“You too.” She handed over the bouquet. “These are for you.”
Laura took them with a look of genuine pleasure, and Cherry was glad she’d paid so much for them.
“Oh, they are absolutely beautiful. Thank you.”
Cherry couldn’t quite believe that this glamorous woman was probably the same age as her own mother. They couldn’t look more different. Laura was tall, statuesque, and a shimmering blonde.Her cream silk blouse and wide-legged caramel trousers draped over her frame as if they were privileged to do so; the whole effect was one of a burnished gold goddess.
“I love your top,” she found herself gushing, and had to try to suppress the flush that rose up her cheeks.
“Likewise,” said Laura. “That color is amazing on you.”
The flush went higher. Cherry felt as though she’d forced Laura to say something nice in return and she stood there, dumb and smiling and wishing fiercely she had been a little more sophisticated.
“Time for a drink,” said Howard, and he led the way into what Cherry knew would be only one of the reception rooms. She sat on the edge of a long gray sofa and, thankfully, Daniel took the seat next to her. Laura was a few steps behind and must have put the flowers down somewhere as her hands were free. She couldn’t have put them in a vase that quickly and Cherry found herself feeling slighted. Were her flowers lying bruised on a shelf somewhere?
Get a grip,she told herself sternly,she’s hardly going to disappear for ten minutes arranging flowers when you’ve only just gotten here. The flowers will be fine.
“Aperitif?” said Howard.
“Yes, please.”
“Bellini?” However, he was already pouring one and handed it to her. She tried not to let the bubbles go up her nose as she had a sip.
“You’ve been working today?” asked Howard as he continued to serve the drinks.
“Yes, at Highsmith and Brown.”
Laura took a glass from her husband and glided into the armchair opposite her. “Daniel said. Do you enjoy it?”
“Yes, very much.”
“How long have you been there?”
“Not long.” She didn’t elaborate, and in the pocket of silence, she moved her glass to the other hand. She knew she had to relax, but she was so anxious to make a good impression, hermind was working overtime trying to remember what she did and didn’t want to say. She was in danger of coming across as rude.
“What did you do before?” asked Howard.
“I was in the hospitality industry.”
Both of Daniel’s parents smiled with what Cherry took to be polite interest. She felt another blush threatening. It was obvious they knew that she’d said this as a cover for working in a restaurant. Feeling foolish, she spoke quickly. “Before that, I was in Australia. I was, um . . . I wanted to take some time off after my . . . exams.”
“Which university were you at?” said Howard.
She inwardly cringed. “Er . . . I didn’t . . . but I did do my A Levels.”
What is the matter with me? Trying to justify myself, like a child.
“So you came back and decided to start a career, learn on the job. Very commendable,” said Laura, “especially with the cost of university these days.”
Cherry smiled and nodded along. She knew Laura was covering for her. She self-consciously swapped her glass back into the other hand and wondered what to say to change the subject.
Daniel pulled her from the sofa. “Come on, let me show you around. You can give us your professional opinion.”
She followed him out of the room, feeling like she’d failed the first test. They were barely through the door when Daniel pinched her bum. She only just managed to suppress a squeal and poked him in the arm in admonishment, but, in fact, the intimacy had cheered her.
“The hallway,” he said. “As you can see, we have one.”
“And very beautiful it is too,” said Cherry, aware that his parents could probably hear everything they were saying. And it was: a gleaming parquet floor led to two large curved white and wood staircases, one going up, one down. A Turkish rug was placed in front of the marble fireplace, which was flanked by a large armchair, and Cherry wondered if anyone actually sat there.
