Page 45 of Between Us

‘Ah, shut up. Only you lot could have made it this incredible. Insane and incredible.’

Roisin realised it was in fact a blessing that Dev had lovedHunter.She had been selfish.

‘No music,’ Gina said, as she started the engine. ‘I must have calm and near-silence.’

She rattled the gear stick and coaxed the van into reluctant action. They waved at Dev and Anita.

‘Goodbye, Benbarrow,’ Meredith said, twisting in her seat to face the road again. ‘Until next time.’

It wasn’t often you said those words and they were fully untrue: unlike a holiday island, or a rental villa, or any of the many places you might feasibly return, Benbarrow Hall was pretty clearly a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

Roisin turned again to gaze up at its architectural magnificence as they retreated down the hill, trying to absorb the finality of the farewell.

How would they remember this weekend, in another ten years? She knew what it’d mean to her.

What was the curse:all lovers that court here– whatever that meant –are doomed?

Roisin thought of her and Joe splitting, of Matt and Gina’s barney, Ruby’s appearance … she’d have said Dev and Anita were fine, until she spoke to Meredith. She tried not to shiver.

Did people honestly get wed on its lawns, without looking that up? Not that it would’ve necessarily bothered her. Butyou know, they lived in a world where hotels didn’t have thirteenth floors.

She opened her phone and, with a few mistypes as the VW bumped over uneven road surfaces, googledBenbarrow Hall Curse. Here was a strange thing – she couldn’t find any blog using that phrase.

27

As they passed Preston, their phones pinged simultaneously, which typically meant a Brian Club WhatsApp.

Roisin looked at the notification.

Matt McKenzie left the group: BRIAN CLUB

She involuntarily sucked in air and looked up at Meredith.

Gina said, ‘What? What’s it say?’ glancing at her phone in its holder on the dashboard.

‘Nothing,’ Meredith said. ‘Just Dev saying bye.’

‘Why does Roisin look so worried, then?’ Gina said, observing her in the rear-view mirror.Damn my face,Roisin thought.

‘OK, it’s that Matt’s left. It’s a flounce, he’ll be back,’ Meredith said.

‘Left Brian Club?’ Gina said, in a tone of real surprise.

The VW pulled sharply to the left, threatening to stray from its lane. Meredith winced and said, ‘Yeah,’ in a forced-casual way.

‘Don’t let the door hit you on the arse, Matt,’ Gina saidafter a pause, in unexpected defiance. Clearly she was doubling down. Neither Roisin nor Meredith said anything, not wanting to antagonise their driver in her delicate state.

‘No doubt firing all his old friends off on orders ofthat woman. Says a lot about Matt that he’s going along with it.’

Given Gina had forgotten Ruby’s identity reveal, this might be truer than she realised. He might well have been told to put some distance with a bunch of often-pissed, indiscreet and variously hostile friends, for the duration of their liaison.

But leaving the WhatsApp group?

The thought Matt might be going for good was very painful. Until this moment, Roisin hadn’t doubted the fracture could be mended. This falling-out had taken on the feel of something initially mundane that they’d complacently let slip out of control. A runaway golf buggy you thought you could easily catch up with if you broke into a run, which was now going to intersect with a freight train before you reached it.

Roisin felt traitorous to the sisterhood, however, she didn’t think Matt had deserved his ignominy, either. Had Gina been in a nightie, he’d no doubt be her hero for the very same behaviour. And everyone had done a pocket dial in their time. Subtract Gina’s intense self-consciousness, and the poo picture confetti would’ve been hilarious to her.

Yes, the timing of his girlfriend’s arrival was unfortunate. Yet if Matt had asked to bring her, Dev would’ve said sure. So where was the crime, really? Not anticipating the capricious whims of, and limitless chauffeuring available to,prominent creatives? Roisin suspected it felt a bigger gaffe than it was because they’d subconsciously absorbed the expectationMatt should keep his girlfriends out of the Brian Club activities to protect Gina’s feelings, and that wasn’t at all fair.

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