Page 110 of Cover Story

‘Oh I know they did. It was a woman on the check-in desk and she wanted to talk about how on earth I wasn’t married, because I “looked like I’d be married”,’ Connor said, and winked.

‘Blurgh,’ Bel said, but she was laughing. ‘What does “looking married” entail?’

‘It entails an Executive Suite. All right if I have first shower, then you can take longer at your leisure?’ Connor said, pointing to the en-suite bathroom.

‘By all means,’ Bel said.

She added the burble of the boiling kettle andMurder She Wrote,volume low, to add to the off-stage sound of running water. It didn’t feel uncomfortable to share with Connor, Bel thought, but the not-uncomfortable had to be diligently maintained. With that in mind she opened her case, hung her dress up and made sure her knicker cache wasn’t on display.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Bel looked over at the closed door to the bathroom and thought, well, Connor wasn’t going to exit unclothed anyway so she was clear to answer it.

Bel was taken aback to see Tim: coordinated in chocolate-brown suit with pearl-grey tie and pocket square. Kind eyes, blonde-brown hair and neat beard. Their colouring was similar enough they sometimes got mistaken for siblings.

His expression was neutral.

‘Afternoon. Can I have a word?’

‘Afternoon! Sure.’

Bel had a hopeful premonition that they might be about to make friends at last. Despite the sniping, she’d really like a burying of the hatchet. Bel wanted a redemption arc and a way to be around each other.

She stood aside and Tim passed her. She recognised his aftershave, a Proustian waft of Mont Blanc Explorer, and for a second it was as though the last year never happened. She pictured herself as Tim’s date today, theyou nextentreaties. Time folded back on itself and, for fifteen seconds, they’d never separated.

‘I wanted to let you know I’m here with Rhiannon. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months.’

‘Oh yes, I know? From Instagrams. That’s nice. Rhiannon’s great.’

‘I didn’t think you were on there anymore?’

‘I’m not. Shilpa told me.’

Tim’s eyes widened: ‘Oh right, of course.’

Bel genuinely couldn’t tell if he was having her on. Of course Shilpa would tell her. She supposed male thinking might not have got that far. She’d assumed Tim had wanted her to find out that way to inflict pain, but if this was the general intention, Verity’s wedding was more painful still.

‘Yeah, Rufus is with Nicky. He’s a lot happier,’ Tim said.

Bel didn’t expect that jab.

‘Good for him. That was the idea.’

‘Whose idea, Shilpa’s? No it wasn’t.’

‘You think she divorced so they could both be unhappier?’

‘I think she wanted one so she could be happier, sure.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with that. Women don’t owe men staying in unhappy marriages.’

‘Hah, sure. Funny that she isn’t though, eh?’

‘What?’

‘Happier.’

‘How would you know?’

‘Stuff Rufus says about her response to Nicky. She unfollowedhim.’

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