Summer at Tiffany's by Karen Swan Page B

little.
    â€˜Christ, I can’t believe you tracked him down,’ Henry mumbled after another pause, forcing a grin that couldn’t quite get to his eyes. He was putting on a brave face in front of their friends, but Cassie could see the worry in his bones. ‘Who’s the explorer in this relationship, me or you?’
    â€˜What’s meant for you won’t go past you, mister,’ she smiled back, eyes shining with fierce love as she squeezed his hand this time.
    â€˜And don’t I just know it!’ he replied, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. She knew from the way his eyes locked on hers that he was referring to the small issue of having ‘waited’ for her decade-long marriage to end before he could make her his. They would weather this, somehow . . . He looked back at the others who were rolling their eyes at each other again. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to kiss her.’
    â€˜Thank God for tha—’ Bas began.
    â€˜Gah, who am I kidding? Of course I am!’ Henry grinned, tugging on Cassie’s hand and pulling her towards him for a kiss.
    Everyone laughed, the sombre mood broken – or at least postponed for a private moment later.
    â€˜So what shall we do tonight?’ Anouk asked, moving the conversation onto happier ground as their drinks were brought over. ‘Do you think Suzy will come home? We could cook her a special meal. She must be dropping, after spending so long in the hospital. The food in those places is always so bad.’
    â€˜Yeah, she’s shattered,’ Henry said, reaching thirstily for his pint of Harvey’s. ‘But now Arch is going onto the general ward, I think she’ll just have a quiet night in with Velvet. She’s missed her like mad.’
    â€˜Poor thing,’ Cassie murmured. ‘I think a quiet night’s in order for everyone isn’t it? You’ve barely slept or eaten since Wednesday either,’ she said, tenderly pushing his hair back from his face as he drank deeply. ‘How about takeaway and a film?’
    â€˜Sounds great,’ he part-sighed, part-groaned as he placed the pint glass, half empty already, back on the table. ‘But we’ll have to wait a day.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜We’ve got a welcome-home party to go to at the Cross Keys tonight. My little cousin’s back in town.’
    Cassie, who had been about to open a packet of crisps, dropped her hands down. ‘Henry, we
can’t
go to a party when Arch is so ill! That’s tactless.’
    â€˜No, it’s actually a kindness. If we don’t go, Mum will feel like she has to and she’s stretched thin enough at the moment trying to keep the balls in the air with Suzy and Velvet. Clearly Suze can’t go and someone from the family’s got to turn up.’ He raked his fingers through his hair, looking worn out and battered. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to see Gem in a sulk.’
    â€˜Gem . . . ?’
    â€˜Gemma. Her dad was Mum’s big brother. Uncle Pip.’
    â€˜Oh, right . . . I don’t think I’ve ever met her, though, have I?’ Cassie asked. She’d heard plenty of anecdotes from Suzy about Uncle Pip over the years but she didn’t recollect ever hearing Gemma’s name before now.
    â€˜Probably not. She’s a lot younger and she’s been backpacking around the world for the past two years or so. Mum’s her legal guardian. Gem’s parents died in a house fire when she was twelve.’
    â€˜Oh God, the poor girl!’ Cassie exclaimed, her forearm falling flat to the table like a dead thing.
    â€˜Yeah, she took it pretty badly. As if adolescence isn’t hard enough . . .’ He took another swig, manifesting his stress that way. ‘Mum says she’s settled down now though. They’ve been emailing and she’s a lot calmer apparently.’
    â€˜Calmer?’ Anouk echoed with