Page 60 of The Retreat
‘I went to Harrow!’ Daniel said, incensed.
‘Is that a big deal?’ Imogen asked.
‘Harrow is the top school in the country,’ Daniel told her.
Talia side-eyed Daniel. ‘Well, I went to Bleakridge Comprehensive School, if we’re bragging. It had a Latin motto,but no one knew what it was because the sign got nicked in ninety-eight.’
Imogen snorted into her hand. Celeste was grinning too.
‘Well, Harrow Boy, I’m afraid that today, you’ll have to be content with second place,’ Celeste told him.
Daniel clamped his jaw shut. He was fucking furious. Talia was euphoric.
***
Talia was lying flat on the grass. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath, and there was a crooked, slightly smug smile on her lips. Imogen sat next to her, subtly watching her.
‘Good job,’ she said with a smile.
Talia turned her head to look at her. ‘Same to you. You’re actually good at this.’
Imogen squinted at her. ‘What, transporting eggs via mouth?’
‘No. I mean…’ Talia faltered, then shrugged. ‘You’re... fun.’
‘Oh. Thanks,’ Imogen said, not quite meeting Talia’s eye.
Following that was a quiet that lasted a second too long. Imogen’s nerves couldn’t deal with it. ‘So, no fancy school for you?’ Imogen asked quickly.
Talia sat up. ‘God, no. My dad is a bus driver, and my mum is a nurse, so private school wasn’t a conversation that was ever had in my house.’
‘Really?’ Imogen said, further surprised.
‘What?’
‘You just seem… I thought you seemed comfortable with wealth.’
Talia looked at her. ‘Nope. I’m just your classic poor overachiever.’
‘Yeah, me too. I mean, not the overachiever bit. Obviously. But Inailedthe poor bit.’
Talia gave a shy little laugh. ‘You know, before I saw where you lived, I assumedyoucame from money,’ she admitted.
Imogen laughed. ‘Oh, thanks a lot.’
‘Sorry, it’s not… It’s a nice place. I mean, you made it nice.’
‘Not really.’ She paused. ‘Why would you think that I came from money?’
‘The art world… lots of pretence, lots of money.’
Imogen nodded. ‘True. Not me, though. That job at the gallery was the only paid work in the art world I ever had.’
‘I didn’t realise that,’ Talia said.
‘Yeah. Took forever to get it. Volunteered wherever I could to get the experience, but the best places wanted people who could commit forty hours unpaid, which I never could. I felt so lucky when…’ Imogen stopped there. She didn’t want to say the accursed name again. ‘Whenshetook a chance on me.’
‘And you couldn’t find anything after the place closed?’
