Page 108 of The Importance of Being Emma
Kate groaned. ‘I think Mary’s had too much to drink. Flynn, you’re nearest, bring her over here before she gets hurt, that floor looks lethal.’
Flynn frowned. ‘Isn’t her niece looking after her?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Jane went home about ten minutes ago. She felt ill, but she insisted she was OK to drive and we said we’d give Mary a lift later.’
As Flynn hesitated, Saffron and Mark arrived and swung into action. Saffron thrust a roll of kitchen towel at Philip and a mop and bucket at Gusty, while Mark led a flustered Batty to a chair. I saw Flynn fidget with his mobile and leave the room, presumably to make a call away from the general chaos.
Meanwhile, Saffron raised her delicately sculptured eyebrows in distaste and surveyed the scene in her once-immaculate conservatory. ‘Now you two can start clearing up this mess.’
Gusty opened her mouth to object, but Saffron silenced her with one Medusa-like stare and went on, ‘After that, there’s plenty to do in the kitchen. I’ll see you get the going rate for your work.’ Her voice hardened. ‘Provided it’s up to my standards, of course. Through here, everyone.’ And she swept majestically into the drawing room.
As we all trooped after her, I heard Mark say to Batty, ‘I’ll get your coat and take you home — that’s if no one’s blocked the Mercedes in.’
I turned to face him. ‘I have, I’m afraid. I’ll move my car right now.’ I added irritably, ‘I didn’t expect you’d be going anywhere tonight.’
‘Neither did I.’ He gave an apologetic grin. ‘Although if you’re leaving soon, couldyoudrop Mary off? That would help me out, I may need to calm things down here.’
This was my chance to find out if he and Harriet . . . I took a deep breath. ‘I’m supposed to be taking Harriet home — unless you have other plans for her?’
He paused and there was no mistaking the flicker of guilt in his eyes. No mistaking at all. I blinked back the tears and schooled my expression into one of total disinterest.
Another grin, far more contrived than the previous one. ‘Plans? Absolutely not.’ I didn’t believe him for one moment; he would simply be waiting for a less public opportunity to make his move. He continued, ‘I’ll let her know you’re about to leave. And — Emma?’
‘Yes?’
‘Drive carefully, there’s a heavy frost out there.’
Of course, he wouldn’t want anything to happen to his precious Harriet, would he?
Within fifteen minutes, I was driving away from Donwell Abbey as fast as the frost would allow. Since Harriet’s house was on the way to Batty’s, it would have looked odd if I’d not dropped her off first — but that meant I couldn’t find out what Mark had asked her. I reasoned that she probably wouldn’t have told me anyway; there was a vacant, dreamy look about her that didn’t bode well for getting any work done tomorrow.
After dropping Harriet off, I drove into Highbury and parked outside Batty’s house. As I was helping her up the path, a red Jaguar appeared and screeched to a halt behind my car.
Batty twisted round and said in bewilderment, ‘It’s Jane, where’s she been, I thought she was going straight home.’ Then, as Jane got out, ‘Are you all right, dear?’
Jane glanced over, her face clearly visible under the streetlight. ‘I’m fine,’ she muttered. But she was pinched and drawn and all the signs were that she’d been sobbing her heart out.
I steered Batty firmly towards her front door before she noticed that anything was wrong. ‘Come inside and put the kettle on, I’m sure Jane would love a nice cup of tea.’
‘So thoughtful,’ she twittered. ‘But let’s get Jane inside first, it’s very cold.’
I turned to Jane, racking my brains for a good reason to speak to her alone. ‘By the way, I’ve got some project stuff in mycar that I need your view on. I didn’t like to bother you when you were ill, but as I’m here . . . ’
‘OK, I’ll have a quick look,’ she said. ‘I’m sure it won’t take more than five minutes.’
‘Don’t be any longer than that,’ Batty put in. ‘I’ll make you a Horlicks, or maybe some of Mother’s Complan, you need building up.’
When I returned to my car, Jane was huddled in the passenger seat. She eyed me suspiciously as I got in.
‘I gather there is no project stuff — you just wanted a private chat?’
‘Correct.’ I hesitated. ‘You don’t have to tell me anything, but it’s obvious you’re upset and I wondered if I could help.’ Silence; I tried again. ‘You left Donwell Abbey rather suddenly — was it something there that upset you?’
That produced a response, rather too glib for my liking. ‘It was Gusty, she’s fixed up an interview for me in Bristol next Monday. If I’ve told her once, I’ve told her a hundred times — I’m not interested. But she doesn’t take no for an answer.’
‘Understatement of the year,’ I said, giving her an appraising look. ‘There’s more to it than that, though, isn’t there? I can imagine Gusty making you annoyed, but not upset. What — or who — has had you in tears?’
She pursed her lips. ‘OK, let’s just say I’m having relationship problems and leave it at that.’
