of caviare and champagne?'
'I'd love to,' Kate said regretfully, and meant it, because Maria was generally an inspired cook even with the most average ingredients. 'But I thought I would go home this evening. It's been some time since I saw them all.'
'Fine,' Maria said amiably. She gave Kate a narrow look. 'There's nothing wrong, is there?'
'Of course not,' Kate achieved a laugh. 'I do go home occasionally, you know!'
'I didn't mean that. I just thought you looked a bit fraught, that's all,' said Maria, stirring her sauce, and lowering the flame beneath the pan.
'Oh,' Kate pulled a face, cursing her landlady's perspicacity. 'It's just this new book—there could be problems. Nothing that I can't handle, of course.'
'Of course,' Maria agreed. 'Well, enjoy yourself this evening.'
Kate's mother was delighted to get her phone call. 'Darling, how marvellous! Jon and Alison are coming over too. It'll be a real family party.'
'Yes, won't it?' Kate agreed. She replaced her receiver slowly. She had intended to do some subtle probing, now it seemed she was going to be able to see them together and judge the state of their relationship for herself.
And probably Alison would be bubbling over with the story of her wonderful lunch, she told herself forcefully.
Her stepfather greeted her at the door with a warm hug.
'You've lost weight, my girl.' He held her at arms' length and stared at her critically.
Kate wrinkled her nose at him. 'That's what you always say. I only wish it was true.'
'Well, at least you'll get a decent meal inside you tonight,' he said triumphantly. 'Steak and kidney pie and all the trimmings. How's work going? Any interesting commissions?'
He poured sherry, and they took it into the kitchen and talked to Kate's mother as she bustled around, putting the last touches to the meal. She was a woman who had always found her fulfilment in caring for her family, and they'd often teased her about it, calling her 'an endangered species', which she accepted with unruffled calm.
Watching her, seeing her pleasure in the preparations she was making, Kate found herself thinking, 'Oh, let everything be all right! She and Dad love Jon. They're so proud of him. If anything went wrong in his marriage, they'd be so hurt, so bewildered.'
They heard his car pull on to the drive at the side of the house, and presently he came in. He was smiling and carrying a bunch of flowers for his stepmother, but Kate thought he looked tired.
He said ruefully, 'I'm on my own, I'm afraid. Ally sends love and apologies, but she's going to have an early night. She's got a splitting headache.'
'Oh.' Mrs Herbert looked downcast. 'I wonder what's caused that?'
Hangover? Kate supplied silently. Guilty conscience? Or had they had a blazing row, perhaps?
'Hi, love,' Jon bent and kissed her cheek. 'Anything exciting in your life?'
She shrugged. 'Depends on your view of excitement.' Keeping her voice casual, she added, 'I had lunch at Peré Nicolas today.'
Jon whistled appreciatively. 'Very impressive! I hope you weren't paying.'
'Oh, Kate!' her mother wailed. 'Then you won't want another big meal. What am I going to do with all this pie?'
'I'm starving,' Kate assured her. 'No restaurant food could ever compare with yours, you know that.'
She would eat the dinner in front of her if it killed her, she promised herself. And it probably would, because she'd been counting on Jon saying something on the lines of 'Now there's a coincidence. Alison was lunching there too.' Whereas it was evident that he knew nothing at all about Alison's midday activities. Oh hell, she thought. Hell and damnation!
She finished everything on her plate with a struggle, and it was no consolation to note that Jon didn't have much of an appetite either. He talked cheerfully about the office, making them laugh with his story of a client who was always house-hunting, then finding some fatal flaw with the property of his dreams just before the contracts were due to be
'I'd love to,' Kate said regretfully, and meant it, because Maria was generally an inspired cook even with the most average ingredients. 'But I thought I would go home this evening. It's been some time since I saw them all.'
'Fine,' Maria said amiably. She gave Kate a narrow look. 'There's nothing wrong, is there?'
'Of course not,' Kate achieved a laugh. 'I do go home occasionally, you know!'
'I didn't mean that. I just thought you looked a bit fraught, that's all,' said Maria, stirring her sauce, and lowering the flame beneath the pan.
'Oh,' Kate pulled a face, cursing her landlady's perspicacity. 'It's just this new book—there could be problems. Nothing that I can't handle, of course.'
'Of course,' Maria agreed. 'Well, enjoy yourself this evening.'
Kate's mother was delighted to get her phone call. 'Darling, how marvellous! Jon and Alison are coming over too. It'll be a real family party.'
'Yes, won't it?' Kate agreed. She replaced her receiver slowly. She had intended to do some subtle probing, now it seemed she was going to be able to see them together and judge the state of their relationship for herself.
And probably Alison would be bubbling over with the story of her wonderful lunch, she told herself forcefully.
Her stepfather greeted her at the door with a warm hug.
'You've lost weight, my girl.' He held her at arms' length and stared at her critically.
Kate wrinkled her nose at him. 'That's what you always say. I only wish it was true.'
'Well, at least you'll get a decent meal inside you tonight,' he said triumphantly. 'Steak and kidney pie and all the trimmings. How's work going? Any interesting commissions?'
He poured sherry, and they took it into the kitchen and talked to Kate's mother as she bustled around, putting the last touches to the meal. She was a woman who had always found her fulfilment in caring for her family, and they'd often teased her about it, calling her 'an endangered species', which she accepted with unruffled calm.
Watching her, seeing her pleasure in the preparations she was making, Kate found herself thinking, 'Oh, let everything be all right! She and Dad love Jon. They're so proud of him. If anything went wrong in his marriage, they'd be so hurt, so bewildered.'
They heard his car pull on to the drive at the side of the house, and presently he came in. He was smiling and carrying a bunch of flowers for his stepmother, but Kate thought he looked tired.
He said ruefully, 'I'm on my own, I'm afraid. Ally sends love and apologies, but she's going to have an early night. She's got a splitting headache.'
'Oh.' Mrs Herbert looked downcast. 'I wonder what's caused that?'
Hangover? Kate supplied silently. Guilty conscience? Or had they had a blazing row, perhaps?
'Hi, love,' Jon bent and kissed her cheek. 'Anything exciting in your life?'
She shrugged. 'Depends on your view of excitement.' Keeping her voice casual, she added, 'I had lunch at Peré Nicolas today.'
Jon whistled appreciatively. 'Very impressive! I hope you weren't paying.'
'Oh, Kate!' her mother wailed. 'Then you won't want another big meal. What am I going to do with all this pie?'
'I'm starving,' Kate assured her. 'No restaurant food could ever compare with yours, you know that.'
She would eat the dinner in front of her if it killed her, she promised herself. And it probably would, because she'd been counting on Jon saying something on the lines of 'Now there's a coincidence. Alison was lunching there too.' Whereas it was evident that he knew nothing at all about Alison's midday activities. Oh hell, she thought. Hell and damnation!
She finished everything on her plate with a struggle, and it was no consolation to note that Jon didn't have much of an appetite either. He talked cheerfully about the office, making them laugh with his story of a client who was always house-hunting, then finding some fatal flaw with the property of his dreams just before the contracts were due to be
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