An Unsuitable Woman by Kat Gordon

Author:Kat Gordon [Kat Gordon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2017-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Sylvie wrote to me after the party, confirming our lunch. I showed it to Lucy.

‘You’ll love her,’ I said.

‘Will she love me?’

‘Of course she will.’

‘What should I wear?’

I kissed her nose. ‘You look beautiful in everything.’

I drove her up early on the Saturday. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that ended just below her knees, and white gloves.

‘How do I look?’ she asked me anxiously.

‘Lovely,’ I said. ‘Like springtime.’

‘Good.’ She smiled. ‘I didn’t ask – how was your party last week?’

‘Very political. I mostly stayed out of it.’

‘My parents are always talking politics. I can tell they wish I was more interested.’

I looked across at her. ‘You wouldn’t throw big dinner parties where everyone was debating all night?’

‘No,’ she said, smiling. ‘When I marry I’m going to spend all my time warming my husband’s slippers by the fire, and making him drinks and bringing him the papers.’

I took one hand off the steering wheel, caught her hand and kissed it. ‘Your husband’s going to be a well-informed drunkard then.’

Sylvie was waiting for us on the veranda when we arrived. She stood up to greet us, setting off Minnie and Louis, and I saw Lucy take in the emerald-green dress with nipped-in waist and loose top. The hem reached the floor, and made a swishing sound as Sylvie walked towards us.

‘I thought I’d dress up,’ she said, taking Lucy’s hand, ‘as I know you’re so important to Theo.’ She smiled at me.

‘You look magnificent,’ I said, kissing her cheek.

‘So do you two – a very striking pair.’ She squeezed Lucy’s hand. ‘Let’s have a drink.’

There was a bottle of champagne already out on the table, three coupes, and blue, flowered china. Sylvie poured out the champagne and raised her glass. ‘To happiness,’ she said.

‘To happiness.’

Not far away a tame eland trampled through the flowerbeds and rubbed his twisted horns on the trees.

‘He’s beautiful,’ Lucy said, following my gaze.

‘He is, isn’t he? It’s not home without animals.’ Sylvie moved to sit down and I held the chair out for her. ‘Thank you, darling.’

Lucy took a small sip of her drink and put her glass back down.

‘Don’t you like champagne?’ I asked, holding her chair out too.

‘I haven’t eaten anything. I don’t want to get tipsy.’

‘Let’s have the food now then,’ Sylvie said, and signalled one of the totos.

I joined them at the table and smiled at Lucy, trying to put her at her ease. She smiled back, but not as widely as usual.

The toto brought out fresh bread, cold duck, a salad of lettuce, leeks and potatoes, and dishes of butter and mayonnaise.

‘You remembered the duck,’ I said to Sylvie.

‘Of course,’ she said, and caught Lucy’s eye. ‘Apparently Theo loves it.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ Lucy said.

‘Didn’t you?’ I said.

‘Well – there’s red wine, too,’ Sylvie said, getting up from the table.

She disappeared inside, and I turned to Lucy. ‘Is everything alright, darling?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you sure?’

Sylvie reappeared. ‘They’re bringing it.’

‘Thank you,’ Lucy said.

‘When are the whisky sours?’ I asked. ‘Sylvie makes great cocktails, darling.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.