The Map of Love Read Free Page A

just looked so solemn.’ ‘Well —’
    ‘So, carry on. You were telling me about birthdays.’
    ‘What I meant was — well, for us, this is only the third time we’re seeing a new century come in. And we’ve never had a millennium. So maybe we’re —’
    ‘Like a small kid? That’s been said before.’
    ‘What? What’s been said before?’ Louis leans over from Isabel’s right, his high forehead catching the candlelight. He is proud of his receding hairline and wears his black hair brushed back like a Spaniard’s.
    ‘You can’t do that,’ Deborah cries.
    ‘Can’t do what?’ asks Louis.
    ‘Butt into a conversation like that. This isn’t Wall Street. This is —’
    ‘Why not? It wasn’t a private conversation. Was it a private conversation?’
    ‘No, no, it wasn’t,’ says Isabel. ‘I was just saying that all this fuss about the millennium —’
    ‘Oh,
not
the millennium,’ Laura says, putting her hands to her head; ‘millennium, millennium, everywhere you look it’s the millennium. I thought you didn’t want to do the millennium?’
    ‘What are you doing?’ asks Louis. ‘I thought you were due to complete —’
    ‘She’s added on an option —’ Laura begins.
    ‘But that’s just the point,’ Isabel says. ‘I think maybe themillennium only matters to us because we’re so young — as a country, I mean. Maybe it would be interesting to see what people in a really old country thought of it.’
    ‘It’s an angle,’ Deborah admits.
    ‘India,’ Louis says. ‘Maybe Raji can help you there. Raji?’
    The bearded head turns from conversation with Samantha.
    ‘What does India think of the millennium?’ Louis demands.
    ‘Why don’t you ask her, man?’ A flicker at the corner of the dark lips, but the eyes don’t smile.
    ‘Come on, Louis, you know better than that,’ says Deborah.
    ‘Fucking inscrutable,’ says Louis.
    ‘Let’s have coffee through in the living room,’ says Deborah, standing up.
    ‘What is it you want to do?’ he asks as they walk into the living room.
    ‘I thought I’d go to Egypt. See what they think of the millennium there.’
    ‘Egypt? Why Egypt? Why not Rome? That’s an old country.’
    ‘Yes, but Egypt is older. It’s like going back to the beginning. Six thousand years of recorded history.’
    ‘Are they having a millennium there? Do you take cream?’ Deborah hands Isabel a cup of coffee and waits, the small silver cream jug poised. ‘Don’t they use the Muslim years?’
    ‘They use both,’ he says. ‘And they have a Coptic calendar as well.’
    ‘I know they celebrate both New Years,’ Isabel says, pouring herself a few drops of cream and handing the jug back to Deborah.
    ‘Any excuse for a party.’ He smiles. ‘I won’t have coffee, thanks. We have to be going soon.’
    ‘I was wondering,’ Isabel ventures, ‘if you could give me some pointers. I’ve been there before, but it was a long time ago, and I haven’t stayed in touch.’
    ‘Oh, I think you’ll find people will remember you —’
    ‘There, you see, you’re laughing at me again.’
    ‘My dear, not at all. I’m sure you made a powerful impression. What were you doing there?’
    ‘I did a Junior Year Abroad —’
    ‘Don’t you just adore these apartments?’ Laura says, joining them.
    ‘They’re so gracious.’
    ‘This one is beautiful,’ Isabel says. ‘And I love the red walls.’
    They all look around the high, galleried room.
    ‘Call me,’ my brother says to Isabel. ‘Do you want to call me? I’ll think of a few people you can go and see. Look, let me give you my number.’ He feels in his pockets. ‘Do you have a card or a piece of paper or something?’
    She looks in her handbag and passes him a small white notepad. He takes the cap off his fountain pen and scribbles in black ink.
    ‘Can you read this? When do you want to talk? Do you have a deadline?’
    ‘Yes,’ says Isabel. ‘Imminent.’
    ‘OK. Call me. We’ll talk.’
    He turns