remained aloof from the chaos, waiting at the front door, two bottles of wine swinging in a carry bag.
‘What’s wrong?’ Ellie asked him.
‘They’re a bit boisterous, aren’t they? Need to calm down.’
‘Sorry?’ Ellie straightened up. ‘They’re great kids. Felicity’s done a brilliant job raising them, with Dan away on the trawler so much. I promise they won’t spill food on your flash clothes. Come and meet Felicity again.’
They had to step over the pile of discarded shoes at the door. Ellie turned left into the living room, which opened onto a wide kitchen with dining table and chairs. Toys and books made haphazard piles on the floor, the couches and coffee table. A wide-screen TV had the volume down low. The aroma of lamb roast made her mouth water.
‘Hi, Flick, that smells divine.’
Felicity brushed her hands down her denim shorts and held out her arms for a hug. Ellie hugged her back, before turning to introduce Alex. ‘You met at the rally yesterday, didn’t you?’
‘Of course I remember Alex. You were a couple of years above me at uni. Changed a bit since then, like we all have.’ Felicity held out her hand but Alex dropped a kiss on her cheek. It seemed to fluster her. ‘Lovely that you could come for dinner.’
‘Thanks for the invite. Hope you don’t mind me eating and running. O’Sullivan claims tonight was the only time he could spare for an interview over a couple of drinks so I couldn’t say no. Far easier being impartial and the mayor should have his say.’ The edge to his voice rang the faintest alarm in Ellie’s mind, but Felicity seemed unaware.
‘Of course you couldn’t. And it will give Ellie and me a chance to catch up. What can I get you to drink?’
He held out the carry bag. ‘We brought champagne and a red. Whichever you prefer.’
‘Oh, thank you! Bubbles, then. After the turnout at yesterday’s meeting, we have cause to celebrate.’ Felicity said.
Ellie found slim flutes in the low sideboard that ran the length of the room beneath a series of exquisite photographs of whales, sea lions and dolphins. She listened to the small talk behind her. Alex was wound up tight. What was that about? Something to do with Felicity? Or the meeting tonight?
The cork popped with a soft fizz and the golden liquid caught the light as she filled three glasses.
‘Here’s to accountable governments.’ Ellie raised her glass.
‘Here’s to a gorgeous engineer called Nick, I say,’ responded Felicity with a laugh as Ellie shook her head.
‘Women. You’re all the same. An arrogant attitude and an expensive suit and you all start drooling.’ Alex sounded amused, but his eyes were dark.
‘Sorry. Here’s to good-looking journos then as well. You scrub up all right for a guy who used to sport dreads.’ Felicity clinked glasses with him. ‘But Nick’s got a lovely way with words. Would make it much easier to oppose him if he wasn’t just so damn nice to everyone.’ She leant against the kitchen cupboard, brushing chestnut hair back from her face.
Ellie snorted. ‘Nice? He pinned me up against a table and threatened me the other day at council. It wasn’t my fault I was crawling around looking for cable hubs. He’s pretty damn intimidating when he’s angry.’
‘Threatened you?’ Felicity’s eyes widened, then she frowned.
‘I may have overheard something I shouldn’t have.’
‘You were eavesdropping?’ Felicity looked worried now.
‘Believe me, it wasn’t deliberate. I was down on my hands and knees and in strolled Lawson and O’Sullivan. It was too late to announce myself then without looking guilty. And you did warn me to stay away from the mayor.’
‘Oh my God. What did they say?’
‘Thankfully it was just Lawson who saw me.’
‘So what were they talking about?’
Ellie shot a look at Alex, hesitated an instant, then shook her head. ‘It was just about money for development approvals.’ She wasn’t prepared to give Alex any
‘What’s wrong?’ Ellie asked him.
‘They’re a bit boisterous, aren’t they? Need to calm down.’
‘Sorry?’ Ellie straightened up. ‘They’re great kids. Felicity’s done a brilliant job raising them, with Dan away on the trawler so much. I promise they won’t spill food on your flash clothes. Come and meet Felicity again.’
They had to step over the pile of discarded shoes at the door. Ellie turned left into the living room, which opened onto a wide kitchen with dining table and chairs. Toys and books made haphazard piles on the floor, the couches and coffee table. A wide-screen TV had the volume down low. The aroma of lamb roast made her mouth water.
‘Hi, Flick, that smells divine.’
Felicity brushed her hands down her denim shorts and held out her arms for a hug. Ellie hugged her back, before turning to introduce Alex. ‘You met at the rally yesterday, didn’t you?’
‘Of course I remember Alex. You were a couple of years above me at uni. Changed a bit since then, like we all have.’ Felicity held out her hand but Alex dropped a kiss on her cheek. It seemed to fluster her. ‘Lovely that you could come for dinner.’
‘Thanks for the invite. Hope you don’t mind me eating and running. O’Sullivan claims tonight was the only time he could spare for an interview over a couple of drinks so I couldn’t say no. Far easier being impartial and the mayor should have his say.’ The edge to his voice rang the faintest alarm in Ellie’s mind, but Felicity seemed unaware.
‘Of course you couldn’t. And it will give Ellie and me a chance to catch up. What can I get you to drink?’
He held out the carry bag. ‘We brought champagne and a red. Whichever you prefer.’
‘Oh, thank you! Bubbles, then. After the turnout at yesterday’s meeting, we have cause to celebrate.’ Felicity said.
Ellie found slim flutes in the low sideboard that ran the length of the room beneath a series of exquisite photographs of whales, sea lions and dolphins. She listened to the small talk behind her. Alex was wound up tight. What was that about? Something to do with Felicity? Or the meeting tonight?
The cork popped with a soft fizz and the golden liquid caught the light as she filled three glasses.
‘Here’s to accountable governments.’ Ellie raised her glass.
‘Here’s to a gorgeous engineer called Nick, I say,’ responded Felicity with a laugh as Ellie shook her head.
‘Women. You’re all the same. An arrogant attitude and an expensive suit and you all start drooling.’ Alex sounded amused, but his eyes were dark.
‘Sorry. Here’s to good-looking journos then as well. You scrub up all right for a guy who used to sport dreads.’ Felicity clinked glasses with him. ‘But Nick’s got a lovely way with words. Would make it much easier to oppose him if he wasn’t just so damn nice to everyone.’ She leant against the kitchen cupboard, brushing chestnut hair back from her face.
Ellie snorted. ‘Nice? He pinned me up against a table and threatened me the other day at council. It wasn’t my fault I was crawling around looking for cable hubs. He’s pretty damn intimidating when he’s angry.’
‘Threatened you?’ Felicity’s eyes widened, then she frowned.
‘I may have overheard something I shouldn’t have.’
‘You were eavesdropping?’ Felicity looked worried now.
‘Believe me, it wasn’t deliberate. I was down on my hands and knees and in strolled Lawson and O’Sullivan. It was too late to announce myself then without looking guilty. And you did warn me to stay away from the mayor.’
‘Oh my God. What did they say?’
‘Thankfully it was just Lawson who saw me.’
‘So what were they talking about?’
Ellie shot a look at Alex, hesitated an instant, then shook her head. ‘It was just about money for development approvals.’ She wasn’t prepared to give Alex any
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