Caught in the Act by Gemma Fox

scarlet Indian cotton throw, which she arranged over the miserable grey army blanket. It was like lighting a fire in the huge grey room.
    Diana, meanwhile, was extricating a printed list from her bag, together with Carol’s sheet, and said, ‘I’ve got it all written down on here, somewhere,’ and began to scan the neatly typed pages. ‘Us, obviously—and the drama teachers, Mr Bearman and Miss Haze.’
    â€˜God, they’re coming too, are they? How the hell did you pull that off?’ said Adie.
    Diana looked bemused. ‘I asked them,’ she said as if it was perfectly obvious.
    â€˜That’s great. I wonder how old they are. As kids you just don’t think. I mean, Miss Haze could only have been, what—four, five years older than us? I often wondered if those twohad a thing going. You know,’ said Adrian conspiratorially, ‘all that late night rehearsing, away for weeks on end together every summer. The way they looked at each other sometimes. You must have noticed.’
    â€˜Of course we did, everyone noticed, and we all thought the same thing,’ snapped Jan.
    â€˜You never said anything.’
    â€˜That was because everyone already knew,’ Jan bitched right back. ‘It was obvious.’
    â€˜Ouch,’ whined Adie. ‘Don’t bite.’
    â€˜Play nicely, you two,’ hissed Netty.
    Carol found herself looking backwards and forwards between them, spectator to their verbal tennis match. She had completely forgotten the little needly thing between Jan and Adrian.
    â€˜I don’t take any notice, she’s always like this,’ said Adie.
    â€˜I’m not.’
    â€˜Are too. Last Christmas you bit me.’
    â€˜You were the one feeding people grapes.’
    â€˜No one else bit me.’
    â€˜Is there any chance we can carry on fighting over a sandwich and pint?’ asked Netty, stubbing out her cigarette on the windowsill. ‘Only I’m dying upwards from hunger over here.’
    â€˜Great idea,’ said Adrian. ‘Everyone coming? We can always unpack later.’ He looked pointedly at Jan who was busy arranging two small, embroidered cushions. ‘It’s a shame that I’m not bunked down in here with you lot, re ally.’
    â€˜Not a chance,’ said Diana wearily, although Carol wasn’t sure whether she meant Adrian sharing a room with them or heading off down to the pub. ‘I’ve got to stay here and meet people as they arrive—but you lot go. It’s not far. You go out of the back doors of the hall, follow the path down through the vegetable garden,’ by this point Diana was pointing and directing with her hands, ‘out through the gates and there you are. Pub, post office and a Spar shop with an offie.’ She paused, looking pleased with herself. ‘Everything a girl could want.’
    â€˜You live in the country, don’t you?’ Netty said, eyeing Diana thoughtfully as she attended to her lipstick in a tiny silver mirror. ‘What about you, Jan, are you coming or are you planning on a complete makeover to the whole place before everyone else gets here?’
    Jan, busy fluffing the cushions with care, wasn’t at all put out. ‘I just like to be comfortable, that’s all. I’m curious about who is goingto show up. What time does this shindig officially kick off?’
    â€˜Five o’clock,’ said Diana, glancing at her watch. ‘Informal high tea in the dining room and then dinner at eight. I thought I might say a few words. Adie, is there any chance you’d be master of ceremonies? I’ve got a programme of events and rehearsals printed up for everyone but if you could maybe read it through, say something clever, be funny, whatever.’
    He groaned theatrically but didn’t actually say no as Diana handed him one of her photocopied sheets.
    â€˜And I just want to say I’m re ally glad you all got