at the optimum moment; how long for each course; what would be the perfect time to make a dignified exit. He would constantly be checking his watch to make sure things were working to his schedule. But there was no way that she was going to be the first to leave tonight. She was going to milk this evening for all that she could. She was going to be the star, and wanted every man’s eyes to be on her. Charles was not going to ruin it for her.
Fiona walked across to the mirror over the sideboard, and moved a wonderful display of summer flowers out of the way so that she could see herself better. She was pleased with what she saw.
‘Well, darling, you can leave at eleven if you like, but I will be staying. I’ll try not to wake you when I get in. I’ll call a taxi.’
Fiona contemplated the evening ahead. Perhaps tonight should be decision time. She had nearly relented the night before, but had decided the game could last a little longer. Maybe it was finally time to stop playing.
The gleam of anticipation in her eyes was reflected back at her, and even through the carefully applied makeup she could just make out a hint of a flush to her cheeks.
She sensed movement behind her, and saw Charles watching her in the mirror. She quickly glanced away.
10
To Leo’s surprise, the kitchen was empty when she had finally finished straightening her hair. She was relieved. She had no intention of sharing with Ellie the memories that had been flooding her mind, but she wasn’t sure how much her face would reveal.
She hadn’t brought anything smart with her, but had a figure hugging black vest and some white jeans that she thought would be fine if she dressed them up with a bit of colourful jewellery. She’d been going to raid Ellie’s bedroom to see if she could dig out a dark red chunky necklace that she had bought her a year or two ago. It would go well with her lipstick. But given the earlier episode, maybe she should ask first.
She looked around the kitchen, which was amazingly well organised considering there were ten of them for dinner. But then it was a vast kitchen and nothing like the pokey little hole of a room they’d had when Leo and Ellie were growing up. Now there was the most enormous black Aga that she had ever seen down one side of the room. As if that weren’t enough, there were two separate built-in ovens along one stretch of wall, and a six burner hob with a separate griddle plate in a central island that was in itself probably bigger than the former kitchen.
On the other side of the island was a table to seat six, and over by the folding glass doors to the garden were a couple of comfortable looking armchairs. As she had discovered the night before, the kitchen took up half of the downstairs of the barn, with Max’s playroom - as Ellie liked to call it - next door. She had only poked her nose in there, but the television screen covered most of the wall, and there were twelve recliners for added comfort. Completely over the top, of course, but then Ellie would have wanted to make sure Max had something that made moving here worthwhile. He had been perfectly happy in their modern semi.
From the kitchen, a spiral staircase led to the first floor, where there was a full sized snooker table and various other boys’ toys that Leo wasn’t even slightly interested in. With all this, it was strange that both Max and Ellie were the most spiky that Leo had ever seen them in their nine years of marriage.
She wasn’t the world’s greatest cook herself, but Leo was just beginning to feel a bit of a spare part hanging around the kitchen and doing nothing when Ellie finally made an appearance, looking a bit more chirpy than she had an hour ago. Max had obviously worked his magic, and Leo was glad that her sister seemed more like her usual self. Her long dark hair was waving around her face, and the low-cut neck of her short black dress showed a cleavage that Leo was insanely jealous of. Ellie never overdid the makeup, but tonight she wore a touch of lip gloss on her generous mouth, and her eyes were emphasised by a subtle hint of grey