Page 4

Holly stepped back from the bed and tried not to roll her eyes. There, standing in the cubicle with them, was a perfectly manicured, pristinely dressed young woman who looked like she belonged on the front of some country life magazine, rather than the harshly lit, antiseptic-smelling hospital ward. As always, everything about her was perfect, from the application of her makeup to her choice of accessories to her straight, white teeth. She was the type of woman you found plenty of in the Cotswolds, normally driving around in a Land Rover, probably with a picnic basket filled with champagne and pâté in the back as she and her friends headed for a weekend at the races.

‘Sienna?’ Giles said, his voice laced with shock. ‘I didn’t expect to see you. What are you doing here?’

‘What do you mean? Of course I came. You had an accident. Why else would I be here?’

‘Of course, I… I realise that,’ Giles stuttered. ‘What I mean is, well – who told you?’

With an exasperated sigh, Sienna swept past Holly and dropped her handbag down on the chair.

‘I went to the manor. Business. One of the charities is interested in partnering with your uncle, but anyway, when I got there, the groundsman told me what had happened. Obviously, I came straight here. And it’s a good job I did. You’re an absolute mess. You obviously need me.’

‘Honestly, it’s just a few stitches.’

‘It’s a head injury, Giles. Clearly, you’re going to need constant supervision for the next twenty-four hours in case there’s a concussion. Honestly, I’m amazed. What would have happened if I hadn’t turned up?’

Holly cleared her throat. It was possible that Sienna was just so upset and worried that she hadn’t even noticed Holly was there. After all, shock did different things to different people. And so she stepped forward.

‘It’s fine, Sienna. He rang me. I was going to drive him home whenever he was ready. After he’s been discharged, that is.’

For the first time since she’d stepped into the room, Sienna’s eyes flickered to Holly. The action was minuscule, as was the purse of her lips, but the sigh she emitted afterwards was impressively long.

‘Darling,’ she said, her attention once again focused on Giles. ‘Everything’s fine. I’m here now, it’s fine. I’ll be the one to look after you. After all, that’s what a good girlfriend does.’

Holly could feel her teeth grinding together. She and Sienna were from different worlds. She got that. But that didn’t mean Sienna had to act like she didn’t exist. She was about to say something along those lines when the curtain was swept aside for a second time and Faye stepped inside.

‘Wow, look at this.’ Faye’s bright smile was a welcome respite from Sienna’s surliness. ‘It’s quite an entourage of women you’ve got here. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you did all this for the attention.’ She looked at Holly with a grin that Holly reciprocated. But on the other side of the room, Sienna looked as if she’d just been slapped across the face. Her eyes widened and her jaw locked as she took a step towards Faye.

‘How dare you?’ she hissed, her voice a low quiver. ‘I am absolutely appalled by your audacity. Can’t you see how much pain he’s in? I want the name of your supervisor this instant. That type of behaviour is totally unprofessional and unacceptable.’

Holly step forwards.

‘Sienna, it’s?—’

‘I don’t care if she meant it as a joke or otherwise. I’m absolutely disgusted.’

‘Sienna, this is?—’

‘No, don’t make excuses for her. It’s outright unprofessional. A sackable offence, if you ask me.’

Sienna wasn’t listening, and Faye was so stunned, her jaw was hanging wide open, speechless. In the confusion, Holly and Giles exchanged a look, followed by a short nod.

‘Sienna!’ they yelled simultaneously. The noise was enough to cause a glass of water on the table to ripple, but it also had the desired effect of stunning Sienna into silence, at which point, Giles finally managed to get a word in edgeways.

‘Sienna, this is my sister, Faye.’

‘Your sister?’ A second later, the penny dropped and Sienna’s cheeks coloured as vibrantly as her hot-pink lipstick.

‘Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise. I thought you worked with babies.’

‘I do,’ Faye said. ‘But obviously, when you hear your big brother’s been in an accident, you’re allowed to come check on him.’

‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Sienna’s voice was so breathy with panic, Holly almost felt sorry for her. ‘Of course, I realise that now. Yes, and obviously, I’m not going to make any complaints. I was just a little highly strung with worry, you understand? It’s ever so lovely to meet you,’ she added, before grabbing her hand and kissing her enthusiastically on both cheeks. ‘I’ve heard so much about you. It’s such a joy to finally put a face to the name. We need to meet up properly, outside here. Cocktails, perhaps? Giles makes an incredible old-fashioned, but you probably already know that.’ She let out a tight, high-pitched laugh.

Holly watched on as Faye waited to be released. While she couldn’t remember exactly when she had first met Sienna, she was sure Giles’s current girlfriend hadn’t been nearly this enthusiastic.

‘That would be nice,’ Faye said, stepping back the moment Sienna let go of her. ‘And talking of catching up, Holly, we are due a coffee soon too. It’s been forever.’

‘I know. I haven’t seen you since the boys’ first birthday party.’