woman spoke again. âIâm a cousin of your fatherâs,â she said to Gerald. âA distant cousin. I abhor parties.
âWhatâs wrong with parties?â Ruby said.
The woman picked a speck from the tip of her tongue and regarded it with interest. âThey are a pointless exercise,â she said. âNothing of use can be learned at parties. All that chattering and all those lies. People like you should be seeking lifeâs truths, not wrapping themselves in pretence and falsehoods.â
Gerald raised an eyebrow. This woman was related to him? âWhatâs your name?â he asked.
âClea,â the woman said. âDonât use it unless thereâs an emergency.â
She stubbed out the cigarette and fitted another into the holder. Clearing her throat with a moist hack, she lit up again.
âWhatâs the matter with you pair?â she said to Octavia and Zebedee, who couldnât take their eyes off her. âNot having fun yet?â
The next two hours dragged by in a smoke haze of brain-deflating boredom. Wendell and Caroline barely spoke, apart from occasional whispers between them-selves; though, they did brighten when Clea ordered everyone to play anagrams.
âHereâs a good one,â Caroline said. âSemolina is an anagram for is no meal .â
Wendell was the only one who laughed.
Octavia was staring at Ruby with snake eyes. âThe magazines say you two are in love. So, has there been any kissy kissy?â
Zebedee started making smooching noises on the back of his hand. Octavia cackled with delight.
Gerald looked at Ruby, expecting her to erupt. To his surprise, she sat with a serene smile on her face.
âI donât read those sorts of magazines,â she said. âGerald and I are just good friends. Arenât we, Gerald?â She placed her hand on the back of Geraldâs and squeezed.
âUh, thatâs right,â Gerald said. âYou canât believe what you read in those things.â
Ruby dropped Geraldâs hand and latched onto Octaviaâs. âThey tell the most wicked lies,â she said, fixing Octavia with an intense stare. âItâs sickening. I mean, you donât believe that story about us planning to kill Mason Green if he walked free from court, do you?â
âEr,â Octavia said, looking nervously at Rubyâs hand as it tightened on her own.
âI didnât read anything likeââ Gerald began, but stopped when Ruby switched her glare to him. Then he realised. It was a wind-up. âUh, thatâs right,â Gerald said, trying not to smile. âIt was a big conspiracy. Iâd already hired a hit man from Bulgaria to do the job. Big money. Very hush hush. You wonât tell anyone, will you?â
Octavia looked first at Gerald, then at Ruby. âYou two are nuts,â she said, snatching her hand back.
From her smoke-cloaked chair, Clea hacked, âPlay!â
Zebedee stared at the card in his hand, a look of total confusion on his face. âI donât get it,â he said. âWhat are you supposed to do?â
Octavia clicked her tongue and took the card from her brother. âItâs anagrams. You rearrange the letters in this word to come up with the answer to the clue. Even you can do that.â
Ruby piped up. âSure, itâs very straightforward. For example, the anagram for Octavia Archer is Iâve a crater face .â
Sam snorted, stifling a giggle.
Octavia thought for a second. âNo it isnât,â she said. âThereâs no f in my name.â
âReally?â Ruby said. âWhen Gerald saw you earlier Iâm sure he said: thereâs f in Octavia.â
Geraldâs chair bounced across the rug as he hauled Ruby by the arm over to the far side of the room. Octavia was on her feet, fists pounding the tabletop, screaming abuse at them. Her face was purple. Clea, for her part, sat
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