“Yes, but I’ve readaboutthem! That’s called being cultured.”
“You’re a charlatan, a hack, an articulate Oxbridge fraud!” Coralie screamed as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. “You’re everything that’s wrong with this country!”
Outside Borough Wines, Adam set her on her feet. “Let’s give them a little treat.Twobottles.”
They strolled up Amhurst Road toward the wide green space of Hackney Downs.
“Do we know anything at all about this guy?”
“The boyfriend?” Coralie said. “We don’t. Big Man, he’d saved the number as, all in capital letters.”
“Big Man,” Adam mused. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
To their surprise, the address Daniel had texted her corresponded to an entire four-story Victorian terrace. “Surely not,” Coralie muttered as she got out her phone to check.
They rang the doorbell and hovered on the vast porch. A lantern turned on above them. The door creaked open, and Dan was there in a woolly jumper, shorts, and socks. He looked pink-cheeked and princely in the extra-wide hall, in which a row of sconces was illuminated and reflected in heavy gilt-framed antique mirrors. He stood back and gestured, aware of the dazzling effect. “Please come in.”
“Sorry…” Coralie embraced him. “What thefuckis this?”
“I thought we’d be dumping our coats on your mattress on the floor,” Adam said. “Not hanging them up in Versailles.”
“I don’t really know whatVersaillesis,” Dan admitted. “But you’ll love the house, Cor. It’s all old stuff, right up your alley.”
“Big Man,” Coralie said. “Big house.”
“Oh, I forgot I used to call him that. Being in love is so embarrassing. Please don’t call him Big Man, especially you, Adam. You can call him Ian—or Barbie, people sometimes call him.”
“I promise, Dan, I won’t. And who’s this?” Adam bent to pat a skeletal and ancient black poodle who tottered into the hall.
“That’s Madonna,” Dan said. “I’m glad you didn’t bring the girls, she’s terrified of children.”
“So she should be,” Adam said. “Hello, tiny one. You’re a sweet little thing, aren’t you?”
“Come into the kitchen, I’ve got some stuff on the go.” Instead of leading them downstairs to the basement, where she’d expect a kitchen to be, Dan took them through the first door off the hall. What would originally have been the vast double reception had been turned into a kitchen and dining room. Wide wooden floorboards lined the entire space. All the intricate cornicing had been kept, swags of roses and egg shapes and bows. An antique dining table ran the whole length of the front room to the huge, shuttered bay window. Dan saw her staring at it. “It had to be winched in.”
“You could cook me on a spit in that fireplace,” Adam said. “Enormous.”
The fireplace in what was now the kitchen had been removed. Inside the chimney breast was a brass-knobbed range cooker with about eight burners. The ceramic sink must have been a meter wide. The standalone fridge was double-doored. Over the kitchen island, a bronze pot rack hung on chains, loaded with pans of all sizes onsturdy industrial hooks. “It’s like a fairy tale,” Coralie said. “A giant’s house.”
“That’s funny,” Dan said. “Because—”
“Fee-fi-fo-fum!” came the cry behind them. An actual giant had entered, pulling a jumper down over his T-shirt. “Sorry, I was in the shower. Ian Barbagallo.” He lunged for Adam’s hand.
“Adam!” Adam said.
“She’s the important one,” Dan murmured.
“Of course, Coralie! Finally! Now you can tell me the story of how you got your name.”
“Oh—” Coralie started to say.
“But a drink first!” The giant strode over to a cabinet.
“We brought some, didn’t we, Coralie?” Adam darted out into the hallway and came back with his two bottles, now revealed in this setting to be only moderately nice or generous. The giant ignored them in favor of his own, much better wine. After a moment, Dan took them out of Adam’s hands with a murmur of polite thanks.
Yes, Ian was tall, and he was much older than Dan. Fifty-five? He was almost bald, and what hair remained was shaved. He was big, really big, with a physique like a held breath. Coralie glanced over at Dan, tending to something bubbling in a pot, at peace with the world and his choices. The cork popped out of Ian’s wine. He took down four cut-glass crystal goblets and filled them to the brim. “Your good health!” He gestured at the chairs. “Please! Sit!”
Coralie and Adam obeyed. As Big Man strode over to deliver Dan his wine, they shared a long, neutral glance to convey their mutual surprise.
