in-law.” The very idea that Dominic would be interested in me is ludicrous, and Joanne really must be drunk if her brain is headed in that direction.
“Nothing stops a Graves!” Joanne laughs merrily and heads off to accost her next victim.
