Chapter 15
Ruby slumped down onto the bed and stared up at the overly ornate wood carvings above her.
She felt exhilarated, and a little out of breath.
She’d never met anyone like Opal. Why would she?
The woman was in another stratosphere of wealth, far posher than even Gareth.
All that money, all that power she held over Ruby’s future, and yet it was still possible to rock her with a turn of the tongue. How thrilling.
She checked her watch. It would be time to head down to dinner soon, and she found that she was looking forward to it. Hopefully the errant husband would be there too.
And then there was Johan. She wondered if she would go to his room later, or maybe he would come to hers. He seemed like the type, and the perfect distraction from her obsessive thoughts about Cindy.
She unpacked her few belongings, stuffing them into the top drawer of the large dressing table. And then she sat down at the desk, running her hands over the smooth dark wood and gazing out at the view.
A pristine, pinstriped lawn, broken up only by the lace of the bright white cast-iron garden dining set.
When she opened the window and leant out she thought she could see a swimming pool, just beyond what looked like a huge greenhouse.
It was hard not to be wowed by this level of wealth, as much as she tried to resist it.
Everything around her looked so solid, so rooted in its place, as though that armchair had sat in that exact spot for centuries. Maybe it had.
Just then, a mighty clang reverberated through the walls and made Ruby’s blood rattle.
She couldn’t place the sound for a moment, and then her ears adjusted and she realised that that was probably what a gong sounded like in real life.
The kung fu films she’d watched, her only reference, didn’t do any justice to the physicality of the sound.
It must be time for dinner. Strange, how commanding the call was, how clear the message, even to her, who’d never been summoned to tea in this way before.
She emerged from her room at the same time as Adam. He gave her a shy smile.
‘I’m guessing we should head downstairs?’ Ruby said drily.
He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. She could tell he was a dancer, something about the way he held out his arm, straight, still, but full of energy.
‘Wonder what’s on the menu,’ Ruby mused as they walked down the stairs.
‘Perhaps a quail stuffed inside a partridge.’ There was that clipped enunciation again. Ruby turned to him with what must have been a look of disgust, and Adam’s face softened into a wide smile. He was joking. Ruby felt herself warm to him instantly. She laughed.
At the bottom of the stairs, Gareth was standing next to the giant gong, his swaying mirroring the plate of brass.
‘A la table, les petites!’ His words were slightly slurred.
Ruby was bemused, but next to her, Adam’s face was marred with concern.
‘Gareth, come along, let’s go sit down.’ Gently, Adam wound his arm through Gareth’s. Something about the interaction suddenly made Gareth look a lot older, frail somehow. Adam led him down the hall into the dining room.
The oblong table was set out with eight places.
A long terracotta-coloured runner lay down the middle, matching the uniformly folded napkins and stick candles.
Opal sat at the head, and next to her a man with a mop of lusciously black curls and thick eyelashes.
He must be one of the other artists, Ruby thought.
He was quite beautiful, but a little too boyish for Ruby’s taste.
Johan was sat, unmoored, up at the other end of the table.
Ruby was glad to see he too was wearing a look of bemusement. She took her place next to him.
‘Ah, at last, the stragglers have joined us.’ Johan stood as he spoke, and Ruby noticed that the thick East End twang he’d had earlier was far less discernible now.
‘Didn’t you hear the gong?’ His blue eyes held Ruby’s gaze as he spoke; his tone was lightly mocking.
Ruby smirked. It was not her he was mocking; it seemed she was far from alone in finding this whole situation comically surreal.
The boyish man stood up too. ‘Hello, nice to meet you all. I’m Noah.’ He spoke with a thick Brummie accent. He held out his hand to no one in particular and Adam obliged. Ruby just gave him a nod and sat herself down next to Johan.
Now Opal was standing, and looking even more flustered than she had earlier. ‘Yes, um, Noah is the fourth participant in the tournament. He just arrived.’ Opal repeatedly tucked a single strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke.
‘I think the lady of the house has the hots for him,’ Johan whispered into Ruby’s ear.
‘Please do make him feel welcome. He’s a um … what was it again, Noah?’ Opal turned to him but dropped her gaze.
‘I’m a scent and sound designer, or sometimes I say I’m a sensory artist.’ Noah grinned.
Gareth had stumbled over to the seat opposite Johan. ‘Isn’t all art sensory?’ he muttered to no one in particular as he reached for the opened wine bottle.
Opal shot him a look. ‘Haven’t you had enough, darling?’ She kept her voice low, but even from where Ruby was sitting, the message was clear.
‘Probably,’ Gareth replied as he filled his glass.
‘You’re very right, Gareth. I guess I’m just trying to cater to the other, underrepresented senses. Doesn’t your nose also deserve to experience beauty?’ Noah was almost relentlessly cheery.
‘You think all art is about beauty?’ This time it was Johan piping up. Now Noah did look a little put out. Opal laid a hand on his shoulder and coaxed him into his seat.
‘Well that sounds like a topic of lively debate, but if I could get everyone’s attention I’d like to make a toast.’ Opal held up her glass. Adam had taken the seat next to Ruby, but there were still two empty places. ‘To art.’
Everyone raised their glasses, and Ruby looked around to make sure everyone else was buying into this corny shit before she committed.
‘And let the games begin!’ Opal looked gleeful as she took a large sip. The rest of the table followed suit.
‘Excuse me, Miss Fairfax, but is this everyone?’ It was Noah asking.
Ruby watched as Opal blushed.
‘Um, no it isn’t, Noah. We’re expecting Heather, but I don’t think the train from Glasgow arrives till past ten, so we’ll save her some dinner.’ Opal cleared her throat. ‘Please call me Opal … and my husband, Martin, is due any minute as well.’
Noah’s eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly at the news, but he recovered himself quickly. ‘You’re not talking about Heather McCormack by any chance? Her stuff is wicked.’
‘You’ve seen her work?’ Gareth interjected. He sounded suspicious.
‘Yeah, um, I actually saw some of it at Toad last year,’ Noah replied breezily.
Gareth narrowed his eyes. ‘Right.’
‘And your husband – Martin – what’s the hold-up?’ Ruby couldn’t help herself.
‘He’s been out at the golf club all day. I’m sure he’s on his way back now.’ Opal’s voice was quiet, and for a split second Ruby almost felt sorry for her. ‘Anyway! Let’s eat. He can catch up later.’
The first course was French onion soup, which was served by a girl who looked about thirteen and wore thick square glasses that instantly slipped to the tip of her nose.
‘Thanks, Hetty!’ was the only acknowledgement given by Opal once the girl had shuffled out of the room. ‘Bon appétit.’
Begrudgingly, Ruby had to admit to herself that the food was delicious. Even the chicken Kyiv, which she would have dismissed as the height of abominable white people food, was both tender and well seasoned.
Just as Hetty cleared those plates away, Opal turned at the sound of the front door opening. A moment later, a tall, handsome man with startlingly pale eyes walked into the room. Martin, Ruby gathered.
‘Oh, hello, darling, sorry we’ve eaten already. I was expecting you back a little sooner.’ Opal filled her glass and didn’t look up at her husband until she’d finished speaking. She flashed him a bright smile that didn’t reach her eyes. He replied in kind.
‘No problem, I’ll heat mine up in the microwave.’ His tone was not cold, but it wasn’t warm either. In fact it was entirely functional. They spoke to each other as you might to a stranger in the street when asking for the time. Polite, but distracted and a little hurried.
‘I’m terribly sorry, how rude of me. I’m Martin. It’s nice to meet you all.’ Martin’s eyes travelled around the table. When they landed on Ruby, they paused, only for a moment, but enough for her to notice.
‘I’m Noah.’ And so began the round of introductions. Gareth said nothing until Martin addressed him directly.
‘Will you be staying as well, Gareth?’
‘Only a couple of nights, to help Opal get into the swing of things.’ The two men stared at each other, and Ruby could practically smell the ill will.
Martin didn’t come back to the table after they heard the ding of the microwave, and when Hetty brought out dessert, she cleared away his place. Dinner-time conversation was a little strained, but Noah and Adam made valiant efforts to ensure the stretches of silence didn’t settle for too long.
‘Would anyone like a glass of port?’ Opal asked brightly, though there was tiredness in her voice.
‘I think everyone is probably quite keen to head off to bed. I know I am.’ Ruby was relieved to hear Gareth’s response. The day was beginning to catch up with everyone, it seemed. He stood suddenly, planted a peck on Opal’s cheek, and squeezed Adam’s shoulder as he left the room.
‘I think I’ll head off as well, Opal. You won’t mind if I head out the back for a rollie?’ Johan was on his feet. He glanced down at Ruby. ‘Care to join?’
‘Of course, I can imagine you must all be quite exhausted. I’ll wait up for Heather.’ Opal checked her watch and frowned. ‘I hope the taxi driver isn’t lost.’
‘Thank you for a lovely dinner, miss …’ Noah stumbled. ‘I mean … Opal.’
Opal gave him a shy smile, and Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Now Adam stood. ‘Yes, thank you very much.’ Ruby joined the whole group in filing out the dining room.
‘The side door is open … for the smokers,’ Opal called down as she began to climb the stairs. Adam and Noah followed. ‘I’ll show you to your room, Noah. It’s next door to mine,’ was all Ruby caught before the three of them disappeared out of view.
Ruby turned to Johan. It was just the two of them now. ‘I’ll bet you a fiver those two shag before the week is out.’
Johan smirked. ‘Deal. I’m not sure that Noah has it in him …’ He paused, contemplating. ‘You know, I have this super strong sense that I’ve seen that guy before …’
Ruby shrugged and Johan continued: ‘And anyway, what about the husband?’
‘Oh please, did you see the two of them at dinner? They haven’t fucked in a looong time. She could barely stand to look at him.’
Now Johan laughed. ‘Ruby with the barbed tongue!’ They wandered out into the garden.
‘You think you can suss out the state of a marriage from that one exchange? You gotta remember, it’s different for these kinds of people.
With a house like this they don’t have to like each other; they don’t even have to see each other.
It’s all about keeping the money in the right hands. ’
‘Oh and you’re an expert are you?’ Ruby shot back. ‘And if anything I’d say that assessment and mine are anything but mutually exclusive. My prediction stands. She’s gonna have to get some from somewhere.’
‘Quite a way with words! You should think about becoming a poet.’
‘And you should stick to photography,’ Ruby retorted. She was enjoying herself.
They sat down on a pair of lawn chairs, facing out onto the grounds. The sky was turning indigo, but the soft lights around the pool illuminated the outline of trees framing the far end of the lawn.
Johan winked at her, handing her the cigarette he’d been rolling. They smoked in silence for a few minutes. Ruby relished the stillness of the air, how differently it sat in her lungs compared to the exhaust fumes of South London.
‘So how did Gareth find you then?’
Ruby exhaled. ‘He came to the open mic night I was at.’ She shrugged. ‘How about you?’
‘I’ve had a couple of shows at Toad recently.’
‘Oh so you’re like a proper artist then.’ Ruby hoped she sounded teasing, but her words came out with a bitter edge. ‘You probably don’t even need the 75k.’
‘You think that because a few of my photos have been in an exhibition I’m sorted? I need that money as much as anyone.’
Ruby was taken aback by the forcefulness of his tone.
‘OK, OK, I get it, we’re all broke.’ Ruby held her hands up.
‘Yeah, exactly.’
They went back to silence. Wordlessly, they each rolled and smoked again. Ruby wasn’t entirely sure how the vibe had soured so suddenly.
She stubbed out her butt in the gravel. ‘I’m going to bed.’ Johan just nodded and she headed back inside.
She walked up the stairs and down the corridor. As she approached her door, she heard footsteps catching her up. She turned to see Johan trotting up behind her. Before she had time to process what was happening, he took her face in his hands and backed her up against the wall.
In the dim light, she could still make out the heat in his eyes.
Her breathing deepened, and they gazed at each other for an unfathomable amount of time.
She could feel him getting hard against her hip bone but she resolved that she was not going to be the first to lean in.
He was daring her to succumb, and Ruby didn’t like to be conquered.
Finally, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against her throat.
She threw back her head and, despite herself, she let out a tiny moan.
His hands glided down to her waist, and he pulled her against him.
Her fingers wound into his hair. And then he stopped, pulled back and watched her pant.
He smiled, thinking he had won the game.
But then she smiled, tucked a blonde strand behind his ear and patted him on the shoulder.
‘Night, Jojo,’ she said casually as she extricated herself from her cornered position; his expression turned to confusion. She turned her back on him and opened her bedroom door. ‘Sleep tight,’ she called, closing the door behind her without looking back.