Page 105 of Fe
“Injury?” asked a man who sat next to him.
No more, please!“Mountaineering accident.” Fen mentally groaned. He wouldn’t usually have let it get to him. But then he’d never been to a party like this. Maybe he’d become braver since he’d been with Ripley. This was the fourth person who’d asked and the fourth different answer Fen had given. Base jumping and being knocked down by a police car had been added to the sheep attack.
“You’re younger than Ripley’s usual type.”
Fen’s arms prickled. “He’s a bit young for me, but he has lovely hair. I do like a good head of hair.”
This guy was rapidly losing his.
“And a fat wallet?”
Arsehole.Before he was tempted to say that out loud,Fen pushed to his feet, slotted his arm in his crutch and looked for Ripley only to see him coming towards him.
“What did Spencer say?” Ripley asked.
“How do you know he said something?”
“Because I know him and you look pissed off.”
“He said you were extremely lucky.”
“I thought you didn’t lie.”
“I’m not. Youarea lucky guy.” But Fen told him what had been said and what he’d said too.
“He’s a twat. Though he will have you down as a gold-digger now.”
A bell rang and dinner was announced. Ripley led Fen through to a dining room where staff were waiting to show them to their places. They were two seats away from the head of the table. Unfortunately, the seat next to Fen was occupied by the man he’d just been speaking to.
“Fen you’ve already met Spencer, this is his wife Matilda,” Ripley said.
Fen shook their hands. “Good to meet you.”
“If only it was,” Ripley said quite audibly.
Fen tensed but Spencer chortled.
“Can I take your crutch, sir?” asked a waiter. “I can put it against the wall behind you.”
“Thank you.” Fen handed it over and sat down.
“What happened?” Matilda asked.
“Shark attack,” Fen said.
“Australia?”
“Scotland.”
“You told me it was a mountaineering accident,” Spencer said.
“I fell off a cliff into the sea and was attacked by a shark.”
Ripley almost choked, but Spencer rolled his eyes and turned to his wife.
“Sorry,” Fen whispered to Ripley.
Ripley put his hand on Fen’s knee under the table and squeezed. “Just be you. Say what you like. Though I wonder if you’ll run out of reasons to explain the crutch.”
