Page 81 of The Rest is History
‘I am so happy right now,’ Zara says as soon as Charlie’s backed out the door, looking intensely unhappy at the prospect of leaving us to our gossip session. ‘But you owe me a major catch-up, matey. Last I heard, he’d given you that tentative little kiss at the palace. Seems like you guys’ve come a long way.’
‘God, yeah. I really do.’ That kiss in the haunted passageway seems like it was forever ago. Was it really just a couple of weeks since it happened?
‘So, how’d it all come about, then? Let me guess. He took your hand one day at the palace and asked you to join him for a glass of wine, and then he took you across to The Mitre’s Whispering Angel Terrace and stiffly asked you if you’d consider going steady with him?’
I laugh. ‘Yeah, it went down exactly like that. If that’s what you want to believe.’
‘So surprise me.’
‘Remember the day he was sick, and I had to take his A Level class? And remember how excited I was about that lesson?’
She nods.
‘Well, he sent me some really angry messages that night and then the next day he dragged me into some back room at the palace and had a massive go at me. I’m not sure how it happened, but I ended up with my skirts around my waist, coming harder on his fingers than I’d ever come in my life.’
She’s up out of her chair like someone’s lit a rocket under her.
‘You arefuckingkidding me.’ She clamps a hand over her mouth. ‘That is insane. Charlie, Charlie. What a dark little horse you are. Did you shag him?’
I shake my head. ‘No. Nothing else happened. But then we got into school on the Monday and he was so cold and, just, horrible.’
Zara nods sagely.‘Quelle surprise.I mean, the guy has no idea of normal social etiquette at the best of times.’
‘But then towards the end of last week he sidles over to me in here—you weren’t around—and he’s all coy and smiley and like,hey, think this weekend is going to be more enjoyable than last weekend? ‘Cause last weekend wasveryenjoyable.’
She gasps. ‘Please tell me he didn’t.’
‘I know, right? So I had a huge go at him and told him I wasn’t some Tudor plaything for him and he should man up and make a move on me when we’reusand not Anne and Henry.’
‘Totally.’
I hesitate, realising I’m about to incriminate myself.
‘Elodie. Spill. Did he man up?’
I look away, my face burning.
‘Elodie.’
‘Fine. Yes, he dragged me into that stationery cupboard and locked us in, and let’s say he manned up.’
She grins delightedly. ‘Fuck. He’s quite masterful, isn’t he? It’s one thing I worry about with Pete. He’s really hot, but pretty basic.’
‘Sometimes hot and uncomplicated is far better for you than dark and twisted.’
‘I know you’re right.’ She sighs. ‘Anyway, so you spent the weekend with your dark and twistedloverrrr, I assume? The way he holds your neck is quite Mafia, by the way. Just saying.’
I grin. ‘Very Mafia. Very hot. And yeah. The whole weekend.’
‘And he’s being nice to you? He’s not just ignoring you and then banging you into submission?’
I laugh. ‘He’s being really nice to me. Like, incredible. So affectionate and sweet. He even came to my parents’ last nightfor a barbecue because he said he didn’t want to be apart from me.’
Zara whistles. ‘Wowzers. Boy has it bad. Did your parents like him?’
‘He charmed the pants off my mum and talked to my dad about the best way to stake peonies for a weirdly long time, so yeah. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand.’
‘Holy shit. Charlie Vaughan in parent-dazzling shocker. Sounds like he’s a keeper, then.’
