Winter in London Without You novel · Chapter 15 of 24

Chapter 15: Margaret's Table

I told the lawyer no, and I told him to ring Margaret if he wanted a better answer.

Margaret gave it herself an hour later, by telephone, in four sentences.

"Come to lunch tomorrow, both of you. Come through the garden gate, because there are cameras at the front. I have a turkey for eight and no one to eat it. And Alistair will be here."

"Margaret..."

"He has been told to be on time," she said. "He's never once been told it before."

Her house in Hampstead had a holly wreath on the door and a fire in the dining room.

Gethin carried a bottle of wine and a bag of sprouts he had bought at a petrol station, and Margaret took both as though they were jewellery.

The table was laid for four.

Alistair was already there, standing by the window in a grey jumper with no tie.

His eyes were red, and he had plainly not slept since the office.

"Verity," he said. "Mr Ferrier."

"Gethin," Gethin said. "I'll let you off the rest of it."

"Sit," said Margaret. "Everybody. Alistair, pass Gethin the gravy."

Alistair passed the gravy.

Gethin took it with a straight face, and I looked at my plate so I wouldn't laugh.

Nobody spoke until the turkey was carved, which Gethin did, because he said paramedics were good with anatomy.

Then Margaret set down her knife.

"Nobody leaves this table until it has been said," she said. "All of it, in order, from the beginning. I'll know if you skip."

Alistair put his hands flat on either side of his plate.

"I signed your separation letter at three o'clock that Tuesday," he said to me. "Before you walked into the lunch."

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