6 - Call Me Blair: The Rehearsal's Toast

Whatever it is you couldn't knock this man's confidence. And confident he is.

Fredric introduces me to the lady seated on my left with much familiarity. Pandora is her name. And she responds to him the same way. I don't share the same familiarity but my greeting is the right side of polite.

Niceties over, Fredric excuses Pandora. I glance back at him. He's got one hand under his chin propping it up while, he sits and stares at me as if we aren't sitting at a table full of people. I've been playing it polite but there's something about Fredric's attention that's activating little sensors. Those compliments, a little more than necessary, eyes overly lingering. But when I caught the sideways glance he threw James, the almost smirk that went with it. I clocked a game that two could play.

'Ohh. So is this the game tonight?' Leaning forward to rest my chin on my hand. 'Let me guess. This isn’t about me at all, is it? You’re trying to get under his skin.' My chin jutting in James' direction.

'Now, now, Jess. Give a man some credit. Maybe I just find you fascinating.'

'Fascinating?' I tilt my head towards him. 'We only met an hour ago.'

He grins. 'Some people leave an impression. Others… arrive with one.'

'You're smooth, I give you that.' Before turning to my glass and sipping on my wine.

'You are fascinating.' I jeered.' Yep. And now I'm the Queen of England.'

'You know... I thought that from the very moment I saw you.'

He'd caught me with that one but I continued anyway. 'Listen, if you want to rattle James, for whatever boarding school reason, please do but leave me out of it.' He shot back in his chair. Thought about it with the sort of theatrical seriousness, then shook his head.

Okay then at least make it interesting.

I reached for my wine glass and watched Fredric's amusement flicker into something impressed. Then took my sip.

'How long have you known James?' He finally asks.

'A long time.'

He visibly draws breath, tilts his head then moves in just that little closer. 'You know, Jess, it's funny but you're not what I expected.

I arch an eyebrow. 'Expected?'

'Forget I said that.' He sips, but I see another lick of something cross his face. 'Amusement? Admiration? Mischief? What was it?

I sat back, eyes hooded. Watched him.

'But I still find it strange he's never mentioned you. Someone as striking as you.

'And smart.' He adds raising his hands as if he was caught mid theft. 'Striking and smart.'

'Maybe the conversation was never intellectual enough to drop me in.' I replied, dry as a gin martini.

'Ooh and feisty.'

He doesn't back down. Instead he moves in a little closer. Close enough so that he only needed to whisper. Close enough for me to get the edge of his entirely disarming after shave, which suits him.

'It’s almost like he wanted to keep you a secret.' Then moves right in and uses his shoulders to give my shoulder the gentlest nudge before looking across to James.

'Me, a secret? I echo. He has no reason to. Unless of course, he's specifically keeping me a secret from you.'

'Now why would my old friend do that?'

'Hmm. You tell me. But first, let's start with the fact of you not knowing, all of your old friend's, old friends?'

I keep my elbow propped, fingers still, holding my glass and wait. He doesn’t answer. He only smiles, something mischievous. And when he offered no remark, I looked away from him to where James' seated. Charlotte is in conversation with Caroline and I find James looking my way. I smile. His hands are clasped when he mouthed, 'You okay?'

I don't know why but something made me clasp my hands just as he had and mouth back, 'Yes.'

We both smile. And for some reason, my chest gets involve, rises as if I just got caught passing love notes in class.

I see Fredric's right hand move and I follow it to its return under his chin and him watching me as if he's about to take notes.

'What's the name of that game? I want to play.'

He says it to both James and I. Except James now turns his attention back to his group, leaving me to answer.

'What game?'

'This one.' He removes his hand from under his chin and mimics the action, clasping his hands together as if we're in some silent ritual. 'The secret society of hand-clasping? The International League of Unspoken Words?

Whatever it is, I want in.'

I chuckle, shaking my head. 'You want in?'

'Yes. What's next? What do I need to do? Is there an oath? Do I get a ring?' He straightens his collar and flicks his cuffs out in readiness.

'Nothing. That is it. You're in.'

Fredric tilts his head considering. 'That's all? It's a little anticlimactic isn't it.' He feigns disappointment but just as quickly gets a lick of mischief. 'Tell you what? How about you and I start our own private club?'

I blinked because I must admit, I was not expecting that. But I am finding him dangerously compelling and undeniably smooth too. So when he turns his palms up, inviting mine, I hesitate.

But only for a moment.

Because I do place my hands in his.

Now aren't you two a sight. Charlotte's voice cuts across the table, hushes the immediate crowd.

James, he is looking again but it isn't at me. It's at our hands. But there’s something about the way Charlotte’s voice landed. Like someone who threw a match and stuck around to watch the kindling catch.

The Rehearsal's Toast

Mr Feversham standing and clinking a glass is timely. Quietens the rest of the room and takes eyes off us and I quietly withdraw my hands.

'Good evening, everyone.' He stops with the clinking and says.

'First, thank you all for coming and for dressing ever so slightly down for once. I know how hard it is to leave the tweed at home.' (Polite laughter rolls across the room.) 'It’s a rare thing to gather two families with enough ancestral acreage between them to claim their own postal code and yet here we are, under one roof, smiling politely and pretending we don’t check the wine label before accepting a glass.

There's more laughter, though louder this time.

'As father of the bride, I hold several official titles: emotional anchor, financial backer and tonight, the rambling rehearsal's toastmaster.' He tugs his waistband with mocked dignity and turns to Caroline.

'My darling Caroline has always had a mind of her own. Fiercely intelligent, determined and even as a child, she reminded me she wasn't going to be bossed around. Made it very clear that she was independent. Then went on to bill me for using the Wi-Fi in her room.' The room erupts.

He pauses, waits for the laughter and chatter to subside.

'She was six.'

They laughed out again.

So Jack he continues, turning to Caroline's fiancé, 'good luck, my boy.

'Although, (Mr Feversham puts his hand up as if he didn't currently command the floor), although, we weren’t quite sure of you at first. Too polite. Suspiciously so. But it turns out you're not just charming you're clever. Patient too. You'd have to be, to stay madly in love with our daughter.'

He pauses then turns back to the rest of us. 'In other words, he’s just the sort of fellow any father might dread… until he sees how happy he makes her.'

The laughter has mellowed to full bodied smiles.

'So here’s to Caroline and Jack. May your life together be full of joy, laughter and just the right amount of property taxes. That your disagreements be short, your holidays long and the cellar, always stocked with my favourite whisky.'

The Rehearsal's Toast

He raises his glass.

'To love, to family and to not doing this again anytime soon. God help us then.' He swings directly to Charlotte. Charlotte however turns to James.

Caroline stands, gives her dad a hug.

And I, I am only too pleased the clinking of fluted glasses and spirited cheers had started again. I tip my glass to my lips before anyone could see an unexpected truth rising across my face.