Chapter Forty-Seven
Nelly
The spa team have had to relocate today because of last night’s storm, but, when Nelly rings up to see if they could do her a last-minute manicure, they manage to squeeze her in that afternoon. In the eighties she loved a vampy red nail, with a slash of lipstick to match, but these days she leans more towards something pastel and pretty, so she picks a light pearlescent pink that really sets off her tanned hands. Afterwards, heading back towards her room, she bumps into Claudia, who has replaced her work shoes with trainers and is wheeling a bicycle along, presumably about to go home.
‘Have you been treating yourself?’ she asks, eyeing Nelly’s gleaming nails. ‘Good on you!’
‘Ihave,’ Nelly says, wiggling her fingers. Then she can’t help herself. ‘Because. . . do you remember that handsome Greek man with a yacht that Imentioned earlier? You’ll never guess who I’m meeting up with tonight.’ She pulls a meaningful expression, and Claudia’s jaw drops with gratifying astonishment.
‘What? No way! Seriously? You found him?’ Claudia clasps a hand to her heart. ‘This is so exciting. How on earth did you manage that?’
Nelly explains, making a point of emphasising that her search had been for the sake of an old friendship rather than anything else. She doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong impression and view her as some kind of scarlet woman when the truth is far less decadent.
‘This is so exciting! Ilove that you went looking for him,’ Claudia says, starry-eyed, and Nelly can’t help but smile. Claudia, like the young woman she met in Penelope’s, is clearly the romantic type. ‘Well, Ihope he’s as divine as you remember him.’
‘If he is, then his wife really did get all the luck,’ Nelly says, and laughs as Claudia’s expression immediately turns to one of disappointment. ‘Oh, did Inot tell you that bit of the story? Last time Isaw him, he was about to get married, much to my heartbreak at the time. No, I’m afraid this is not going to be a love story for the ages. Not least because, until yesterday, Iwas here with my husband, so. . .’
‘Of course,’ Claudia says at once, chastened. ‘Absolutely. I’m sorry if Ispoke out of turn, or. . .’
‘You didn’t! Not at all. In fact, it’s been really lovely to talk to you both times today,’ Nelly tells her. ‘Thank you for indulging me wittering on to you about my life.’
‘No indulgence at all!’ Claudia says, looking rather bashful. ‘It’s been great talking to you too. Ihope you have a blast this evening, reminiscing about all the fun you got up to, back in the day. Now– can Iorder you a taxi for later or do anything else for you before Ileave?’
‘No, he’s picking me up, I’m all set, but thank you. Have a good evening yourself.’
They say goodbye and Nelly heads back to her room, taking care not to smudge her nails as she lets herself in. Despite her deliberately pragmatic approach to tonight, Claudia’s romantic comments have rubbed off on her. Butterflies start up in her stomach. Because. . . what if there’s one more twist in their story yet to come?