Читать книгу The Dinner Party - R. J. Parker - Страница 12

Jakob indicated the mint green envelope that contained his secret. ‘Maybe you should have gone first, Evie.’

‘Perhaps.’ Evie held it up and studied the seal.

Ted watched Jakob examine his empty glass and then the unopened bottle that Rhys had selected at the opposite end of the table. Looked like the game was sobering everybody up. It had definitely caused a fractious atmosphere between each couple, including him and Juliette. He just wanted it over now. He suspected he’d be calling cabs soon.

‘Show us how it’s done then.’ Jakob interlinked his fingers on the table and sat forward.

Rhys slid the smoking ashtray and the lighter down the table to where they were sitting. Jakob took them, positioned the ashtray in front of Evie and handed her the lighter.

She took it and maintained eye contact with him. ‘I forgive you.’ She smiled earnestly and blinked, then set fire to the green envelope.

But Ted noticed the side of her mouth twitch as the paper was consumed.

‘Don’t get your fingers burned.’ Jakob nodded at the envelope.

But Evie held it for a while longer before letting what little remained float down into the ashtray.

‘That’s you off the hook, Jakob,’ Orla said flatly. ‘Put the girl out of her misery.’

‘Or just open it and find out how imperfect everyone is,’ Connor added.

‘Connor,’ Orla growled.

‘I forgot, Evie’s rules.’ Connor emphasized her name.

It struck Ted how painfully aware Orla and Connor were of Evie’s attempts to mend their relationship and just how offended they might be.

Jakob picked up Evie’s peach envelope from the table and turned it over in his hands.

Evie tightened her bottom lip at him, and Ted could see the nervousness in her green eyes. He suddenly felt sorry for her. She had brought the evening down, had made everyone feel uncomfortable, but her heart was in the right place. She wanted Orla and Connor to be happy again, for their sake and their children’s, but this was the ultimate example of her misguided attempts causing more harm than good.

Evie went to pass the lighter to Jakob, but he took a butter knife off the table instead.

‘Jakob.’ When Juliette spoke there was more than a warning in her tone. ‘Don’t.’

Ted knew Jakob would listen to Juliette. He always respected her opinion.

‘This is what happens when you play with fire, Evie. Let’s hope that’s the one take-home you get from this.’

Ted didn’t like the spite in Jakob’s comment.

Jakob put the blade of the knife to the flap of the sealed peach envelope and then grinned at Evie. ‘I forgive you,’ he said melodramatically. He put the knife down, took the lighter from her and set fire to the envelope.

Evie’s face didn’t shift, but Ted could see her shoulders slightly drop.

‘Shit.’ Jakob released the flaming envelope as it reached his fingers.

The paper seemed to burn more intensely than the others and then went out.

‘Looks like Evie’s secret is the hottest,’ Rhys quipped.

Orla didn’t even allow the awkward laughter to subside. ‘Us now then.’ She impatiently extended her hand and Jakob passed the ashtray and lighter. She held Connor’s lemon envelope rigidly between her thumb and forefinger and immediately flicked the flint. It sparked but didn’t work.

‘Looks like Connor’s is fireproof.’

Everyone ignored Rhys.

She hastily spun the flint with her thumb several more times before it lit. Connor’s envelope started to smoke.

‘You’ve got to say it,’ Kathryn reminded her.

She robotically cocked her face to Connor. ‘I forgive you.’

‘Me too.’ Connor leaned across and held Orla’s coral envelope in the same flame.

The guests watched their envelopes feed off each other’s heat. Connor discarded his and then Orla released hers.

‘There. Satisfied?’ But Orla didn’t look at Evie.

Connor broke the silence. ‘Well, it made a nice change from Orla getting me to swear faithfulness to her on my mother’s life. Cheese and port now?’

Ted gently shook his head. It had seriously misfired. The only people that hadn’t been fazed by Evie’s game were the couple she wanted to fix. It was everyone else who had been tested by it. But his orange envelope still lay in front of Juliette. ‘Let’s get ours out of the way then.’ He reached over and took the ashtray. Orla gave him the lighter. He slid both to Juliette.

She looked up at him with a tiny frown.

Had he seemed too eager? There was a long silence and then Rhys smiled smugly at him. ‘In a bit of a hurry, Ted?’ He twisted off the lid of the wine bottle.

Ted nodded at Juliette’s lavender envelope in front of him. ‘I’ll do yours first, if you like.’ He attempted to sound casual instead of defensive but failed. ‘Let’s just get this finished.’

‘OK.’ But Juliette sounded far from it.

Everyone’s eyes were on him. ‘And I don’t think we should drink anything more, Rhys,’ he deflected. ‘Evie’s game hasn’t exactly put everyone in the best frame of mind.’ Ted picked up Juliette’s lavender envelope and studiously examined it. ‘Mine or yours then?’

‘I’d better do yours,’ Juliette stated coolly and seized the lighter.

‘Dad!’ Georgie shouted from upstairs.

From the tone in his voice, it didn’t sound like an emergency. Ted waited and Juliette raised her eyebrows.

‘Dad!’

‘You’d better go.’ She hadn’t lit the envelope.

As he lingered he looked at everyone’s perplexed expressions.

‘Dad!’

‘Perfect timing.’ He tried to sound jovial. ‘Back now.’ Ted rose and made for the hallway door.

‘Wait,’ Juliette said.

He turned and her eyes fell on the lavender envelope in his hand. It contained her secret. Had she thought he might read it in private? He set it on the table and walked leisurely from the room, resisting the temptation to tell them not to do anything without him.

Only as he mounted the stairs did he hear the buzz of conversation begin again.