you help?’ If they all left Eve and Terry alone for a moment, things might
simmer down. That was the usual nature of their disputes – quick to blow and quick to go.
‘Sure.’ With a rattle of bangles, Anna stood and reached out for the wooden pepper grinder and the bowl of sea salt that were still centre table. Her hair fell across her face,
hiding her expression.
In the midst of this flurry of activity, Terry and Eve sat frozen. Neither of them could speak without embarrassing themselves further. Then, breaking the silence, came the shrill ring of
Eve’s phone. Thankful for the distraction, she answered the call despite Terry’s despairing shake of his head.
She held up a hand to excuse herself as she turned away from the table to have the conversation. ‘What? What did she say?’ Her voice grew louder, her forehead creased into a frown.
‘Hang on just a moment.’ She looked at Rose, just returned with the coffee cups, and made a gesture to say she couldn’t understand what was being said to her. ‘I’m
sorry, but I have to take this.’ She crossed to the end of the terrace to stand in the shadows, where she could talk more privately. At the table, the others sat down again, Terry
apologising, the others reassuring him. Snatches of Eve’s conversation blew their way and they pretended not to hear.
‘What do you mean, retire? . . . That’s absurd . . . What? Say that again . . . Of course I’m not . . .’
As time went on, the others gave up any pretence and sat transfixed, trying to follow the threads of Eve’s conversation. ‘She’s doing what? . . . But I can’t, I’m
here . . . You’re breaking up . . . Of course she knows that . . .’
Eventually they heard clearly, ‘Oh shit! The bloody signal’s gone.’
She returned to the table, sat down heavily, put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.
Rose was the first to speak. ‘Something wrong?’ she asked, aware that that was likely to be the understatement of the evening.
Eve let out a dramatic groan. ‘Only everything.’
‘For God’s sake,’ muttered Terry.
Rose’s heart sank as Eve rounded on him. ‘For God’s sake what? This could be very difficult for me. Apparently Amy’s been telling my clients that I’m
retiring.’
‘Retiring?’ Rose repeated. The thought of her sister-in-law giving up her agency before she was carried out of the office in a box was inconceivable. ‘You never
said.’
‘No! Because I’m not. As if. Why would she do that?’
Terry sat and stared up at the stars, as if he couldn’t begin to imagine and wasn’t much interested.
Hearing Eve’s irate intake of breath and fearing another outburst at her brother, Rose went inside to get the coffee.
‘There must be a misunderstanding.’ Daniel was standing behind Eve. He put a consoling hand on her back as he refilled her glass. ‘No one would mistake you for an
almost-pensioner. That’s ridiculous.’
‘I should bloody hope not.’ Eve sat upright, eyes blazing. ‘Apparently Mary Mackenzie’s pissed off because I haven’t got her the sort of deal she thinks she
deserves. She told Belinda, another of my clients, that Amy told her I was signing off on the agency. Belinda’s just phoned me to see if it’s true. In fact, I asked Amy to look after
Mary – big mistake, probably – but that was as far it goes. Oh God. I should be there to sort this out. I should never have trusted her.’
‘Then why don’t you go home? You might as well be there anyway, the amount of time you spend on that thing.’ Terry gestured at her BlackBerry.
‘Thanks for your unwavering support, Terry.’ She spun the phone in slow circles on the tabletop as she thought. ‘Actually, you know what? If that’s how much you want me
to be here, I think I bloody well will.’
‘Will what?’ Rose returned, pot of coffee in hand, and took her place at the table.
‘Get a flight back tomorrow. I ought to be
simmer down. That was the usual nature of their disputes – quick to blow and quick to go.
‘Sure.’ With a rattle of bangles, Anna stood and reached out for the wooden pepper grinder and the bowl of sea salt that were still centre table. Her hair fell across her face,
hiding her expression.
In the midst of this flurry of activity, Terry and Eve sat frozen. Neither of them could speak without embarrassing themselves further. Then, breaking the silence, came the shrill ring of
Eve’s phone. Thankful for the distraction, she answered the call despite Terry’s despairing shake of his head.
She held up a hand to excuse herself as she turned away from the table to have the conversation. ‘What? What did she say?’ Her voice grew louder, her forehead creased into a frown.
‘Hang on just a moment.’ She looked at Rose, just returned with the coffee cups, and made a gesture to say she couldn’t understand what was being said to her. ‘I’m
sorry, but I have to take this.’ She crossed to the end of the terrace to stand in the shadows, where she could talk more privately. At the table, the others sat down again, Terry
apologising, the others reassuring him. Snatches of Eve’s conversation blew their way and they pretended not to hear.
‘What do you mean, retire? . . . That’s absurd . . . What? Say that again . . . Of course I’m not . . .’
As time went on, the others gave up any pretence and sat transfixed, trying to follow the threads of Eve’s conversation. ‘She’s doing what? . . . But I can’t, I’m
here . . . You’re breaking up . . . Of course she knows that . . .’
Eventually they heard clearly, ‘Oh shit! The bloody signal’s gone.’
She returned to the table, sat down heavily, put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.
Rose was the first to speak. ‘Something wrong?’ she asked, aware that that was likely to be the understatement of the evening.
Eve let out a dramatic groan. ‘Only everything.’
‘For God’s sake,’ muttered Terry.
Rose’s heart sank as Eve rounded on him. ‘For God’s sake what? This could be very difficult for me. Apparently Amy’s been telling my clients that I’m
retiring.’
‘Retiring?’ Rose repeated. The thought of her sister-in-law giving up her agency before she was carried out of the office in a box was inconceivable. ‘You never
said.’
‘No! Because I’m not. As if. Why would she do that?’
Terry sat and stared up at the stars, as if he couldn’t begin to imagine and wasn’t much interested.
Hearing Eve’s irate intake of breath and fearing another outburst at her brother, Rose went inside to get the coffee.
‘There must be a misunderstanding.’ Daniel was standing behind Eve. He put a consoling hand on her back as he refilled her glass. ‘No one would mistake you for an
almost-pensioner. That’s ridiculous.’
‘I should bloody hope not.’ Eve sat upright, eyes blazing. ‘Apparently Mary Mackenzie’s pissed off because I haven’t got her the sort of deal she thinks she
deserves. She told Belinda, another of my clients, that Amy told her I was signing off on the agency. Belinda’s just phoned me to see if it’s true. In fact, I asked Amy to look after
Mary – big mistake, probably – but that was as far it goes. Oh God. I should be there to sort this out. I should never have trusted her.’
‘Then why don’t you go home? You might as well be there anyway, the amount of time you spend on that thing.’ Terry gestured at her BlackBerry.
‘Thanks for your unwavering support, Terry.’ She spun the phone in slow circles on the tabletop as she thought. ‘Actually, you know what? If that’s how much you want me
to be here, I think I bloody well will.’
‘Will what?’ Rose returned, pot of coffee in hand, and took her place at the table.
‘Get a flight back tomorrow. I ought to be
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