he said warmly. ‘Now, I don’t believe you’ve met Poppy. My wife.’
‘So, Poppy, what have you done with your incredibly short life? How have you filled it in the ten seconds since you were a child? Do you want to see the tattoo on my spine I had done when I was backpacking in Laos? Do you want to hear about the awards I’ve won? Do you want to know how often I’ve fucked your husband? Or that you’re only married to him because of an email I was stupid enough to send?’ That was what she wanted to say. What came out of Thea’s mouth was: ‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Thea. I used to work a lot with Luke as a producer. But I’ve been in America for the past couple of years. Just got back.’
She waited to see if her name would bring a flicker of recognition, but Poppy just smiled politely.
‘Where were you in America?’ Her voice was so soft Thea had to strain to hear her.
‘Thea, hi! How are you?’ It was Emma Waters, one of the chief reporters and Luke’s regular female co-presenter. Emma was in her forties, pretty, if a bit haggard. She had three kids she never spoke about and was a very good friend of Hannah Norton’s.
‘Emma, hi! How are you? You look great .’
‘Thanks,’ Emma said somewhat less gushingly. Too late, Thea remembered how huffy Emma got about compliments on her appearance rather than her journalistic skills. She nodded brusquely at Poppy. ‘Hello, you must be Poppy.’
‘Yes,’ Poppy said. ‘Hi.’
Emma ignored the hand that was offered. There was an ugly silence, then Poppy hastily turned back towards Thea. ‘Have you been anywhere especially interesting recently, Thea?’
‘I was in Cuba not that long ago.’
‘Oh? I did a modelling job there once. In Varadero. The beach was beautiful. Did you go swimming with dolphins?’
Thea knew she was trying to be friendly, but she couldn’t help the bitchiness that rushed over her. ‘Hardly,’ she said, catching Emma’s eye in a we-are-women-of-the-world way. ‘I was researching an item about the effect the revolution has had on the Cuban health system, so I spent most of my time in one-horse towns deep inland not tourist resorts.’
‘Oh,’ said Poppy.
‘You’re not modelling now, though, are you, Poppy?’ Emma asked. There was no mistaking the hint of mischief in her voice.
‘I… Well, no. My daughter’s very young still, so—’
Luke interrupted. ‘We’ve agreed to look for an au pair or a nanny or something so Poppy can get out and about a bit more.’
‘Oh, that’ll be nice.’ Emma smirked. ‘Give you more time for the health club and shopping.’
Poppy flinched as if she’d been hit. To her astonishment, Thea felt a moment’s pity for Luke’s very young wife. But only a moment’s.
‘It’s very fashionable to be a stay-at-home mum these days,’ Emma continued. ‘You should see my local branch of Fresh and Wild. You can hardly get into it with all the yummy mummies sitting around decoratively with their designer prams. It wasn’t like that when my kids were born; then it was just assumed you’d be going back to work otherwise you’d be letting the side down.’
‘So you’re looking for a nanny, are you, Poppy?’ said Farrah, who’d been hovering on the sidelines.
‘Well, I hadn’t really thought…’
‘Because mine is up for grabs,’ she said. ‘Now my youngest is at prep school, we don’t need her any more. She really is fabulous. You should snatch her while you can. Shall I give you her number?’
‘That sounds good,’ Luke said. ‘You should take Farrah up on that, Poppy. Word of mouth is always the best way to find a nanny.’ He gave Farrah his most dazzling smile. Watching him, Thea’s heart felt as if it had been ripped in two. She’d thought she’d got over Luke, but she’d just been in remission. And now, just like that, she had relapsed.
‘Do you have children, Thea?’ Farrah was enquiring.
‘No.’ A tiny pause and then, ‘I don’t want
‘So, Poppy, what have you done with your incredibly short life? How have you filled it in the ten seconds since you were a child? Do you want to see the tattoo on my spine I had done when I was backpacking in Laos? Do you want to hear about the awards I’ve won? Do you want to know how often I’ve fucked your husband? Or that you’re only married to him because of an email I was stupid enough to send?’ That was what she wanted to say. What came out of Thea’s mouth was: ‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Thea. I used to work a lot with Luke as a producer. But I’ve been in America for the past couple of years. Just got back.’
She waited to see if her name would bring a flicker of recognition, but Poppy just smiled politely.
‘Where were you in America?’ Her voice was so soft Thea had to strain to hear her.
‘Thea, hi! How are you?’ It was Emma Waters, one of the chief reporters and Luke’s regular female co-presenter. Emma was in her forties, pretty, if a bit haggard. She had three kids she never spoke about and was a very good friend of Hannah Norton’s.
‘Emma, hi! How are you? You look great .’
‘Thanks,’ Emma said somewhat less gushingly. Too late, Thea remembered how huffy Emma got about compliments on her appearance rather than her journalistic skills. She nodded brusquely at Poppy. ‘Hello, you must be Poppy.’
‘Yes,’ Poppy said. ‘Hi.’
Emma ignored the hand that was offered. There was an ugly silence, then Poppy hastily turned back towards Thea. ‘Have you been anywhere especially interesting recently, Thea?’
‘I was in Cuba not that long ago.’
‘Oh? I did a modelling job there once. In Varadero. The beach was beautiful. Did you go swimming with dolphins?’
Thea knew she was trying to be friendly, but she couldn’t help the bitchiness that rushed over her. ‘Hardly,’ she said, catching Emma’s eye in a we-are-women-of-the-world way. ‘I was researching an item about the effect the revolution has had on the Cuban health system, so I spent most of my time in one-horse towns deep inland not tourist resorts.’
‘Oh,’ said Poppy.
‘You’re not modelling now, though, are you, Poppy?’ Emma asked. There was no mistaking the hint of mischief in her voice.
‘I… Well, no. My daughter’s very young still, so—’
Luke interrupted. ‘We’ve agreed to look for an au pair or a nanny or something so Poppy can get out and about a bit more.’
‘Oh, that’ll be nice.’ Emma smirked. ‘Give you more time for the health club and shopping.’
Poppy flinched as if she’d been hit. To her astonishment, Thea felt a moment’s pity for Luke’s very young wife. But only a moment’s.
‘It’s very fashionable to be a stay-at-home mum these days,’ Emma continued. ‘You should see my local branch of Fresh and Wild. You can hardly get into it with all the yummy mummies sitting around decoratively with their designer prams. It wasn’t like that when my kids were born; then it was just assumed you’d be going back to work otherwise you’d be letting the side down.’
‘So you’re looking for a nanny, are you, Poppy?’ said Farrah, who’d been hovering on the sidelines.
‘Well, I hadn’t really thought…’
‘Because mine is up for grabs,’ she said. ‘Now my youngest is at prep school, we don’t need her any more. She really is fabulous. You should snatch her while you can. Shall I give you her number?’
‘That sounds good,’ Luke said. ‘You should take Farrah up on that, Poppy. Word of mouth is always the best way to find a nanny.’ He gave Farrah his most dazzling smile. Watching him, Thea’s heart felt as if it had been ripped in two. She’d thought she’d got over Luke, but she’d just been in remission. And now, just like that, she had relapsed.
‘Do you have children, Thea?’ Farrah was enquiring.
‘No.’ A tiny pause and then, ‘I don’t want
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