the jealousy game.’
‘Talking of playing games,’ Todd interrupted, ‘when are we all gonna play?’
‘Good question,’ murmured Jay. ‘As you know I’ve got to go to London on Monday afternoon. A friend of my father’s has managed to get me into the Old Bailey for the week so that I can see the way the British judicial system works at the very highest level. I won’t be back until Friday night but I thought we’d have one of our games on Sunday.’
Tanya smiled. ‘How lovely. It’s been ages since we all got together like that. Have we got a theme?’
‘I thought voyeurism,’ said Jay.
‘Voyeurism?’ queried Pattie. ‘I’m not going to simply watch everyone. I like taking part.’
‘Hell, we all like taking part,’ said Todd. ‘Which one of us do you think is going to be willing to sit it out, Jay?’
‘None of us,’ said Jay slowly.
‘Then how can it be the theme?’ asked Tanya.
‘I’m going to get Davina to watch.’
There was a sudden silence in the room and Pattie glanced over at Tanya, opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again as Tanya shook her head in a silent warning. Pattie wanted to shout at Jay, to tell him that this wasn’t right, that Davina didn’t belong in their games, but she couldn’t because she was only one of the players. It was Jay who made up the rules.
‘Is that wise?’ asked Todd.
‘You don’t think I’m old enough to know what I’m doing?’ queried Jay, an edge to his voice.
‘Sure, you always know what you’re doing,’ Todd said amiably. ‘I’m just not certain Davina will enjoy it.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to lock her up and keep her prisoner. She’ll be free to leave if she wants to, but my guess is she’ll stay.’
‘What are you going to do, send her an invitation?’ asked Pattie sarcastically.
‘Don’t concern yourself about it,’ said Jay. ‘You weren’t worried about Davina when you were sucking her boyfriend off, so why the concern now? I shall setit all up in my own way but I don’t expect any of you to give away any secrets. It’s to come as a surprise to her. I want to see her reaction when she realises the kind of things we do.’
‘Could be interesting,’ agreed Todd.
Pattie was livid. This was what she’d dreaded, the gradual encroachment of Davina into their lives, but now, after being caught in the grounds with Phil, she was in no position to argue. All she could do was wait and hope; wait to see how Jay lured Davina into the house, and hope that once she saw what was going on, she left.
‘I still don’t understand how you lost Major,’ persisted Davina as she and Phil got into bed that night.
‘I told you, he ran off after a rabbit or something and I thought he’d doubled back towards the lake. It never occurred to me that he might have come back to the cottage. After all, he hasn’t lived here long. It seemed more likely to me that he’d have tried to go into the main house.’
‘Did you go there and ask if they’d seen him?’ asked Davina.
Phil shook his head. ‘No.’
Davina was baffled. She’d been surprised when Major had arrived home off the lead and without any sign of Phil, but her surprise had turned to anxiety when an hour passed and Phil still hadn’t returned.
Then, when he finally did, he’d seemed strange and acted as though he had some kind of guilty secret. She couldn’t believe that he’d tried to lose the dog. Even though he wasn’t particularly fond of it, he wouldn’t have done something like that, so she couldn’t make out what he was hiding.
‘You haven’t had a row with Jay, have you?’ she asked suddenly.
Phil flushed. ‘About what?’
‘I don’t know, anything. You’re always saying how you dislike him. Please, tell me that you didn’t row with him. I’d never forgive you if I lost this cottage because of you.’
She was certain that she again saw guilt in Phil’s eyes for a moment but then he turned his back on her and
‘Talking of playing games,’ Todd interrupted, ‘when are we all gonna play?’
‘Good question,’ murmured Jay. ‘As you know I’ve got to go to London on Monday afternoon. A friend of my father’s has managed to get me into the Old Bailey for the week so that I can see the way the British judicial system works at the very highest level. I won’t be back until Friday night but I thought we’d have one of our games on Sunday.’
Tanya smiled. ‘How lovely. It’s been ages since we all got together like that. Have we got a theme?’
‘I thought voyeurism,’ said Jay.
‘Voyeurism?’ queried Pattie. ‘I’m not going to simply watch everyone. I like taking part.’
‘Hell, we all like taking part,’ said Todd. ‘Which one of us do you think is going to be willing to sit it out, Jay?’
‘None of us,’ said Jay slowly.
‘Then how can it be the theme?’ asked Tanya.
‘I’m going to get Davina to watch.’
There was a sudden silence in the room and Pattie glanced over at Tanya, opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again as Tanya shook her head in a silent warning. Pattie wanted to shout at Jay, to tell him that this wasn’t right, that Davina didn’t belong in their games, but she couldn’t because she was only one of the players. It was Jay who made up the rules.
‘Is that wise?’ asked Todd.
‘You don’t think I’m old enough to know what I’m doing?’ queried Jay, an edge to his voice.
‘Sure, you always know what you’re doing,’ Todd said amiably. ‘I’m just not certain Davina will enjoy it.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to lock her up and keep her prisoner. She’ll be free to leave if she wants to, but my guess is she’ll stay.’
‘What are you going to do, send her an invitation?’ asked Pattie sarcastically.
‘Don’t concern yourself about it,’ said Jay. ‘You weren’t worried about Davina when you were sucking her boyfriend off, so why the concern now? I shall setit all up in my own way but I don’t expect any of you to give away any secrets. It’s to come as a surprise to her. I want to see her reaction when she realises the kind of things we do.’
‘Could be interesting,’ agreed Todd.
Pattie was livid. This was what she’d dreaded, the gradual encroachment of Davina into their lives, but now, after being caught in the grounds with Phil, she was in no position to argue. All she could do was wait and hope; wait to see how Jay lured Davina into the house, and hope that once she saw what was going on, she left.
‘I still don’t understand how you lost Major,’ persisted Davina as she and Phil got into bed that night.
‘I told you, he ran off after a rabbit or something and I thought he’d doubled back towards the lake. It never occurred to me that he might have come back to the cottage. After all, he hasn’t lived here long. It seemed more likely to me that he’d have tried to go into the main house.’
‘Did you go there and ask if they’d seen him?’ asked Davina.
Phil shook his head. ‘No.’
Davina was baffled. She’d been surprised when Major had arrived home off the lead and without any sign of Phil, but her surprise had turned to anxiety when an hour passed and Phil still hadn’t returned.
Then, when he finally did, he’d seemed strange and acted as though he had some kind of guilty secret. She couldn’t believe that he’d tried to lose the dog. Even though he wasn’t particularly fond of it, he wouldn’t have done something like that, so she couldn’t make out what he was hiding.
‘You haven’t had a row with Jay, have you?’ she asked suddenly.
Phil flushed. ‘About what?’
‘I don’t know, anything. You’re always saying how you dislike him. Please, tell me that you didn’t row with him. I’d never forgive you if I lost this cottage because of you.’
She was certain that she again saw guilt in Phil’s eyes for a moment but then he turned his back on her and
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