Page 94 of The Honeymoon Affair

‘Not at all,’ says Charles.

‘Oh, come on.’ Ariel shakes her head. ‘That scene with Emilia and Jonny in Sorrento—’

‘I brought them to a place we went to,’ says Charles. ‘It’s hardly describing our relationship.’

‘But afterwards—’

‘Stop,’ he says. ‘I may occasionally use situations from real life, but they’re always fictionalised in the books.’

I haven’t read Snow in Summer. If it’s about Charles and Ariel, I’ll have to.

‘And then An Autumn Story,’ she says. ‘A study of a marriage.’

‘A failing marriage.’

They seem to have forgotten I’m here. The conversation is entirely between the two of them.

‘And then you went to the Caribbean to write Springs Eternal,’ she continues. ‘And of course there’s an older man with an interest in his younger colleague, although when the book turns into A Caribbean Calypso she ends up murdered. In fact three of the female characters end up dead. Which might be saying something about all of us.’

I think of the plot and wonder if the first victim, Amanda, is based on Ariel. He describes her as a dark-haired, long-faced woman with hazel eyes and a superior look. When she was offed in the book, I wasn’t at all surprised. She was a sarky, sniping sort of person, and I can’t help feeling that Ariel is too. But then she turns to me and apologises for descending into stupid book talk and says that they always do that, which is probably why they split up in the first place, and that I must be getting a totally wrong impression of her. Then she gets up and retrieves her coat and says that she’s heading home.

‘You’re not driving!’ Charles looks aghast.

‘No. I walked over here today. I’ll get a cab.’

‘Fine.’ He leans back on the sofa.

I’m still sitting in the armchair opposite.

‘I love your ring,’ I say.

She glances at it, and then at me.

‘So do I,’ she says. ‘It works as a statement piece, even though Charles and I are no longer together.’ She looks at her phone. ‘I’d better go. It was a real pleasure to meet you again, Izzy, and I’m absolutely thrilled for you and Charles.’

She sounds so genuine and her smile is so wide that I believe her. I tell myself that I’ve been foolish and paranoid to think otherwise. Even if she’s still wearing her unconventional wedding ring.

‘Charles, sweetheart, do please get those edits to me as soon as you possibly can, and don’t get distracted by your wonderful fiancée. You are wonderful,’ she adds, turning back to me. ‘You’re exactly what he needs.’

Charles follows her out, and I hear the front door opening and then a quick murmur of voices before it closes again.

‘Sorry,’ he says, coming back into the living room. ‘She sometimes calls to the house on a Friday evening to talk about my work in progress. We usually share a glass of wine. She stayed because she wanted to meet you properly. It was a bit fraught the last time.’

‘Indeed it was.’

I get up from the armchair and move to the sofa. He puts his arm around me.

‘She likes getting a rise out of people,’ he says. ‘You stood up to her well.’

‘Did you really document your relationship in your books?’ I ask.

‘People always read their own meanings into books,’ he says.

‘I hope you’re not documenting anything about us in A Caribbean Calypso.’ I make a face at him. ‘Especially as you’ve cast me as a murderer.’

‘Only that appearances can be deceptive,’ he says. ‘Which was the theme of Springs Eternal anyway.’

‘You’re amazing.’ I kiss him.

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