Page 80 of Oz
“Because it saves a lot of awkward questions later,” Silas says patiently. “You do remember at Christmas when Mrs Patrick seemed to think that you were starring in your own personal gay version ofThe Borgias?”
“Weren’t they onEastEnders?” I ask and Ivo bursts into laughter.
Henry shakes his head and smiles at me. “I’d say welcome to the family, Oz, but I think you’ll fit in easily.”
I blink and Silas clears his throat awkwardly. “Oh, erm, thank you,” I finally say. I’m hardly family but it seems rude to correct whatever delusion he’s suffering from. Henry looks confused and I rush into speech.
“I’ll just grab the seating plan and we can leave this fucking marquee.” Behind me I hear a dull thud and a stifled “ouch,” but when I turn back they’re all standing innocently watching me. I smile. “I don’t want to know,” I say airily. I wave the plan at Silas. “You need to look at this.”
“Why?” he asks, taking it from me and scanning the tables and names.
“Because I don’t work for the fucking United Nations. Although after trying to sort out the factions around here I’m actually considering a career change.”
Henry breaks into laughter. “Oh my God, it’s terrible. I remember when our mother used to do it.”
“Yes, but she adopted the Boadicea approach,” Ivo says, and I can hear a French accent in his drawl.
Silas nods. “You’re right. She did do exactly as she wanted.”
“I actually meant more that she’d crush you under the wheels of her BMW if you crossed her. Olivia is not the most compassionate woman.”
Silas winces. “Let’s not mention her name,” he says in a hushed voice. “It’s likeBeetlejuice.If we say it, she’ll appear.” Shudders run through all three men as if they’re taking part in a silent Mexican wave of nerves.
I shake my head. “I’ll leave it with you,” I say cheerily. “I’m off for a shower.”
“Me too,” Silas says enthusiastically, and Henry and Ivo’s heads turn to him. He flushes slightly and I want to laugh. “Not with each other,” he says over-heartily. “I mean separately, obviously.”
I shake my head and take pity on him. “We’re into water conservation around here,” I say blithely. “There’s a national heatwave on, you know.”
Ivo laughs. “That’s so civil-minded of you.”
I wink. “That’s me. Civil.”
Silas smirks. “I really don’t think so. Your mouth gets you into more trouble than anyone I’ve ever met.” Affection passes over his face as he runs his hand down my back.
To my embarrassment I arch slightly like a cat being petted, and Henry looks at us assessingly. When he looks up and catches my eye he looks unrepentant. Instead he winks.
“We’ll all go in. Are we in the Blue Room, Oz?”
“Oh, erm, yes.” I shoot Silas a look. I don’t know why Henry’s asking me rather than his brother who the house belongs to. “That’s your room, isn’t it?”
Henry smiles. “And please tell me that you’ve put my mother on the other side of the house?”
“I have. She’s in the bedroom with the wisteria wallpaper.” I look at my diary. “Actually, I’ve still got to check her room. Niall was sleeping in there while they repaired the window in his room.”
“Thank God she’ll be far away,” Ivo mutters. “It’d be like sleeping next to the Queen of the Undead otherwise.” Heshudders. “I’d have had to get out the crosses and the garlic, and I’m pretty sure we had to leave that bag behind because it wouldn’t fit in the car with all of Henry’s luggage.”
Henry glares. Silas laughs. And I check the marquee again. It looks beautiful, all cream fabric and the late afternoon sun sliding lazily across the wooden flooring.
“You done?” Silas asks and I nod.
“Flowers are coming tomorrow morning and the bar and caterers are setting up at nine. The band’s arriving at ten.”
“Make sure they play a jaunty tune to mark my mother’s arrival,” he mutters.
Henry laughs. “Something likeThe Funeral March.”
I look around at them with a question hovering on my lips. Henry looks at me and his smile is wide and kind, and I relax all of a sudden because that’s Silas’s smile. “Yes, she is horrible,” he says. “We’re really not making it up. Stay out of her way and don’t meet her eyes.”
