I looked at her beautiful face, with its large, shining eyes upturned to me, and that delicious mouth slightly parted.
‘I think we both know it’s for the best.’
‘Why is it?’
‘We’ve been through this before, but it would also be very unprofessional of me to become partial.’
‘Is that the only reason?’
I sighed heavily.
‘But you want to…’ She let her voice trail.
I felt suddenly angry. ‘For fuck’s sake, Olivia, what the hell do you want from me? I’m holding on by my fingernails here.’
She smiled, a shy, pleased quirk to her mouth. ‘I’m glad to hear that.’
‘Goodnight, Olivia.’
‘Dr. Kane?’
‘Yeah?’
‘I thought you were impeccably uncivil at the dinner table.’
I jammed my fists into my trouser pockets. ‘Ah, the Beryl episode.’
‘Of course, you realize you’ll never be invited back again,’ she said with a smile.
‘Oh bugger.’
She giggled. ‘It sounds funny when you say it.’
‘Sleep well, Olivia.’
‘Goodnight, Dr. Kane.’
I turned around and left her among her plants. A mysterious nymph who would haunt my dreams that night.
16
Olivia
My sister telephoned. ‘Shall we go for some cold fish?’ she asked.
I laughed, happy those words sounded familiar. They had come from behind the veil. I did not know in what context, when or where she had said them to me before, but I knew she had. That was how she described Japanese food. ‘Why? Are you on a diet?’ I asked.
‘A bit,’ she admitted.
We agreed to meet for lunch at Nobo in Mayfair.
I arrived early so I ordered a glass of pale cream sherry and waited for her upstairs. She breezed in looking very Sloaney in a vintage Hardy Amis pantsuit and camel hair coat. I smiled and gave a little wave as she approached.
‘Traffic was a nightmare,’ she complained as she plonked down her Gucci tote, took off her coat and dropped it carelessly on the seat next to me. Elegantly she eased herself into our banquette and turned to me with a flick of her head. ‘You look well. Are you off somewhere nice?’
‘No, I’m going home after this.’
She lifted a languid finger at a passing waiter and he made for her, smiling. He obviously knew her.