Page 70 of The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge
‘Don’t read things into it. If you must know, I’m going to seePal Joeywith him this evening.’
‘Ah. Very nice.’ He was looking oddly at her, as though with new eyes.
‘What?’
‘I suppose you know he’s married.’
‘Divorced.’
‘Divorced, then.’
‘We’re just friends, James.’
‘All right.’ He separated himself from the worktop and shuffled back to his seat. Then stopped and said, ‘You never go anywhere with me.’
She froze in surprise, then said, ‘You’ve never asked me.’
‘You’ve never askedme.’ They glared at one another. ‘There I’ve been at home, staring at the wall every night.’
‘I’m sorry, I should have thought,’ she said, feeling guilty. ‘All right, why don’t you come over to supper? You’ve met Frank and Eleanor, haven’t you? You should get to know them, they’re fun.’
‘I have been introduced and thought them rather splendid,’ he said eagerly. ‘When can I come?’
‘Tomorrow maybe? I’ll ask them.’
Pal Joeywith Edmund was most enjoyable. She insisted on paying for their drinks in the interval and argued with Edmund over whether the musical’s central character, a nightclub manager, was a villain or simply amoral, but Edmund seemed amused by her rather than minding, as James might have done. No, Edmund let her be herself, she reflected on the train home, and she appreciated his straightforward friendship.
When she arrived home afterwards, Eleanor said she’d be delighted for James to come to supper the next day.
This she found a more stressful occasion, even though James was at his most charming. He arrived punctually, with a bottle of wine poking out of his coat pocket for Frank and a bunch of tulips for his hostess, then cackhandedly helped Nancy lay the table, setting the knives and forks at the wrong sides. At supper, he asked Dorothy, Frank and Eleanor in turn about their research, spoke humbly about his own, but so enthusiastically about Nancy’s that it made her blush.
‘You never say any of this usually,’ she mumbled.
‘Don’t want you getting big-headed,’ he laughed and the others smiled.
Afterwards, James helped clear away, then Frank drew him into the garden. As the women washed up, Nancy could smell the smoke from the men’s cigars and hear the sound of their voices as they talked in the dusk. While she was glad that they were getting on well, she couldn’t help wishingthat she was party to their discussion and only half-listened to Eleanor and Dorothy’s gossip about the shenanigans in a choir to which they belonged.
Later, Nancy saw James out. It was a mild night, but the skies were clear. ‘Oh, look at the stars!’ she cried and followed him down the path, away from the light of the porch. They stood on the pavement together for a moment, looking up and pointing out the constellations.
‘Do you remember how bright they were in Yorkshire?’ James said, remembering a field trip in the Easter of their first year. ‘I think that was my favourite trip because of the caves and being so far from civilization.’
‘I remember you climbing that dry stone wall and it disintegrating.’ Nancy laughed at the memory.
‘And you ratted on me to the farmer. That cost me thirty shillings.’
‘The sheep would have got out, James. I didn’t know they’d fine you.’ This was true. Anne Durban had insisted that someone take responsibility and report the problem, so Nancy had volunteered.
‘Still, thirty shillings is thirty shillings.’
‘You could afford it, West.’
He flashed her a lazy smile and her heart quickened.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘It’s been a lovely evening. They’re very nice, the Brauns.’ He gazed sleepily at Nancy for a moment. ‘You’re like the moon goddess out here, you know, all black and silver.’
He reached and brushed her cheek with his finger, and she flinched in surprise.
‘I never heard such nonsense,’ she gasped, but he only laughed. Then he turned and set off home. She watched his loping figure until the shadows took it. She slowly returned to the house, closed the front door and leaned against it. Her cheek was burning where he’d touched it, or at least she felt it so.
