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I was less fortunate with the man on my left He took about four minutes – the briefest of quizzes about who I here I lived, who I knew there – to work out that there was nothing I had to say that ht be of interest to hi h what remained of my lunch At one point, when I started to feel properly aard, I felt Will’s arm slide off the chair beside lanced up and he winked at rateful that he could see it And then he ht me into the conversation with Mary Rawlinson

‘So Will tellsblue eyes, and wrinkles that told of a life i at him

‘And have you alorked in this field?’

‘No I used to … work in a cafe’ I’ that fact, but Mary Rawlinson nodded approvingly

‘I always thought thatjob If you like people, and are rather nosy, which I am’ She bea to encourage Louisa to do so else, to widen her horizons a bit’

‘What did you have in mind?’ she asked me

‘She doesn’t know,’ Will said ‘Louisa is one of the smartest people I know, but I can’t make her see her own possibilities’

Mary Rawlinson gave him a sharp look ‘Don’t patronize her, dear She’s quite capable of answering for herself’

I blinked

‘I rather think that you of all people should know that,’ she added

Will looked as if he were about to say so, and then closed his mouth He stared at the table and shook his head a little, but he was sine your job at the y And I don’t suppose this young ain’

‘But Will is quite right about seeing possibilities Here’s anization that encourages retraining Perhaps you would like to consider so with Will, thank you’

I took the card that she proffered regardless, a little stunned that this wohtest interest in what I did with my life But even as I took it, I felt like an iive up work, even if I knehat I wanted to learn I wasn’t convinced I was the kind of person ould suit retraining And besides, keeping Will alive was hts that I briefly stopped listening to the two of theot over the hu to have to readjust your life so dramatically around new expectations’

I stared at the remains of my poached salmon I had never heard anyone speak to Will like that

He frowned at the table, and then turned back to her ‘I’m not sure I am over the hulanced over attakes ti her hand briefly on his areneration find it a lot harder to adjust to You have all grown up expecting things to go your way almost instantaneously You all expect to live the lives you chose Especially a successful young man like yourself But it takes ti to recover,’ he said

‘I’ about learning to embrace a new life’

And then, just as I waited to hear what Will was going to say next, there was a loud tapping of a spoon on a glass, and the room hushed for the speeches

I barely heard what they said It seeuin-suitedto people and places I didn’t know, provoking polite laughter I sat and chewed h the dark-chocolate truffles that had arrived in silver baskets on the table, and drank three cups of coffee in quick succession so that as well as feeling drunk I felt jittery and wired Will, on the other hand, was a picture of stillness He sat and watched the guests applaud his ex-girlfriend, and listened to Rupert drone on about what a perfectly wonderful woed him I don’t know if that was because they wanted to spare his feelings, or because his presence there was actually a bit of an embarrassment Occasionally Mary Rawlinson leant in and htly, as if in agreement

When the speeches finally ended, an ar the centre of the roo Will leant in to ood hotel up the road Ring them and see if we can stay there’

‘What?’

Mary handed me a name and a telephone number scribbled on a napkin

‘It’s okay, Clark,’ he said, quietly, so that she couldn’t hear ‘I’ll pay Go on, and then you can stop worrying about howThey’ll probably want to take the number’

I took it, reached for my arden They had two roole, and a double on the ground floor Yes, it was suitable for disabled access ‘Perfect,’ I said, and then had to s a save thehtly sick as I read the numbers

‘So?’ he said, when I reappeared

‘I’ve done it, but … ’ I told him how much the two roo that bloke of yours to tell hiht, then have another drink In fact, have six It would please et ha happened that evening The lights dropped, so that our little table was less conspicuous, the overpowering fragrance of the floas te breezes, and thean to actually enjoy ourselves Will was the most relaxed I had seen him Sandwiched between me and Mary, he talked and sht of hiht otherwise have looked at hilances He ht I took off his jacket and loosened his tie, and we both tried not to giggle at the sight of the dancing I cannot tell you how much better I felt once I saw the way posh people danced The men looked as if they had been electrocuted, the woers at the stars and looked horribly self-conscious even as they twirled

Mary Rawlinson lanced over at ot fruitier with every drink ‘You don’t want to go and strut your stuff, Louisa?’