baby grand.In the midst of the group stood Juliet. She was talking to a weaselly character in a Harris tweed jacket that Nicole recognized as Gus’s father, Piers, a prominent local businessman. Standing next to them both was a good-looking young man with tawny hair, flecked with gold, and a deep tan. He was smiling and nodding, but his posture was awkward and his eyes bore the bewildered expression of a cartoon character who had just been flattened by a steamroller.
For a couple of seconds nobody seemed to have noticed the Swifts’ arrival; then suddenly Juliet was walking over to them, smiling with what looked to Nicole very much like relief. ‘Perfect timing,’ Juliet hissed in her friend’s ear as they exchanged kisses. ‘I’ve been stuck with Piers for ages. I don’t think he likes Dante.’
‘How can you tell?’ Nicole whispered back.
‘It’s glaringly obvious,’ Juliet said. Without elaborating further, she ushered the couple towards the others. ‘Everyone, I’d like you to meet my good friends, Nicole and Connor Swift.’
Brief introductions followed with the Ingrams and Juliet’s parents, before finally it was Dante’s turn. Connor took the American’s hand in a firm grip and pumped it in a good-humoured, matey fashion.
‘Connor’s a GP,’ Juliet told Dante. ‘His surgery only opened a few months ago, but it’s already got a waiting list as long as your arm. It’s not like your average NHS surgery either; the décor’s really sleek and minimalist … you must’ve spent a fortune on the refurb, Connor.’
The doctor shrugged good-naturedly. ‘Only the best for my patients. What line of business are you in, Dante?’
‘I worked in a bar back in Aspen. But, uh, I’m not doing anything right now.’
Behind his back Nicole saw Gus’s mother flinch.
‘It’s great to meet you at last,’ Dante told Nicole. ‘Juliet talks about you a lot. I guess you guys are pretty close.’
Nicole smiled at Juliet. ‘Yes, I like to think so.’
‘Have you known each other long?’
‘Five years or so; we met at a yoga class.’
‘We were the useless ones at the back who couldn’t even master the breathing techniques,’ said Juliet. As she spoke, the double doors opened again and Yasmin appeared, looking effortlessly stunning in a floaty bandeau dress and lots of ethnic jewellery. ‘Unlike that exotic creature over there who could wrap both legs round her neck on day one.’ She linked her arm through Dante’s. ‘Come on, let’s go and say hello.’
When Yasmin had done the round of introductions and the guests’ champagne flutes had been refilled, Juliet clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. ‘Now that we’re all here, I’d like to propose a toast,’ she said. She looked at Dante adoringly and raised her glass to him. ‘To my new husband.’
‘Dante,’ the guests chorused, some more enthusiastically than others.
Nicole smiled as Dante unselfconsciously took Juliet in his arms and buried his face in her hair. ‘Don’t they make a lovely couple?’ she remarked to Juliet’s mother, Catherine, standing next to her.
‘Lovely,’ Catherine echoed. She fingered the rope of pearls at her neck and added in a low voice, ‘He’s verydifferent to Gus, though. I do hope Juliet knows what she’s doing.’
Before Nicole could reply, Nathan arrived to announce that dinner was about to be served.
The dining room looked beautiful. The walls were painted a soft sage green and decorated at regular intervals with brass sconces in the shape of shells. On the sixteen-foot walnut dining table, silver cruets and bulbous carafes of iced water jostled for position with Waterford candelabra and stiff white napkins folded in the shape of swans. In the midst of it all, flanked by sparkling clusters of glassware, was a towering centrepiece of frosted fruit, skilfully arranged on a glittering salver.
‘I thought it might be fun to mix all the couples up,’ said Juliet,
For a couple of seconds nobody seemed to have noticed the Swifts’ arrival; then suddenly Juliet was walking over to them, smiling with what looked to Nicole very much like relief. ‘Perfect timing,’ Juliet hissed in her friend’s ear as they exchanged kisses. ‘I’ve been stuck with Piers for ages. I don’t think he likes Dante.’
‘How can you tell?’ Nicole whispered back.
‘It’s glaringly obvious,’ Juliet said. Without elaborating further, she ushered the couple towards the others. ‘Everyone, I’d like you to meet my good friends, Nicole and Connor Swift.’
Brief introductions followed with the Ingrams and Juliet’s parents, before finally it was Dante’s turn. Connor took the American’s hand in a firm grip and pumped it in a good-humoured, matey fashion.
‘Connor’s a GP,’ Juliet told Dante. ‘His surgery only opened a few months ago, but it’s already got a waiting list as long as your arm. It’s not like your average NHS surgery either; the décor’s really sleek and minimalist … you must’ve spent a fortune on the refurb, Connor.’
The doctor shrugged good-naturedly. ‘Only the best for my patients. What line of business are you in, Dante?’
‘I worked in a bar back in Aspen. But, uh, I’m not doing anything right now.’
Behind his back Nicole saw Gus’s mother flinch.
‘It’s great to meet you at last,’ Dante told Nicole. ‘Juliet talks about you a lot. I guess you guys are pretty close.’
Nicole smiled at Juliet. ‘Yes, I like to think so.’
‘Have you known each other long?’
‘Five years or so; we met at a yoga class.’
‘We were the useless ones at the back who couldn’t even master the breathing techniques,’ said Juliet. As she spoke, the double doors opened again and Yasmin appeared, looking effortlessly stunning in a floaty bandeau dress and lots of ethnic jewellery. ‘Unlike that exotic creature over there who could wrap both legs round her neck on day one.’ She linked her arm through Dante’s. ‘Come on, let’s go and say hello.’
When Yasmin had done the round of introductions and the guests’ champagne flutes had been refilled, Juliet clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. ‘Now that we’re all here, I’d like to propose a toast,’ she said. She looked at Dante adoringly and raised her glass to him. ‘To my new husband.’
‘Dante,’ the guests chorused, some more enthusiastically than others.
Nicole smiled as Dante unselfconsciously took Juliet in his arms and buried his face in her hair. ‘Don’t they make a lovely couple?’ she remarked to Juliet’s mother, Catherine, standing next to her.
‘Lovely,’ Catherine echoed. She fingered the rope of pearls at her neck and added in a low voice, ‘He’s verydifferent to Gus, though. I do hope Juliet knows what she’s doing.’
Before Nicole could reply, Nathan arrived to announce that dinner was about to be served.
The dining room looked beautiful. The walls were painted a soft sage green and decorated at regular intervals with brass sconces in the shape of shells. On the sixteen-foot walnut dining table, silver cruets and bulbous carafes of iced water jostled for position with Waterford candelabra and stiff white napkins folded in the shape of swans. In the midst of it all, flanked by sparkling clusters of glassware, was a towering centrepiece of frosted fruit, skilfully arranged on a glittering salver.
‘I thought it might be fun to mix all the couples up,’ said Juliet,
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