she went down the hall. She opened the door and there was Jane, in her best silk dress and pearls, and behind her was Dominic, giving off, Bella felt, a lethal combination of sex and power. But while he wasn’t looking exactly friendly, he wasn’t looking hostile either. It was a start. If only her legs hadn’t just turned to jelly. She pulled herself together and greeted her friend.
‘Happy birthday, Jane. Do come in.’
‘I hope you didn’t mind me inviting Dominic,’ Jane said a little hesitantly.
‘It’s fine, as I said on the phone.’ Bella kissed her. ‘Alice would have been horrified to think he’d been left at home, hungry.’
‘I wouldn’t have been hungry, but it would have been bread and cheese,’ said Dominic, and to Bella’s surprise he smiled properly.
‘Come in, both of you,’ said Bella, after a second of eye contact with Dominic that sent her heart racing.
She herded them into the sitting room and then realised she’d have to do the introductions. She made an instant decision not to describe Michael, but just give his name.
‘I’m in charge of drinks,’ said Michael, when she’d done the rounds. ‘What can I get you? There’s some delicious sherry, as well as almost anything else you can think of.’
While Michael sorted out refreshments Bella remembered that somewhere in the house there was a gin and tonic needing her attention. A good slurp would be helpful.
Alice appeared and Bella performed more introductions. ‘Well,’ said Alice, when everyone had kissed or shaken hands, ‘I hope no one is vegetarian and hasn’t told me.’
Bella knew it was a light-hearted, throw-away remark, but Lucy said, ‘I do eat meat but not wheat.’
‘Well, I’m sure that’s OK,’ said Alice. ‘You just have to avoid the Yorkshire puddings. Now I’m afraid I have to abandon you again for a few minutes. Lunch won’t be long.’
There were several moments of silence that felt like hours.
‘I can see Alice has a lovely garden,’ said Jane. ‘Could I look at it?’
‘Maybe we shouldn’t do that until after lunch,’ said Dominic.
‘I think Alice would like to give you the tour,’ Bella agreed. ‘She’d be able to tell you what everything is. I can only recognise about three sorts of flower.’
‘Gardening is so for old people,’ said Hannah.
‘Really?’ said Michael.
‘I think I’d really be into gardening, if I had more time and my own home,’ said Bella.
‘So why don’t you have your own home?’ asked Lucy. ‘Is it the horrendous property prices? Although I suppose being an estate agent you’d get the pick.’
‘Estate agents have to buy houses in just the same way as everyone else,’ said Bella. ‘But I really like living here with Alice. There’s plenty of room so we don’t get on top of each other.’
‘It does seem a lovely big house,’ said Michael.
Seeing him glancing round made Bella suddenly worry in case he was after Alice for her real estate. Was he noting the period details: the fireplace, the coving, the ceiling rose and the tall shutters? Although perhaps he was just interested in architecture.
‘It is,’ said Bella, ‘but, of course, houses like this cost a fortune to keep up. There’s always something that needs fixing.’
‘It would be worth it though,’ said Phillip, looking around more blatantly than Michael had. ‘A house like this would give you status.’
‘I think more people should share property,’ said Jane. ‘It’s ridiculous us old people living in huge houses. On the other hand, I don’t want to move either. Sharing is the solution.’
‘You’re absolutely right, Jane,’ said Bella, glad, for private reasons, to hear this.
‘But you are sharing your property,’ said Dominic. ‘With me,’ he added for the benefit of the others.
Hannah frowned, surprised. ‘You’re sharing? Why?’
Dominic turned to Hannah, giving her his full attention. ‘I’m working in the area now and haven’t decided
‘Happy birthday, Jane. Do come in.’
‘I hope you didn’t mind me inviting Dominic,’ Jane said a little hesitantly.
‘It’s fine, as I said on the phone.’ Bella kissed her. ‘Alice would have been horrified to think he’d been left at home, hungry.’
‘I wouldn’t have been hungry, but it would have been bread and cheese,’ said Dominic, and to Bella’s surprise he smiled properly.
‘Come in, both of you,’ said Bella, after a second of eye contact with Dominic that sent her heart racing.
She herded them into the sitting room and then realised she’d have to do the introductions. She made an instant decision not to describe Michael, but just give his name.
‘I’m in charge of drinks,’ said Michael, when she’d done the rounds. ‘What can I get you? There’s some delicious sherry, as well as almost anything else you can think of.’
While Michael sorted out refreshments Bella remembered that somewhere in the house there was a gin and tonic needing her attention. A good slurp would be helpful.
Alice appeared and Bella performed more introductions. ‘Well,’ said Alice, when everyone had kissed or shaken hands, ‘I hope no one is vegetarian and hasn’t told me.’
Bella knew it was a light-hearted, throw-away remark, but Lucy said, ‘I do eat meat but not wheat.’
‘Well, I’m sure that’s OK,’ said Alice. ‘You just have to avoid the Yorkshire puddings. Now I’m afraid I have to abandon you again for a few minutes. Lunch won’t be long.’
There were several moments of silence that felt like hours.
‘I can see Alice has a lovely garden,’ said Jane. ‘Could I look at it?’
‘Maybe we shouldn’t do that until after lunch,’ said Dominic.
‘I think Alice would like to give you the tour,’ Bella agreed. ‘She’d be able to tell you what everything is. I can only recognise about three sorts of flower.’
‘Gardening is so for old people,’ said Hannah.
‘Really?’ said Michael.
‘I think I’d really be into gardening, if I had more time and my own home,’ said Bella.
‘So why don’t you have your own home?’ asked Lucy. ‘Is it the horrendous property prices? Although I suppose being an estate agent you’d get the pick.’
‘Estate agents have to buy houses in just the same way as everyone else,’ said Bella. ‘But I really like living here with Alice. There’s plenty of room so we don’t get on top of each other.’
‘It does seem a lovely big house,’ said Michael.
Seeing him glancing round made Bella suddenly worry in case he was after Alice for her real estate. Was he noting the period details: the fireplace, the coving, the ceiling rose and the tall shutters? Although perhaps he was just interested in architecture.
‘It is,’ said Bella, ‘but, of course, houses like this cost a fortune to keep up. There’s always something that needs fixing.’
‘It would be worth it though,’ said Phillip, looking around more blatantly than Michael had. ‘A house like this would give you status.’
‘I think more people should share property,’ said Jane. ‘It’s ridiculous us old people living in huge houses. On the other hand, I don’t want to move either. Sharing is the solution.’
‘You’re absolutely right, Jane,’ said Bella, glad, for private reasons, to hear this.
‘But you are sharing your property,’ said Dominic. ‘With me,’ he added for the benefit of the others.
Hannah frowned, surprised. ‘You’re sharing? Why?’
Dominic turned to Hannah, giving her his full attention. ‘I’m working in the area now and haven’t decided
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