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Authors: Veronica Henry
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dampened a flannel and rubbed it under her arms and onto the back of her neck to wipe off the worst of the perspiration. She dragged a comb through her hair, still salty from this morning’s dip in the sea, and tried to pat it into some sort of style.
It was a most peculiar and particular kind of panic.
Elodie ran into her mother’s bedroom and sat at the kidney-shaped dressing table. Her fingers fumbled amidst the make-up in the right-hand drawer. She pulled out lipstick and powder and a wand of mascara. Moments later, an alien with frosted-pink lips stared back at her. There was no time to take it off and start again. She snatched up a bottle of Ma Griffe and dabbed it on her wrists, rubbing them together.
‘Elodie? Darling?’ Her mother was behind her, her perfect eyebrows raised in question.
Elodie didn’t flinch at being caught. Lillie wouldn’t mind her ransacking her things.
‘I’ve just met Jolyon Jukes,’ Elodie told her. Lillie looked blank. ‘The Jukes’ son? They’re coming to stay this weekend.’
‘Oh.’ Lillie widened her eyes with interest. ‘And is he something else?’
‘He’s … something. Certainly.’ Elodie looked at her mother behind her in the mirror. She shrugged but her eyes were sparkling.
Lillie gave a laugh of delight. ‘You see!’ she said.
‘But look at me. I look ridiculous.’
Lillie came forward. ‘Not pink, my darling. Never pink with your complexion.’ She fished in the drawer for a different colour. ‘Rouge.’
She demonstrated that Elodie should purse her lips. Her daughter did, and moments later the pink was removed and a carmine slash replaced it.
‘Hold still and shut your eyes.’ Lillie traced a sweep of black eyeliner over each of Elodie’s eyelids. She picked up a comb and teased a few curls, backcombing them into place.
Elodie gazed at her reflection, intrigued. She was still in there, somewhere, but she wasn’t quite sure how to make this new incarnation behave. She stood up.
‘What should I wear?’
Lillie flicked her eyes over her daughter. ‘White linen. Cool. Crisp. Chic.’
Virginal, thought Elodie, and her stomach tumbled.
Lillie reached out and picked up a pearl necklace hooked over the side of her dressing table mirror. She slipped them over her daughter’s head. Elodie felt their coolness settle on her collarbone.
‘White linen,’ she repeated obediently. Her mother kissed her forehead. Outside, they heard the deep rumble of a motorbike coming up the drive. They looked at each other for a moment.
‘That’s him.’ Elodie felt her heart thump.
‘I’ll let him in,’ said Lillie. ‘Go.’
Five minutes later, Elodie examined herself in the bedroom mirror she usually never gave a second glance. Her dress was round-necked and short-sleeved and because she had grown taller since they had bought it, on a trip to London two years ago, it was only just to the knee, but it had a simple elegance. She fluffed up her hair and curled the ends up with her fingertips. She looked at herself in profile, put her hand to her chest and breathed in to calm herself.
She wasn’t scared, she realized with surprise. She had waited long enough for someone to make her feel like this, so she wasn’t going to waste time being afraid. Anyway, what was there to be scared of? At worst she would look a fool, and that didn’t bother Elodie much. She covered her face with her hands as she gave herself a last glance in the mirror. Her eyes twinkled at her, and she laughed, both at herself and with the exhilaration.
She dropped her hands to her waist, made her expression sober and locked gazes with herself. ‘Good evening,’ she said, in a cool, languid tone, then burst into peals of laughter, throwing back her head as she left the room.
Jeanie and Roger Jukes were not what Lillie had expected from Desmond’s description. They roared up to the front of the house in a dark-green frog-eyed Sprite with the roof down. Roger was lean and louche,
It was a most peculiar and particular kind of panic.
Elodie ran into her mother’s bedroom and sat at the kidney-shaped dressing table. Her fingers fumbled amidst the make-up in the right-hand drawer. She pulled out lipstick and powder and a wand of mascara. Moments later, an alien with frosted-pink lips stared back at her. There was no time to take it off and start again. She snatched up a bottle of Ma Griffe and dabbed it on her wrists, rubbing them together.
‘Elodie? Darling?’ Her mother was behind her, her perfect eyebrows raised in question.
Elodie didn’t flinch at being caught. Lillie wouldn’t mind her ransacking her things.
‘I’ve just met Jolyon Jukes,’ Elodie told her. Lillie looked blank. ‘The Jukes’ son? They’re coming to stay this weekend.’
‘Oh.’ Lillie widened her eyes with interest. ‘And is he something else?’
‘He’s … something. Certainly.’ Elodie looked at her mother behind her in the mirror. She shrugged but her eyes were sparkling.
Lillie gave a laugh of delight. ‘You see!’ she said.
‘But look at me. I look ridiculous.’
Lillie came forward. ‘Not pink, my darling. Never pink with your complexion.’ She fished in the drawer for a different colour. ‘Rouge.’
She demonstrated that Elodie should purse her lips. Her daughter did, and moments later the pink was removed and a carmine slash replaced it.
‘Hold still and shut your eyes.’ Lillie traced a sweep of black eyeliner over each of Elodie’s eyelids. She picked up a comb and teased a few curls, backcombing them into place.
Elodie gazed at her reflection, intrigued. She was still in there, somewhere, but she wasn’t quite sure how to make this new incarnation behave. She stood up.
‘What should I wear?’
Lillie flicked her eyes over her daughter. ‘White linen. Cool. Crisp. Chic.’
Virginal, thought Elodie, and her stomach tumbled.
Lillie reached out and picked up a pearl necklace hooked over the side of her dressing table mirror. She slipped them over her daughter’s head. Elodie felt their coolness settle on her collarbone.
‘White linen,’ she repeated obediently. Her mother kissed her forehead. Outside, they heard the deep rumble of a motorbike coming up the drive. They looked at each other for a moment.
‘That’s him.’ Elodie felt her heart thump.
‘I’ll let him in,’ said Lillie. ‘Go.’
Five minutes later, Elodie examined herself in the bedroom mirror she usually never gave a second glance. Her dress was round-necked and short-sleeved and because she had grown taller since they had bought it, on a trip to London two years ago, it was only just to the knee, but it had a simple elegance. She fluffed up her hair and curled the ends up with her fingertips. She looked at herself in profile, put her hand to her chest and breathed in to calm herself.
She wasn’t scared, she realized with surprise. She had waited long enough for someone to make her feel like this, so she wasn’t going to waste time being afraid. Anyway, what was there to be scared of? At worst she would look a fool, and that didn’t bother Elodie much. She covered her face with her hands as she gave herself a last glance in the mirror. Her eyes twinkled at her, and she laughed, both at herself and with the exhilaration.
She dropped her hands to her waist, made her expression sober and locked gazes with herself. ‘Good evening,’ she said, in a cool, languid tone, then burst into peals of laughter, throwing back her head as she left the room.
Jeanie and Roger Jukes were not what Lillie had expected from Desmond’s description. They roared up to the front of the house in a dark-green frog-eyed Sprite with the roof down. Roger was lean and louche,
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