Back in the house, Michael sits by the kitchen table, Charlotte dabbing at a cut on his face with a cloth. Noticeably, she’s not making a lot of effort to be careful about it and he winces as she nurses him with ungentle hands. One eye is swollen and rapidly closing. The other will be a wonderful colour by tomorrow.

Chad is no better, gushing blood from both nostrils. Sebastian has him leaning over the sink and is pressing a bag of crushed ice to the bridge of his nose. “You stupid bastard. What the fuck do you think you were doing?”

“We were only…” Chad’s voice is muffled against the bag hanging by his face and has a nasal twang.

“I know what you were ‘only’… I could smell the fucking testosterone.” Sebastian sounds furious, but as he speaks, his eyes lift to Charlotte’s and they exchange smirks.

“Was there a point to this?” she says to Michael. “Something to be achieved?” Her tone is acid. “You have a face like strawberry jam gone bad.”

Richard, Beth and I each perch on stools by the breakfast bar, taking in the circus. “Drink?” I murmur.

“A glass of red would be good,” says Richard.

“I’ll have one too,” says Beth.

I pour the wine, adding a couple more glasses and placing one each by Charlotte and Sebastian. Then I slice up a Brie and pass it around with a few crackers.

*****

Wounds tended, Chad and Michael take seats on opposite sides of the kitchen table. I sip wine and help myself to a morsel of cheese. Charlotte, Sebastian and Beth have formed some kind of gossip group and appear to be exchanging notes…

I don’t want to know…

Richard presses a cracker to the plate, mopping up crumbs. “Do you have any more of that excellent Brie, James?”

“No, that’s the last of it, but there’s a Camembert? Or I have a Stilton in the larder I was thinking of opening up.”

you think that Tempranillo would be

fetch a

“Do you

looks around at the audience. “You got it out of

clasps hands on the table. “Yeah….” Then he looks around too. A smile cracks over his face and he winces as his upper lip begins to bleed again.

Charlotte and Sebastian, his

“Maybe they will.”

to

“Sounds good.”

*****

this again?” I suggest. “I think it’s established that Chad can well teach self-defence at any level that will be needed here. So why don’t we say that’s all settled

like that,” says Chad.

“Sounds good.”

us on Sunday? I think Charlotte

beams. “Wouldn’t miss

*****

family?” mutters Michael, when all are out

matters. I think Chad qualifies as family for Charlotte,

to

“Would I?”

done

maintain the silence of the wise

*****

Charlotte

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