leans down and whispers in her ear, and Annabel nods slowly and stands up.
“Mother? ”
Ginny looks up, to see Kit and a tall, attractive blonde standing by her chair.
“Mother, there’s something I need to tell you. Someone, actually, I’d like to introduce you to. This is . . . Annabel Plowman.”
Ginny draws a sharp intake of breath. “Good Lord,” she says, quickly regaining her composure. “I didn’t think tonight would become quite the family reunion it evidently is.” Her voice is icily cold.
Kit is surprised, and upset. Upset for Annabel, who doesn’t know what to say.
“Well, you’ve certainly grown into a stunning young woman,” Ginny says eventually. “I have seen pictures of you over the years but, I must say, you are far more striking in the flesh.”
“Thank you,” Annabel says, her voice equally frosty.
Alice leans over to Edie. “What exactly is going on? ”
“I’m probably not supposed to say anything, but Annabel is Kit’s long-lost sister, who has never met her mother, until, I would guess, now.”
“She was adopted at birth, and she only tracked Kit down very recently.”
“God, how weird. So why are Annabel and her mother so cold to one another? Where are the hugs? ”
“I’d say there’s an awful lot going on that we don’t know about, although I imagine we’ll discover it quite soon. Oh dear. I do love other people’s family dramas, but not when they’re people I love so much.”
“Kit and Annabel? ”
“Kit, certainly. Annabel, I hardly know.” Edie shoots Annabel a flinty look, and Alice thinks it better not to ask anything more.
Edie has been loving her role as the surrogate mother and grandmother in her neighbors’ lives. She knows that Ginny sweeps in from time to time, but has never met her before.
And while Edie is secure in her role, secure in her friendship, in the love that both Kit and her children have for her, she cannot help but feel a little insecure with Ginny physically here.
Please God, she whispers in her head, let her not stay long. And please God, let her not cause too much damage, for the winds of discontent started blowing a gentle breeze this evening when Ginny appeared, and Edie prays they don’t turn out to be a fully fledged storm.
“So,” Ginny picks up a glass of wine and takes a sip, “what exactly are you doing here? Another stint in rehab go wrong? Your father deciding not to support you any more? Presumably, there’s something you’re after or you wouldn’t be here. Money, again, is it? ”
Kit’s mouth falls open in shock. This is a side of her mother she has never seen. Her mother has been often dismissive, but never rude. Her belittling and invalidating of Kit came in the form of humor, jokes at her expense—“Darling, are you sure you want to go out with hair like that? You look like you have a kitchen mop on your head”—rather than the caustic tone she is using tonight.
Annabel stiffens. “My father said you were a bitch, but I never quite believed him until now.”
“Oh shit,” Adam mutters under his breath.
Everyone is now listening, everyone feels awkward, no one knows what to say.
“I will not be spoken to like that.” Ginny’s voice is as cold as steel. “Just who do you think you are? ”
“I’m your daughter,” Annabel says, but she cannot hide her emotions, and as she utters the word “daughter” her voice cracks ever so slightly.
“Ginny! I need to talk to you.” Kit doesn’t bother calling her “Mother” as she takes her by the arm and pulls her aside, out of the room and into the lobby of the restaurant.
“What the hell is wrong with you? ” she says. “I know you’re not interested in seeing her, but you could at least have the good manners to be nice. This is your daughter, for God’s sake.”
“You have no idea who she is,” Ginny hisses back. “You are so naive, Kit. She is trouble.”
Kit shakes her head. “I’ll take you back to wherever you’re staying tonight. You and I can have a talk on the way. Wait here. I don’t want you going back in there. I’ll get your coat.”
Annabel is pretending to be okay, but she is as white as a sheet.
“Annabel? Sweetie?” Kit crouches down by her chair. “Are you okay? ”
Annabel turns to her, and Kit can see she is fighting back the tears. “Not really,” she says. “I’ve spent my