Practically Perfect (37 page)

‘Mm. It’s going to be really hot,’ Chloe said, looking
out
of the window. She turned and smiled at Anna. ‘I love your dress, by the way. You’ve got just the figure for bo-ho. All that lace and flounces make anyone remotely fat look like a lampshade, or one of those dolls used to cover up loo rolls.’

‘Well, I am glad I don’t look like that.’ Anna laughed. ‘Now, have we got everything?’

‘Yes. Mike and the boys are coming on later with Betsy, who’s got a people-carrier. We can get everything set up before they get there. Come on, we’d better get going.’

‘Are you sure a dozen bottles of fake champers will be enough?’ Anna asked anxiously as they loaded up Chloe’s car. Caroline was coming later in the people-carrier.

‘Loads! And we’ve got all that beer and cider as well, and people are bound to bring stuff.’

‘As long as they bring food, or we’ll all be paralytic.’

They drove along lanes flanked by wild flowers, barely a breeze coming through their open window.

‘And Rob is definitely coming?’ Chloe asked.

‘Yes, for the hundredth time,’ Anna replied, laughing at her friend’s persistence. ‘He’s bringing ice cream. He’s borrowing all the cool boxes and stuff from his sister. It’s what we did when we went to that fête.’

‘So you and he – you know – are getting on quite well?’ Chloe pushed.

‘Yes, he’s a very good friend.’

‘It’s just that when I came down the lane with Tom the other evening, it looked to me as if …’

‘As if what?’ Anna wasn’t going to make it easy for Chloe.

‘He was about to kiss you.’ Chloe’s eyes remained firmly on the road ahead.

‘To be honest, Chloe,’ said Anna, ‘I’ve had so much in my mind and going on, I really can’t remember.’ She was
determined
not to tell anyone about her feelings until everything was a bit more certain.

They parked the car neatly on the verge, and, carrying a box each, they headed over to the field.

Anna didn’t usually wear white broderie anglaise with a daisy chain in her hair, but she was strangely pleased that she was when Rob appeared at the party, a huge cool box in his arms.

‘Where do you want this?’ he asked, putting it down on the grass beside him.

‘Over there by the trees.’ Anna pointed. ‘Aren’t we lucky Chloe knew this person with this bit of land? It’s perfect for picnics.’

‘What’s it usually used for?’ asked Rob, with something a lot like admiration in his eyes.

Anna was secretly pleased. ‘Don’t know,’ she said. ‘I think it’s just attached to their house and they wanted to make it into a garden or something, but they’re not allowed.’

‘I see.’

‘Which reminds me.’ She smiled at him. ‘I must ask you about getting the house signed off by the buildings inspector.’

‘I’ll look forward to it,’ he said, laughing down at her and then heading off for the trees with his cool box.

Maybe it was her floaty dress, the beauty and sensuousness of the day, or the glass of champagne she’d already drunk, but suddenly Anna was aware of a wave of lust. ‘Oh my goodness,’ she told herself when she’d identified the unaccustomed feeling. ‘No more to drink for you, my girl, or you could get into the most awful trouble.’

Seeing a large car pull up and what seemed to be an entire primary school’s worth of children fall out, with
one
large greyhound, she ran across to greet her guests. She wasn’t used to giving parties, and if it hadn’t been for Chloe she might have backed out. But she definitely owed all these people a very big thank you, and this beautiful summer Saturday seemed almost an adequate reward.

‘So, how many people are you expecting?’ Rob came up behind her and she jumped. She was now standing beside a picnic table covered with plastic cups and bottles.

She was inordinately pleased to see him. ‘I have no idea. I’m encouraging people to bring any friends they’ve got staying and all their children and dogs. Caroline is being led round by Tom, look!’

They both watched the little boy trotting along in front of the huge dog, a satisfying loop of lead between them, indicating that she was following, not showing the way.

‘She’s so good with children,’ said Anna. ‘I’m very lucky.’

‘You are, but you handle her very well – now,’ he added. ‘When I first met you she was anything but under control.’ He seemed tense for some reason and she wondered if he still worried about her having Caroline.

‘I’d only just had her and she was scared by that car!’ Anna fiddled with a plastic cup, feeling a little tense herself all of a sudden. It was obviously catching.

‘I know, I’m being unfair, I just didn’t want you to get complacent.’ He gave her a half-smile. ‘What will you do with her when you move?’

‘Well, move her with me, of course.’

‘Have you thought that you’re going to have to find somewhere else to live very quickly?’ he asked. ‘The right sort of project takes some searching for.’

Anna sighed. ‘To be honest I haven’t thought that far ahead. I might have to rent for a bit, I suppose.’

Rob looked dubious. ‘I should warn you, it might be difficult to find somewhere where they’ll let you have Caroline.’

She put her hand on his sleeve, suddenly wanting reassurance. ‘Oh no! Now, instead of celebrating, I’m feeling all sort of – homeless.’

He put his hand on hers briefly and laughed gently. ‘I didn’t mean to make you feel homeless, I just wanted to tell you that if you need somewhere for Caroline she can come and stay with my pack for a bit.’

Anna turned to him and put her hands on his arms. ‘Can she? That could be a lifesaver. Thank you so much!’ Then, aware she was still holding on to him – his arms seemed to have a magnetic attraction for her today – she let him go.

‘Is Max Gordon coming?’ he said abruptly.

Anna frowned. ‘No, why on earth should he be?’

‘I assume that, as your boyfriend …’

She looked at him in bewilderment for a moment and then realised he didn’t know. ‘Not any more. We split up the same day Julian came to see the house.’

Rob suddenly seemed much more relaxed. ‘Oh? Why?’

‘Well, his mother was the catalyst.’

‘What do you mean?’ He looked puzzled.

Anna made a gesture with her hand as if explaining all. ‘She’s so stuck up, with no sense of humour and a crashing snob. And’ – Anna’s eyes grew wide with shock – ‘she
lied
about the cake! Who would do a thing like that? Then I realised Max was fairly pompous without much of a sense of humour either.’

‘Wow,’ said Rob, obviously impressed. ‘I promise you, my mother is absolutely charming. She would never lie about cake.’ He frowned, indicating he didn’t really understand that last bit.

‘Chloe admitted that she did, sometimes.’ Anna smiled, glancing up at him with her head on one side. ‘And why do you feel the need to tell me that about your mother?’

‘It wasn’t a need, exactly, just information, in case you should ever meet her.’

‘But that’s hardly likely, is it?’ Flirting with Rob was much more fun than flirting with Max, she decided.

Rob sent an eyebrow skywards. ‘Well, you can never tell.’ He glanced at the table. ‘Why don’t you leave this and come for a walk. We can take Caroline. The others can help themselves to what they want.’ He indicated the bottles and plastic cups.

Anna suddenly felt diffident; their relationship had changed from just friends to something potentially more. The thought of being alone with him, even with Caroline as a chaperone, was suddenly unnerving. ‘Oh no, I must be a proper hostess. I don’t think I’ve ever had a party before; at least, not on my own. I must stay.’

A group of little children came up at that moment, and Anna dispensed fizzy elderflower, proving to Rob, she hoped, that her presence really was necessary. In fact, although in many ways there was nothing she would have liked more than to go for a walk with him, she was worried her feelings for him might be false. She had spent so long pining for Max, loving him, and in the end her feelings there had been so misplaced. Supposing Rob only wanted a brief fling: how would she feel then? Having a broken heart was so wearing!

‘You could get me some food,’ she asked him when they were alone again. ‘I’ve only had one glass of champagne but I—’

‘Didn’t have breakfast. You really need someone to look after you, you know,’ he said, putting a couple of empty plastic bottles into a designated rubbish sack.

‘That’s fighting talk, mister! I’ll have you know I’m an independent woman—’

‘Who hasn’t the sense to feed herself.’ He laughed. ‘What would you like?’

‘Oh, anything that’s handy.’

‘I’ll see what I can find.’

She watched him disappear across the field with a contented little sigh. He was gorgeous, and he did seem to like her. It was possible falling in love with him wouldn’t make her a complete slut.

People drifted over to say hello and thank you to her. Anna dispensed drinks, insisted that no, it was she who should be thanking them. Everyone who had helped had come. Eric the plasterer; the tiler; Betsy and Maddy; Mike, of course; and, a little late, Laura and Will.

‘You look positively bridal!’ exclaimed Laura, hurrying with difficulty across the grass towards Anna, her kitten heels sticking into the soil with every step.

‘Oh God, do I? That’s awful!,’ said Anna. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t wear all these daisies, but these dear little girls – Betsy, who helped me, they were her daughters, I think – each made me a daisy chain because I was already wearing one. I felt I had to wear them all.’

‘Of course you must wear them,’ said Laura, enveloping her sister in a hug. ‘They look lovely! I just want you to look bridal for real!’

‘No chance of that, now. I’ve finished with Max. He was dreadfully pompous, really.’ A stab of regret that she had actually slept with him before she discovered this made her frown.

‘Just as well to find that out now,’ said Will, who had followed his wife a bit more slowly. He kissed Anna’s cheek.

‘Will!’ She hugged him violently. ‘I’m so pleased I can give your money back! Did you bring the boys?’

‘No, I’m afraid we left them with my parents. They were disappointed not to meet Caroline, though.’

‘She’s over there. Chloe’s boys seem to have taken her in hand. I’ll put her in the car if it all gets too much. Chloe’s parked in the shade and we could leave the boot open for her.’

‘That’s all right then,’ said Will gravely.

‘It’s all very well for you, you’ve only got children. Us dog owners have to look after them very carefully. Now, what would you like to drink?’

‘Whatever you’ve got in that bottle. This is a great party!’

Laughter, childish giggles and squeals could be heard on the balmy summer air.

‘It wouldn’t have been great if it had rained, so it was a bit of a gamble,’ Anna said. ‘Although Chloe did have the village hall on standby in case, but it wouldn’t have been the same.’

‘Right,’ said Laura when she and Will had both got drinks, ‘I’m going to find Chloe and Mike. And later on I want to see what you’ve done to the house – I can hardly wait.’

Will was already making for the food table.

‘I have to get it signed off by the buildings inspector, but he’s coming on Monday,’ Anna said.

‘What does he do?’

‘Checks all the head heights are adequate, bathrooms properly ventilated, stuff like that.’ Anna searched for Rob in among the mass of people over by the food. She had sent him glibly away, and now she wanted him back. ‘Rob will talk me through it.’

‘I can’t wait to meet him.’ Laura regarded her sister closely. ‘Are you and he – um …?’

‘Laura! I’ve only just dumped Max!’

‘I’ll take that to mean you’d like you and Rob to be an item, but you’re not an item just yet.’

Anna tidied the bottles and cups, not looking at her sister. ‘I’ve got so much to think about at the moment, my love life is really last on the list. Julian only wanted the house if we could complete in a fortnight. If I can’t I’ll have to put it back on the market.’

‘And a fortnight’s not long,’ said Laura. ‘On the other hand, I could stay with you next week, and help you look for a new place.’

‘Could you?’ Anna was touched by her sister’s offer. ‘That would be fantastic! It’s quite hard house-hunting without being able to drive.’

‘That’s what I thought. Will and I have already discussed it and he said he’d have the boys if you did want me to stay. You can’t see all that much in a week, but it would be better than nothing.’

‘And I need to find somewhere to rent first.’ Anna felt her spirits sink a little.

Laura picked up a bottle. ‘Perhaps you’d better have another drink. Oh, there’s Chloe. I must say hello.’ Laura waved and tottered over to greet her properly.

As Anna was tearing cellophane off more plastic cups, Dorothy and Ted, whom Anna hadn’t seen since Chloe’s dinner party, came up. Anna felt as if she was in a receiving line. ‘Anna, you probably don’t remember us …’ Dorothy began.

‘Of course I do!’ Anna embraced them one at a time. ‘That amazing dinner party at Chloe’s.’

‘You look so – different,’ said Dorothy, as forthright as ever.

‘Well, I’m wearing a dress and I’ve got daisies in my hair.’ Anna laughed. ‘I’d got dressed in rather a hurry before the dinner party.’

‘I gather your house is great. Would you mind if we came home and had a look at it finished?’ asked Dorothy.

‘Now, don’t be nosy, Dor,’ Ted chided. ‘I expect Anna’s got enough to do without showing you round. You’ve got to complete in a hurry, I hear?’

‘Yes, but I expect I could show you round, too. I have to wait in for the buildings inspector on Monday. If you arrange to arrive at roughly the same time, you could lie in wait at Chloe’s until the coast is clear and then come over.’

Dorothy laughed. ‘So, will you be wanting somewhere to rent while you look for a new house?’

‘You must be psychic!’ said Anna, amazed.

‘Not really,’ said Ted. ‘It’s obvious you won’t be able to find a house and move into it in a fortnight, but what Dorothy is going to say is, we have a holiday cottage that’s not rented at the moment.’

‘Have you?’ This seemed too good to be true.