onto the marble counter, flipped up the bucket to create a step and then wrapped her left arm around the waist of a compact bundle of fun in a stunning cerise vintage cocktail dress.
Kate Lovat was one of the few real pals that she had made at high school.
Irrepressible, petite and fierce, Kate used to have a self-confidence which was as large as the heels she wore to push her height up to medium and a spirit to match. Today her short tousled dark hair was slicked into an asymmetric style which managed to make her look both elegant and quirky at the same time.
‘Kate!’ Amber laughed. ‘I was praying that you were going to turn up at the reunion. You look fabulous!’
‘Why thank you, pretty lady. Right back at you. You are even more gorgeous than ever.’ Then Kate’s mouth fell open, her eyes locked onto the floor and she gave a high pitched squeak as she grabbed Amber’s arm. ‘Oh my...those shoes. I want those shoes. In fact if you were not several sizes bigger than me, I would knock you down and run off with them.’
Then Kate took one step back and peered into Amber’s face, her eyes narrow and her brow creased. ‘Wait a minute. You look peaky. And a lot skinnier than the last time I saw you... Did I tell you that I have suddenly become clairvoyant? Because I foresee chocolate and plenty of it in your very near future.’
Then she pointed at the plaster cast on Amber’s wrist. ‘I have to know. Wait.’ She held up one hand and pressed the fingertips of the other hand to her forehead as though she was doing her own mind-reading act. ‘Let me guess. You slipped on an ice cube at some fashionista party, or was it a yacht cruising the Caribbean? It must make playing the piano a tad tricky.’
‘Kate. Slow down. If you must know, I tripped over my own suitcase a couple of weeks ago. And yes, I have cancelled everything for the next six months so my wrist has a chance to heal.’ Then she paused. ‘And why do you need to sneak out of the window at our school reunion when you could be catching up on the gossip with the rest of our class?’
Kate took a breath, her lower lip quivered and she seemed about to say something, then changed her mind, broke into a smile and waved one hand towards the door. ‘Been there. Done that. This has been one hell of a rotten day and the kidnappers have blockaded the doors to stop us from getting out.’
Then Kate lifted her chin. ‘But here is an idea,’ she said, her dark green eyes twinkling with delight. She gestured with her head towards the red velvet chaise at the other end of the powder room. Two buffet plates piled high with pastries and cocktail skewers were stashed on the floor.
‘Who cares about them? We have a sofa. We have snacks. And the really good news is that I crashed into Saskia five minutes ago and she is now on a mission to find liquid refreshment and cake. The three of us could have our own party right here. What do you say?’
Amber’s shoulders dropped several inches and she hugged her old friend one-handed. ‘That. Is the best idea I have heard in a long time. Oh, I had forgotten how much I missed you both. But I thought Saskia was still in France.’
Kate winked. ‘Oh, things have certainly changed around here. Just wait until you hear what we have been up to.’ Then she waved both hands towards Amber and grabbed her around the waist. ‘It is so good to see you. But come on, sit. What drove you out from the chosen few? Or should that be who drove you out?’
Suddenly Kate froze and her fingers flew to her mouth. ‘Don’t tell me that snake in the grass Petra dared to show her face.’
Petra. Amber took a sharp intake of breath. ‘Well, if Petra was in there, I didn’t notice, and somehow I think I would have recognised her.’
‘Damn right.’ Kate scowled. ‘Ten years is not nearly long enough to forget that face. A friend does not jump on her best pal’s boyfriend. Especially at that pal’s eighteenth birthday party.’ Her flat right hand sliced through the air. ‘For some things there is no forgiveness. None. Zero. Don’t even ask. Oh—is that a mushroom tartlet?’
‘Help yourself,’ Amber replied and passed Kate her plate. Strange how she had suddenly lost her appetite the moment Petra’s name was mentioned. The memory of the last time she had seen the girl she used to call her friend flittered across her brain, bringing a bitter taste of regret into her mouth. ‘It takes two to tango, Kate,’ she murmured. ‘And, from what I recall, Sam Richards wasn’t exactly complaining that Petra had made a move on him. Far from it, in fact.’
‘Of course not,’ Kate replied between bites. ‘He was a boy and she bedazzled him. He didn’t have a chance.’
‘Bedazzled?’
‘Bedazzled. Once that girl decided that Sam was the target he was toast.’ Then Kate coughed and flicked a glance at Amber before brushing pastry crumbs from her fingers. ‘He’s back in London now, you know. Sam. Working as a journalist for that swanky newspaper he was always talking about.’
Amber brought her head up very slowly. ‘How fascinating. Perhaps I should ring the editor and warn him that his new reporter is susceptible to bedazzlement?’
‘Careful.’ Kate chuckled. ‘They’ll be saying that I am having a bad influence on you.’
‘Well, that would never do! Hi Amber,’ a sweet clipped voice came from the bathroom.
‘Saskia!’ Kate instantly leaped up from the sofa and grabbed the plate of mini chocolate cakes that was threatening to topple over at any second. ‘Look who’s here.’ Then she caught her breath. ‘What happened to your dress?’
Saskia slid onto the sofa and lowered a screw cap bottle of Chardonnay and two glasses onto the floor in front of them so that she could give Amber a hug.
It was only then Amber noticed the red wine stain which was still dripping down the sleeve of Saskia’s cream lace dress. It was almost as if someone had thrown a glass of wine at her.
Maybe things had changed? Because if Kate was the petite quirky one of their little band and Amber the lanky American, then Saskia was the classic English beauty. Medium brown hair, medium height and size. And the one girl who would never cause a scene or make a fuss.
‘Excuse me for a moment.’ Saskia nodded. And, without waiting for an answer, she clenched her teeth and picked up one of the paper hand towels and tore it violently into strips lengthways. Then into smaller strips, then more slowly into squares. Only when the whole towel was completely shredded into postage stamps did Saskia exhale slowly, gather up all of the pieces and toss them into the waste basket.
‘Well, I feel a lot better now.’ She smiled and brushed her hands off.
Kate was still choking so Amber was the one who had to ask, ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
Saskia sat bolt upright on the sofa, too proud to slouch back against the cushion, and casually mopped the stain with a paper napkin. ‘Apparently I am all that is bad in the world because I refused to let the school alumni committee use Elwood House for free for the weekly soiree—you know, the one I have never been invited to? You should have seen their faces the moment I mentioned the going hourly rate. That’s when the abuse started.’
She sniffed once. ‘It was most unladylike. Frankly, I am appalled.’
Kate pushed back her shoulders and her chin forward. ‘Right. Where are they? No one disses my pal and gets away with it. There are three of us against the whole room—no contest.’
‘I have just finished ten years of training as a full-on concert diva,’ Amber added. ‘Want to see me in action? It can be scary.’
Saskia shook her head. ‘That would be playing right into their hands. They would just love it if we made a scene. It gives them something to talk about in their shallow little lives. Let it go. Seriously. I have decided to rise above it.’ Then her face broke into a smile. ‘I am already having far too good a time right here. Kate. Would you be so kind as to twist open that bottle? I want to hear everything. Let’s start with the obvious. My love life is on hold until Elwood House is