‘Yes, it’ll make a change from all the chess evenings!’ I joke. ‘Anyway, what are you going to do about the catering? Does Rob know you’re a veggie?’
‘Of course. I told him I’ll serve ready-bought hors d’oeuvres at his chess evenings but I’m not cooking meat.’
‘So, who’s going to take over from Mel as your flatmate?’ Maria asks.
‘I don’t know, I’m still looking for someone.’
‘What about Izzy? She’s looking for a place to stay till she finds somewhere more permanent,’ Maria suggests.
‘That would be great,’ I enthuse, feeling more cheerful. ‘How about it, Izzy?’
‘That would be fab, if you don’t mind having me?’ she says, brightening instantly. ‘It would be really nice and I’d rather be in London.’
‘I’d keep Izzy with me,’ Maria says, hugging her fondly, ‘but she’s getting pretty fed up with the sofa and I don’t have any other room.’
‘We’ll have a great time together.’ I’m thrilled; things are looking up after all. Izzy’s good fun, or she was before the problem with Josh, but the company will be nice and much better than living with someone I don’t know.
‘That’s all sorted then,’ Mel says later as we arrive back at the flat. ‘You won’t miss me at all, but I do have a small favour to ask.’
‘Yes?’
‘You will come and visit me at Rob’s, won’t you?’ she asks, unusually shy.
‘I suppose so. As long as you promise me a visit to Lady Constance.’
‘I think that probably goes with the territory, don’t you?’ Mel smiles and I grimace, knowing she’s probably pretty darn right, there’s going to be no avoiding it at all.
Chapter 20
You are cordially invited to our Regency Gaming Night – a unique opportunity to join in genuine Regency gambling at Le Salon des Barcarolles, Mayfair. Entertainment, champagne and canapés included. Saturday 14th June 8pm
‘So, are you and Rob going to this Regency Gaming Night?’ I ask Mel, waving the invitation under her nose. It had plopped through the letter box earlier that morning.
‘Yes, there’s going to be no choice,’ she says glumly, ‘no choice on this at all.’
Mel’s moving out in the afternoon and has packed all her stuff into boxes which are spilling much of their contents all over the floor. Rob’s apparently coming along with his car to pick her up as she usually either bikes or tubes it.
I haven’t bothered trying to talk to Mel any further on the subject of Rob as I know her well enough to realise that I’m not going to change her mind. But the idea of Mel at a Regency Gaming Night is laughable; it’s entirely against all her principles.
‘You will come along, won’t you?’ Mel twirls a strand of wavy hair between her fingers. ‘I’d appreciate you being there for support.’
‘I s’pose I can, but Regency Gaming Nights don’t really sound my thing.’
‘I bet Daniel will be there and a whole load of other fit and wealthy city guys.’ Mel’s tone betrays a hint of desperation.
‘I haven’t heard much from Daniel lately,’ I say rather lamely. Just a couple of brief texts about being busy at work. I haven’t really missed him though; maybe he’s not the one for me. I feel numb about it all.
‘Oh okay,’ I relent. I do feel sorry for Mel, in spite of the fact I still don’t really understand her motives. ‘Come on, let me give you a hand with those bags.’
Mel duly leaves with Rob, cases stuffed in his car and just a few things remaining for her to pick up another time as they won’t fit. Mel next to Rob is a humiliating sight, so bad I find myself hurrying them off to avoid prolonging the distressing spectacle.
I don’t have long to feel lonely; Izzy moves in the next day and although she isn’t as great a friend as Mel yet, I have high hopes we’ll get on well together. She’s still extremely depressed as she’s obsessed with Josh.
We’re eating together that evening when Izzy’s phone goes off. She grabs it suddenly, making me spill my wine, only to return looking crestfallen. ‘Just my dad,’ she says flatly.
‘Aren’t you going to speak to him?’
‘No, I’ll phone him back later.’ She seems really quiet and withdrawn, nothing like the lively happy-go-lucky girl who was so full of fun when I first met her.
‘Have some more carbonara. I know it’s your favourite,’ I ask, holding the dish in front of her.
‘No, I’m fine thanks, not really hungry at the moment. Thanks all the same,’ she says politely.
She’s picked at her plate but hasn’t eaten properly and has obviously lost weight. It doesn’t really suit her; she’s beginning to look thin and gawky.
‘Do you want to watch a movie?’ I ask after dinner.
‘In a minute, I just need to send a couple of texts.’ She disappears into her room and shuts the door. I know she’ll be in there typing away, waiting for a reply that’ll never come. Maria’s already warned me of her depressed moods. I do feel sorry for Izzy, but am unsure how to help. Josh seemed such a nice guy, so loyal, and I think she had truly believed he was the one. He was always incredibly romantic – I mean, how many guys spout poetry, real romantic verse like Shakespeare? Mind you, I don’t think I’ve ever gone off my food for anyone, so maybe I’ve never really been in love. Of course I’m upset, put out even, that I haven’t heard from Daniel, but my appetite is its usual healthy self, so maybe I don’t like him that much after all.
A couple of weeks pass in a pattern of boring work and a pretty non-communicative Izzy in the evening. I really miss Mel and her easy chat, and am holding out for next weekend when I’ve been invited to dinner with her and Rob. Obviously I’m not looking forward to seeing Rob again, but I guess missing Mel so much has made my disgust for Rob lessen a little. I’m going to stay the night at their house in Marlow and then go to Lady Constance’s the next day as she’s holding a garden party of some kind.
Izzy’s going home to her dad and stepmum for a couple of nights, so I don’t need to worry about her. In fact, I’m pleased as I hope somehow her family might help her get over Josh, where her friends are failing to succeed.
I’m quite excited when I arrive at the station at Marlow. It’s actually very pretty, with a quaint village centre and a surprising number of funky bars and fashionable little bistros. Rob and Mel’s place is a typical, small semi-detached box with characterless walls and blandly decorated rooms, without much personality. It’s the total opposite of what I would expect for Mel, but suits Rob perfectly.
It’s so good to see Mel again. She looks her usual happy self and excitedly leads me to a room upstairs at the back of the house. It’s overlooking the tiny square courtyard garden and is a reasonable size. I peek in the door and notice Mel’s sewing machine, all set up on a large worktable, her fabrics in a cabinet, neatly stored in rolls, boxes of tiny buttons and pins all beautifully organised in wall units.