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flourish. It was Emmanuella, more tanned than I remembered her, in a grey wool dress and black calf-length boots with a large iron brooch pinned to her shoulder. She embraced Mark, pulling him to her. Her scent wafted across the room, full of heat and light. I stared at her, and hated myself for staring, and hated myself for finding Jess fleetingly a little colourless by comparison.
    Mark made a play of looking around and behind her. ‘Manny …’ he said.
    Emmanuella frowned.
    ‘Do not please call me Manny.’
    ‘Where’s Grunter?’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Grunter.’
    ‘Who?’ She placed emphasis on the syllable.
    ‘Fine, then. Where’s Gunther Snoreson?’
    ‘We have decided to part. I have come from telling him. I did not think it was –’
    My stomach gave a little leap at this, a little involuntary shudder.
    ‘Yes, yes,’ said Mark, interrupting her. ‘That’s all I wanted to know. I’m just glad I’ve finally convinced you to see sense. Can’t put up with another moment of his droning voice … Now,’ he said, leading Emmanuella to the table, ‘I’ve got a proposition for you all.’
    ‘I’ve told you a million times,’ said Franny. ‘No orgies unless I’m really, really drunk.’
    Mark grinned and tipped his head to one side. ‘That can be arranged, darling, but not tonight. Listen.’ He dropped his voice lower. ‘This house is mine now. Properly mine. The trustees have agreed to it. And I can do what I like here. So. Would you come and live with me? Here?’ There was a pause, a silence. ‘For free, I mean,’ he said. ‘I don’t need to charge you rent.’ And for a moment he seemed excruciatingly vulnerable, as he always did when talking about money – as if, paradoxically, it were a conversation about something he didn’t have, could never have, had never even seen. Always afraid he would refer to it incorrectly and reveal his ignorance.
    ‘Wow,’ said Simon.
    ‘Goodness,’ said Jess.
    ‘I’m in,’ said Franny.
    This was a complicated offer, more complicated even than we could have known then. Only Emmanuella seemed entirely unperturbed by it, and she was rich; rich enough to know that this was a kindness she could afford to repay if necessary, that she would not be acquiring an ongoing debt.
    Nonetheless, and despite all misgivings, we got drunk that afternoon as if it were all settled. The red wine dwindled and Mark replaced it with brandy. As the darkness descended, he lit lamps around the room and produced from the Aga a roast haunch of venison, studded with garlic and rosemary.
    ‘Will it be like this every night, darling?’ said Franny. She was affectionately drunk, her arms draped around Simon’s shoulders.
    ‘Oh, every every night,’ said Mark. ‘Come live with me and be my loves and we shall all the pleasures keep.’
    ‘S’not “loves”, it’s love ,’ said Jess. Her arms were folded on the table, her head laid on them. Until she spoke, I’d assumed she was asleep. ‘Can’t have more than one love, thass not how it works.’
    ‘You’ve clearly been going to entirely the wrong parties, my darling,’ he said.
    ‘Mmmmm …’ she said. ‘I don’ think …’ She lapsed into silence.
    Mark walked around the table to Jess and rubbed her back gently between the shoulder blades.
    ‘C’mon, darling, time for bed. James, why don’t you take her upstairs?’
    I stroked the side of Jess’s face, where the freckles met the hairline, by her ear.
    ‘Jess,’ I said, ‘Jess, it’s time for bed now.’
    She turned a smiling face to me and kissed me squarely on the lips. There was no reaction from the others. I felt a strange sensation, a combination of delight and concern. Mark had made up a bed for us both, apparently anticipating that we would only want one. We did only want one, but this was a new development, so new that I was a little surprised Jess had told Mark. Were we together now, decidedly together? What did that mean?
    I supported her up the stairs