Page 38 of A Brambleberry Manor Christmas
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Flo and I work away in the kitchen all morning, gettingthe buffet lunch ready. Marjery has requested that we lay it out in the diningroom by one o’clock, so that people can help themselves whenever they’re ready.
By midday, we’re done. And I’m almost at the point ofbreathing a sigh of relief because I’ve managed to avoid bumping intoConstance, when I hear voices in the hall.
The door opens and in walks Melanie, quickly followed by…Constance.
‘Hi, you two. What a gorgeous day it is!’ Melanie looksflushed with happiness – or perhaps it’s the cold. She has, of course, been outin the snow, I remind myself. But all the same, I can’t help wondering if thebright spots of colour in her cheeks and her shining eyes have more to do withher confession to Noah the other night than anything else…
‘Noah was looking for you,’ I tell her.
‘Oh, yes.’ She beams. ‘He found me. We’re going out for adrink later.’ There’s a dreamy look on her face that suggests she can hardlywait, and it jags at my heart, thinking of the two of them together.
And then Melanie joins Constance who’s standing by thewindow, looking out at the snow, and says, ‘Have you been properly introducedto Jenny and Flo?’
Constance turns around, flicks back her glamorous blonde hair,and gives us a rather glacial smile. ‘Ah, yes. The caterers.’ Her eyebrows riseand she looks directly at me. ‘Nice dessert last night. “Smashing”, in fact.’
I blush to the roots of my hair at her sly dig. But as Iopen my mouth to reply, Flo cuts in.
‘So glad you enjoyed the black cherry ice-cream and compote,Constance. It was quite a triumph, wasn’t it?’ She smiles at me. ‘And to think,Jenny, you weren’t one hundred per cent happy with the ice-cream. I guess thatjust proves what a perfectionist you are.’
Constance looks annoyed at being blindsided by Flo, and I’mcheering inwardly, and feeling so relieved we were able to use it after the chocolatelog disaster.
‘The ice-cream was gorgeous,’ agrees Melanie. ‘Don’t youthink so, Connie…er, Constance?’
Constance makes a noise in her throat and turns back to theview. I wink at Flo and escape to the loo, hoping that by the time I return,we’ll be alone in the kitchen. But having deliberately taken my time, my heartsinks to find Melanie and Constance sitting at the kitchen table, a teapotbetween them, hugging a mug each.
Flo and I exchange a look, and I know her raised eyebrowsare directed at Constance’s superior attitude. But Flo obviously has no ideathat my feelings towards the woman sitting gossiping at the table are a hundredtimes more complicated than hers…
I take a deep breath and tell myself I’m fine. Flo and Iwill be finished soon and then I can escape for the rest of the day.
I’m cutting a quiche into slices when I realise Melanie isasking Constance about her heart-break year, and instantly, my insides start tochurn.
‘Oh, God, Mel, it’s been the absolute worst year of mylife,’ she says in her slightly plummy voice. ‘I really thought Harvey and Iwere for life, you know? He was the perfect man. Good-looking. Charming.Generous. We’d have hadsucha fabulous life together. He was going totake a year away from work and we were going to travel all over, staying in thebest hotels, of course.’
‘Oh, poor you.’ Melanie reaches out and squeezes herfriend’s hand. ‘I can’t believe you had all that snatched away from you.’
‘I know. He was going to buy me a little sports car.Something small and nippy, you know. Right up my street. But of course I didn’teven get anything in the will, so that’s that. Of course, he wasn’t expectingto die so young, otherwise he’d obviously have changed the will in my favour.’She sniffs. ‘He was on the point of leaving the meek little wifey. Not thatthey were married. God knows why he didn’t escape sooner. He used to say shebored him to tears. I think he was worried she’d throw a tantrum and make anarse of herself getting drunk. Apparently, she showed him up good and proper athis company’s Christmas party last year, getting absolutely plastered andchatting up one of his colleagues right in front of poor Harvey.’ She shudders.‘Ugh! Imagine that. I think that’s when he realised he’d had enough of her…’
‘So…Harvey was actuallylivingwith someone else,then? All the time you were together?’ I can hear the note of revulsion inMelanie’s tone, and I feel like going over and hugging her.
‘Well, yes.’ Constance shrugs as if to say,so what?‘But the fact is, their relationship was already as dead as a dinosaur by thetime I met him.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I can’t listen to any more.
I have to get out of here. As soon as I’ve finished withthis quiche.
But tears are blinding me, and when I go to cut the lastportion, my thumb gets in the way and I slice into it. ‘Aargh!’ Blood is oozingout onto the chopping board and I’m shaking.
‘Jenny?’ Flo looks over in alarm. ‘Oh, hell. Come over hereto the sink.’ She rushes up and guides me over, taking my bleeding thumb andholding it gently under the running cold tap. I’m grateful she’s there besideme because I’m feeling quite faint – and it’s not entirely to do with the factthat I’ve sliced my thumb open, either…
Melanie springs up when she realises what’s happened. ‘Ohdear, shall I go and find Marjery? Do you need to go to A & E?’
I glance at her in alarm. ‘No, it’s fine. But thank you,Melanie.’
‘It doesn’t look too deep,’ says Flo.
