Chapter 26
GEORGIE
The party was in full swing and the space occupied by those having a dance was getting wider and wider as more people let their inhibitions drop and their pants boogie.
Moira and Loretta had the whole crowd in the palms of their hands, acting like a tag team to throw down hit after hit from the seventies and eighties.
They were currently duetting to ‘Islands In The Stream’ and Moira’s ability to replicate Kenny Roger’s low notes was notably impressive.
Georgie hadn’t had a chance to get her dancing shoes on yet because she was too busy catching up with her cousins, Helena and Eve. They’d been blethering for the last twenty minutes, and she was deeply aware she may also be using them as a human shield against the advances of her mother.
She didn’t blame Moira for letting the news of the job offer come out – by all accounts it had been an honest slip-up.
But her mum’s reaction had been the very reason that she hadn’t wanted her to know.
Hopefully now that Georgie had reassured her she wasn’t taking the job, her parents could just fly off tomorrow morning and put all their energies into having a blissful retirement.
Although, looking at her dad now, stuck over at the bar table and deep in conversation with Dorinda Canavan, she wasn’t sure he’d quite got his ‘bliss’ face down perfect yet. Georgie decided to go and rescue him just as soon as she’d finished getting the scoop on Helena’s wedding plans.
Georgie had always loved Eve, Helena’s daughter and Cathy’s granddaughter.
They were only a few years apart in age and had been the two kids sitting giggling under a table at family functions for most of their childhood.
Helena, however, had always been mildly terrifying, but she’d mellowed slightly since rekindling her relationship with Eve’s father, and now they were set to marry.
‘You know, Helena, I don’t think I’ve ever asked – how did you meet him the first time round?’
Georgie watched Eve react to that question with ‘Oh no,’ and then put her hands over her ears. ‘Okay, Mum, I’m not listening to this bit – on you go.’
Helena rolled her eyes. ‘This one is such a prude. Anyway, I don’t mind admitting it – he was a one-night stand when I was twenty-five, and Eve was the result. Didn’t see him again for almost thirty years.’
‘Noooooooo,’ Georgie exclaimed. Helena McLean, one of Scotland’s top solicitors, and perhaps the most strong, powerful and intimidating woman that Georgie had ever known, had not just said that.
Eve cagily took a hand away from one ear. ‘Is it over? Has she told you?’
‘I’m shook. Shook!’ Georgie told her, chuckling. ‘Helena, I’d never have believed that of you! If I was wearing pearls right now, I’d be clutching them and demanding my smelling salts. ’
‘There’s nothing wrong with exploring healthy sexual urges, ladies,’ Helena preened defiantly, making Eve wince again.
‘You know…’ Helena’s comment had struck a chord with Georgie. ‘I’ve never had one of those.’
‘A mother who overshares?’ Eve asked.
‘No, I’ve definitely got one of those. I’ve never had a one-night stand. Or a two-night stand, for that matter.’
‘I’m refusing to share my status on that, given that my mother is present,’ Eve declared, chuckling. ‘But don’t sound so disappointed when you say that, Georgie. It’s not like it should be a bucket list item.’
‘Well, maybe it should be,’ Georgie declared, emboldened by the full glass of champagne she’d already downed since she arrived. ‘Flynn and I got together when I was seventeen and I’d had one boyfriend and a few fumbles before him, but that was it.’
‘And since then?’ Helena asked with an intense gaze. Georgie saw now why witnesses crumbled under her stare.
‘Erm, nothing. No one.’
‘No one?’ Eve looked surprised, then immediately rallied and attempted to make her feel better. ‘Well, it’s not been long since your marriage ended.’
Georgie loved her for trying, but… ‘Eve, it’s been three years. And in that time, the only hot hip action in my life has been watching Strictly .’ After the events of this afternoon, she was choosing to remove her occasional indiscretions with Flynn from the hot hip-action category.
‘Then I suggest you get out there and do something about it,’ Helena said, no-nonsense as always.
‘If you’d like to have a man, that is. Or a woman.
I truly think I could have gone either way, depending on the person.
However, that’s only if you want to be with someone.
I don’t think for a single second that a person needs to have a relationship to validate their worth. ’
‘Watch you don’t slide off your soapbox there, Mum,’ Eve teased her, but they were saved from Helena’s inevitable scathing retort by Kayleigh passing by, holding a tray of sausage rolls aloft.
‘Mum, Alyssa has put me to work,’ she grinned, then stopped suddenly when she realised who Georgie was speaking to. ‘Aunt Helena!’ she gushed.
Georgie wasn’t surprised by the reaction. Helena was one of the women who’d inspired Kayleigh to go into law in the first place.
‘I didn’t realise you were coming. Hang on.’
She put the sausage rolls down on the nearby buffet table, then came straight back over and hugged both Helena and Eve in turn.
‘Aunt Helena, I can’t believe you’re here. And I can’t believe I didn’t think of you!’
Georgie had no idea what her daughter was rambling about, but she seemed fairly giddy about something when she asked, ‘Do you know anything about property law?’
Helena shook her head. ‘Not much. Only what I can remember from university and perhaps a few titbits I’ve picked up since then.’
Georgie doubted that very much. Helena was a criminal lawyer, but she was so smart in every area of life – including, apparently, relationships and the value of a one-night stand – that she would definitely be Georgie’s pick for the ‘phone a friend’ if she ever went on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire .
Having Helena onside would be the perfect complement to Georgie’s specialities of cocktail recipes, the history of hair, and the entire works of Westlife.
‘Would you mind coming and having a quick chat with my friend, Alyssa? She owns this café and I’m trying to help her with a legal issue to do with her lease. ’
For a second, Georgie wondered what Helena’s reaction would be. Being a lawyer must be like being a doctor, she imagined. As soon as people at dinner parties knew what you did, they wanted to ask your advice on their speeding ticket or their piles.
She needn’t have worried. The lawyer and the feminist in Helena had never yet refused her niece, or any woman in legal jeopardy, even while at a party with a drink in her hand. ‘Of course, I will, but I’m expensive. You may have to come intern for me all summer to pay me back.’
Kayleigh’s beaming grin made it clear that wouldn’t be a hardship.
Just as Helena left, the song changed and the crowd cheered as Moira broke into ‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing’ by the Nolans, and Georgie and Eve were treated to the incomparable sight of Aunt Cathy boogying towards them.
‘Right, you two – my Richie’s back is playing up and this is one of my favourite songs, so who’s dancing with me? ’
‘If you don’t take this one, I’ll talk about your mother’s one-night stand again,’ Georgie warned Eve, who capitulated immediately, giggling, ‘Right, Gran, let’s do it,’ as they danced off.
Georgie was about to go mingle, when she saw that Dorinda Canavan was still chatting to her dad and there was something about his pained expression that made her feel sorry for him.
Dad hated things like this. Mum was the social butterfly, and Dad was the one who was happier out on the golf course, being unbothered by anyone, especially someone as full-on as Dorinda.
Dad probably didn’t even have a clue who she was, and he’d definitely have run out of small talk by now.
There was nothing else for it than to be the social equivalent of a SWAT team. In. Rescue. Out.
She sidled over. ‘Hi, Dorinda! Sorry to barge in, but can I have a quick word with my dad? Just need to organise Mum’s birthday cake.’
The rude cow didn’t look too happy, but she took the hint and left them anyway.
‘You’re welcome, Dad,’ Georgie said with a wink. ‘You looked like you needed saving.’
She’d thought that her dad would have found that amusing, but he was still strangely sullen-faced, as he muttered, ‘Thanks, love.’
Something was off. ‘Are you okay, Dad? Oh God, tell me Mum hasn’t changed her mind about going because I got that job offer? I’ve already told her I turned it down.’
To her relief, he clearly had no idea what she was talking about. ‘She never mentioned a job offer to me,’ he said. ‘Truth is though, love, she didn’t want to go to Tenerife in the first place. She’s only coming because I wanted it.’
The conversation had definitely taken a turn she hadn’t expected, but she swallowed her shock and attempted to set him straight.
‘Dad! That’s not true. Mum is looking forward to it and she’ll be happy anywhere if you’re there.’
‘I’m not so sure about that.’
Georgie opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to reply. This was so out of character, that Georgie was stumped. Her mum and dad had always been the happiest, most solid couple that she knew. What was going on?
‘Why would you say that? You’re a great husband. A brilliant dad too. Of course Mum is happy.’
‘No, love. I’ve not always been the best husband.’
Oh lord, her solid, dependable, steady dad was in full crisis here. Had someone spiked his drink? Did men go through some version of the menopause ?
‘But, Dad…’
She didn’t get the rest of that out, because her mum swooped in from behind her.
‘Stan, can I have a quick word with you outside? Sorry, Georgie – I’ll just steal him for a minute.’ Curt. Serious. Taking no objections.
Before Georgie could reply, off they went, leaving her speechless.
What. Just. Happened? Mum had seemed pretty pissed off with something, and she just hoped it wasn’t her.
No. That wasn’t her mum’s style. If Jessie McLean was annoyed with you, she told you directly to your face.
She had no idea what Dad had done, or why he was so miserable, but if there was one person who would have the gossip…
Georgie cast a glance around the room searching for Grant, until she spotted him at the edge of the dance area, twirling Val around.
In Aunt Cathy style, she shuffled over towards them, but as she got there, the Nolans took a break and were replaced by Whitney Houston declaring that she wanted to dance with somebody.
Val conceded defeat. ‘Grant, son, I can’t do two fast songs in a row without hydrating, so I’m away for a Porn Star Martini,’ she announced, heading off in the direction of the bar.
Georgie took advantage of the moment, grabbing Grant’s hand and leading him over to a quieter spot by the door.
Lovely old Mrs Dawson and her equally sweet sister were sitting there, multi-tasking by tapping their feet in time to the music, smiling as they watched the dancers, and knitting furiously with hands that seemed to work independently of the rest of their bodies.
Mrs Dawson appeared to be knitting a scarf that would fit around an elephant, one that liked a bright pink woolly number that stretched for miles .
Georgie knew from their visits to the salon that they were both extremely hard of hearing and couldn’t pick up the din of a brass band unless it was playing in their living room, so she wasn’t worried about them listening in.
‘What’s going on with Mum and Dad? Dad said something about not always being a good husband and now Mum just came and swept him off and she’s got a face like thunder.’
Grant shook his head. ‘I’ve no idea. Genuinely.
But I have to say, I’d forgotten what life was like in this family.
I work in a frantically busy Kensington salon, employ thirty-five people, tend to the demands of more divas than I can count, and I still think there’s more drama going on up here.
Talking of which, tell me you’re not getting back with Flynn. ’
‘I’m not getting back with Flynn,’ she repeated.
‘Oh, thank God. If I had to have another conversation about solar panels, I’d have bought earmuffs.’
That made her chuckle, so she decided to say something that would really make his day. He wanted drama, so…
‘But I’ve had a long chat with Helena, and I’ve decided one-night stands are the way to go.’
That evoked such a cackle that if he’d had a drink, he’d have spluttered it across the room.
‘What? I mean, I’m thrilled for you, but I think I need a bit more information.’
‘Well, I’ve been with Flynn for my entire adult life, so I’ve decided I need to?—’
‘If you say “spread my wings”, I’ll die,’ he warned her, wiping away tears of laughter.
‘ Get out of my comfort zone ,’ Georgie countered haughtily, before giggles consumed her too.
These were exactly the kinds of conversations that made her love her brother more than words.
‘I need to date. To socialise. To venture out of the village every now and then and, yes, maybe explore all that sweaty, bendy stuff with an attractive member of the male species.’
The words were barely out of her mouth, when she had to move to the side because a new arrival was coming in the café door.
Georgie turned, ready to extend a greeting to another villager, but was surprised to see a stranger there. A guy. Tall. Broad. Long blond hair swept back off his face. If he had an Australian accent, she’d bet a fiver he was related to the Hemsworths.
‘Hi,’ was all she could manage at short notice.
‘Hi. Sorry to gatecrash, but do you know where I’ll find Alyssa?’
Not Australian. Scottish. Glasgow. Sexy voice.
Georgie scanned the room, but couldn’t see Alyssa, which gave her the answer. ‘Erm, yes. If you go right up to the back of the café, past where that lot are doing the Macarena, she’s probably through the door behind the counter.’
‘Okay, thanks.’
As he went off to follow her instructions, she realised that both she and Grant were watching him go.
‘Sis, if you’re looking for an attractive member of the male species for that sweaty bendy stuff, you might want to start there.’