Cold Comfort by Isobel Hart Page A

waited. For a long while there was nothing, and then the door was
opened by a housekeeper, who looked upon us wearily. “Clarissa is beside the
pool,” she said, clearly assuming I was one of Clarissa’s hangers-on.
    “Where’s the pool?” I asked. She looked at
me a little more closely before deciding she didn’t want to get involved and
merely pointed towards a walled area to the side of the house. I nodded my
thanks and headed to where she had indicated.
    Clarissa was laid out on a sun lounger,
alone. She raised her sunglasses and peered at us as we clattered to a halt
beside her. I had to admit, despite disliking her intensely, she cut a fine
figure dressed in a scanty bikini, the entirety of her beautiful body out on
display. “Who are you and what do you want?” she finally said, sounding bored.
    “Did you sleep with Hardy?”
    “Who? Hardy Somerville?” I nodded, and she
rolled her eyes. “When?”
    “Whilst you were in the States recently.”
    “What’s it to you?”
    “I want to know.”
    She looked at me a little more closely. “I
remember you. You’re Hardy’s little singer. He mentioned you.”
    “Did you sleep with him?” I demanded again.
    “Sleeping usually has very little to do
with it, and frankly it has nothing to do with you whatever I did with
whomever.”
    “If it was with Hardy, it does.” She
laughed, and that really pissed me off.
    She sat up, looking annoyed. “Who do you
think you are? You’re just his little virgin tart. As I said, he mentioned you;
said he was waiting until you were an adult and then planned to have you as his
concubine – just like his father does with your mother. Thought it was
funny that they’d keep it in the family, so to speak.”
    For a moment my mouth just opened and
closed, but nothing came out. I heard Emily gasp behind me. “What are you
talking about?” I managed to say.
    “It’s one of the best known secrets in
town. I’m amazed no one’s ever told you.” I turned and looked at Emily, who
blushed, shuffled her feet and stared at the ground. Clarissa carried on
speaking: “Everyone knows your mother is Somerville Senior’s whore – at
his beck and call whenever and however he wants her. He even lends her out to
friends sometimes. It seems Hardy liked the idea and thought you were just the
ticket.” She laughed as if it were all a big joke, and I hated her a little
more than I already did. “I think it’s very droll you actually thought he felt
something for you. Now bugger off, please,” she said, replacing her sunglasses
and lying back down. “You’re blocking my sun.”
    I’d heard enough. I turned and marched back
towards the car, Emily running to keep up with me. “Did you know?” I asked,
looking sideways at her. So much made sense, I didn’t doubt there was some
truth to what I’d heard; her long hours, the nights she’d left me alone to
return to his house… the sadness I’d always sensed within her. My heart broke,
knowing she’d done it for me. Emily was silent. “I asked whether you knew about
it.”
    “I’d heard a rumour.”
    “And you didn’t think I ought to know?”
    “I didn’t think it was my place to tell
you. I thought your mum would say something to you at some point.”
    “How long have you known?”
    “How long?”
    “Yes, how long?” I unlocked the driver’s
door and pulled it open angrily as I looked at her across the roof.
    “Umm…”
    “Jesus. I can’t be around you right now.” I
told her as I slid into the car. I didn’t unlock the other door.
    “You can’t just leave me here,” she said,
hands on hips as she shouted at me through the closed window.
    “I think you’ll find I can,” I said, winding
down the window an inch. I started the car and put it into gear, before leaning
towards her and saying; “I always knew you were a bitch, but I still thought
you were my friend. I thought, no matter how much you used me when it suited
you, that you had my back. I guess