love a dip, but can I really brave Annabel’s neon horror suit? I think longingly of my faithful black M&S swimsuit, which is now having a holiday of its own somewhere . . . But then I reproach myself. This isn’t a holiday. If this clauseis missing, I’ll have a lot more to worry about than unflattering beach wear.
‘OK, I’m back,’says Poppy. ‘Look, it’s not there.’
‘What’s not there – the contract?’
‘No. The clause. I’ve read it through twice. I’m sorry.’
I close my eyes and sit down heavily on the bed. I knew it. I remember now. Olivia emailed me at the last minute, asking me to do a whole load of things and at the very end was the clause. And I forgot .
‘Alice? Are you still there?’
‘Just about.’
‘Look, it’s notnecessarily the end of the world. He could end up telling you about these things in the clause anyway.’
‘But he doesn’t have to. It means we can’t hold it over him as a threat. And if the book goes wrong we have no legal redress, and it will be my fault and I’ll be fired.’ I feel so sick, I can barely talk.
‘You won’t be fired. People make mistakes. It’s not ideal but it happens. I think youshould just tell Olivia, or Alasdair, so then at least they know, and they’re prepared if there’s a hitch.’
I knew she was going to say this. Poppy is so straightforward. I don’t know if she’s confident because she’s straightforward, or straightforward because she’s confident, but she’s both, and the truth is I’m neither.
‘I can’t.’ I add miserably, ‘Olivia already thinks I’m not up to it.’
‘What?’
I hadn’t planned on telling her about my deathbed conversation with Olivia, but it all comes out.
‘Well, that’s Olivia for you,’ Poppy says bluntly. ‘She’s not exactly supportive. Look, you won’t get Luther’s story out of him with legal threats anyway. You’ll just have to get him onside another way.’
‘I suppose,’ I say unhappily. ‘Listen, I’d better go. We’re about to go on the yachtand I think everyone’s waiting for me.’
‘There you go! You’re already bonding with him. Just be your charming self and get to know him properly, and you’ll have him eating out of your hand.’
My despair gets even worse once I climb into Annabel’s horror suit. It looks every bit as horrific as I’d imagined; the green colour makes me look like a plague victim and I’m falling out of it, too: thestraps give me a hideous side cleavage. Maybe I should just wear the linen dress instead? Unable to decide, I get back into my own clothes, and go back to the terrace to try and calm myself down by admiring the view.
‘Did Annabel lend you something to wear?’ a voice behind me asks.
It’s Sam. Looming behind him is a huge, snow-capped mountain, seemingly right behind the house, though I know it’smiles away. This must be Mount Etna: I can’t believe I haven’t noticed it before. It looks sort of ominous, actually.
‘Oh – yes. I mean – she did, but I think I’ll still try and get my bag back.’
‘Don’t bother. It’s probably halfway to Beijing by now. You should just borrow more stuff from her; she arrived with about eight suitcases.’
I can tell he doesn’t like her either, but I don’t care.Why this sudden interest in my clothes? I’m not a child. I can look after my own wardrobe, for God’s sake.
‘It’s fine. I don’t need a huge wardrobe to edit Luther’s book,’ I say shortly.
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘But if you get tired of wearing your pyjamas all day, let me know.’ And he walks off.
I no longer think he’s being helpful about my clothes:he is horrible . Do my trousers really look likepyjamas? I thought they were fairly smart, but then I didn’t envisage them having to last for the entire trip. I suddenly wish I was here with Simon, on a romantic holiday instead of on a stressful work trip. But before I go into another slump over Simon, I remind myself: I’m about to
‘OK, I’m back,’says Poppy. ‘Look, it’s not there.’
‘What’s not there – the contract?’
‘No. The clause. I’ve read it through twice. I’m sorry.’
I close my eyes and sit down heavily on the bed. I knew it. I remember now. Olivia emailed me at the last minute, asking me to do a whole load of things and at the very end was the clause. And I forgot .
‘Alice? Are you still there?’
‘Just about.’
‘Look, it’s notnecessarily the end of the world. He could end up telling you about these things in the clause anyway.’
‘But he doesn’t have to. It means we can’t hold it over him as a threat. And if the book goes wrong we have no legal redress, and it will be my fault and I’ll be fired.’ I feel so sick, I can barely talk.
‘You won’t be fired. People make mistakes. It’s not ideal but it happens. I think youshould just tell Olivia, or Alasdair, so then at least they know, and they’re prepared if there’s a hitch.’
I knew she was going to say this. Poppy is so straightforward. I don’t know if she’s confident because she’s straightforward, or straightforward because she’s confident, but she’s both, and the truth is I’m neither.
‘I can’t.’ I add miserably, ‘Olivia already thinks I’m not up to it.’
‘What?’
I hadn’t planned on telling her about my deathbed conversation with Olivia, but it all comes out.
‘Well, that’s Olivia for you,’ Poppy says bluntly. ‘She’s not exactly supportive. Look, you won’t get Luther’s story out of him with legal threats anyway. You’ll just have to get him onside another way.’
‘I suppose,’ I say unhappily. ‘Listen, I’d better go. We’re about to go on the yachtand I think everyone’s waiting for me.’
‘There you go! You’re already bonding with him. Just be your charming self and get to know him properly, and you’ll have him eating out of your hand.’
My despair gets even worse once I climb into Annabel’s horror suit. It looks every bit as horrific as I’d imagined; the green colour makes me look like a plague victim and I’m falling out of it, too: thestraps give me a hideous side cleavage. Maybe I should just wear the linen dress instead? Unable to decide, I get back into my own clothes, and go back to the terrace to try and calm myself down by admiring the view.
‘Did Annabel lend you something to wear?’ a voice behind me asks.
It’s Sam. Looming behind him is a huge, snow-capped mountain, seemingly right behind the house, though I know it’smiles away. This must be Mount Etna: I can’t believe I haven’t noticed it before. It looks sort of ominous, actually.
‘Oh – yes. I mean – she did, but I think I’ll still try and get my bag back.’
‘Don’t bother. It’s probably halfway to Beijing by now. You should just borrow more stuff from her; she arrived with about eight suitcases.’
I can tell he doesn’t like her either, but I don’t care.Why this sudden interest in my clothes? I’m not a child. I can look after my own wardrobe, for God’s sake.
‘It’s fine. I don’t need a huge wardrobe to edit Luther’s book,’ I say shortly.
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘But if you get tired of wearing your pyjamas all day, let me know.’ And he walks off.
I no longer think he’s being helpful about my clothes:he is horrible . Do my trousers really look likepyjamas? I thought they were fairly smart, but then I didn’t envisage them having to last for the entire trip. I suddenly wish I was here with Simon, on a romantic holiday instead of on a stressful work trip. But before I go into another slump over Simon, I remind myself: I’m about to
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