She’s the complete opposite of Diane-tall, blonde, slim, reserved-and I can’t help respecting her for being the first person to step into our house and not go on about how beautiful it is. ‘Thank you, they look wonderful,’ I say gratefully, placing them on the coffee table so that I can open them later, when we serve coffee.Įsther intrigues me. Not wanting her to give them to Jack, I move smoothly towards her and she instinctively holds them out to me. My eyes fall on the box of expensive chocolates she has just taken out of her bag and I feel a flicker of excitement. Since joining our circle of friends a month ago, I’m sure she’s been told over and over again that Grace Angel, wife of brilliant lawyer Jack Angel, is a perfect example of a woman who has it all-the perfect house, the perfect husband, the perfect life. Esther doesn’t smile back, so I guess she’s reserving judgement. But I can’t afford to let Jack down, so I fix a smile on my face, praying that they’ll like me. They are new to the area and tonight is the first time we’ve met, which makes me feel more nervous than I already am. ‘Your house is really something, Jack,’ Rufus says admiringly. We’re well into March but there’s still a nip in the air and Jack likes our guests to be as comfortable as possible.
In the sitting room, a fire burns steadily in the antique grate. With so much at stake tonight, I need to concentrate on the here and now. Just thinking of the garden makes tears well up from deep inside me and I swallow them down quickly. It’s such a beautiful pink that I hope Jack will plant it where I’ll be able to see it from the bedroom window. As we go through the hall, I see the flowering lily Diane and Adam brought us for our garden. Taking my hand, he leads me to where our guests are waiting. I glance at Jack, hoping he won’t have noticed how nervous I am.
The champagne bottle knocks against the marble kitchen counter, making me jump.
0 kommentar(er)
