Page 25 of The Christmas Retreat
‘Verity has been coming to our retreats for some years,’ Nerys said. ‘She was a friend of Rhys’s late wife.’
Verity cast a quick, melting glance in Rhys’s direction and said softly, ‘Yes indeed, so I feel I’m practically Cariad’s auntie!’
She gave her sweet plaintive smile and said to Cariad, ‘We must spend some time together when I can spare it from my work, because it is ages since I’ve seen you.’
Cariad looked less than keen on this prospect. ‘You needn’t bother – there’s lots of fun things to do over Christmas, and also, I spend a lot of time with my best friend, Mel.’
‘Ungraciously put, perhaps, Verity,’ Rhys said to her, ‘but at least you can now get on with your work with a clear conscience.’
For a second Verity’s smile wavered, then she rallied and said, bravely, ‘Well, you know I’m always here for you, Cariad, if you need me.’
‘That’s true – sheisalways here,’ I heard Nerys mutter, sounding sardonic.
Kate Komodo obviously thought Verity had hogged the stage too long, because she threw out an imposing bosom clad in what looked like a khaki bell tent – maybe there had been a sale on vintage boy scout equipment? – and announced, sonorously: ‘I’mKate Komodo, bestselling author of literary crime.’
I wondered how literary crime differed from any other sort, but I suspected that Kate would inform us all at the first opportunity and probably at tedious length.
‘I’ve brought the edits for my next novel,The Ghastly Stain, with me, which need completing by the New Year, and I will get right down to them once all this Christmas nonsense is over and I can work in peace.’
‘You would be unlikely to be disturbed in your room anyway,’ pointed out Nerys, ‘so we’d hate you to feel you had to join in the festivities.’
‘Of course,’ Timon said hastily. ‘Now, shall we move on to you, Toby?’ he added to the young man who seemed to be trying to hide in the corner.
‘I’m Toby Sweft,’ he said, blushing faintly. His handsome face, the clear grey eyes ringed with the longest of dark lashes, wore the expression of a startled and wary fawn. He had good cause, too, for the Heavenly Twins were now eyeing him withthe expressions of ravenous Maenads, rather than winsome elven folk.
‘I’m trying to write my second novel, and hoping the change of scene will help.’
‘I expect it will, and the second novel is always the hardest to write,’ Rhys assured him. ‘I enjoyed your first very much.’
Toby blushed even more, but looked gratified. ‘Thank you! And also,’ he added with a shy smile, ‘although my late mother was too ill to really celebrate Christmas properly for the last few years, I love everything about it, so I’m looking forward to experiencing a traditional family one.’
‘Oh, so am I!’ I exclaimed. ‘I love Christmas too!’
We exchanged smiles and the twins glowered.
Then one of them said: ‘We’re very into learning about the old pagan traditions and incorporating them into our work. We are performance artists.’
Verity gave what sounded like a derisive snort, but something had clicked in my memory and I cried: ‘I was sure we’d met before! You were in your first year studying fine art when I was finishing my MA. You’re Iris and—’
‘We’re Opal and Pearl Gemini,’ one of the twins cut in loudly.
I was very sure they’d been called Iris and Irma Dodds at college, but there is no law against changing your name, even if they had chosen something a bit precious. I realized then that although at first glance they might look like teenagers, they had to be heading rapidly for thirty.
‘We work through live performance and film, exploring the themes of mirroring. As we mirror each other, we also mirror the world about us. Our first major success came when we stood face to face and naked in a gallery, holding up mirrors to reflect each other.’
There was a short silence while we digested this image, and I distinctly heard a muttered ‘Piffle!’ from the direction of Kate Komodo.
The other twin said, ‘While we are identical in every way, you can tell us apart when we are not performing by our pendants.’
She indicated a necklace that lay on her scrawny chest, revealed by the low neck of her dress. ‘Pearl for me and Opal for my sister.’
I thought I’d be able to tell them apart anyway, now I’d had a good look at them, because Opal seemed to be in much sharper focus somehow, the dominant one.
‘How interesting,’ said Nerys politely. ‘But I wouldn’t try filming yourselves naked during the Winter Solstice celebration, because it takes place outside and you’d freeze to death.’
Before they could reply, she turned to me with her warm smile and said, ‘Do tell us about yourself, Ginny.’
I’d been so interested I’d forgotten I’d have to take my turn, but I swallowed hard and then said, ‘I’m Ginny Spain, and I write and illustrate children’s board books. I’ve also written a series for older readers. But I have a different writing project I want to focus on during the retreat.’
