Page 69 of Milo
“Yes, but don’t worry about it,” Jacinta says blithely. “It won’t stop you anyway.”
“I’d like to think that I can take conversational cues as well as the next person.”
“Only if the next person is Helen Keller.”
I choke on my first sip of water. Daisy turns to stare at me. “Sorry,” I mutter. “Wrong hole.”
Niall tops up my glass. “We’ll have to work on that, sweetheart. That sounds like a problem for Niall Fawcett to fix.”
Daisy ignores him and turns back to Jacinta. “At least I don’t think I can fuck my way through awkward silences.”
“Oh, I say,” Adam interjects, and the two girls turn furious faces on him. He subsides, holding his hand up in surrender, andgulps his wine down quickly before she can lecture him about his alcohol content, which has been a common theme this week.
“Well, excuse me for having a healthy sexual drive,” Jacinta says and glares at Daisy when she smirks. “At least I use mine. I bet Adam would have to fight his way through cobwebs to get into your vagina.”
“How dare you?” Daisy shouts, rising up from the table. I brighten up at the thought that she might be leaving but then slump as she lowers herself back to her chair.
“No, really,” Jacinta says. “I’m surprised he hasn’t got a fedora and a bullwhip. Didn’t Indiana Jones go after ancient, dusty relics?”
“You’re a fucking bitch,” Daisy yells abruptly, discarding her impression of the Virgin Mary which she’s been aiming at all week.
“And you’re a dried up, desiccated, prissy old know-it-all.”
“You have spots.”
Jacinta gasps. “You bitch.”
“Ladies,” Niall says. “Please don’t argue.” They turn as one to glare at him and he holds his hands up. “Well, if needs must, then please go ahead. But make sure you go outside and let the neighbours hear. It’ll reaffirm their impression that this chalet is the new outpost for Sodom and Gomorrah. You’ll make them very happy.”
I snort at the thought of his well-to-do neighbours who scurry away as soon as they see him, as if they wait for a second too long, he’ll expose himself. Mind you, I suppose if he’s been as wild as I’ve heard about, I can’t blame them. The thought sours my mood and I automatically look at my brother, as he’s been Niall’s partner in crime for so many years.
I jerk as I find him looking at me. “What?” I say sharply. “Shall I take a picture and then you can really examine it?”
“Milo,” Niall says in a surprised voice.
I shake my head. “Don’t start, Niall.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time I’ve said anything to him this week you’ve jumped in and defended him.” I glare at him. “Pick a fucking side.” I pause. “Unless you’ve already done that.”
“Don’t be fucking ridiculous,” he says in a suddenly grim voice. “You know where my loyalties lie.”
“Not with me,” I say hotly but all of a sudden Gideon stands up, his chair scraping back.
“Stop behaving like a fucking child,” he growls and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Silence falls, apart from Sam who jerks awake with a sudden start. “When’s breakfast?” he asks blearily.
Adam drains another glass of wine in a surreptitious manner. “This is like the dinner party from hell,” he slurs.
Daisy turns her glacial stare on him. “Adam, how many glasses have you had? You know how I feel about your drinking. Think of your waistline.”
“I’m more concerned about the damage that your voice is doing to my eardrums,” he says peevishly, pouring himself another glass.
“Adam,” she whispers furiously. “Remember who you’re talking to.”
“Yes, the Duchess of Do Nothing Right,” Jacinta says tartly. Daisy hisses and turns on her and they’re off again.
