Nine Perfect Strangers

He held up his hand. ‘I’ve got it under control.’

‘It’s really very bad that you thought that!’

‘I know it is. That’s why I’m here.’

‘So you probably need –’

He put his finger to his lips. ‘Shhh.’

‘Therapy!’ she got in quickly.

‘Shhh.’

‘And –’

‘Zip it.’

Frances zipped it. She held the wet towel to her face to hide her smile. At least he wasn’t thinking about his claustrophobia now.

‘Tell me about this bastard who scammed you,’ said Tony. ‘And then tell me where he lives.’

chapter fifty-four

Yao

‘What’s wrong with this one now? Is she sick? Why is she dabbing at her face like that?’

Masha’s accent, usually just a flavour, sounded more pronounced than usual to Yao. Yao’s parents were the same. They sounded extra Chinese when they were stressed about their internet service or health.

He should call his parents. ‘You are wasting your life with this woman!’ his mother had said the last time they talked.

‘Yao?’ said Masha. She had sat down in the chair vacated by Delilah and was looking up at him, her big green eyes so worried and vulnerable. She was rarely vulnerable. It was exquisite torture to see her so.

‘Frances is menopausal,’ said Yao.

Masha shuddered. ‘Is she?’

Yao knew Masha was a similar age to Frances, also in her fifties, but she was presumably not experiencing any symptoms of menopause. Masha was a puzzle Yao could never quite solve. She enjoyed discussing the most intimate intricacies of the digestive system, she had no shame when it came to nudity (why would she?) and often walked about naked when there were no guests on the property, but the word ‘menopause’ caused her to shudder, as if something so distasteful could never happen to her.

Yao looked at the back of Masha’s neck and saw a small inflamed lump: a mosquito bite. It was strange to see any form of blemish on her beautiful body.

She reached back with her hand and scratched it.

‘You’re making it bleed,’ he said. He put his hand over hers.

She waved him away irritably.

‘Delilah is taking a long time,’ he said.

‘Delilah is gone,’ said Masha, her eyes on the screen.

‘Yes, she went to get you tea,’ said Yao.

‘No, she is gone,’ said Masha. ‘She’s not coming back.’

‘What are you talking about?’

Masha sighed. She looked up at him. ‘Have you not worked it out yet? Delilah looks after Delilah.’ She turned back to the screen. ‘You can go too, if you like. I will take responsibility for it all. The new protocol was my idea, my decision.’