Page 96 of A Class Act

‘Magnificent?’ I laughed at that. ‘Yeah, he is quite nice.’

‘Nice?’ Mum looked askance. ‘Nice? Robyn, he’s absolutely lovely. Quite stunning. Reminds me a bit of your dad in his younger days.’

‘Does he?’ I thought about it. ‘Actually, you’re right. Don’t they say you always end up marrying your father?’

‘Oh, gross.’ Sorrel sniffed, overhearing our conversation, and Lola started giggling. ‘Please don’t say you’re serious about him, Robyn? Mind you, you are getting on a bit now. Pushing thirty is so-o-o-o ancient. Maybe settling back down here, up in Yorkshire…’

‘Is that grammatically correct?’ I interrupted, embarrassed as all eyes turned on me.

‘Good job I’m going to Beddingfield High rather than St Mede’s next year,’ Lola said sagely, saving me from answering Sorrel. ‘I certainly don’t want to be sitting in assembly singing “Fight the Good Fight” knowing the headmaster’s just got out of bed with my aunty.’

‘Oy,’ Mum, Jess and I chorused as one.

‘No, not the best situation.’ Sorrel grinned. ‘I’m with you on this, Lola. Mind you, that bitch of a headmistress – Ms Liversedge – is an utter witch. You’ll have to watch your step there. In fact, you’d probably be better going to St Mede’s in September. I’m sure Robyn will be back in London by then, soyou don’t have to worry about conjuring up pictures of the pair of them together.’

‘Oy, you as well, Sorrel,’ I said. ‘Enough already.’

‘Yes, but, Robyn, you are getting a bit serious with Mason.’ Mum was refusing to let it go. ‘He’s fabulous: good-looking, bright – dad’s a surgeon – he must be OK – and he’shere.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean? He’shere?’

‘Well, unlike the Bastard Bucks Barrister…’ Jess started.

‘Oh, come on,’ I snapped, hating any criticism of Fabian still that wasn’t coming from me. ‘I’m sure you three can be even more alliterative if you try.’

‘Perfidious Patronising Pillock?’ Sorrel suggested.

‘Lousy, Loathsome Lawyer?’ Lola giggled.

‘Enough,’ Mum warned, seeing my face. ‘I’m sure he was very nice…’

‘No, he wasn’t,’ Jess came back at Mum. ‘He knew how Robyn felt about his defending a serial misogynistic murderer; he messaged that there was no future in their relationship; blocked her from his phone and, evenwithoutall that, Robyn couldn’t have put up with his racist family.’

‘Only his brother and mother,’ I started, wanting to defend Fabian, knowing how much he’d loved me. Though not enough, obviously. ‘His dad was quite nice; his sister, Jemima, fabulous. Right,’ I went on, suddenly close to tears, ‘we’re supposed to be celebrating, not pulling my ex to bits.’

‘We’re just trying to balance Mason against your barrister,’ Mum said calmly. ‘Mason has a lot in the credit column whereas, from what you’ve told us, and what we’ve seen of him on TV, Fabian – is it? – is clearly in the red, if not totally morally bankrupt.’

‘You know, Mason Donoghue’s noangel,’ I snapped, as we didn’t appear to be moving on. ‘He’ll do anything to get what he wants. Look how he blackmailed me into going to work for him.’

‘There you go – heisa bit like your dad,’ Mum said gently.

‘Oh?’ I glared at her. ‘That’s why you like Mason, isn’t it, because he reminds you of Jayden? And look howhe’sled you a merry dance all these years.’ I shook the menu meaningfully. ‘Before I lose my appetite altogether, can we just order?’

The food was utterly fabulous and the wine went down well. I started with North Sea crab withajo blancoand seared grapes; Mum and Sorrel had scallops with white asparagus and a smoked egg yolk, Jess went for prawn bisque croquetas with a charcoal mayo and Lola, although unfazed by Jess’s concoctions at home, went for a less exotic-sounding chorizo Scotch egg.

‘Hey, look! No,don’t look, don’t look,’ Sorrel spluttered as we all did just the opposite. ‘Isn’t that the horrible Ms Liversedge herself?’ she asked as we all turned in the direction of the ladies’ loo where Sorrel indicated she’d just seen Beddingfield High’s headmistress go in.

‘Definitely her,’ I said once the woman exited and Jess nodded in agreement while Lola, who knew the infamous woman only by hearsay, lurched out of her seat to get a good look at her future head teacher.

‘Lola, stop gawping,’ Jess and I hissed.

‘Youall are.’ She pouted. ‘Kyle Meadows in my class says she’s really sexy and he can’t wait to move up to the high school.’

‘She does look a lot more glamorous than I remember.’ Jess nodded, turning back to the table. ‘D’you see her tight leather skirt and high heels?’

‘All the lads in Year 10 used to fancy her.’ Sorrel said in agreement. ‘I never got it.’

‘You’re not a red-blooded male.’ Mum laughed. ‘She’s certainly got something, I agree, but I found her so intimidating when she was always calling me in because of you, Sorrel, I never really dared look at her face. I think I was constantly eye to eye with that cleavage of hers that was always out on display.’

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