Sleeping Arrangements (29 page)

'Tell you what,' said Amanda seriously. 'If they're gone more than an hour, we'll call in the paratroopers.'

Chloe and Jenna dissolved into fresh giggles and Amanda grinned—then she, too, began to laugh. In slight surprise, Chloe raised her eyebrows at Jenna, who gave a tiny wink back.

What kind of sight are we? thought Chloe, as the sound of laughter echoed round the domed hall. Three grown women, sitting on the floor, giggling like schoolgirls. She saw Sam's contemptuous teenage face, and gave a fresh gurgle.

There was a sound from across the hall and Nat appeared, holding a Play Station and yawning.

'Watch out!' called Chloe, as he made to step into the puddle. Nat looked down, withdrew his foot and walked towards them, skirting the edge of the water.

'What's happened?' he said. 'Why is it all wet?'

'Nat!' exclaimed Chloe. 'Have you been inside all this time? How on earth could you sit there while this was happening?'

'What?' said Nat.

'This!' Chloe gestured to the staircase. 'This water! Didn't you hear anything?'

'I was playing Pokémon,' said Nat, and scratched his head. 'I didn't hear anything.'

'That bloody Pokémon . . .' began Chloe, then stopped as a fizzing, crackling sound began. A moment later, a light went out, and there was a shout from upstairs.

'Hugh!' Amanda's head jerked up in alarm. 'Hugh, are you OK?'

There was silence, and the three women exchanged anxious glances. Then Philip's head appeared above the balustrade.

'Hugh's fine,' he said. 'We're both fine. But the electrics aren't. Something's shorted, I'm not quite sure where. I think we should get the children out of here.'

'Right,' said Chloe, standing up. 'Nat . . . girls . . . out we go.'

They walked outside and stood, staring up at the villa. The drive was in late afternoon shade but still warm and breezeless. They sat on low walls and steps, glancing back at the house from time to time as though expecting it to speak. The two little girls balanced uncertainly on a pair of pillars, then came and sat on the ground beside Amanda. Nat was already engrossed in his computer game again.

'I'm going for a swim,' said Sam after a while. He kicked roughly at the ground and added, without looking up, 'Coming, Jenna?'

'I don't think so,' she replied. 'I think I'd better stay here until we know what's going on.'

'Fine,' he said after a pause. He walked off, shooting her a betrayed, angry glance which took in Chloe, too.

A moment later, Philip appeared at the front door of the villa, followed by Hugh. Both had splashes of water on their clothes; Hugh was wiping his forehead.

'Well, the good news is, the water's off,' he said.

'Well done,' said Amanda. 'You found the tap, then?'

'The bad news is, so is the air conditioning,' said Philip.

'The air conditioning?' said Amanda, aghast. 'What's wrong with it?'

'It seems to have short-circuited. And some of the lights.'

'How does it look upstairs?' asked Chloe.

'Still a bit of a mess. And very slippery. Some rugs have got soaked—and some clothes that were on the floor.' Philip shrugged. 'It could be worse.'

'Do you think somebody should tell Gerard?' said Amanda.

'Yes,' said Philip. 'We should give him a call.'

'No need,' said Hugh, and took a deep breath. 'He's coming here tomorrow.'

'What?' Everyone turned to stare at him.

'Of course he is,' said Chloe. She shook her head, almost admiringly. 'Three days into the holiday. Perfect timing.'

'How do you know he's coming?' asked Philip.

'I spoke to him earlier. He told me we should expect him tomorrow morning.' Hugh shrugged. 'A sudden whim, he called it.'

'A sudden whim?' echoed Chloe disbelievingly. 'Oh, that's good.'

'But where's he intending to sleep?' said Amanda, her brow wrinkling. 'He must know what the arrangements are.'

'He can sleep where he likes,' said Chloe, a sudden harshness to her voice. 'I'm certainly not staying to see him.' She looked at Philip. 'I've had enough of this place. To be honest, I've had enough of this holiday. I think we might head home tomorrow morning. See if we can change our flights.'

'Tomorrow?' said Nat in dismay. 'Mum, we can't .'

'I agree,' said Hugh, and turned to Amanda. 'I think we might head home, too.'

'We can't go home!' said Amanda. 'The kitchen isn't finished.'

'Well then, we'll go somewhere else,' said Hugh. 'Drive into Andalusia. Anything. I just don't want to stay here.' He looked for a few moments at the grandiose façade of the villa, then turned away.

'It hasn't been the best of holidays, has it?' said Philip, a rueful smile flickering over his face.

'It hasn't been a holiday at all,' said Chloe. 'It's been a game. A bloody puppet show. We should have realized as soon as we got here. We should have realized it was no mistake.'

She was silent for a moment, her face tight. 'Well, I'm not playing any more. Gerard can arrive tomorrow and find the place empty, as far as I'm concerned.'

She looked at Philip. 'I'm serious, Philip, I don't want to stay.'

'Fine,' said Philip, nodding. 'We'll change our flights. We'll still have to stay the night, though. Which will mean a bit of work.' He pushed his hands through his hair. 'More seriously, I'm not sure it's entirely safe, with all this water swilling around . . .'

'I'm not staying in a house with no air conditioning,' said Amanda, with an edge to her voice. 'Not tonight. We can't! It's sweltering! Hugh, we'll have to get in the car and drive until we find somewhere with enough beds . . .'

'I can't drive,' said Hugh. 'I've drunk too much. And so have you.'

'We'll have to!' Amanda's voice rose in a screech. 'I'm not staying in this house! We'll roast! There's no air, it's boiling hot, the children won't sleep a wink . . .' She clasped her head in her hands. 'I knew we should have gone to Club Med! I knew it. Next year, I'm booking the holiday. No more villas. No more so-called friends. No more—'

'Darling, calm down!' said Hugh. 'It won't be so bad, sleeping just one more night here . . .'

'Yes it will! It'll be horrendous!'

'Well, there's no alternative,' said Hugh testily. 'We'll just have to stick it out.'

'There is an alternative, actually,' said Jenna casually. 'I'm with Amanda on this one. No way am I going to sleep inside. Not on a night like this.'

'So . . . where are you planning to sleep, then?' said Amanda, raising her head.

'Outside,' said Jenna, as though it were obvious. 'It's plenty warm enough. I'll just grab a duvet from upstairs, roll up in it . . . and that's it. Sorted.'

There was an impressed silence.

'That's it, then,' said Hugh. He looked around at the others, a smile growing on his face.

'Sorted. All of us.'

By the time they had dragged enough bedding outside for everyone, the two little girls and Nat were growing sleepy. Amanda and Chloe settled them down, smiling as they listened to each other's bedtime routines and strictures.

Hugh and Philip were sorting out the adults' sleeping arrangements, plumping up pillows and organizing duvets as though at a Scout camp. Sam sat on his own, staring into the dusk, his face rigid and sulky.

When Jenna came over to him, he looked up without smiling.

'What's up?' she said easily.

'I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow,' said Sam without moving his head.

'Have you been enjoying yourself, then?'

'It's not that.' He gave a surly shrug.

Jenna grinned. She reached out and trailed a finger down his cheek, down his chest.

'Don't worry,' she said. 'There's all night yet.'

Sam looked up sharply, but she was already walking away, to where Amanda and Chloe were sitting down.

'I've got the supplies,' she announced, taking her rucksack off her back. 'Bread and cheese . . . and some more wine from Gerard's cellar. We could go back to the terrace and eat it there . . . or we could have a picnic.'

'Picnic,' said Chloe after a pause, and looked at Amanda, who nodded.

'Picnic.'

Jenna laid the food out on the ground and the others gathered round hungrily. For a few minutes, there was little conversation. They must all be ravenous, thought Chloe, looking around at the silent, munching faces. Or perhaps it's just that eating is easier to deal with than talking.

After the food was finished they sat drinking wine, talking little, letting the sky darken slowly around them. Above the silhouetted roof of the villa, birds circled and swooped against the sky. The air was still and warm and quiet.

'Is there some more wine?' said Amanda eventually, looking up. Her words were very slightly blurred and her head was drooping slightly. 'I seem to have finished mine.'

'Absolutely,' said Jenna, passing over a bottle. 'And, since it's the last night and all . . .'

She reached in her pocket and, after a pause, produced two ready-rolled joints. Sam's head jerked up in shock; the others stared at Jenna in dazed astonishment.

'Jenna!' said Amanda sharply. 'Is that—'

'Uh-huh,' said Jenna cheerily. 'I reckon we all need it.'

She offered one to Amanda, who was silent for a moment.

'Are the girls asleep?'

'Fast off,' said Jenna, glancing in their direction.

'OK then.' Without a flicker, Amanda reached for the joint. 'This is what happens when unemployment hits,' she said, staring morosely at it. 'You turn to drugs and alcohol for solace.'

She looked at Hugh. 'I expect we'll be shooting up heroin before the year is out. Eating cheap burgers and dying of heart failure.'

'I'm not sure things are quite as bad as that . . .' said Hugh.

'No?' She took a drag, closed her eyes and slowly breathed out. She took another, then looked at Chloe.

'You want some?'

'Well . . .' said Chloe, trying to hide her discomposure.

'Go on, Mum,' said Sam. 'It won't corrupt me, honest. And I won't tell Nat.'

'Well,' said Chloe again. She hesitated, then took the joint and inhaled on it. She pulled a face, and coughed a little. 'Out of practice,' she said, and passed it to Hugh, who took it gingerly.

'I've never taken drugs,' he said, staring suspiciously at it. 'I don't approve. What if it's spiked with something?'

'You'll be on smack soon,' said Amanda, looking up from her wine glass. 'So it hardly matters.'

Chloe watched as Hugh took a cautious puff on the joint and felt a pang of affection for him.

'Hugh,' she said abruptly. 'I'm sorry for everything I said. Out there by the swimming pool.'

She flushed slightly. 'I was unfair. I know you did your best to save Philip's job. And Amanda .

. .' She turned her head. 'I apologize to you, too. I was . . .' She hesitated. 'A bit wound up.'

'Doesn't matter,' said Amanda, waving a hand vaguely in the air. 'Doesn't matter at all.'

She gave Chloe a vague smile, which suddenly turned into a huge yawn.

'Right,' said Jenna, surveying the four of them. 'Everyone settled? Everyone sorted?'

'Great, thanks,' said Philip, waving the joint at her. 'Very good idea, to come out here.'

'Yes,' said Jenna, giving him a quizzical look. She reached for Sam's hand. 'Come on, you. Sam and I are going to love you and leave you,' she announced to the others. 'We'll be sleeping over there.' She pointed. 'On the other side of the field.'

'Right,' said Philip after a pause. 'Well . . . fair enough.'

'Oh, and we'll be having sex,' added Jenna, 'so please don't get the idea of coming over for a chat.'

Beside her, Sam stiffened in disbelief. He glanced at Chloe, who opened her mouth to speak—and then closed it again.

'Joke,' said Jenna, and surveyed the astonished faces with a happy grin. 'Or not. Sleep well, everyone.'

A few minutes after Jenna and Sam had disappeared off into the darkness, Amanda went over to check on the children, a few yards away. She leaned over Octavia, gave another yawn, and sat down heavily on the ground; a moment later she flopped back, fast asleep.

Hugh stood up, carried a duvet to her unconscious form, and gently spread it over her, giving her a soft goodnight kiss.

As he returned to the others, Philip poured himself another glass of wine and took a few sips. Then he, too, began to yawn.

'I feel zonked,' he murmured as he settled down to sleep.

'Relaxed,' replied Chloe. She bent over and kissed him gently. 'Relaxed is what you feel.'

He closed his eyes, and she sat back on her heels. Looking up, she saw Hugh gazing at her. He took a sip of wine, and another, then glanced at Philip's face. He was waiting, Chloe saw, for Philip to fall asleep.

Suddenly she realized she was, too. Silently she replenished Hugh's glass, and her own.

She took a sip, and stared up at the stars.

'I'm not tired,' said Hugh in low, conversational tones.

'No,' she replied after a pause. 'I'm not really, either.'

They both glanced at Philip. His breathing was steadier now. His eyes were firmly closed.

'Hugh . . .' said Chloe softly.

'Chloe?' murmured Philip, stirring, frowning a little.

Chloe held her breath and watched as Philip's face relaxed again. She had a vivid flashback to all those nights she'd spent waiting for the baby to drop off. Standing in the nursery darkness, scarcely daring to breathe, then creeping out noiselessly, unnoticed. It had always seemed like a tiny act of betrayal. As this was.

The minutes ticked by. A small animal scuffled briefly in the undergrowth; from the road came the distant sound of someone softly laughing. Chloe's eyes were on Hugh's, watching and waiting. Finally she judged they had waited long enough.

'So,' she said, and glanced at Philip. He didn't murmur, didn't stir.

'So,' said Hugh. He shifted slightly on the ground, with a rustle of dry twigs. 'You're really going to leave tomorrow.'

'Yes,' said Chloe. 'I think everything comes to its natural end. Don't you?'

'Yes,' said Hugh. 'I suppose it does.'

For a moment there was silence. A thousand sentences formed themselves in Chloe's mind and died away again.