Page 103 of The House of Hopes and Dreams
‘And here’s a toast to the success of Carey’s new TV series. ITV have taken it and we hope it’s going to run for years!’ announced Nick, and everyone clapped.
‘Hurray!’ chorused Ivan, Jonah and Tom, who were sitting in the corner with plates and glasses fully charged.
‘Eat, drink and be merry,’ said Carey, and Jorge turned the music up. It was rather as if he’d turned the conversation up too, because the noise level rose so quickly.
‘Vicky was right behind you while Jorge was filming you cutting the cake,’ Carey said into my ear.
‘She’ll be a happy bunny if she’s finally got herself in the series,’ I said.
Nick, reaching over for a slice of the cake, said, ‘Actually, you’d be surprised how many times she’s got herself in the background when we were filming, without us noticing till too late. But no starring roles.’
‘Have you noticed there’s no sign of Clem and Ella?’ I said.
‘Clemwashere earlier for a few minutes; you must have missed him,’ Carey told me. ‘He said he wasn’t much of a party animal, but had just looked in to wish you success. Ella’s got one of her migraines.’
One or two people had begun to dance in the clear space under the loft, where the only light was the glimmer of the heart-shaped fairy lights.
‘There you are, Carey!’ Daisy exclaimed, as if he’d been hiding, which isn’t possible even in a crowd when you’re six-four and have a head like burnished red gold. She linked her arm in his and, looking up at him, made big kitten eyes. ‘Come and dance with me, darling.’
‘I was never much of a dancer and I don’t think my leg is up to that kind of thing yet,’ he said, disengaging himself.
‘I’lldance with you,’ offered Nick heroically. ‘And if you want to come back and share my room tonight, I promise not to scream this time.’
She gave him a look. ‘I’ll stay at the Lodge, thanks. And just make sure I’m not in any of the film you’ve taken tonight,’ she added brusquely, before turning her back on both of us and moving in on Carey again. This time she got up on tiptoe to murmur in his ear, but whatever she said didn’t ring his bell, because he walked off even while her mouth was still moving and went into a huddle with Rufus and Cam.
They were probably discussing a much more exciting topic, like thebest way to add ghosts to your postcards, or what kind of wood chipper to get.
I sipped the remains of my bubbly and did a bit of people-watching. Vicky, who’d looked totally disconcerted when she’d found Louis was totally ignoring her in favour of a teenager, and presumably conceding defeat where engaging Carey’s interest was concerned, was now eyeing up the other possibilities.
But before she could make any move, she was buttonholed by Debo, who appeared to be working the room. She’d arrived still wearing her dungarees and made even those look so elegant that Nick filmed her from all angles like a paparazzo, until he abandoned any more filming in favour of getting down to some serious drinking and eating.
‘Debo’s got great social skills,’ I said to Izzy. ‘I think she’s talked to practically everyone here.’
‘That’s because she’s trying to get them to adopt one of her dogs,’ she said. Just then some slow and smoochy music came on and she dragged Rufus off to dance. Vicky, having now escaped Debo’s clutches already, was with both Benbow twins. Two for the price of one, as it were.
‘Come on,’ Carey said, suddenly appearing at my elbow and, removing the glass and plate from my hands, put them on the table behind us. ‘They’re playing our tune.’
‘We haven’t got a tune – and you told Daisy you weren’t up to dancing.’
‘I wasn’t up to dancing with Daisy and, anyway, I’m not about to launch into a jig. I’ll just sway about a bit.’
So we did and, since I’d had rather a lot of bubbly and a glass of fairly potent punch by this point, I subsided against him as we swayed and turned.
‘Oh, this is nice,’ I sighed.
‘You and me, always, Angel,’ he agreed and, tightening his arms around me, rested his cheek against my hair.
After a while, when the music went up tempo again, we separated. Carey had promised to show Jonah the Elizabethan wing in all itsghostly evening glory, and Nick and Jorge tagged along, hoping to get some footage of a ghost, should one obligingly appear.
They were away for only about twenty minutes, so when they returned I was still slowly circulating among my guests. I was trying to have a word with everyone, though the noise level was now such that it was hard to hear myself speak.
But they all seemed to be having a good time, just as I was … until I walked into the back room to get some more ice and found Daisy and Carey entwined and mid passionate kiss. It was just a brief glimpse, because I immediately turned and blundered blindly back into the other room: it was déjà vu, a repeat of that time at university, when I’d thought our relationship had changed, only to be disillusioned.
And in one blinding stroke it revealed to me the depths of my jealousy. My love for Carey had at some recent point changed its nature and what I most wanted to do at that moment was go back in there, seize Daisy by her pale-gold hair and bang her head repeatedly on the worktop.
But then, it took two to tango and Carey hadn’t exactly looked as if he was fighting her off.
I stood in my dark corner, getting my face and my slightly homicidal impulses under control and then went to sit with Molly.
