Olivia:
No idea. But is it true?
I resisted the urge to swear. So Mr. Hammond had recognised Kate after all. And if Olivia already knew, it was only a matter of hours before the entire hotel did too. By the end of the day at the latest, every member of staff would know that Kate had spent the night with me. Great. Discretion and privacy were apparently too much to ask for when you were a Darlington.
Me:
Yes, I brought her to the hotel yesterday.
Olivia:
Oooh!
Me:
It’s not oooh-worthy. I just didn’t want something to happen to her in the storm.
Olivia:
Awww, you were worried about her.
Me:
Looks like it.
Olivia:
You like her!
Me:
I just wanted to help.
Olivia:
Sure you did. And it’s pure coincidence that she’s super cute and totally your type.
Me:
I don’t have time for this.
Olivia:
So you’re not denying that you like her?
Me:
I don’t not like her.
“Henry!”
Against my better judgement, I stopped. The shrill way my mother called my name, insistently and an octave too high, was a good indicator of what she wanted to talk about.
I turned to see her striding towards me in her high heels. She was ten years younger than my dad, but whereas his age showed, she looked a lot younger than her fifty-two years, thanks to the cosmetic work she’d had done. Not to mention the considerable time and money she, like Olivia, dedicated to maintaining her appearance. She dyed her hair blond as soon as there was even a hint of grey, and her weekly facials were a sacred ritual. As were the green smoothies in the morning, the mud masks in the evening, and the afternoon yoga sessions to stay in shape. If my dad took a leaf out of her book, he might be more balanced and less of a bad-tempered jerk.
“Good morning.”
My mum stopped in front of me. She was a tall woman, and thanks to her heels, our eyes were almost level. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”
