Johnny shook his head.
‘Come on, feller-me-lad, get courting. Your mother wants to see you settled down, provide us with some grandchildren.’
Johnny surveyed the chaotic scene. The very young Starling children were dodging around the guests, Percy and Magnus were at the end of the garden putting their smart shirts and trousers at risk by playing a noisy game of football, and Stella’s older two were squabbling over something on their phone screens. ‘Aren’t nine enough?’
‘Never enough grandchildren,’ his father proclaimed robustly. ‘They bring joy to life. Trust me. And, if you settled in one place for long enough, you’d find out. What about that girl you were seeing in Bangkok?’
‘All over.’
‘And no one in Stratford?’
‘Have a heart, Dad. I’ve only just moved there.’
‘Why Stratford, old chap? Why didn’t you come back to Exeter? We’d have put you up in the old homestead for a while until you found your feet.’
Johnny patted his father’s liver-spotted hand. ‘I know you would. Wouldn’t have done much for my love life living back at home, though.’
‘Seriously, Jonathan, you’re in your mid-forties. High time you got rooted somewhere. And with some nice girl. Your mother and I were eighteen and twenty when we married. By the time I was fifty I’d had all my children.’
‘I know.’ Johnny scrubbed a hand over his face. ‘And if I could find what you and Mum have, I wouldn’t hesitate. Besides, things are different these days. People settle down later. And with the job I had I never knew where I’d be sent to next, or what into. It never felt fair to partner up with someone who didn’t appreciate the score.’ He paused and forced his hand to stop trembling. ‘And there was always the risk I wouldn’t come back.’
His father snorted. ‘You weren’t involved in those wars and earthquakes, son.’
‘No I wasn’t but I was reporting on them.’ Johnny downed his second glass. ‘And I was there.’ This was why he avoided family gatherings. Added to the jibes and teasing about his resolute bachelor state was the complete lack of understanding of how his work had impacted him. The only one who showed any compassion was Stella and even that was demonstrated in her pure-Stella-no-nonsense style. An explosion blasted and he jumped a foot, nearly dropping the champagne flute. But it wasn’t a landmine, it was a waiter dropping a metal serving tray on the hard patio slabs.
Thankfully it distracted his father. ‘Oops,’ Sid said. ‘Dorrie won’t like that.’
In the confusion surrounding his mother berating the unfortunate waiter Stella sidled up. ‘Need rescuing? Come andraid the canapés with me.’ She addressed Sid, ‘Just taking Johnny for some grub, Daddy. Back soon.’
Putting an arm through her brother’s, she led him into the dining room, a vast space cleared of furniture except for parallel lines of tables dressed in snowy white cloths and groaning with food. Blue balloons created an arch over a door, with a banner proclaiming, ‘Happy Christening Day, Inigo!’ Dorrie’s work. Jessica would be apoplectic at all the single-use plastic.
‘Soak up some of that fizz,’ Stella ordered. ‘Come on, it’s all got to be eaten.’ She loaded a plate with smoked salmon, soft cheese, olives and crackers and handed it to him. ‘Eat up.’
‘Always so bossy,’ he grumbled.
‘The prerogative of the eldest child.’ She eyed him penetratingly. ‘So, as my oldest offspring would say, what gives?’
‘WhatareEuan’s plans?’
‘Excellent A-levels and a Russell Group university,’ she said crisply. ‘Or he’s disinherited. Stop swerving the question. How are you?’
Johnny put his plate down. The smoked salmon no longer appealed. ‘I’m fine.’
‘You don’t look fine.’ Stella narrowed her eyes at him. ‘You’re too thin and I’d say you’re not sleeping well. Finally given up careering around the world putting yourself in mortal danger?’
He nodded.
‘And?’
‘Gone freelance. Writing travel pieces.’
One perfectly groomed eyebrow rose. ‘So, still careering around the world, then?’
‘Don’t you start. I’ve just had Dad bending my ear. At least I’m not putting myself into mortal danger anymore.’
Stella sniffed in a way that was pure Dorrie. ‘You obviously haven’t been on some of our holidays. That last one in Iceland was quite the adventure.’
He smiled. Picking up his plate he resumed eating.
