The Sister-In-Law(14)

I didn’t know what to do; I tried to rationalise what I’d just seen. Had Ella really taken the earrings and put them in her pocket? I couldn’t take in what I thought I’d just seen as I continued to peer through the crack in the door. I watched her look around again, like she was checking no one had seen. I stepped back from the door slightly, causing a floorboard to creak, and through the mirror I could see her swing round and glare at the door. I kept flat against it, really still, not breathing, but sure she could hear my heart beating. Through the mirror I saw her continue to stare at the door, and then, apparently satisfied no one was there, she folded up the jewellery roll and put it back exactly where she’d found it. When she turned to leave, I quickly ran back to my room, trying not to make a noise, cursing the creaking floorboard and the sound of my flip-flops on the landing. Once safely inside, I locked the door so I could think. I had to say something, didn’t I? Ella may be Jamie’s wife, but they’d talked vaguely in terms of ‘weeks’ when describing their romance earlier. How well did he know this woman?





CHAPTER SIX





I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d seen and kept trying to work it out. Eventually, I had to go downstairs and join everyone, but seeing Ella made me feel rather strange. I felt like I was watching the others through glass. I didn’t feel like one of them, I was like an observer trying to analyse everything Ella said, the way she behaved.

‘And the flowers… did you have a bouquet Ella?’ Joy was asking questions about their wedding, clearly still stung by the exclusion.

‘This explains why you suddenly want to join the family firm,’ Bob said, lifting his glass in a ‘cheers’ gesture. ‘You’ve finally settled down, our Jamie.’

‘Yes. I expect you’ll want to buy a house…’ Joy added brightly. Jamie may have a wife, but the silver lining for Joy would be the prodigal’s return, no more travelling.

‘You’ll probably want a few of these too?’ Dan pointed in the direction of Freddie and Alfie, now rolling along the rug and shouting at each other.

Jamie laughed and, I noticed, squeezed Ella’s knee. It was subtle, but I wondered if she was already pregnant.

I sat on the arm of Dan’s chair, feeling like a spectator watching a love story unfold. Ella permanently had her hand on Jamie’s arm and he had his on her knee. And if one shifted in their seat or moved an inch away from the other, they’d move closer again. It was like a game of twister, where at least one of their respective body parts had to touch the other. Their eyes were always meeting, dancing, their own private conversation happening underneath the public one. I remembered feeling like this once upon a time.

I glanced at Dan, but he didn’t see me. He was looking at Jamie and Ella, nodding at their words, smiling at their stories. But Dan and I weren’t touching at all.

‘This place is, like, so cute,’ Ella said, an upward inflection on the word cute, like it was a question. ‘Joy, is it nineteenth century?’

‘I… Do you know, I’m not sure.’ I could tell Joy was mortified that she didn’t know, she liked to be an authority on everything. ‘It’s original, but some of the building has been extended,’ she offered, desperately trying to be informative. Her face suddenly lit up as she remembered something, had a fact to impart: ‘Oh, and the marble is Carrara.’

‘Yes, it’s exquisite,’ Ella said, ‘just gorgeous. The soft veining is almost white… so much more subtle than the brighter white Calacatta marble.’

‘Sounds like you know your marble!’ Dan said, clearly impressed. And all the time, I kept thinking Why, why have you taken Joy’s earrings?

Meanwhile, Joy smiled and nodded in agreement at Ella’s marble analysis.

‘Ella knows all about architecture too, she’s been in palaces all over the world,’ Jamie said proudly.

‘Wow, palaces? I’m envious,’ I said, and she smiled at me.

‘She’s into photography, aren’t you, darling?’ Jamie added, looking down at her with such love, it stung me slightly. I wanted that kind of love too.

Ella nodded eagerly and crossed her legs. Her bare toes were small, compact, the toenails like silver jewels. I wasn’t sure if I was jealous of her or wanted to be her, but looking at Violet’s face, my daughter definitely wanted to be Ella when she grew up.

‘So did you say you went to India together? How romantic – had you known each other… long?’ I asked.

‘Long enough,’ Ella replied, looking at Jamie, not at me.

‘Oh, what do you do?’ I asked, undeterred.

‘She’s a model,’ Jamie said proudly.

Violet’s eyes widened at this.

‘I’ve done swimwear for designer friends, that kind of thing – but I’m not like a serious model. I want to move into stuff that matters – photography, vlogging, blogging – saving the planet and all that.’

‘Wow! You would be an amazing YouTuber,’ Violet suggested, awe shining in her eyes.

‘Maybe,’ she said, like she could be anything she wanted to be. I envied her confidence… or was it arrogance?

‘Ella’s selling herself short,’ Jamie added proudly. ‘She’s modelled all over the world, all the catwalks on fashion week, fashion photography, lingerie. Designers and photographers are always messaging her, asking her to fly off—’