Page 30 of You Lied First
‘Not much on New Year’s Eve as my friends are still away, and I’m not big into New Year’s Eve anyway. Everything’s so overpriced. But I’ve booked into a beach club for New Year’s Day. I’m going to spend it stretched out on a sunlounger, drinking champagne and working on my tan.’
‘I can’t tell you how jealous I am,’ I say.
‘I used to love New Year’s Eve here,’ Guy says. ‘Remember that pot-luck party we had around the pool?’
‘That was so much fun!’ Celine says. ‘We haven’t done anything like that since you guys left. It’s not the same. The new people aren’t as friendly.’
Next to me, Margot gives a little snort, which I take to mean that she either knows or suspects about Guy and Celine, but the others don’t hear. We continue chatting, our tongues loosening as we drain the magnum, while birds reel overhead and screech their evening song. Guy spots a desert fox and starts telling us about the wildlife we might get to see – sand fish and owls and little things that scrabble around in the dark, and I try to focus on the raw beauty of this incredible landscape – not on the teens, who’ve now been on the quad bike for what seems like an eternity.
25
MARGOT
‘Right,’ Guy says, stretching his arms back behind his head. ‘I suppose I’d better go and hunt down some food.’
‘Yes, off you go, you hunter-gatherer,’ Celine says. She rolls her eyes at Sara. ‘He loves it, really.’
‘I’ll help,’ Sara says. ‘Margot, you prepared so much this morning. You relax.’
Guy and Sara go off to unpack the food that Margot had got ready this morning: the marinaded kebabs; the par-boiled potatoes neatly wrapped in foil; and the peppers and juicy big Portobello mushrooms ready to roast. Margot, left alone with Celine, scrabbles for something harmless to say but the problem is, all the things she really wants to say – about husband-stealing and dishonesty – won’t make good conversation. In the end, Celine’s the first to speak.
‘So, what’s it like being back? Are you having a good time?’ she asks after a few moments have passed.
‘It’s good to be back in Oman,’ Margot says.
‘Nice. And I’m glad we’ve made it out to the desert. That’s something you can’t do in England, isn’t it?’
‘Horses for courses,’ Margot says. ‘There are other things that are good about the UK.’
‘I know! But nothing like this.’
Margot thinks about saying something about camping in the UK. It’s not something she’s experienced, and neither is she keen to thanks to the British weather, but she imagines the joys might be similar. Celine is quite tipsy now and Margot feels an edge to her, like the air around her is bristling, so she decides not to say anything.
‘No,’ she agrees.
Celine glances over her shoulder before she speaks. ‘So, what do you make of Sara?’ she asks quietly. ‘I gather you didn’t really know each other before this trip.’
Margot takes a moment to think before replying. It’s a good introduction to find out if Celine knows anything more about why Liv doesn’t live with Sara, but that would mean lowering her defences against Celine, which is not something she’s prepared to do. Margot doesn’t trust her for a minute. She doesn’t trust the way Celine is chumming up to Sara, which she knows is probably only to irk Margot. But, on the other hand, Margot has noticed how Celine watches Guy when he smiles at Sara, and she finds Celine’s jealousy quite amusing. She chooses her words deliberately.
‘I think she’s lovely,’ she says sweetly. ‘It’s quite incredible how well she’s slotted in with Guy and me on this trip. I’m so glad we invited her.’
‘Hmm.’ Celine’s big toe circles in the sand, flexing her calf muscle. ‘There’s more to her than meets the eye, I can tell you that.’
‘Surely not,’ Margot says, turning away to hide her smile.
‘I can’t believe some of the underhand things she’s done in the past.’
Margot gives a little laugh. She’s dying to hear them, but she won’t beg Celine for information.
‘Usually to do with Liv. Buying leaked exam papers, having kids moved out of the class if Liv doesn’t like them, sleeping with admissions tutors … I could go on.’ Margot raises an eyebrow but says nothing. ‘Do you know why her daughter doesn’t live with her?’ Celine asks.
Ooh, Margot thinks. Here we go. But she feigns disinterest as she says, ‘The dad’s house is bigger, I think that’s what Flynn said.’
Celine laughs. ‘You believe that, do you? Oh, Margot. She was convicted of assault. Actual bodily harm.’ Margot’s breath catches. ‘Went to court and everything, but she’ll never tell you even if you ask her. Believe me, I tried.’
‘It must have been provoked. She’s so easy-going.’
‘If you don’t believe me, look it up. You can find it if you look hard enough.’
