Nine Ten Begin Again: A Grasshopper Lawns affair (12 page)

She waited a beat, during which Jemima simply looked resentful, then shut the door, belted her dressing gown and turned round with a pucker between her brows.

‘Donald, I can’t remember, it’s three years since I came here. Did you have to give your bank details?’

He had pulled on a shirt which hung open over his chest, and finished topping up two flutes with champagne to hand her one. ‘Best pick-me-up there is, drink. And yes—obviously for the direct debit mandate on the rent, but also a list of all my various accounts and holdings, for Hamish’s records.’

‘Why on earth?’

‘This
is
a retirement village. People get older, and forget, or start fretting about money, or may be overspending. Part of his job is to be able to keep track of their finances for them. No point waiting until they’ve already forgotten what they have squirrelled away and where. It’s a sensible plan.’

‘I suppose. At the time I must have given him the Fitzpatrick & Fellowes details. Not that I didn’t trust Hamish implicitly, but I don’t trust Jemima at all. I wouldn’t dream of giving her any financial information.’

‘You really have a down on her. Having an odd way of enjoying your social life doesn’t make you a bad person, or a less efficient one. Patrick did tell you she’s well qualified to do that side of the job.’

‘Oh Donald, you dislike her even more than I do. I didn’t like or trust her before I knew anything about her social life, and neither did you. I don’t like this.’

‘Don’t like what? I don’t like her timing, but do you mean her quest for bank details?’ He sank gracefully onto the sofa and she perched next to him, still frowning. ‘You think she’d raid the bank accounts? Most of us keep only enough in our current accounts for day to day stuff. Everything else needs a bank transfer, and I’d get a notification. If she did—and aye, in theory she could, she has all the passwords—she couldn’t get very much. She’s an ambitious politician. She’d never torpedo her whole future to skim a few thousand pounds off pensioner accounts.’

‘I think we should talk to Vivian, she’s very clued up on finance. I’m not saying you’re not, Donald, but she’s
very
clued up.’ Edge was stubborn. ‘And William is as well. Don’t laugh at me, I have a
feeling
, and my instincts are usually right.’

‘Okay.’ Donald drained his glass. ‘I’m going home to shower and change for my meeting this afternoon. And I won’t say a single word about your instincts about me. Not a word.’

~~~

‘I have to agree with Donald, Edge, I don’t like her either but the most she could skim from my account is a thousand pounds. Even if she could take that much from each of us, it still wouldn’t be worth her throwing away her entire career and future. She’d be insane to do it.’

‘We’ve met our fair share of insane lately,’ Edge pointed out darkly. ‘And she could raid my ISA, if she had access, and there’s a lot more in there. Will you at least change your passwords until Hamish returns?’

‘No, I won’t,’ Vivian said frankly. ‘I recently did need to ask her to look one up for me and it’s a good idea to have them locked up for handy reference. But what I
will
do is contact my brokers and tell them not to sell or buy anything without both an email and a phone call from me. I don’t like her either, and I’ll feel a bit safer with that extra security in place. Good enough?’

Edge nodded reluctantly. ‘And you’ll speak to William as well?’

‘I’ll speak to William as well. Donald, what will you change about your security?’

‘My funds are mainly tied up in productions and I’ve promised I won’t call on them before the due dates, whatever happens, so the production accountants would phone me in a heartbeat if they got a request. Like you, I’ve got a thousand on call, and that’s a good idea about instructing my brokers. I’ll do that too, not that I’ve much in shares. Might be worth having a word with Matilda, she’s probably the best-off of all of us, to make sure she’s covered.’

‘I’ll speak to her. And Sylvia’s pretty well-off, I’ll alert her too. Then we’re all good. Donald, what are you doing for your birthday?’ Vivian firmly changed the subject and he stretched out his legs and leaned back in his chair, lazily rubbing Buster’s rump with one foot.

‘Lawns tea and my first four Lawns presents.’ He smiled slightly sardonically across at her. ‘I’m expecting purple leather somewhere along the line.’

The Lawns birthday tradition always included a purple item of clothing and Edge nodded enthusiastically.

‘Driving gloves, for a bet. But that can’t be all you’re doing?’

He looked at her, blue eyes suddenly thoughtful. ‘No. I always have dinner on my birthday with an old friend, we arranged it weeks ago. But now—would you come too? Vivian, you and William too, if you would. The friend is Sebastian Gandry. He’s a bit of culture shock, so probably easier for Edge if we’re a bigger group.’

‘Your tattoo friend?’ Vivian’s eyebrows went up. ‘You know, I’ve seen him perform. He was Frankenfurter in
Rocky
, gosh, fifteen years ago now. I thought he had a great voice. I’d love to meet him. Do you get together in costume?’

‘We do not.’ Donald gave her a severe look and she chuckled and shrugged. Donald switched his glance back to Edge. ‘Will you? He’s a bit over the top, but he’s my oldest friend—closest I have to a family, in his way. I’d like you to meet each other.’

‘Does he know about us?’ Edge asked curiously and Donald’s face lit with laughter.

‘No. As I said, we last spoke a few weeks ago. Want to be introduced as a friend and see how long it takes him to twig? But he’ll probably say something outrageous when he does. On the other hand, if he knows in advance, he’ll have a whole arsenal of comments prepared and amuse himself all evening. He’s Seb. Outrageous is what he does.’

‘You can’t really turn up with three extra people without warning, and as soon as you say you’re bringing people he’ll know something’s up,’ Edge pointed out reasonably as he rose gracefully to his feet.

‘He mocks me for moving to a retirement village. I’ll tell him I’m bringing a few neighbours. Fair to say you’ll collectively knock him flying.’ He looked down at Edge, who was troubled, and ran a finger down her cheek. ‘What? You’re not allowed to disapprove of me.’

‘What, ever?’ She smiled up at him. ‘He’s had you to himself all these years, so don’t you think you should give him some warning? I’m also your friend, and I wouldn’t want to be put on the spot.’

He thought about it, then nodded. ‘I’ll tell him I’m hanging up my leather cape for the neighbour next door but one. And on your own head be it, because he’ll be at his worst. I’ve got to get through to Glasgow for a meeting. Meet up in the pub around eight?’

She nodded and he smiled across at Vivian and left.

‘Well, that doesn’t sound at
all
alarming,’ Vivian grinned at Edge. ‘Nervous?’

Edge nodded ruefully and drew a slightly shaky breath. ‘Why does this feel like meeting his mother? I’m petrified!’

Chapter 7 - Wednesday November 20
th

The birthday dinner

Seb lived in Peebles so they had arranged to meet in the city, at a restaurant he’d recommended as particularly good. William had gone in earlier for a meeting, so Donald and Edge took Vivian through with them, rather to Edge’s relief, as she could leave it to Vivian to make conversation on the train. There were several people waiting in the bar off the main restaurant. William was standing talking to a slender man slightly over average height, startlingly good-looking, who hurried forward with a smile to hug Donald.

Donald turned to introduce Edge, and Seb put his hands on either side of her neck and gently nudged her chin up with the heels of his palms.

‘Let me look at you. Hmm. Mischievous face. And a good stubborn chin, you’ll need that. And very pretty eyes. I think I approve.’

She half-smiled politely into grey eyes that didn’t like her at all, and he dropped his hands to turn to Vivian.

‘Oh my God, you are
beautiful
. Do you belong to this sexy beast William? Does he know how
lucky
he is? And now, since we’re all coming out the closet tonight, meet my best-kept secret. Behind the mild-mannered exterior beats the heart of my greatest fan.’

He turned gracefully to draw forward an utterly conventional-looking man in his sixties, who was introduced as Hugh and shook hands composedly all round.

‘Hugh and I have been together seven years. I never dared tell Mac before, I thought it might break his heart. Now his lovely Corner can put it back together.’

‘Vintage Seb.’ Donald resignedly shook hands with Hugh. ‘I sympathize.’

Hugh smiled. ‘I’m glad to meet you at last. And Edge, Seb’s wildly jealous. Please don’t be offended by anything he says, he’ll settle down pretty quickly. He’s a very nice man, but he does act out a bit.’

In fact Seb ignored her at first, and Edge, sitting between him and Donald at the table, had the chance to study him with covert interest. Although she knew he was several years older than Donald he didn’t look it. His skin was beautifully maintained and his good looks were of the type that was bone deep and would last for life. His hair was a rather determined ash blond, worn in a mane to his collar, and he was lightly but expertly made-up. He’d shrugged off a well-cut coat to reveal a gold pinstripe shirt worn with a light silk ascot at the throat to conceal tell-tale lines, and devoted his attention to Vivian, who was on his right, for the first flurry of drinks and the ordering of their meal. As soon as conversation became general, he turned to her and dropped his voice.

‘I envy you with every particle of my being, you know. I adore Mac. Always have, always will.’

‘He says you’re the closest he has to a family, and his best friend. I’m pretty besotted about him myself, if that helps.’

He smiled, almost unwillingly. ‘You’re not what I expected at all. I thought you’d be very beautiful and a bit stupid, his usual type, but you’re the opposite. You look fun.’

‘We were friends first, and we do have fun. It’s the best friendship, apart from Vivian, in my whole life. I was convinced he was gay and not remotely interested in me or any other woman. He unmasked a week ago and roared through my defences in about thirty seconds flat.’

‘Thirty seconds? Darling, I envy your willpower. I didn’t mean it nastily about you not being beautiful. You’re not, but your bones are good and you’re easy on the eye. And you’re refreshingly honest. Mac has a bullshit monitor bigger than the space station, you’ll never be able to fool him. But then you must know that already, or you wouldn’t be here. We might even become friends, although you will have to accept Hugh as part of the package because he’s lovely.’

‘He’s not at all what I would have expected either. Very nice, but so very conservative; he looks like a banker.’

‘He
is
a banker!’ Seb was delighted. ‘I am the single only unconventional thing he’s ever done, not that I should call myself a thing. But now that I have to put my Mac hopes to bed, or more accurately give up all hope of ever putting them to bed, he’s being hauled out of the closet, whether he likes it or not.’

Their food arrived and they joined the general conversation. Donald raised an enquiring eyebrow and Edge widened her eyes at him and made the tiniest grimace, which made his mouth quirk. Minute as the exchange was, Seb noticed it and looked annoyed.

‘Shouldn’t we have champagne?’ Hugh waved to the waiter. ‘This is a birthday, after all. Mac, what’s your fancy?’

‘William’s our wine expert. Happy to go with whatever he recommends. I heard Seb telling Edge you’re a banker?’

‘Don’t hate me for it. Not that long ago we were heroes, and now we’re villains, and we’re still doing exactly what we always did. Working ridiculous hours on ridiculously low salaries in the hope of earning a compensatory bonus. We’re not all the glory boys at the top, you know, scooping in the fat bucks.’

Donald nodded politely, bored, and Vivian peaceably asked which bank. Hugh told her, and she looked interested.

‘Oh, I used to be with Saltire Standard myself. We were talking about them the other day, Edge and I. Do you know Simon Henderson, on the loans and investments side?’

Hugh shot her a guarded look. ‘You’re better off with William, if you don’t mind me saying so.’

‘Oh, God, yes!’ Vivian shuddered, and smiled at him. ‘I didn’t take to Si very much. Is he still with the bank?’

‘Rumour has it,’ Hugh cheered up and leaned forward confidentially, ‘that he knows where some big bodies are buried. He must do, he gets away with bloody murder. Struts in when he feels like it, does a bloody awful job and has survived at least four sexual harassment charges, including one of gross indecency. He swaggers around slapping all the directors on the back, he’s a piece of work.’

‘You
said
he and the new maintenance guy could be twins,’ Edge nodded across at Vivian, smiling, and William, handing the wine list back to the waiter, wanted to know what they were talking about. Vivian was explaining when Seb tapped insistently on Edge’s hand.