Midsummer Magic. Julia Williams

people clearly trying to calm her down.

      ‘Who does he think he is?’ she was saying angrily, ‘coming here, spoiling my moment.’

      ‘Don’t worry about him, darling,’ said a rather androgynous creature dressed in the tightest chinos that Harry had ever seen, and a long flowing top. Harry would have hazarded a guess at the figure being male, if it weren’t for the long painted nails, and the high heels. He/she appeared to be following the woman, a blowsy-looking blonde dressed in tight leather clothes thirty years too young for her and dripping in gold, touching up her make-up at every opportunity. ‘Don’t frown, darling. You’ve only just had the Botox done.’

      ‘Which means I can’t frown, Gray,’ snapped the woman.

      ‘Is that?’ asked Harry.

      ‘Tatiana Okeby, yes,’ said Josie, ‘I remember her now. She and Auberon Fanshawe were all over the papers at one time. But, God, she’s gone to seed.’

      ‘Put your claws away,’ said Ant. ‘I think she’s rather magnificent.’

      Harry couldn’t see it himself, she was a bit bold and brassy for his tastes, but she certainly had … something. The whole beer garden had stopped to listen to her, enthralled by the situation unfolding before them.

      ‘Tatiana, my darling, what a lovely surprise,’ Auberon Fanshawe drawled. He and Freddie had been sitting quietly in the far corner. Harry could see that Freddie was sniggering into his pint glass, clearly enjoying the drama.

      ‘Surprise, my arse,’ said Tatiana. ‘You planned this, didn’t you? You and Freddie. Just couldn’t wait to spike my guns, could you?’

      ‘What do you mean?’ said Auberon, wide-eyed and innocent. ‘Freddie and I are here quite by chance. Freddie’s researching a new TV programme. We’re staying at Tresgothen Manor.’

      ‘How very convenient,’ said Tatiana. ‘That you just happen to turn up in the same village, where I’ve been staying already, negotiating to play Titania in A Dream. I’ve been in talks with Mike Slowbotham about it for days. You’d better not screw this up for me.’

      ‘As if I would, Tati, as if I would. I’m sure the world is waiting with bated breath for your Titania.’

      ‘Don’t you dare,’ she glared at him angrily. ‘And don’t call me Tati.’ But she seemed mollified enough to calm down. Suddenly aware of her audience, she smiled graciously around her at the holidaymakers packing out the pub.

      Before long someone had plucked up courage to ask for her autograph, and she smilingly obliged, as if the previous scene had never occurred. Soon she was surrounded by an adoring crowd and the chatter had returned to normal.

      ‘Well, that was entertaining,’ said Ant. ‘What a woman. Never a dull moment.’