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‘Do have a seat,’ she invites and points to a chair at one end of the table The table is large enough to seat six Helena then takes her place at the head of the table

The Thai waitress pushes the chair in as I sit down, and whipping a napkin open, lays it expertly across my lap

As the waitress does the same with Helena I look nervously at the utensils around ine that this was er sandwiches, warm scones and a few slices of cake?

‘Well, this is nice,’ I say My voice sounds higher than noret to know one another,’ Helena tells me Her voice is soft and friendly, far more so than yesterday ‘I want to know all about you and how you met Blake’

Oh no, you don’t, I think, but I sh a mutual acquaintance’

‘Ah, of course Who was it?’

‘Rupert Lothian’

She tries to frown, but the Botox stands in the way ‘Never heard of him Who is he?’

‘I…er…worked for him’

She looks at me ‘That’s nice’ There is an expression in her eyes that makes me suspect she knows exactly who Rupert is, and exactly how I met Blake

She picks up a sht hand I notice that I, too, have a siht hand Mine contains milk I watch her pour the erbowl She fills it to one-third and looks at me Her expression is almost quizzical She s the sa ine how theinto it

When I look at her again, she is still s, but her smile is cold and hard You are not one of us, no matter what you do, wear, et cetera—ill sniff you out, her eyes tell htening andwith malice, she calls out, ‘Constable, here, boy Milk’

Fiery heat rushes up my neck and cheeks For a second, I am frozen with horror at the vindictiveness hich she has deliberately tricked ht I should never have tried to be accepted by her And then I straighten ht I would be able to accoes in her eyes How quick she is to recognize a worthy opponent

Constable, a s up the milk For a little while there is only the sound it

Then, I reach for a tiny nize it, and I do not care I pick it up with ers and daintily pop it intowar else Chewing steadily, I htly horrified by my uncouth manners Oh, but, I’m not finished yet, Helena I turn to the wo by the sideboard

‘Oh, hello,’ I say cheerfully ‘What’s your name?’

Her dark, almond eyes widen with surprise, perhaps even alarm No doubt they teach her what they used to tell the African American slaves— A room with you in ither head deferentially Her voice is barely a whisper

‘Come and try this, Somchai I’d like you to taste it and tell me what is in it,’ I invite expansively