Page 11 of The Importance of Being Emma
‘I shouldn’t, but I will.’ He watched me like a hawk as I poured him an eggcupful. ‘That’s far too much for me, darling. Never mind, as you said, it’s a celebration.’ He raised his glass. ‘Your health!’
‘And especially yours, Henry,’ Mark said, gravely. He turned to me. ‘Here’s to our new relationship. I mean, of course, the mentoring.’
I forced a smile. ‘Cheers.’
Dad sipped his wine. ‘I hope you change your mind about going back to India, Mark. Dreadful-sounding place, you’re lucky to have got out alive. I trust you’re going to have a full medical check-up, in case you’ve picked up any nasty diseases?’
‘I’m fit as a fiddle, Henry. India’s like anywhere, do as the locals do and you won’t go far wrong.’
‘But you are going back?’ I said, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice.
‘That’s the plan. Unless, after a life of leisure for six months, Father decides to retire and asks me to take over permanently. But I can’t see that happening.’
Dad shook his head. ‘Neither can I. George is like me, wants to keep his hand in. Of course, Emma will take over from me one day, but not until she’s got a lot more experience.’
‘How have your first couple of days gone, Emma?’ Mark asked.
‘Fine,’ I said, refilling Dad’s glass despite his feeble protests. ‘Harriet’s settling in nicely. And I think I’ve found my next matchmaking assignment.’
‘Please, darling, not again.’ Dad put his hand on my arm. ‘Whenever you make a prediction about people, it comes true. Look at poor Kate.’
I laughed. ‘I know. My first attempt at matchmaking was a complete success.’
‘Success?’ Mark leaned forward in his chair and gave me a disapproving look. ‘Rubbish. Success implies a plan, and some effort. Knowing you, you made a lucky guess then sat back and did nothing.’
This from the expert, the man whose idea of a fulfilling relationship was dragging each other along to functions! ‘Everyone knows that guesses need skill as much as luck,’ I said through clenched teeth. ‘And no, I didn’t have a plan exactly, but I didn’t sit back and do nothing either, the truth’s somewhere in between.’ I smiled as I recalled how easy it had been. ‘I got things rolling as soon as Tom came out of the Merchant Navy and settled back in Highbury. I invited him and Kate to dinner, with a few other people as well, so that it wasn’t too obvious, then made sure he gave her a lift home. After that, it was just a matter of prodding them along. When I was in the States I couldn’t do much, of course, but by then it was cut and dried.’
‘You should have left well alone, people are quite capable of choosing their partners without any help from you.’ Another disapproving look.
Dad pounced on Mark’s last few words. ‘That’s just like Emma, always helping others, never thinking of herself. But matchmaking’s such a risky business! Giving romantic notions to a man and a woman who’ve probably never thought of each other that way before — it’s no wonder so many couples break up. Save yourself the trouble, darling, you’ll only be disappointed.’
‘You worry too much, Dad,’ I said gently. ‘And I hope you’re not suggesting that Kate and Tom will break up, because actually they’re better suited than most couples. Just look at Izzy and John—’ I stopped, remembering who I was with.
‘Maybe Kate and Tom seem better suited because they’re much older — and wiser — than Izzy and John,’ Mark said drily.
Dad frowned. ‘I can’t agree with you there, Isabella’s so sensible and a marvellous wife and mother, although John can be rather—’
‘Anyway,’ I put in, getting up to check that I’d finished setting the table, ‘it’s too late, my next assignment’s well underway.’
Mark drained his glass. ‘The time to really worry, Henry, is when Emma starts matchmaking for herself.’
‘I’d rather die,’ I said, with a dismissive laugh. ‘As far as I’m concerned men can stay on Mars, or wherever it is they come from, at least for the moment.’
‘So do enlighten us, who’s your next victim?’
Victim? He made me sound like a black widow spider. I straightened the place mats and braced myself for criticism. ‘Philip Elton.’
‘Elton? You must be joking.’
‘I am not, he’s the ideal candidate.’ I ticked off the reasons on my fingers. ‘He’s in his prime, can’t be any older than thirty . . . Handsome, not my type of course . . . Good career prospects, I mean with another company, he’s already got as far as he can at Highbury Foods . . . And he’s just bought a house, he says he spends every weekend in Ikea. That’s a Swedish furniture chain, in case you don’t know. I remember doing a case study on them for my MBA, although I’ve never been in any of their shops. Poor Philip, he seems to have everything, but have you noticed how lonely he looks? He’s got such big mournful brown eyes, just like Dr Perry’s labrador when he thinks you’ve come to the surgery to take him for a walk.’ I smiled as I re-folded the napkins. ‘Yes, when I find the right woman for him, I guarantee she’ll be sharing his little Ikea show home in a matter of weeks, or even days.’
Dad looked at me in utter dismay. ‘But there’s no need to go that far, if it’s company he wants then Mark or I could help. You’ll be seeing some of your old friends while you’re here, won’t you, Mark?’
‘I’m not sure Philip’ll fit in with my crowd,’ Mark said, ‘but I don’t mind having the odd drink with him.’
Dad’s eyes lit up. ‘I’ll find out if he plays bridge. You know, we still play every Thursday, Mark. That’s myself, Frank Clarke, Mary and her mother. But Frank had a triple heart bypass last year and some weeks he doesn’t feel up to going out, so I could invite Philip instead. Or would you be interested?’
‘No thank you, I’m very rusty.’
